My reputation is working against me!

[secret squirrel]

About 6 months ago I was asked to a garden centre to extend the main feed further into the garden centre. Then place stand pipes for hose access. I never got to give a price because I mentioned water regs etc. I also said you just can't have the mains running across the top of the ground they will probably have to be dug into the ground. I was told it'll be too expensive and asked how much without worrying about water regs. I later found out that they had to pay £2k to have a very large tank cleared out because of legionella.

Today, I've just finished a toilet job in a mobile home and the customer was very happy. As I was leaving I was told that they were advised by the garden centre not to use me as I do things by the book!

The woman I had worked for was advised to use "roger the bodger" Now, I don't mind being slated for bad work but how can you slate someone for not doing a job, a job you never quoted for!

B*****ds

 

[Plouasne]

Nice to see somebody sticking to their gun's and obeying the regs, I did that in Cornwall, the then SWWA lost all their good workers because they were instructed not to enforce the regs, too many up-country spec builders were getting p***ed off with refusals to connect that they complained to head office, brown paper envelopes were mentioned, when I complained about other plumbers taking short cuts and fitting plain brass instead of DZR fittings, I had a letter back from the then chairman saying never mind keep on taking the pill's or words to that effect, the contractor who won the contract to fit water meters in properties, used brass (instead of DZR) draw of cocks type 2 those without the packing gland, and not a word was said
about the breach of bylaws, F***ing bead counters ran the place

I had to laugh when they came cap in hand to ask me where their water main in the hamlet was, and where it went, it was onlt a 12" trunk main feeding Looe and the villages en route via spurs off it, had good pressure behind it as well 200psi or about 400 foot head, if that hed burst they would have known about it

 

[Puddle]

This is were we miss the old plumbing tools ,what we would have done in the old days is got our soldering iron out ,heated in up and stuck it right up this garden centres blokes parts were the flowers do'nt grow

 

[johnmcginty]

Simply advise everybody not to use the legionella infested gerden centre as they don't do anything by the book and be proud that you do !

 

[Plouasne]

If you can access the water tank without being scene, feed the tank with a drain testing dye red is a nice colour

 

[bcp]

There's a potential issue at stake here. If, Secret S, the garden centres nose was so put out of joint that they have gone out of their way to brief against you, you cannot be sure that they wont claim other untruths. It is not inconceivable that they may suggest you advised them to ignore regs etc. etc. Yes this is a 'worst case scenario' but reputation is everything. If it were me, I would be watching my back. I would write a letter to the garden centre stating everything that occurred and your advice given PLUS their response. Some of you may think this is over the top, but in my experience, better safe than sorry and better to be pro-active in protecting yourself and your business than re-active. You know your area/customers better than me (of course) but I have a lot of experience in business/customer/legal matters and merely seek to gently pass this on, with the greatest of respect.

 

[secret squirrel]

I am still annoyed by this (as you can imagine) I agree with a bit of criminal damage in my insane moment, I also agree with bcp. However, I wouldn't have known if I hadn't got a job from the garden centre assistant and if I went down the letter route I would be dropping her in it.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that I did the job for the assistant and she was over the moon with the job and the price. So, I'm hoping its a storm in a t cup.

In actual fact "roger the bodger" is not a name I made up but a name the managers of the garden centre have given him.

The knock on effect is my dad, girlfriend, families and friends spent a lot of money down there as they're all keen gardners.... this gravy train has stopped.

Thanks for your help,