Urrghh.. Customers!!

[sythai]

Evening Chaps

Been a while since I've been on here but in need of some advice please, if you don't mind. Would like to see what others would do?

About to blow my top here!! And don't won't to go and say something and come to regret it.

Completed an extension in Nov '14 : RCD mini CU installed to supply new rfc and lighting circuits.
Supplies 12 x non-critical plug sockets and the central heating (have immersion back up though.)

Throughout job customer was a complete bitch, really having to bite my tongue all the time.

Had phone call this evening, saying along there lines of...

"the RCD won't reset/ trips when ring mcb engaged. Up until now this has only happened intermittently for last few months. Everything unplugged."

This is the first time they have contacted me about it.

Explained happy to call round first thing Monday (and this having to cancel other work to do so) as already had other commitments tomorrow/ weekend.

Customer demanded I come round sooner and spieled out "this is not good enough, it must be your fault. I will get another electrician and send you the bill!!" then hung up. WTF!!

Kept my cool throughout, but now would love to send her an email telling to shove it and the option of Monday or me ever carry any further work for her is zero. I won't though as she is stuck right up, lives in a little village local to me and would do whatever it takes to bad mouth me.

I won't be going back though thats for sure, not with an attitude like that.

Any thoughts please?

Thanks Sy

 

[Pete999]

Did you test the work you did?
Did you issue a EIC on completion?
Was your customer satisfied on completion?
What were the results of your testing?

 

[sythai]

Hi Pete thanks for your reply

Work tested upon completion, EIC issued, LABC and customer happy.
All results within the correct parameters.

 

[Pete999]

Hi Pete thanks for your reply

Work tested upon completion, EIC issued, LABC and customer happy.
All results within the correct parameters.

Walk away Renny

 

[sythai]

I'm gone... nice thing now about the iPhone is you can block unwanted numbers

 

[markc123]

Problem is bad mouthing you can actually harm your business. Any evidence of this? Solicitors letter if you've got the funds could be the way to go.
Word of mouth can do more damage than good at times.

Ask her why she hadn't reported the nuisance tripping to you at time of job completion. If all your testing was good, and you've got the paperwork then just fk her.

"Everything unplugged" is hilarious, 99% of the time they've forgotten something.

On a side note, you fit any USB sockets on job? I've heard they're going down quite regular and taking breakers along with them. Practically they're brilliant, from a spark's point of view especially IR'ing they're a complete nuisance.

 

[Octopus]

If its over 12 months since you completed the job, and on the basis you have been paid, then she is entitled to nothing from you.

Thats how I would deal with her!


I've recently had a difficult client - I went back and completed the job, then submitted my final invoice - only to be told that he wouldn't pay until I came back to "fix" the smoke alarm.... so I popped in and guess what, the tiler or plumber or HIM had removed the heat alarm and couldn't put it back on!

I waited for the cheque - drove straight to the bank, and paid it in - that was 8 days ago and it hasn't bounced - so I may now do the Part Pee notification!

 

[sythai]

Well I feel better already, de-stressed. Thanks Chaps helps to talk :8:

Added to block list she can find someone else.

 

[7029 dave]

2014?, how long is your guarantee , tell them to do one.

 

[sythai]

2014?, how long is your guarantee , tell them to do one.

12 months :iagree:

 

[sythai]

Customer demanded I come round sooner and spieled out "this is not good enough, it must be your fault. I will get another electrician and send you the bill!!" then hung up. WTF!!

ha...never heard anymore from this 'surprisingly' silly be-atch :fuk2:

 

[baldelectrician]

12 months :iagree:

In Scotland it's legally 5 years

I had a call like this (from a tenant) at a property I did an EICR and smoke detectors at.
The tenant assured me that everything was unplugged, at this point I said;
"The landlord is responsable for the electrics in the property and will pay for my out of hours time. If the fault is found to be something that is plugged in you (the tenant) agree to a call out charge of £80 and a labour rate of £80 per hour".

The tenant responded with a 'I will go and check and call back" they never did and when I checked with the letting agent they never called in with an electrical probelm the following week

I would suggest that you will go out at a no costs basis if it is your install and a out of hours cost basis if its her appliances etc.
That's why I have an Android mobile that records calls and uploads the calls to drobox.

 

[telectrix]

i have a similar type situation, client originally asked for a quote for a rewire. on inspection, i found a couple of faults, but on the whole, cables were sound. good IR tests, no visible signs of deterioration. i advised a CU upgrade , separate the broken RFC into 2 radials, as there was no way of finding out where it was split, replaced socket faceplates at client's request. all tested OK. client reported 2 months later that he's got tripping issues, so i ask him to record what has tripped and when ( i.e. is there a pattern) and asked for a date/time to call to investigate. no response to this. client then comes back with the idea that a rewire was needed, and why did i not advise this. so far he's refused to give me an opportunity to investigate and has had a 2nd opinion advising that a rewire is needed. ( it's all PVC T/E, circa 1980). now he's threatening legal action. never been in a situation like this in 40 years. like to add that before i'd done my initial inspection, client had moved into the house, booked new carpets and decorators, before determinining if a rewire was needed. while i was there, decorators and carpet fitters were in and consequently client insisted that i worked barefoot in the house, contravening H&S legislation etc.,etc.

 

[sythai]

i have a similar type situation, client originally asked for a quote for a rewire. on inspection, i found a couple of faults, but on the whole, cables were sound. good IR tests, no visible signs of deterioration. i advised a CU upgrade , separate the broken RFC into 2 radials, as there was no way of finding out where it was split, replaced socket faceplates at client's request. all tested OK. client reported 2 months later that he's got tripping issues, so i ask him to record what has tripped and when ( i.e. is there a pattern) and asked for a date/time to call to investigate. no response to this. client then comes back with the idea that a rewire was needed, and why did i not advise this. so far he's refused to give me an opportunity to investigate and has had a 2nd opinion advising that a rewire is needed. ( it's all PVC T/E, circa 1980). now he's threatening legal action. never been in a situation like this in 40 years. like to add that before i'd done my initial inspection, client had moved into the house, booked new carpets and decorators, before determinining if a rewire was needed. while i was there, decorators and carpet fitters were in and consequently client insisted that i worked barefoot in the house, contravening H&S legislation etc.,etc.

It's just me then, that sounds bit **** mate !

 

[Octopus]

i have a similar type situation, client originally asked for a quote for a rewire. on inspection, i found a couple of faults, but on the whole, cables were sound. good IR tests, no visible signs of deterioration. i advised a CU upgrade , separate the broken RFC into 2 radials, as there was no way of finding out where it was split, replaced socket faceplates at client's request. all tested OK. client reported 2 months later that he's got tripping issues, so i ask him to record what has tripped and when ( i.e. is there a pattern) and asked for a date/time to call to investigate. no response to this. client then comes back with the idea that a rewire was needed, and why did i not advise this. so far he's refused to give me an opportunity to investigate and has had a 2nd opinion advising that a rewire is needed. ( it's all PVC T/E, circa 1980). now he's threatening legal action. never been in a situation like this in 40 years. like to add that before i'd done my initial inspection, client had moved into the house, booked new carpets and decorators, before determining if a rewire was needed. while i was there, decorators and carpet fitters were in and consequently client insisted that i worked barefoot in the house, contravening H&S legislation etc.,etc.

I would write / email him with your suggestion to revisit to retest..... that put the ball firmly in his court (excuse the pun). I don't think he will get very far getting legal "attention" if he doesn't allow you the access.

 

[telectrix]

asked him to note what had tripped and gave him the option for me to call back. asked for a window within a week. he would not give me one. what it boils down to is that he is fixated on a rewire and thinks i've given him bad advice. he's had a 2nd sparks in who's told him he needs a rewire, as well as ( reported by customer) " there's not enough power coming into the house".

my advice was based on
1.visual inspection of cables at CU and accessories, no damage or insulation deterioration observed.
2. IR tests showed well over that required by BS7671.
3. all circuits had cpcs and Zs readings were within parameters.
4. above was determined after dodgy garage wiring was dissed, and a fault on the socket circuit repaired.

 

[Octopus]

asked him to note what had tripped and gave him the option for me to call back. asked for a window within a week. he would not give me one. what it boils down to is that he is fixated on a rewire and thinks i've given him bad advice. he's had a 2nd sparks in who's told him he needs a rewire, as well as ( reported by customer) " there's not enough power coming into the house".

my advice was based on
1.visual inspection of cables at CU and accessories, no damage or insulation deterioration observed.
2. IR tests showed well over that required by BS7671.
3. all circuits had cpcs and Zs readings were within parameters.
4. above was determined after dodgy garage wiring was dissed, and a fault on the socket circuit repaired.

That's total BS

 

[telectrix]

i know that, you know that, but this plonker knows nothing, hears what he wants to hear, then distorts things. i thought a reasonable request to ask what was tripping was the way forward, but his response was totally negative. his wirds were " it's beyond a nuisance , *******'s fees are £100/hour and this is costing us money. i almost told him if he paid me £100/hour, i'd do a more thorough inspection.

 

[Dave OCD]

I wouldn't mind betting that the latest tripping is unrelated to your previous investigations and work Tel, the idiot or someone working for him has probably done something stupid and created a new fault. Utter ****s like this character really infuriate me, you just can't reason with them. :banghead:

 

[Leesparkykent]

And to think you could of gone in, condemned the whole lot, conned him in to an unnecessary rewire that I bet would of come to considerably more than what you've charged.....bloke sounds like a Muppet.

 

[Kamikaze]

Because of the constant circus involving clueless clients, some of which is completely understandable because they are not electricians, we have smartphones at work. We take before and after photos of anything that might stir up trouble further down the line. And then load them up into a dropbox. I’ve lost count of the times it has saved our bacon in a dispute. It’s difficult to argue with a time and date stamped piece of evidence.