Difficult customers...

[matdom]

In a chatty mood.... So just wondered if anyone had had any really difficult customers...Or the customer that calls you up to do the work and then they know better once you've arrived.

Had one recently, Customer wants a downflow heater put in 2 of their bathrooms. Had a look around the property at available options etc.... mentioned putting isolator/FCU switches in and they said they didn't want any, I obviously told them that they have to have something somwhere, They said they didn't want any walls channeling out etc, and surface mount boxes would ruin the look of the bathroom (which I must say was very nice, floor to ceiling tiles)
Whilst I was looking at consumer unit, I noticed 32A MCB labelled as 'Loft sockets', So went to investigate, and it's correct someone has run a ring in the loft.
So I said the neatest way was to do it, would be to put another RCD socket on the loft ring, hole down through ceilings and just plug the heaters in up there....... Bearing in mind they have a pull down loft ladder and the loft is fully boarded and has lights, Their reply was "are you allowed to do that and it will be a right pain if the fuse in the plug goes"........just couldn't win...

 

[trev]

I think we've all had some awkward ones mate, I customer wanted some extra sockets but wouldn't allow any carpets to be lifted or walls chased, she was horrified by the thought of the cables on the surface and didn't want trunking.
Needless to say that one didn't go ahead

 

[shanky887614]

I think we've all had some awkward ones mate, I customer wanted some extra sockets but wouldn't allow any carpets to be lifted or walls chased, she was horrified by the thought of the cables on the surface and didn't want trunking.
Needless to say that one didn't go ahead

back entry and conduit not an option?

 

[davesparks]

back entry and conduit not an option?

If she doesn't want surface wiring, or trunking then the chances are she won't want conduit either

 

[ferg]

Turning up on site and nearly every morning there is a note saying don't do anything until we have been through the changes with you.

We will be here @ 10 ish :censored::mad2:

 

[7029 dave]

I think we've all had some awkward ones mate, I customer wanted some extra sockets but wouldn't allow any carpets to be lifted or walls chased, she was horrified by the thought of the cables on the surface and didn't want trunking.
Needless to say that one didn't go ahead

I had the same, customer did not want no chasing, no surface work she thought the cables just magically got there. That did not happen either.

 

[uksparks]

I did some work for a certain ethnicity of client the other day, whilst there she said "put light up outside", ok I said, I would but my drill is being serviced at the moment (incidentally I got it back today from Bosch like new again under warranty), I said if I knew I was going to be putting up an outside light I would have brought my other drill with me.

I said sorry but it will have to hang on until I have my one back.

"huh, not good enough" then a few grunts, "not good enough"

I do not do work for this type anymore, too much hassle, well that wasnt hassle, it was just irritating, but usually its do everything extra for nothing then complain and want a discount.

 

[dingledong]

Yes I had one ,wanted a rewire but when I got there new carpets ,just been decorated every thing brand new;thought I just stuck the sockets on the wall and they worked wirelessly ! !

 

[uksparks]

Maybe someone should invent wireless sockets....

I suppose you could stick a load of surface boxes on the walls and just connect them with extension leads but with plugs on the end, so when you want to use it, you plug the power in. LOL

 

[davesparks]

Maybe someone should invent wireless sockets....

Tesla!

 

[7029 dave]

Wireless Electricity, its here well we are out of a job.

 

[davesparks]

Wireless Electricity, its here well we are out of a job.

It's Tesla's brainchild, but it hasn't put me out of a job yet though

 

[edexlab]

I have to admit I've had my share of difficult customers especially when we did a social housing contract
One busybody type woman was on the residents committee and me and my apprentice got picked as the other lads were a bit of a liability. ...and with 20 people's jobs at risk...
she'd already got several tradesmen chucked off the contract ,we were nominated the lucky ones.
She was the biggest liar I've met the stories she came out with were incredible she knew everything about electrical work and just about everything else! and she was definitely far superior to the rest of us mortals
Anyway job went well no drama's ,she was out in the garden playing with her dog.....
Then she comes in and says I'm off to the local shop (5min walk)
And I'll be about an hour
We were thinking great! Then wondering why it would take an hr to walk to the 3 local shops and back ......
Saw her departing with a neck and arm brace and a walking frame going at a snails pace ! After she'd been running around with the dog!!!!
I am actually ashamed to say we didn't grass her up!

 

[edexlab]

Anyhow she was pleased with all we'd done needless to say she ended up having extras for free just to keep her quiet that is......

Until she went next door where a pair of idiots from our firm had done a poor job and left a mess
The elderly gent wasn't too worried as we sorted it all out for him and apologised about the trouble but she went ballistic phoning the housing group and anyone else she could get hold of!
She was laughing saying things like you lads had better go down the job centre etc because your finished here....
Luckily she was largely ignored!

 

[trev]

All that sounds depressingly familiar mate. We had one where the tenant was a registered heroin addict, he was told that his place had to be free from sharps and assured the TLO that it was, we walked and found 3 needles before we'd opened our tool boxes.
He ended up getting moved out, a specialist team went in and cleaned the place to almost surgical standards, it must have cost a bloody fortune.
Then there were the other oxygen thieves, off to the local every day but no noticeable signs of a job to finance it. The know alls as you've described etc etc etc
One scumbag complained that I had to turn the juice off when doing the CU change because they were watching Jeremy Kyle.
There were some genuine nice people on that estate but they appeared to be outnumbered.

 

[edexlab]

I know of an electrician who got called to a house where they had a little plantation in the attic
They complained about the power going off and threatened him with a syringe ....
He put the power back on went outside, phoned the police and sat outside laughing when they were arrested and the search team turned up!
Btw he wasn't local to the area!

 

[edexlab]

Ha they're all the same no one wanted the power off while Jezza was on!

 

[trev]

A couple of weeks ago I met someone who claimed to be an estate agent, he asked me to bypass a meter in a property he was "looking after"