Discuss Stupid stupid stupud customers. in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:   American Electrical Advice Forum

Electrocuted is death by electric shock... Electro(electric) cuted(executed) so technically it was a shock ;) but sounds like a great start to the week OP

i know you didn't want to go into H&S but maybe that'll make you think about getting a lock off kit
 
Firstly and most strongly you are at fault here not your customer - a verbal warning of power been off is not classed as safe isolation, why didn't you lock of or physically remove the cables?
Secondly - unless its a massive downpour rain has never stopped me...maybe just a differing attitude there..
Third and finally - why are you still fitting halogens unless specifically specified by customer I been fitting LED floods for yrs now with no complaints, halogens are prone to wind thus shortended lamp life, waste a lot of energy and have many modern replacements..

The main point here is safety - 2nd and 3rd point are just observational chitchat and valid reasons may exist for them...but the first point is solely your fault and not the way you were taught to isolate safely, you have no right to get angry with the customer and had you been an apprentice or employee of mine you be on a written warning for gross neglect of safety procedures... sackable depending on the exact circumstances but hopefully the shock has reminded you that your lucky you weren't brown bread.

I know you said this is not what the post is about but its half the reason your day was crap, why you got angry and why the job must have seemed to drag on... so even forgetting the H&S side of it, getting that slammer still has a lot to answer for... but yep things can only get better:icon12:

Not sure on your agreement with the customer here but what ever happened to giving an invoice with 28 days to pay?... ither way hope they do cough up and hoping it was just that he wasn't expecting to pay straight away.
 
Last edited:
Back tomorrow get money - if not lights and hanging basket down.
 
Grim mate, if it makes you feel any better i haven't had a day off since new years day and i was on site for 7 am home for 17.30 and i am back on site for 22.00, 22 spot lights and one emergency light to fit then home.... then back on site for 7.30am...........

I really hope you don't get shafted mate, fingers crossed!
 
Firstly and most strongly you are at fault here not your customer - a verbal warning of power been off is not classed as safe isolation, why didn't you lock of or physically remove the cables?
Secondly - unless its a massive downpour rain has never stopped me...maybe just a differing attitude there..
Third and finally - why are you still fitting halogens unless specifically specified by customer I been fitting LED floods for yrs now with no complaints, halogens are prone to wind thus shortended lamp life, waste a lot of energy and have many modern replacements..

The main point here is safety - 2nd and 3rd point are just observational chitchat and valid reasons may exist for them...but the first point is solely your fault and not the way you were taught to isolate safely, you have no right to get angry with the customer and had you been an apprentice or employee of mine you be on a written warning for gross neglect of safety procedures... sackable depending on the exact circumstances but hopefully the shock has reminded you that your lucky you weren't brown bread.

I know you said this is not what the post is about but its half the reason your day was crap, why you got angry and why the job must have seemed to drag on... so even forgetting the H&S side of it, getting that slammer still has a lot to answer for... but yep things can only get better:icon12:

But Darkwood, my NIC assessor scoffed at me for using a lock off kit in a domestic premises. Apparently it was nice that i owned one but pointless in a domestic property........

My reply of "but the bumbag suits me so well" didn't get a laugh either.
 
But Darkwood, my NIC assessor scoffed at me for using a lock off kit in a domestic premises. Apparently it was nice that i owned one but pointless in a domestic property........

My reply of "but the bumbag suits me so well" didn't get a laugh either.

You see you've done wrong there don't you, you listened to a NICEIC assessor on matters of an electrical nature....
 
But Darkwood, my NIC assessor scoffed at me for using a lock off kit in a domestic premises. Apparently it was nice that i owned one but pointless in a domestic property........

My reply of "but the bumbag suits me so well" didn't get a laugh either.

Somehow I can not see that standing up in court should you ever get taken there by the HSE because someone was injured due to you not carrying out a proper isolation.
 
But Darkwood, my NIC assessor scoffed at me for using a lock off kit in a domestic premises. Apparently it was nice that i owned one but pointless in a domestic property........

My reply of "but the bumbag suits me so well" didn't get a laugh either.

Dropping the wires out is good enough so yes no requirement ..never said there was but did stress safe isolation procedures should be followed... if your NIC assessor is so adamant that you can relax these procedures in domestic then show him this thread where the OP could have easily been electricuted or even got a shock and been killed by the fall... giving a verbal warning is not good enough as he has found the hard way... not all customers have an intellectual level that I would be happy to bet my life on.

PS in my early years before all this red tape I learnt to always work as if the cable was energised so if it did become live you have a habitual practice of keeping yourself safe... I still do this today even with safe isolation just by habit.
 
I didn't pay much attention to what he said at all and i always carry out safe isolation. I only got registered because a builder who gives me a lot of work has started working for a LABC that won't just accept my qualifications.

So much so they refused an EIC off me but accept that fact that the NIC just sends them a message saying work has been done at this address its fine so that's that.
 
Totally no sympathy for you as if you had followed the correct isolation procedure you would have locked it off so it could not be switched back on.

Yep totally agree entirely your fault for getting a poke, I know you didn't want to go into this subject, perhaps your day would have been better if you had used the correct isolation prcedure, no excuses now, you know I.m right.
PS hope the muppet pays up sorry meant for OP if you hadn't guessed
 
Dropping the wires out is good enough so yes no requirement ..never said there was but did stress safe isolation procedures should be followed... if your NIC assessor is so adamant that you can relax these procedures in domestic then show him this thread where the OP could have easily been electricuted or even got a shock and been killed by the fall... giving a verbal warning is not good enough as he has found the hard way... not all customers have an intellectual level that I would be happy to bet my life on.

PS in my early years before all this red tape I learnt to always work as if the cable was energised so if it did become live you have a habitual practice of keeping yourself safe... I still do this today even with safe isolation just by habit.




So do I, what miffed me it wasn't a reason not to pay him. Two wrongs ..............
 
I have such a rubbish day that I think this deserves a post.
Ok today started off rubbish and ended up rubbish to finish off. I will use rubbish and light wordin to keep the language clean but I am thinking much stronger wording.
So I was booked to fit 3 new halogen security lights. Change like for like so all the power runs were there but the old lights did not work.
It started off rubbish as soon as I got up. It was raining. My rule of thumb. No outside electrical work when it's raining. Especially up a ladder.
So I phoned up the customer to reschedule.
Here we go.
I got grief down the phone telling me that I couldn't be bothered and was using the rain as a excuse.
I made it very clear that I was not fitting any lights in the rain and she's welcome to rebook for a dry day.
Just my luck. By 10 am the weather was brightening up and the rain had stopped so I decided to phone the customer so that we can start the work fitting the lights.
I picked up my lad (helper) on the way. It's always good to have somebody at the bottom of the ladder.
Anyway. We arrived at the customers house to start the work as quoted.
1st light no problems fitted. Tested and working. Fortunately the lights are not to high around 10 ft.
So here we go. 2nd light.
I tell the customer that I am turning off the power again and she confirmed that it was ok.
Back up the ladder and I remove the old light. Connect up my Megger to the connections and go back to turn on the power to test the supply.
Test the supply and everything checks out ok. then off with the power to fit the new light.
So there I am up the ladder about 5 rugs up so not that high. My lad is below me keeping the ladder safe.
As I'm busy connecting up the light putting the wires into the connecting block I get a almighty shock and a bright flash and bang.
I kind of jump backwards off the ladder from the shock but manage to save myself from completely falling off the ladder and breaking my neck.
Once I'm back on the ground and still in shock from what has just happened. My lad said he had just got a small electric shock from the ladder. I realised that the freaking power was on. What the hell.
I goes into the house and yes the consumer unit was switched on.
I shouts to the customer( did she turn this on?) and she replies.
(((((YES I NEEDED THE INTERNET))))))
I won't repeat what I shouted to the customer and what the next 10 minuites conversation was but I can confirmed that it was not polite to say the least.
Silly cow nearly killed me so that she could have the freaking Internet.
As I had lost my cool I decided to quit this job. Make the cable safe. Pack up and get out of there no charge.
We had just packed up. More like chucking everything in the van in a temper.
Then her husband decided to come out and started to have a go for talking to her in this manner. I've upset her.
It wasn't long before he knew what had happened and why I was so annoyed.
Fortunatly he understood why I was so annoyed and went back in the house with his tail between his legs.
He did ask me to wait just for a min while he chats to the wife.
Stupid me I waited. I should have just driven off.
after about 5 mins she came out all apologetic for what has happend and asked me if I could finish off her lights.
By this time I had calmed down and finally agreed to finish off the job.
So here we go. Back to work.
On the last light it was all fitted and ready to go. I turn the power back on and guess what. ((( faulty light)))).
Fortunatly I have one in the van as I always keep one light in stock.
Half hour later the replacement was all fitted and working.
Now at this point you think it was all over. Yea right!!!
The husband comes out and asked for a favour. As I had the ladder and the drill out would I fit up a hanging basket bracket. Only 1.
Ummmmm. Oh ok. So I fitted up his basket bracket.
Finally the job was finished. It's getting dark and everything's packed up and all lights working.
Time to settle up.
Standing in the customers hallway by the front door I discuss the final bill trying to avoid what happend.
now I'm a trades person that has invested in a mobile credit debit card machine to take payments.
Much better than any cheque.
So I take the payment but his card is declined. I tried 3 times but it's declined. He confirms that he has no cash to pay me.
Ok so he says he will phone me as soon as the wife gets home with her credit card details.
Im forced to accept that he will phone me later. For some reason I don't trust him.
Anyway. It's now 8pm and I've had no phone call yet. I've tried phoning but it keeps going to answer phone. .
so now it looks like that I have been stiffed as well.
Im going to bed now as I'm so fed up.
Now I don't want to discuss the yes and nos to the health and safety using lock out kits on old fuse wire fuse boards etc etc.
this is not what this post is about.
I just wanted to type this up so you can enjoy how rubbish my day was.
so I've been insulted, electroquted, lied to and now stiffed.
ive decided to let this one go as I can't be bothered with any more grief today.
Many thanks for reading
El ----o, potto.
 

Reply to Stupid stupid stupud customers. in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Electrical Forum

Welcome to the Electrical Forum at ElectriciansForums.net. The friendliest electrical forum online. General electrical questions and answers can be found in the electrical forum.
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by Untold Media. Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock