issues with customer and cost of parking when on jobs!!!

[Gavin John Hyde]

Walked out of a job today, customer lives in residents only permit zone in middle of town, I make it clear in the terms and conditions they sign that they will where required provide a permit for duration of works or they cost will be added to invoice. Bath has lots of zones where some are residents only, others are residents and paid for.
Get to the property today and the woman says I cant have a visitors permit to park on her street as she can only have 100 visitors permits per year for the property from council and she would prefer to keep them for when her son is home from university as he likes to park outside as he doesn't like to park his car in an unsafe area.
So I explain that given the road is residents only between 8am-6pm without a means for people to pay to park there who dont live on the road she either gives me a permit as per the t and c's agreed before hand or the work doesn't happen. On other zones I would have added parking to the invoice. She was adamant I couldn't have a permit and wanted me to park 1/4 of a mile down the road in a different area then shift tools, equipment etc to save using one of her precious permits. i told her she was having a laugh when the road outside is empty and said no thanks then walked out and drove home.
Half hour later I get a phone call asking if i have parked yet! my response inst repeatable but she got the message that I will not be installing her kitchen down lights or cabinet lighting for her, neither will I be installing the new oven and hob.
That didn't go down to well as yesterday she had the old kitchen appliances taken away with the rubbish from the kitchen fitters. So now she has a kitchen without cooker, hob or lights!
She says I am unprofessional and have poor customer service skills and should be banned from working as this is the best bit being niceic registered ' you are a disgrace to niceic and i will be complaining to your company about you' that really made me laugh as she thinks niceic is the name of my company!? so clearly hadnt read the paperwork, I said go ahead and complain im one of the good guys you dont want to meet the cowboys out there.. being a one man outfit I am not too bothered.Ah well, you win some you loose some.

 

[Squid]

Try getting tradesman parking in London... you pay £50 for the privelage

Agree, for the flat build I think it cost me £3200 and don't bother getting a residents bay suspended for a skip as the cost is out of this world seeing the price Thames Water charged me for the installation of a new water pipe.

 

[Squid]

She had better inform student son to bring his stash of Pot Noodles with him as she won't be cooking him any food.

Well done mate, the way I look at it is you make the life of any trades person working on your house easier, supply with water, tea and biscuits and don't stand there looking over their shoulders as then you as a customer are treated well and not over charged.

 

[Strima]

Had some windows done recently and kept the lads supplied with brews. Things is they keep on rocking up when working in the area for a brew if their customer is being tight...

 

[Squid]

Had some windows done recently and kept the lads supplied with brews. Things is they keep on rocking up when working in the area for a brew if their customer is being tight...

Tell the wife to draw the curtains when getting dressed in the mornings..........

 

[JOURNEYMAN]

I wonder if the client will actually call the NICEIC and complain (doubt it) and whether or not the NICEIC defend their members who under the circumstances make a reasonable well thought out practical request for access/parking to be considered in advance of the work or just not get involved.

 

[Cadgey123]

Her son can’t be doing much studying if he is home every 3 days to use the 100 permits she has for him!!
Well done, I would have done he same and walked off as well. If that’s what you got about parking, imagine what she would have moaned about on the job.

 

[Strima]

Tell the wife to draw the curtains when getting dressed in the mornings..........

That would scare them off!!!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

I wonder if the client will actually call the NICEIC and complain (doubt it) and whether or not the NICEIC defend their members who under the circumstances make a reasonable well thought out practical request for access/parking to be considered in advance of the work or just not get involved.

The NICEIC would in first instance i believe tell her to contact myself to find resolution, but since I never actually started any work I would assume the NICEIC would say nothing to do with us.

 

[Squid]

I bet said son is doing a sh1te degree as well and is most probs one of these new fangled snowflakes.

 

[Squid]

That would scare them off!!!

We'll be the judge of that, chop chop with the *photos...... ;o))))))




*gets eye bleach ready ;o)))))

 

[brianmoooore]

Rarely work in urban areas, and haven't tested it for at least ten years, but the rules and regs associated with double yellow lines specify an exemption for those "engaged in the maintenance and installation of water and electricity", or some similar wording.
On one occasion I was working at the end of a local High street, where there was a bus sized double yellow lined lay bye alongside the road. Arrived on the first morning to see the Chippy unloading his van and being hassled by a bad tempered traffic warden, who wouldn't let up until he had moved his van to a car park a hundred yards away. At this point, I pulled into the bay, was totally ignored by the warden, as if I was invisible, and parked there the whole day, and every other day, until the job was finished.
On another occasion, I was working in a very narrow yellow lined street, which also had a small van sized lay bye at one point along it, in which I parked. After a day or two, I encountered, and got into a stand up argument with a prod nosed neighbour over my parking arrangements. I politely told her to foxtrot oscar, and went back to work.
An hour later two plod arrive in a car, and tell me to move. I politely explained to them that I believed I was legally parked. They admitted they had no idea what I was on about, but they would go away and check. They never came back, and I parked in the same place for the two weeks or so that the job took.
On a third occasion, I used an ordinary car for the job since there wasn't much room to park a van, yellow lines or not. As soon as I had parked, I spotted a traffic warden heading up the street towards me, as fast as his little legs would move, notebook in hand, and a look of disappointment came over his face, when I explained that I was an electrician working in a shop a few yards away. I was causing a bit of an obstruction, but by this time a delivery van had moved on from right opposite the shop, so with the warden's blessing, I moved on to the yellow lines there.

 

[Gasinspect]

Councils vary, Richmond had a traders scheme that was reasonable, Hounslow had no provision at all. Worked for some letting agents so often property was empty so no householder to not get "visitor" permits from. Wrote to councillors, was told they "would consider it" - end of story. Was in fortunate position i could afford to turn down any jobs in Hounslow and just worked in Richmond.

 

[Chris1234]

You lot wouldn’t like being a maintenance engineer on a large site then, lots of walking!

 

[telectrix]

You lot wouldn’t like being a maintenance engineer on a large site then, lots of walking!

buy a mobility scooter.