Another customer lost :( Blimmin' annoyed!

[D Skelton]

A rather large kitchen/bathroom design company that we carry out electrical work for has decided to use another contractor. It was another one of those situations where they were starting to ask us to carry out dodgy work which we just weren't prepared to do. It would seem that the final straw was this last job we are half way through with them; a kitchen refurb, we've done the first fix (half of the kitchen) using the existing kitchen ring final, the circuit was left dead (obviously) for the plasterers to do their making good and one of my guys was due to second fix and T&I this week coming. Apparently the end customer has been chewing their ear off over the phone that they've been left with no power in their kitchen and the buck was passed to me! This is despite the fact that I left them with an extension lead and made sure they had working central heating and a fridge/freezer. *Cooker on seperate circuit*. I told them essentially "what does the customer expect?!" obviously I put this across in a more polite and less disparaging way, and that livening up the circuit would be dangerous and against regulation, even the law! (I didn't really fancy facing a corporate manslaughter charge). I also asked why they didn't make the customer aware of this before the job was to start?

I got an email saying that they had to get another 'electrician in' to connect some temporary plastic sockets to the circuit regardless of the fact that I had previously told them that it would be highly dangerous to do so and against both statutory and non-statutory regulation. Not only is the ring final split but the sockets would just be flapping about and not enclosed, not to mention doing so leaves live cable flapping around on the unfinished stud wall. They asked if we could finish off the work as arranged.

My response was along the lines of: "Ok, but you understand i now accept no liability for this work as you went against my professional advice and my work has been interfered with and left in a dangerous condition etc... Happy to finish and sign off as long as I can ascertain that this fella hasn't made any changes or affected the future safety of the install etc... Will accept liability again at that point...

"Don't worry" they say, this other fella is now going to complete the work to 'maintain continuity and limit damage already caused'????

This is obviously going to be their new go to guy.

It gets me thinking that I am doing something wrong as this is the third or fourth time that this type of thing has happened this year?! I know at heart I have acted professionally on every occasion but it aint half demoralising!!

Seems these days you've just got to be prepared to do anything and everything to get the work! Blimmin' annoyin' it is! That's a fairly lucrative amount of money we make annually just gone, and all because we weren't prepared to compromise on safety! Is a 'can't beat 'em join 'em attitude' really what I need to be musing over at this moment in time?! Sad that I'm even entertaining thinking about it!

Now, on to write a stiff letter. It'll be long and professionally written, but 'good riddance' will be the overriding message!

:angry_smile::angry_smile::angry_smile:

 

[plugsandsparks]

When you have a real business to maintain, these sort of risks are not worth it. Leaving energised temp wiring in a kitchen half way through a re-furb is going to be very difficult as either the plaster gets a belt or the customer or both.

Perhaps the new sparky has a lot less to loose, c'est la vie !

I would have thought an extension lead for the kettle would have been adequate so dont know what was expected.

Perhaps something went wrong between expectations set by someone else and your position which left the kitchen company with nowhere to go, who knows.

Domestic is so un-predictable, the more i do the more i worry.

 

[D Skelton]

Bloody hate domestic work sometimes! So thankful it only makes up about 10% of our workload! I'm seriously thinking of dropping any advertising for domestic work and carrying it out on a word of mouth basis only!

 

[Darkwood]

Email them and say you are now discussing their conduct with trading standards as you believe they have ignored your advice on grounds of safety and got another contractor in to do possible unsafe works... be careful you dont accuse them at this stage...

Before the email is sent ring said customer explain what has happened and say you wish to visit and check they haven't left her with a safety hazard 'free visit' ... if you find substandard work by others in breach of health and safety take photos ask the customer to sign and confirm another company has come in after you and done this bodged work and express to her that this should ensure that things are investigated and corrected ...

You can walk and just forget it or put the craps up them at risk your name gets out as a trouble maker even though your the one doing it the right way.

Personally i like revenge but you need to know your legal position and be very careful you word everything right and don't accuse without strong proof... even if you found unsafe work they are not directly responsible they will pas the buck to the sub-contracted electrician but at least you will have roused trading standards to get the numpty electrician and made them think twice about employing bodgit and go subbies.

 

[mayfair]

Had a similar predicament about 2 month back with a builder that was giving me a good bit of work and he decided to let one of his labourers do his electric work. Anyway cut a long story short Im now booked up to christmas all work has come word of mouth. So good luck to the builder and his customers and i can sleep nights.

 

[Guest55]

reading between the lines of this saga brings me to the conclusion that you were going to get stiffed one way or another , on this job or the next.
your client will have almost certainly made up their minds to switch contractors already , and almost certainly as a cost / profit made decision.
a "convienient" customer complaint was just the bullet needed to speeden up the process.
so what ? , a customer is left without a few sockets for a week is just small change in the big bad world of domestic construction so i wouldnt sweat it for a single minute.
of course it hurts to loose a bigger customer and the income they bring , but you'll now be motivated to hunt for something better.
karma dude.
;-)

 

[D Skelton]

I think the problem is though DW, from what it sounds like the customer didn't care, like a demanding toddler they just want working sockets! Their own worst enemy.

I think I will put the craps up them though, I like the suggestions.

Maybe I should use the fact that this other prat can't legally certify and notify the whole job as he hasnt installed it and that I will be reporting this to the local authority 'to cover my own back ' should the worst happen and someone get injured as a result of my original work being tampered with so much so as to leave it potentially dangerous.

It's a tricky one but it needs a few days thought for sure before I make my next move. The main thing I'm interested in now is making sure I'm the one holding his middle finger up last, as sad as that may seem! Lol

 

[Rockingit]

And to bitter the pill even more, one would hazard a guess that the new 'sparks' is only a Electrical Trainee D.I. so doing the job cheap and shoddy (and also why they could just turn up straight away - always the tell-tale sign!).

 

[D Skelton]

Exactly my thoughts! Angers me even more!

Oh well, I can sleep easy knowing he'll spend his life scraping a living whilst I'm out making one.

 

[uksparks]

I understand the situation you are in, some customers are just a pain and you wish you didn't take the job on. In half way through a lived in domestic Rewire and am expected to have everything just working, they just don't realise what's involved.

i fixed the new board up, and left two doubles next to it with extensions going into the kitchen and lounge etc, I have left him with lighting, just no sockets other than extensions. His fridge and freezer work as does his heating and water, but some people don't realise what you have to do or what to expect despite making it very clear at the outset.

On another note, I have finished an apartment off, I was due to go back to fit the last smoke detector after just checking with the building inspector on its location. It's safety terminated etc, but the client has fallen out with me over some triviality and won't talk so I've not given him his cert and not notified it yet as need to fit it and say its complete. Everything is done and finished, just he has no paperwork as he won't speak to me. It's not my problem, if he won't let me finish he won't get his cert.

 

[ferg]

Just be aware that if this new guy is as much of a donkey as you think, your customer may well be coming back with his tail between his legs.

I picked up my one of my best customers by refusing to connect what the previous 'spark' had done.
Long story short it was a mess all outside zones etc.

Apparently my point blank refusal to compromise on the first job, even though it meant a lot more work in the future, was what sealed the deal they now don't bother getting other quotes.

I would guess that your reputation is worth far more than one customer.

Good on you for sticking to your guns

 

[Octopus]

I'd be tempted to post a copy of the email to the builder, through the customers door, so they are in position of the "written" facts.

 

[ferg]

I'd be tempted to post a copy of the email to the builder, through the customers door, so they are in position of the "written" facts.

Like you Murdoch I'd be tempted.....
But probably wouldn't in the end it may well just be seen as sour grapes and ---- stirring.

I guess it's a fine line between covering your rear and looking like a grumpy old git

 

[D Skelton]

Oh there's no confusion about me being a grumpy git lol, I'm just not a grumpy 'old' git

Dear customer,

Mehhhh,

Yours,

Damian 'Grumpy' Skelton

 

[guest119]

Biff beat me to it D.
Between the lines etc.
Somebody good, bad or indifferent comes along, but cheaper and they want you out but aint got the balls/business sense to tell you.


Boydy

 

[ferg]

I always sleep on snotty emails or letters before I send them.

Otherwise they would read something like this...


Dear F*&kw(T,

It has come to my attention that you are being a complete ar$e,
In order to avoid any issues in future I have decided to have nothing to do with you.
You will drag me down with you in your descent into cowboyship and so I have decided to bail on this abortion of a job.

Please don't talk to me ever again or come near any of my jobs.

If you do I will be forced to either beat you within an inch of your life and / or slate you to whoever will listen.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Ferg


TBF I have to get the missus to proofread any strongly worded emails or letters

 

[spark 68]

I totally refuse to work for kitchen fitters now full stop for this and similar reasons, some of them are not interested in the regs in the slightest and only see you as a 'necessary evil' , they are seldom bothered about anything except their tight deadlines and couldn't give a monkeys about other trades involved, and expect you to drop everything to suit them at the drop of a hat, but at the same time will drop you if it suits them.
It is all one way traffic.

I realise not all kitchen firms may be like this and maybe I should not generalise, but my experience with three different ones (small to medium/ large firms) leads me to think this way, or I may have just been unfortunate.

Better off without the hassle IMHO.

 

[Guest55]

Oh there's no confusion about me being a grumpy git lol, I'm just not a grumpy 'old' git

Dear customer,

Mehhhh,

Yours,

Damian 'Grumpy' Skelton

just for the record , meh is spelt with 1 h.

but the sentimate is right.
why waste a single second on letters of complaint ? it will achieve nothing other than use up your own time and energy.
the council wont give a f***
the builder wont give a f***
the nic wont give a f*** either.
so why should you ?

you'll wake up in the morning knowing im right.
;-)

 

[D Skelton]

just for the record , meh is spelt with 1 h.

For the record, when you want to indicate an elongated whiney sigh, 'meh' is spelt with more than one 'h'

 

[guest119]

Ha cowboyship Ferg ????
Love that one :cheesy:

Boydy