The customer is always right. Oh....

[timhoward]

I wonder if anyone has some good stories of really easy call-outs made a lot more difficult by the customer's rather fixed views. Here is my starter for ten:

A call out for a MCB for ring final circuit tripping. Customer had serious attitude, absolutely convinced it was the kettle causing it. They start off by telling me I won't find the fault, and they don't really need me at all because it's the kettle.
"Ok that should be easy to prove".
So I unplug the kettle, and it still trips.
"Well it probably damaged the socket"
That's really unlikely, but I can check it.
So I take the chance to check end-to-end continuity and L+N to E IR, all ok.
So I attempt to get more clues "Nothing wrong there, and the wiring is testing ok at first glance. Has anything changed recently, any DIY, drilling, anything electrical moved?"
"No nothing like that at all".
Ok, please can you think back, what were you doing before it tripped.
"I went shopping. It's the kettle."
and then after you went shopping and came back what happened next.
"Well, I washed my hair"
Did you dry it with a hair dryer?
"Yes"
Is hair dryer still plugged in?
"No. It's the kettle, it must be."
OK. And then?
"I cleaned behind the washing machine"
And then it tripped?
"I pushed it back in and then the kettle didn't work. I keep telling you it's the kettle."
(Gently) I'm actually sure it isn't the kettle because it still trips. Let's have a look at the washing machine.
"It can't be that!"
At the moment I can only see the washing machine, the dishwasher and the fridge freezer still connected. Oh and the tumble-drier. The most efficient way to find the fault is to start by checking the equipment still connected, starting with the last thing that moved.
If it isn't any of those things I'll then need to start taking sockets apart which is very time consuming. This is honestly the quickest way. There isn't an isolator so I'll need to pull the washing machine out again.
"It isn't that, really."
This was the last appliance you touched before you lost power. We need to check it. Are you happy for me to pull it out?
"OK, if you like (rolling eyes)"
Carefully pull it out, noting very short flex, I can just about reach behind and unplug it.
The breaker stays on. Do loop test, all good.
Pull washing machine out for a proper look:

"Will you be charging me, you haven't done much?"
Yes, I will, and I think it's fair. We're well within the first hour. I've found the exact cause of the fault. I've confirmed your sockets are safe to use. You can now make a cup of tea, your heating will work, you will have hot water again, your freezer is back on.
"But all you did was unplug the washing machine. I could have done that. I'll pay but won't be using you again".
Deep breath, gracious retreat, mental note of address for the black list.

 

[James]

I have had this on a few occasions.

phone call from customer

C can you come and look at this machine? It won’t work.
me, I can do but before I come al the way over there what’s the problem?
C there is no life n the machine, everything is dead nothing working
me, have you checked the basics? Plugged in, switched on, all emergency stop buttons out?
C yes yes, Bob has looked at it and has worked on that machine for years. It’s definitely faulty.

so after an hour drive to site, get shown machine.
bob shows machine, presses some start buttons and declares it to be broken, p.s. the control panel is round the back there.

me, quick walk round machine looking for obvious, find pallet or other thing leaning up against difficult to access part of machine.
move pallet, pull out hidden E stop button.

get Bob to confirm everything is working correctly and clear off to next job.

depending on time and travel costs involve it can be expensive for them to get me to operate buttons for them!
would you believe that the same companies can fall for it time after time?!

 

[radiohead]

The call out to push a button scenario is pretty common, and I've had plenty for ovens which just require switching back to manual from auto despite asking the customer to check this before I come out. I confess to a ruse which may not be entirely ethical under these circumstances but which avoids resentment for a callout charge just to press a button.
Once it has been visually established that an offending button just needs pushing remove a connection panel or the back of the appliance and be seen to engage a screwdriver within for a minute or so. Replace panel, discreetly push button and hey presto! It works.
You leave as a genius and saviour with a gratefully paid callout charge and probably a tip as well as recommendations to all their friends and family

 

[westward10]

Probably 20 odd years ago working in a factory which made plastic bags, was actually a fascinating process anyway one of their engineering managers who was being very difficult referred to me with the "c" word. I gave it a few minutes before I said, I may act the "c" sometimes but you will always be a "c". I was much younger and wouldn't dream of doing it now but it made me feel good.

 

[richy3333]

The black list presents a minefield of issues to resolve to make it work more so now with GDPR

With customers like this I just add their number to the contact list in my phone with a surname of "Rogue Customer" and pass it round to other electricians I know

Bad customers and advertising get a duck call from me, so I know not to answer it

 

[James]

Probably 20 odd years ago working in a factory which made plastic bags, was actually a fascinating process anyway one of their engineering managers who was being very difficult referred to me with the "c" word. I gave it a few minutes before I said, I may act the "c" sometimes but you will always be a "c". I was much younger and wouldn't dream of doing it now but it made me feel good.

In my post, the ”C” word was Customer!
???
but I understand your need to respond at the time.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I confess to a ruse which may not be entirely ethical under these circumstances but which avoids resentment for a callout charge just to press a button.

In those scenarios to save face for the customer, I would 'find' a poor contact. I will exercise the offending control 100 times while they are watching, so that the next time it happens, they remember what I did and it makes them check the control before calling me.

 

[timhoward]

I confess to a ruse which may not be entirely ethical under these circumstances but which avoids resentment for a callout charge just to press a button.

This is similar to when I had a repair workshop in the basement of a shop. You never take a repair back upstairs too quickly.
Also similar to when guessing time frames for a horrendous job, guess, and then double it. If you originally reckoned 2 hours, tell them four, and it takes 3 hours you are a hero. Tell them 2 and they will whinge all night!

 

[timhoward]

Probably 20 odd years ago working in a factory which made plastic bags, was actually a fascinating process anyway one of their engineering managers who was being very difficult referred to me with the "c" word. I gave it a few minutes before I said, I may act the "c" sometimes but you will always be a "c". I was much younger and wouldn't dream of doing it now but it made me feel good.

Very Churchill!
"Sir you are drunk!"
"And you madam are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober"

 

[Zerax]

Probably 20 odd years ago working in a factory which made plastic bags, was actually a fascinating process anyway one of their engineering managers who was being very difficult referred to me with the "c" word. I gave it a few minutes before I said, I may act the "c" sometimes but you will always be a "c". I was much younger and wouldn't dream of doing it now but it made me feel good.

That reminds me of the famous Churchill quote...
Lady Aster: Winston, your are drunk !
Churchill: Madam, you are ugly, but I shall be sober in the morning...

 

[ruston]

Probably 20 odd years ago working in a factory which made plastic bags, was actually a fascinating process anyway one of their engineering managers who was being very difficult referred to me with the "c" word. I gave it a few minutes before I said, I may act the "c" sometimes but you will always be a "c". I was much younger and wouldn't dream of doing it now but it made me feel good.

Form the film The Professionals.

J.W. Grant : You bas****

Rico : Yes, Sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you, Sir, you're a self-made man.

 

[westward10]

Something similar in Greenwich London where a refuse truck cut me up. One of the operatives called me a w***** from the window to which I replied I must be because you're the one covered in rubbish from other people's waste.

 

[Instantsafe]

We often hear the expression... "The customer is always right."
However the customer is not professionally trained, may be biased by what they have seen on TV, on YouTube, heard at the pub.... I could go on...
The fact is, The customer is NOT always right, but "The customer is always the customer!"

 

[littlespark]

Think of it as “the customer is NEVER right”

you are the professional, they are just talking louder than you.

 

[pc1966]

I thought it was "the customer is always tight"

 

[Intoelectrics]

In all honesty I think it is perfectly reasonable for a client to state 'it was fine until you messed with it' when the oven keeps tripping the new RCD where it worked perfectly well before. Presumably you did not explain to your client exactly what you were installing and how RCD's are much more sensitive to faults than SE fuses.
It is always good practice to explain to the client that modern circuit protection provides a much higher degree of shock and fire protection but at the same time can react to minor faults that the previous arrangement didn't.
Sometimes you need to put yourself in your clients position, Black list indeed. Pretty poor customer service IMO.

I explained to the customer perfectly well, prior to the upgrade and again in detail on my return visit. I also did not charge for the call out and the 2 replacement lights switches and wall light I did as a good will gesture during the initial job of swapping out the CU.
He was clearly not buying what I was explaining to him - that the fault was most likely already present and that the new RCD had picked this up. If he had been polite to me rather than ranting, and accepted my explanation regarding the oven fault then I would have been happy to replace the faulty element (probably at no cost) since it is was a straight forward job.

So, sorry no I don't agree with you and take offense on your comment about "poor customer service". I have been in the trade for over 30 years and the only genuine complaints I have received in all that time have been for poor or faulty equipment failures, which I have either replaced, if I had supplied them, or been happy on most occasions to replace, at no cost, for decent customers who have accepted that the accessory/equipment they have supplied is faulty. I have and still do, go over and above for good customers and as a result have a very long cliental list of repeat customers and recommendations.

All the other complaints (like the 2 examples in my post) were people who either were not willing to understand/accept the cause/situation or were chancing a compensation claim of some sorts. we have all been victim of this I'm sure.