With duplicate paperwork which copy do you keep.

[Gavin John Hyde]

I had some duplicate minor work certificates printed up a few weeks back, they are basically the same as the standard IET forms,
I fill in the top copy and give it to the customer and i keep the duplicate that is underneath for my records.

I accidentally gave a customer the bottom copy rather than the top one with biro on and you would think i have robbed them or something based on the phone call i had today.

They are selling their house, so had me round to do a few little things like replacing broken fittings, take down a outdoors floodlight that was hanging off the wall.

The lady concerned for some reason felt that as the writing was carbon copied and it was not in ink it could have jeopardised the house sell as the details were not clear enough, although i doubt very much she or her solicitor knows what a IR test or earth fault loop actually is mind!

I apologised and said id pop the top copy round tomorrow.

It got me thinking though what is the problem? surely it makes no odds if they have the top or bottom copy? its purely for convenience and record keeping that i have a duplicate. I do the same with invoices. it saves filling or printing two and means i can give the customer a copy there and then.

Anybody else use duplicate paperwork? what do you do with each copy?

 

[buzzlightyear]

when I do any paper work it always on my laptop at home and original copy sent or given to the customer depend on payment & file duplicates in the office .and if they loose them £££££££.

 

[Ian1981]

Give the client the original file the copy

 

[Deleted member 26818]

True carbon copies use carbon as the transfer medium and can be erased or altered as easily as something written in pencil.

 

[I2C]

I've always used a computer to generate the documents, this way you can produce unlimited copies. I can't see why it matters when giving it to the client, the information is identical regardless of which copy they receive. Maybe give the competency-scheme a call to check?

 

[Octopus]

Why not use computer generated certs. Problem solved

 

[The Ghost]

The durability of the carbon sheet is very poor and an unsatisfactory form of documentation as mentioned above it could be subject to alteration or other forgery. Black ink is the way forward as such a document in a legal context is irrefutable, and certainly more professional.

 

[buzzlightyear]

it is much simple to use a computer to generate the certs .
because the book of certs you get from the scams what they charge . cock up a sheet more monies down the drain .

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Each to their own i guess, these minor work ones i had printed up were from a printers in Bath who i was doing some work for, I talked him into printing me some to try as a freebie. He does my duplicate vat invoices aswell.
I would normally use the laptop to do them but when its a quick minor job sometimes it is quicker and easier to grab the pad out .