Curtain rail fell on head

[ElectricDunc]

If it's day work just stick and extra hour on the bill then tell them you've knocked £20 off for the half hour it would have taken you to put it back up. You've got an extra half hours money and they'll think they've got some compensation. Everyone's a winner!

 

[Goldspoon]

If it's day work just stick and extra hour on the bill then tell them you've knocked £20 off for the half hour it would have taken you to put it back up. You've got an extra half hours money and they'll think they've got some compensation. Everyone's a winner!

Was a quoted price

 

[Goldspoon]

I thought quite a bit about this and came to the decision that asking us to repair their faulty item was not just. I therefore sent the following as part of an email...

"Regarding the towel rail: I understand that it is disappointing that it has fallen off. However, there was no "accident" with the curtain rail, it just came away from the wall when X arranged the curtain to allow the door to be opened; this rail would likely have fallen onto one of the next few to draw the curtain had it not been one of us. Examination showed that the screws were too short for the task and screws and fittings inadequate for the task.

Please forward the full outstanding amount to myself and I will settle up with X."

Result was customer sending pleasant email back plus payment via cheque... a cheque for £500 and a seperate cheque for £100:

Email from them said:

...we've put a cheque in the post tonight for £504 and a post dated cheque for the final £100 (1 month post dated). I know this may seem a little unfair but we have been caught out before by paying immediatly and then having difficulty getting people back to rectify any problems. I'm sure you and X are not like that but we would feel happier doing it like this.


A chap I was working with laughed out loud at this and said "flippin eck - talk about how to guarantee you **** off a tradesman and wreck the after care goodwill!" He went on to suggest we go to the shop for a Mars Bar:

"That'll be 60p please."
"Thankyou. I'm just going to eat it first. If it tastes fine then I'll give you 40p. In another week or two, as long as I don't suffer any tummy issues or a runny bottom you can have the other 20p."

We did chuckle.

 

[EddieM]

I sympathise. I reckon the client is being a bit of a twonk, however, as suggested, a quick squirt of gripfill (yeah I know) and possibly less of a slightly uncomfortable situation.

Still, nothing really major to worry about is it?

 

[ColJack]

then you have the problem of when it falls down on them and they go..." hey, I don't remember gripfilling this when I put it up...?"

 

[Goldspoon]

I sympathise. I reckon the client is being a bit of a twonk, however, as suggested, a quick squirt of gripfill (yeah I know) and possibly less of a slightly uncomfortable situation.

Still, nothing really major to worry about is it?

Not disagreeing but I suppose we are looking at "principle" here (having a chat for a chats sake I suppose). If we opened the door to enter and the door fell off its dodgy hinges and fell forward - smashing the fishtank and ripping the wallpaper and smashing an ipod on the now smashed glass coffee table... should we rehinge the door, order a new fishtank, resucitate the fish, get the carpet cleaners in, decorate the wall, fit a new piece of glass to the table, buy a new ipod... hee hee

As a teenager I vaulted over somebodys brick wall whilst delivering pop from one house to the next. The whole wall fell over and frit me half to death (I went over with it of course and hurt my wrist). Guy had only put it up that morning.

 

[EddieM]

then you have the problem of when it falls down on them and they go..." hey, I don't remember gripfilling this when I put it up...?"

They wouldn't remember, plus gripfill'll keep it up for a year perhaps.