Customer Demanding We Pay For Her Blinds ££££££ Need Serious Advice.

[Weezy]

Im seeking advice from a job we have done with the most difficult customer of my whole career. We're a family business of 50+ years and take pride in our work and after today have been left debating whether its all worth it. I will explain the best i can:

We was called to a job to remove 3 old storage heaters and replace them with the new energy efficient fan assisted type. easy job.
We turned up on the day, the client left us a key so no one was in. we carried out the job and left. (This was a couple weeks ago, no payment as been taken yet)

About 3-4 days after we carried out the job the customer phones up and is complaining she is not happy with one of the storage heaters location, she says she has been reading the manual and it states there should be a 250mm gap from the top of the storage heater to the curtains above (the heater is below a window)
Now we admit perhaps that was an oversight on our behalf, at the time the curtains where tied back and it was overlooked. However all we was doing was replacing the old heaters and therefore trying to position them to cover up the old marks on the walls (we informed her that in normal circumstances we wouldn't normally fit heaters under a window but this was a swap over job) i would also note that the new heater is only about 1inch taller than then old heater, therefore if the new one is considered to not comply to manufactures instructions nor did the old one.

Now the customer is saying shes had her 'friend around that knows her stuff' and she also saying its wrong, not only that they are claiming they had a fire safety officer around who apparently wanted our contact details to report us but they claim they where nice enough to refuse to give them to him...
The customer is saying shes had sleepless nights since they where installed (even though the heaters are turned off completely due to being summer)

So this brings us to today, we called round to see if we can come to an agreement, and after the longest debate of my life we are no closer to a solution, the following is what was discussed:

1) We said that we would come back and completely FREE of charge move the heater to a new location, she has at least 2 locations that could work, HOWEVER one wall has a mirror on it that the customer says cannot be moved and the other position would be to move it next to the window its currently under that she says if we did that she would have to move her unit beside her sofa and have no where for it to go... So in short shes saying we CANNOT move it.

2) We said we would remove the heater and get a replacement one the same as she had before, Free of charge and in essence cancel that part of the job and have to just take the hit on it. YET now she is saying we cant do that because it still wouldn't comply even though it NEVER did in the first place.

So we cant Move it and we cant Remove it...

3) We stated that in all the years we have been trading that every other customer we informed about the curtains and told them that we HIGHLY suggest they get replacement shorter curtains has just picked this option. NOT THIS CUSTOMER, she says thats not an option because the gap between the top of the heater and the window is not 250mm therefore she cannot shorten her curtains.

So now what, we are at a lost end, she wont make room for the heater else where and let us move it and she wont let us install the old one and she wont shorten her curtains yet shes demanding we fix the problem.
In comes the 'friend expert' her friend is now suggesting the only option is to have the curtains removed and special blinds fitted in this lounge, and the WE have to pay for them, she goes on to say they are expensive and could expect to pay £300 per window, the lounge has 6 windows (2 don't even have curtains) and shes also suggesting that we should pay for all 6 so they match. This is just INSANE!

I wholeheartedly feel that im being made to look like a terrible trades man and cannot see how in anyway, shape or form i can be expected to fork out for 6 blinds! At this point she will be getting brand new heating in her whole home and furnished out of my pocket!

I know this was a long post and i thank anyone thats made it this far, im really at a lost end and dont know what to do, we are honest and fair people, and work by the principal of never installing something i wouldn't want in my own home. and i would never carry out something that i consider dangerous or I WILL be loosing sleep at night.

Im not sure if i should give the NICEIC a call or what. what would you guys do in my situation? is the customer right? is there anything else i can do to make the heater comply, like some sort of cover?
To the best of my knowledge you cannot buy short storage heaters, unless anyone knows of some?

(i would also like to note that the reason it has been 2 weeks before we have revisited is because the customer phoned up to complain on the NIGHT of my flight, i was going on holiday for 11 days, therefore that is why i wasn't able to return sooner)

Below is an image of the storage heater.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

I think the reason for the gap above is more to let the heat escape effectively.

...as opposed to most of the heat ending up between the window and the curtain!

 

[Weezy]

Sounds like a job for a solicitor then

I was starting to slide towards paying for the bloody blinds just to get my money and be done with it but theres no way im paying for all 6 windows.

 

[Andy78]

I once had a woman try it on. Asked me to put up two light fittings in the kitchen and diner and some other bits.
She kept encouraging me, multiple times, to use her dining chairs to stand on for the ceiling lights instead of my steps. It's ok she said, I'm throwing them out tomorrow we are getting some new ones. I still declined.
Calls me the next day, you owe me £600 for new dining chairs as you must have scratched the back of one with your toolbox. Thought you were throwing them out anyway ? Yeah well. Not now.

Told her no chance over a few phone calls and emails and she eventually went away. Like a bad smell.

 

[James]

Once you have the written request from them,
Depending on the content the next thing I would be doing is removing the heater by the window.
Remove it from the bill and send them the final invoice.
Stating that as per discussions a heater of that type can’t be fitted under the window until the customer has removed the hanging drapes.

Do this right, by the book and in writing.
The court is likely to be your friend in this case.

 

[rolyberkin]

Obviously her old heater is probably on a scrap yard or being turned into bean cans right about now, so if i remove the heater i supplied i still owe her a replacement heater to match the same as she had before surely? I guess id have to find a old style one from some where, since they dont make them anymore.

My point is that she asked you to replace heaters, you have done that, she really not going to have a heater in the lounge, all she needs to do is tell you where it is going. She will need to move the mirror or make some concessions but that is not your concern. Hold your ground.

 

[Weezy]

Once you have the written request from them,
Depending on the content the next thing I would be doing is removing the heater by the window.
Remove it from the bill and send them the final invoice.
Stating that as per discussions a heater of that type can’t be fitted under the window until the customer has removed the hanging drapes.

Do this right, by the book and in writing.
The court is likely to be your friend in this case.

I would like to do this, however when i brought the topic up of removing the heater so she doesn't 'worry about it' shes then repeatedly started saying "No, no, you cant do that, what will i do for heat, you cant leave me with no heating, you need to fix this, winter is coming and i cant go without" i replied with "i will find you a replacement that matches the one you had before" she then cut me off saying "thats no good! i want energy efficient ones, nope, no, thats not an option"

and so on, i doubt very much she would willingly give me access to her house to remove my heater...
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I once had a woman try it on. Asked me to put up two light fittings in the kitchen and diner and some other bits.
She kept encouraging me, multiple times, to use her dining chairs to stand on for the ceiling lights instead of my steps. It's ok she said, I'm throwing them out tomorrow we are getting some new ones. I still declined.
Calls me the next day, you owe me £600 for new dining chairs as you must have scratched the back of one with your toolbox. Thought you were throwing them out anyway ? Yeah well. Not now.

Told her no chance over a few phone calls and emails and she eventually went away. Like a bad smell.

Mate! i swear if we didn't have to deal with customers this job would be easy...
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My point is that she asked you to replace heaters, you have done that, she really not going to have a heater in the lounge, all she needs to do is tell you where it is going. She will need to move the mirror or make some concessions but that is not your concern. Hold your ground.

Yeah, okay i understand what your saying, its hard though, you get one complaint and it can ruin your reputation, im trying to tip toe around this as much as possible.

 

[Des 56]

The woman seems to have a skill in amateur dramatics and you have bitten hard
This is not something that you are going to resolve by yourself

Take the advice given in post 26 and engage a solicitor to act from herein

 

[Wilko]

Hi - sorry to hear of your troubles. I’m thinking that if it turns out the new heaters really shouldn’t be placed there and Customer won’t permit them anywhere else, then perhaps the old heaters just need to go back - and you were never there. Not practical, I know as the old ones are probably in the bin.

 

[snowhead]

Don't panic, I have the solution.
BRICK the window up, no curtains required...

 

[edexlab]

I heard of a claim like this in a social housing contract,

The guy investigating it contacted the manufacturer re the clearance height where they confirmed the measurements in installation manual.

He asked what the risk of fire was with the temperature of the convected air and they couldn't confirm that it could cause a fire ie no real testing data as they can't recreate every scenario
The issues it seemed were more about claims for damage to furnishings ie paint , wallpaper and curtains deteriorating from the heat but they had to cover themselves for people burying the heaters under material and furniture etc in case something did happen.

Obviously some materials can give off volatile fumes when heated, although I don't know if this could apply to the above

I don't know if he got anything on paper stating this but nothing was changed and the heater stayed.

I know fires can be caused by faulty electrical storage heaters but I've not heard of a case where it was proven that the heated air from a storage heater caused a fire...

 

[James]

Removed....

Is this part of your documented complaints handling procedure?
Maybe we should all put this in the small print of our quotes?
Nobody reads them anyway until something goes wrong, would love to be a fly on the wall when a customer has a problem and decides to check the small print!!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

She does not sound like a rational woman, however you HAVE to remain polite and professional. This may end up in court and you can stand there in your suit with your friend as back up (ALWAYS take him with you) and explain just how professional you were.

As all the others have said, everything in writing no matter how small.

If you are registered you will have a complaints system. You should offer her a copy of your procedure and also start the process, follow it to the letter and to the end. This will look good in court (if that process fails) to show how you have systematically tried to make this situation right in every way.

Good luck chap, try not to get too stressed with it. These situations are sent to try us and we can only learn from them. I've been to court once (I was in the right of course!), had a quick victory and walked out feeling great. I see no reason (although I doubt any of us are legally trained) why your outcome wouldn't be the same.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Trying it on. She already has blinds fitted in the window recess, these are not directly above the heater so won't be affected by it even if they could be. The curtains are therefore superfluous.

If it was me:
Everything in writing, careful use of words.
2 options: remove the curtains, or move the heater.
Insist that the heater be disconnected immediately on safety grounds.
Nothing for free.

Good luck mate, hope you get a good outcome

 

[Toneyz]

Is this the only window with a pair of these curtains? if so get them taken up this is what people used to do to suit the window. That's when people used to know how to sew.

 

[Weezy]

Is this the only window with a pair of these curtains? if so get them taken up this is what people used to do to suit the window. That's when people used to know how to sew.

Unfortunately there is 4 windows in total.
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Unless im missing something, it cant be possible for 'hot air' to catch the curtains on fire anyway surely? Its hardly any different to normal radiators.

I could understand that if the curtains magically grew in the night they could choke the heater however even if this happened the safety cut out is there for this reason.

In my time i know iv seen worse things people do to storage heaters, one would expect half of Britain to be up in flames by now.
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Thanks for all the reply's anyway guys. Im going to have to discuss things with my business partner on Monday. Im sure i'll post back here with the outcome at some point!
Appreciate the advice!