Bad customer

[Darkwood]

On the initial walk around i now record the conversation with the customer regarding requirements and positions if no official plans exist i explain its for pricing and ensuring i don't get everything exactly as requested, any alterations or deviations from the initial agreement is written down and forwarded in a polite acknowledgement letter of a change in the original agreement ... its come in handy twice with awkward customers who deny they said things... last one who tried to pull a fast one was given a copy of the original conversation on a usb stick and i said i all for the customer is right but when you accuse me of been a liar then thats a personal attack, i said the changes that you want will be extra now and add additional costs to the job but had you approached me in a different way i would have shown my good customer relationship nature and done it for nothing on the scale of things....

After that i never had anymore issues and even a full apology the next day.... i said no harm done and always approachable if you have a change of plan or need to ask questions... the job went smoothly from there forward ... Old people can be the worst as they forget alot and will argue as if their sanity relied on it.

 

[Guest55]

expandy foam in drains, keyholes, extractor fans.

you think too small lol.

in these situations i tend to operate outside the law to recover payment so we'll say no more.

but if a restaurant owner stitched me up over a job , i'd probably book a meal for 6 over the phone , turn up on saturday nite with a party of the skinhead football hooigan types , enjoy a big slap up meal which we would have no intention of paying for , then proceede to walk out with any fixtures and fittings not bolted down in full view of all the other customers.

im sure a cheque would appear much quicker than the police would.
sounds harsh and completely ilegal , but its the only language some people understand.

;-)

 

[StevieTee]

Dirty *******s!

I would still be billing for the work done or telling them you will be removing the stuff if the haven't paid.

During my apprenticeship, I help out an old tradesman do a full re-wire. The typical started, because we were the sparks, anything that went wrong was our fault! Long story short, all the walls were plastered and wall papered, paid everyone else but wouldn't pay us as we were too slow and holding others back. So when they were not willing to pay for the work done, tradesman reply was "cool".

Guys, I have never seen anything like it, he took the faceplates off, smashed the wall with his hammer till he got the cables and pulled them right out the walls. Least to say, the raggles were nice and straight. But it sure taught them.

Do these people forget that we to having a living to make, and that we are not all con-artists?

 

[D Skelton]

in these situations i tend to operate outside the law to recover payment so we'll say no more.

Totally agree with you. I've only ever been shafted, or at least smelt the whiff of being shafted twice and both times I got my money without ever having to contact a debt collection agency. The powers that be may call refusal to pay your debts a civil offence but in certain cases (like someone taking you on to carry out work for them without the intention [that is the key word here] of ever paying) I call it outright criminal, hence why I'm all to happy to respond in kind!

 

[bugsy]

there hoping you will walk away - dont
list all the unfinished items and why their not finished
offer to go and complete in there time frame
all the above in writing by registered post
if you can not come to an amicable agreement take them to court

 

[Robotstar5]

I managed to pre-empt a non payment on a job a few years ago. My boss had an idea the customer would try to get out of making the final payment on a welding machine we had built so I put a simple timer into the PLC program that would stop the machine a week after the final payment was due. Customer fails to pay then phones up to tell us machine has stopped and we need to fix it. Went on site with my boss and when he had the cheque in his hand I took the timer out of the program

 

[D Skelton]

I managed to pre-empt a non payment on a job a few years ago. My boss had an idea the customer would try to get out of making the final payment on a welding machine we had built so I put a simple timer into the PLC program that would stop the machine a week after the final payment was due. Customer fails to pay then phones up to tell us machine has stopped and we need to fix it. Went on site with my boss and when he had the cheque in his hand I took the timer out of the program

Genius! I wish all customers would give rise to such pre-emptive ability haha.

 

[Badged01]

.... so I put a simple timer into the PLC program that would stop the machine a week after the final payment was due....

Thats a good one, your wasted as an electrician!

 

[D Skelton]

Some proper James Bond sheeeet right there! If MI5 are listening in there's your next recruit!

 

[BertUK]

just wondering who,s gonna sign the work off for them if you don't go back.hit them with that one.