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Could I have just parted company with the most aggressive customer ever?

Discuss Could I have just parted company with the most aggressive customer ever? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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cr0ft

Plumbers Arms member
Plumber
Gas Engineer
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Hey all. Just had an interesting experience tonight. Just finished a bath install with tiled bath panel and wrap around tiling today which was very tricky to say the least. The lady of the house texted me to say she loved the work. Whilst I was there she asked me to sort out her leaking fill valve on her WC. We did that today. Unfortunately I got a call from the husband tonight at 7pm. Shouting down the phone at me because the WC wasn't working. Got over there within 20 minutes. Fill valve had just stopped working. Very weird but I replaced it with another one. No charge of course.

On filling the WC again the drop valve has now started leaking. Really looking forward to telling him he needs a new drop valve too, especially as the cistern is siliconed to the wall and the tiles it's stuck to started coming off when I tried to remove it before. I explained that it had been botched and I could replace the drop valve but he would most likely need some new tiles! He then started getting aggressive and explaining that there was nothing wrong with sticking a cistern to the wall with silicon (this cistern had 2x screw holes which were empty) as you cannot drill porcelain tiles. I politely explained you certainly can and I would show him once he had new tiles on the wall. The cistern is stuck tight to the wall so there is no room to get a knife or hacksaw blade behind it to cut the silicon out.

The drop valve is from B&Q and the design is such that I cannot get to the seal to replace it. Another quality product from them!

End result is he has stated he is with-holding payment for the bath install (it took us 3 days as agreed before as it was a nightmare job). I've said he can have the fill valve replacement and part for free I just want my cash for the bath as they have confirmed they are happy with it.

I did offer to come back tomorrow to fix the drop valve whilst I was there but on my way home in the van I suddenly thought why the f*** should I given what an aggressive ***** he was. My acid test was would I have a customer speak to my employees in that way - the answer is certainly no.

The guy just would not let me speak, which would be bad enough on it's own. He was also completely thick as f*** too so trying to explain anything to him was impossible. He is certainly the most rude, aggressive and thick person I have ever met in my life. He was even suggesting that I had damaged the drop valve by being heavy handed with it. I then tried to show him the drop valve and the fill valve and to explain which one we had worked on. I gave up after being interrupted 3 times before I could finish.

At least I managed to get photographs of my bath work whilst I was there in case he does not pay within the 4 days we give customers. I also have a text from them saying how happy they are with the work.

I feel a letter before action coming on, hope I'm wrong.
 
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As predictable as the sun rising this one is. Got an email back from them tonight. Despite us having 2 appointments to agree the exact design in detail and it being detailed on the quote as a follows: -

Replace existing bath with new bath supplied by us.
New bath to be installed with front edge in same position as existing bath.
Gap round back and left hand side of bath to be boxed and tiled.
Tiled removable bath panel to be installed on front of bath.

Bearing in mind we have a text from the customer the evening she got home to see the bath installation which reads: -

"Hi Keiran. Will ring you once Dave's (husband) been home. I love it. Like a hotel bathroom. Thanks so much. Speak soon."

The gap was caused by them buying an odd sized 1730x700mm B&Q bath and putting it in an alcove. We fitted a 1650x700 bath and fitted horizontal tiles and trim around the back and opposite side from the shower to fill the gaps. The customer is now complaining that the trim holds a bit of water after showering and they want us to remove the tiles/trim and raise the tiles up to sit level with the top of the trim. I don't think they understand entirely how tile trim works, i.e. it covers the cut edges. I've suggested using a squeegee like most of our customers do in shower areas.

I've told them if they believe this is a genuine cause for complaint that we should get an independent chartered surveyor in to assess our installation as I do not believe they are being reasonable any more. We will then make good any issues they pick up on. Other than that we still expect to be paid within 4 days or we will send out a letter before action. Does that sound reasonable? We are currently owed £964.32p .
 
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why didnt you get a 1700 x 700mm bath?

I would approach this a lot differently but then I am a mug and would get walked over like a dirty old rug left out in the garden!!

My advice is go and see him, chat about the issue and explain why it is like this!! usually helps for me!!
 
Luckily due to my size I rarely get none payers or people mouthing off, but the couple of times they have, like when I've been attacked by social housing custards, I have smacked them up without thinking about it. I have no time and a severe lack of patience, I'm not really a people person. I think I'm in the wrong game :)
 
Luckily due to my size I rarely get none payers or people mouthing off, but the couple of times they have, like when I've been attacked by social housing custards, I have smacked them up without thinking about it. I have no time and a severe lack of patience, I'm not really a people person. I think I'm in the wrong game :)

I literally laughed out loud
 
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