Help Needed- What do I do?

[Rizme]

I had installed a bath 2 months ago. A bath which has taps in the middle and not at the end and same with the waste. I had an overflow fitted as well with a turning knob in the centre again below the taps. I had tested the bath for any leaks after installation i.e. filled the bath right up until the overflow and checked for any leaks coming through the overflow, which was all fine and no leaks.
Last week I recieved a call from the customer and they left a message on me phone there was leak and the water was coming down the kitchen ceiling and I got busy and forgot to give them a call back. In the mean time they got some one else and fixed the problem. Yesterday I recieved an email from the customer threatning me they will register a complain against me with OFT, CIPHE and even goto small claim courts unless I pay them the cost they had to inccur for the work.

Please advice what can I do in this case.

 

[Alanka]

What sum are they asking you to pay?

 

[Puddle]

First thing to do is
Ask for the details of the leak and what happened and who repaired it and copy of the bill
Once you have the details you can move forward

Ps do not tell him you forgot to ring back,just say you were away for a few days

 

[NickH]

Leaving a message on your phone is very different to actually talking to you about the leak, there are a lot of reasons why you might not have got back to them, if they had tried a bit harder i'm sure they could have got hold of you, i'm not saying you shouldn't have called back but you cant just leave a message and assume it will get through. I dont see that they can have a case if they didn't actually speak to you.

Having said all that you dont want people to be unhappy with your work so your going to have to come to some mutual agreement on this.

Also to be fair, if one of my customers called with water coming through the ceiling I'm pretty sure i wouldn't "get busy and forget to call back".

 

[Jimbob]

unfortuntely, it could go two ways, the customer will get no where, or they will get what they want. Lets face it, you now lost the customer as future client. The best course of action would of been being straight up with the customer, go see them, and the damage, explaining the procedure of testing that you do, and explain that it was all fine, and that due to the nature of the use, it probably worked itself loose. And if they're nice they wouldnt of been so harsh. Obviously them not being contacted has made them spitefull.

Thing is with these rediculous waste designs, always let them know the difficulties in the design stage, and most people opt out, and go for something else.

Do what puddles said, but see the directly. Some people arnt so brave this way

 

[david williams]

oft will have nothing to do with a dispute about work standerds, ciphe are you a member, if not what are they going to do.ask for full writen report ,copy and report of person who rectified the problem and their invoice,and full report of damage caused.after you have received all of them you must decide what to do

 

[Smcart5]

If you show them the install in good working order before you leave, and something goes wrong with it when you have left do they have a case against you?, its a bit unfair to be honest.

My bet is that the customer was mucking around with it after you left thinking he could check you did the install properly and caused the leak himself...

 

[Phil]

"Last week I recieved a call from the customer and they left a message on me phone there was leak and the water was coming down the kitchen ceiling and I got busy and forgot to give them a call back."


Hi Rizme

Did you genuinly forget to give them a call back?
If that had been my customer I would have been there like a shot, no matter what I was doing.

I sypathise with you I really do, but you've done yourself no favours there.

 

[Winston]

Yep I am afraid I agree you cant afford to forget customer is number one priority. I do feel for you though because some want want & want more for nothing.

 

[david williams]

did you get the repair report

 

[Rizme]

not yet, I have emailed the customer requesting the detail report on the leak.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i always tell customers the problems that taps and overflows at the rear of a bath cause but most dont listen the best answer i got was they had them in the show room that way
last one i fitted had o/f one side and taps the other so couldnt win with that one
usually they come from the sheds or online and the waste fittings that come with them are crappy stuff so your on a hiding to nothing from the start
on one job we actually cut a hole through the brick work from the front of the house to get access to the taps as the bath was encased in marble

 

[Rizme]

Firsrtly a big thanks to all of you for your help and advice's.

The customer has replied to my email and he still threatning to do the same as I mentioned before and asking me £300 for what he had to pay to someone else to do the work.

Yes I am a member of CIPHE.
I am very simple and easy go person, I have never had an issue with any of my customer before and never like to get into any kind of arguments. But this customer has been a pain from the time I started doing his work. Even the people who he bought his bathroom and tiles from were cursing him, why they had to deal with such a customer.
I am not sure what trading standard and small claim court are gonna do in regards to this and with CIPHE any one has any idea.

Please do adivce. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Plouasne]

I would pay the bill, I know it hurts, but before you part with the money,

Write out something along the lines that you were unavailable for a few days, and that's why you did not respond immediately, you are sorry for any inconvenience the client went through

Enclosed £***, to cover the clients extra costs, paid in full the requested amount, on the understanding that the matter is now finally closed, and no further action will be taken by the client

Then get the barsteward to sign it together with your copy, which you will guard with your life, just in case he tries any more tricks

 

[A1P]

Firsrtly a big thanks to all of you for your help and advice's.

The customer has replied to my email and he still threatning to do the same as I mentioned before and asking me £300 for what he had to pay to someone else to do the work.

Yes I am a member of CIPHE.
I am very simple and easy go person, I have never had an issue with any of my customer before and never like to get into any kind of arguments. But this customer has been a pain from the time I started doing his work. Even the people who he bought his bathroom and tiles from were cursing him, why they had to deal with such a customer.
I am not sure what trading standard and small claim court are gonna do in regards to this and with CIPHE any one has any idea.

Please do adivce. Many thanks in advance.

Hi,Clearly a quick response to them would have lessened the problem because you would have seen the problem and have had first chance to fix it.The customer seems to be one of those we are not queueing up to get.It would also seem from other posts that these baths and their fittings have their issues so that trying to steer a customer towards stuff you are happier with is something to bear in mind for the future.However we are where we are.I am not sure of the legalities of this situation.How easy would it be to prove negligence? Do you believe you have been negligent ? If so to what degree?You seem to be an honest and straightforward person.I would want to see the bill or a copy of it.I would want an opportunity to talk to the person who has done the repair work.If he is a proper tradesman he should be able to describe what he found,how the damage happened and how the bill came to £300.When you have done that you must decide how much you should pay if at all.It may come down to a compromise.If you make an offer it should be a goodwill gesture.It should notbe seen as acceptance of blame unless you are accepting it is your fault.Good luck.

 

[bathroomboy]

I allways tell customers if they want the taps in an inaccessible location it is their responsibility should a fault develop, this is the most stupid way to install a bath as access in the future often means a total rip out.

 

[david williams]

Ciphe if complaint is about your work standerd and the way you run your buisiness,and they feel it is seriuos ,you can be asked to apear and explain your side of the disagrement,if they find against you and it is a serious matter your membership can be revoked.trading standerds if you have traded openly and honestly they can do nothing