- Oct 27, 2008
- 145
- 9
- 93
- If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
- United Kingdom
- What type of forum member are you?
- Other
I have completed a first fix for a client on the recommendation of a builder who put up the shell of an extension. However, the home owners have been agressive and verbally abusive on a number of occassions (I won't go into too much detail but they are 'nut cases') and have talked down to me and my apprentice quite extensively while we have been on site. When asking for money as the first fix was completed they agressively told us that we wouldn't have any money unless we completed the job, and if we didn't complete the job they would see us in court, etc. etc.
Some of the (many) rediculous points they have said they arent happy with (and have became abusive) include us fitting a fan in a downstairs WC which now doesnt have a window (as the extension covers it) I showed the husband that we could put the fan in line with the light in the centre of the room as the bay to one side was taken with central heating pipes to the boiler below, and the bay to the other side couldn't be ducted as the edge of the external porch didn't allow for core drilling. The bloke agreed that the fan could only go in the middle and this was OK, later (when it had been done) they told us the fan wasn't where they wanted it and we never asked them where they wanted it, that we were not professionals and that they would get someone else in to 'put things right' when we had cleared off (in so many words).
I asked about whether they wanted TV points wiring, which were on the drawing, on three seperate occasions, to which they replied that they were doing them themselves as they didn't want to pay out for someone else to do it. When the plasterer got held up and couldn't board any more walls because the TV points weren't wired, they phoned and TOLD ME that I had forgot to wire them and I had to attend the site IMMEDIATELY (I was in the middle of a rewire). I told them that this wasnt the case however, and the joiner was witness to two occassions when I had asked, who was on site with them. They became very abusive on the phone at this, and said that they would find out where we were working and come and pick us up, and that if we wouldn't go immediately they would get someone else and bill us for the work, and bill us for the plasterers wasted time. When the bloke started raising his voice etc. I put the phone down. I have discovered later that the husband had wired his own TV points, running coax in through the same holes as all my T&E in the stud work.
Those are two examples, of which there are plenty.
I have managed to get some money which covers our time and materials for the first fix (refused to cut the cavity boxes in this morning before the plasterer skimmed unless I had something for my troubles). The lady of the house told me she wouldn't give me it directly, but passed a cheque to the builder who was there. Who was stood with us. Who then gave me it, and it was made out in my name. (This is a woman in her 50s). I told them I wasn't happy with the way we were being spoken to and that we didn't come to work to be abused, and that if there was any more of it or the cheque didn't clear and I wouldn't be back to finish the job. At which I was told that if I didn't come back and 2nd fix and sign the job off, they would see me in court, after they had got someone else to finish it, and handed me their bill.
I could hear the wife in the background telling her son that if he didn't hit me she would.
The joiner has had the same sort of problem with them at the beginning of the job, but now we have been on site the focus and abuse seems to have shifted to us.
I have completed and notified many such jobs as this (over 70) in the last 3 years of being self employed, and have NEVER witnessed a customer like it- not even close.
Am I under any legal obligation to return?
I don't think I could tell the bloke to stop raising his voice and pointing at me, as calmly as I have done, if there is a next time.
Some of the (many) rediculous points they have said they arent happy with (and have became abusive) include us fitting a fan in a downstairs WC which now doesnt have a window (as the extension covers it) I showed the husband that we could put the fan in line with the light in the centre of the room as the bay to one side was taken with central heating pipes to the boiler below, and the bay to the other side couldn't be ducted as the edge of the external porch didn't allow for core drilling. The bloke agreed that the fan could only go in the middle and this was OK, later (when it had been done) they told us the fan wasn't where they wanted it and we never asked them where they wanted it, that we were not professionals and that they would get someone else in to 'put things right' when we had cleared off (in so many words).
I asked about whether they wanted TV points wiring, which were on the drawing, on three seperate occasions, to which they replied that they were doing them themselves as they didn't want to pay out for someone else to do it. When the plasterer got held up and couldn't board any more walls because the TV points weren't wired, they phoned and TOLD ME that I had forgot to wire them and I had to attend the site IMMEDIATELY (I was in the middle of a rewire). I told them that this wasnt the case however, and the joiner was witness to two occassions when I had asked, who was on site with them. They became very abusive on the phone at this, and said that they would find out where we were working and come and pick us up, and that if we wouldn't go immediately they would get someone else and bill us for the work, and bill us for the plasterers wasted time. When the bloke started raising his voice etc. I put the phone down. I have discovered later that the husband had wired his own TV points, running coax in through the same holes as all my T&E in the stud work.
Those are two examples, of which there are plenty.
I have managed to get some money which covers our time and materials for the first fix (refused to cut the cavity boxes in this morning before the plasterer skimmed unless I had something for my troubles). The lady of the house told me she wouldn't give me it directly, but passed a cheque to the builder who was there. Who was stood with us. Who then gave me it, and it was made out in my name. (This is a woman in her 50s). I told them I wasn't happy with the way we were being spoken to and that we didn't come to work to be abused, and that if there was any more of it or the cheque didn't clear and I wouldn't be back to finish the job. At which I was told that if I didn't come back and 2nd fix and sign the job off, they would see me in court, after they had got someone else to finish it, and handed me their bill.
I could hear the wife in the background telling her son that if he didn't hit me she would.
The joiner has had the same sort of problem with them at the beginning of the job, but now we have been on site the focus and abuse seems to have shifted to us.
I have completed and notified many such jobs as this (over 70) in the last 3 years of being self employed, and have NEVER witnessed a customer like it- not even close.
Am I under any legal obligation to return?
I don't think I could tell the bloke to stop raising his voice and pointing at me, as calmly as I have done, if there is a next time.
