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Brief timeline:
1) Received email with pic of a tap, he writes that it drips, asks for advice/poss repair. He had two identical kitchen mixers.
2) I replied quickly saying it looked like a Franke Olympus, asked if 'Franke' was written on the base plate and/or does he have any paperwork etc
3) He replied no and no.
4) First warning sign: Less than 24 hrs later (during which short period of time I hadn't yet got back to him) he sent a passive aggresive follow-up email saying that if I was unable to identify it or help would I "kindly let him know."
5) I replied with a thorough explanation of how to find out by emailing a picture to Franke, explained that their official spares are very, very expensive, that I could visit to see if generic ones fit but it would be chargeable etc etc.
6) He thanked me for this and after a bit of quibbling I arranged to go round. The grub screw on the first tap handle I tried was rounded off, so I said new tap.
7) He was clearly an extremley particular type (as well as unlikeable, very superior) and wants things just so. I told him the same taps are available although they are £150 each. He said it doesn't "have to be another Franke Olympus but something of similar quality, similar style." I took this to mean he'd be happy with something a little less expensive and fancy as long as it is decent. I said I'll have a look and email him a suggestion. Already this is some pretty high maintenance stuff for a tap change.
8) I email him my suggestion of a Franke Ascona as it's same brand, almost identical spout height, arch etc. Only real difference is more compact body.
9) He replies he is interested but wants to physically see it so he can decide. I know, I know I should have bailed by now. But I do exclusively small jobs and taps are bread and butter.
10) So I arrange to buy the taps, bring them round and show them to him. He likes them, he even takes them up to his wife to show her. We book the job in.
11) I fit them. No sooner have I left then I get a call saying one is loose. I return and it's not. It's solid but he has been going over them with a fine tooth comb and has noticed that if you move it around from half way up the tap flexes a bit on the stainless steel sink. I say - as politely as possible - that that inevitable, the previous one would have done this too but you didn't notice because you actually move the tap around by the spout (which I demonstrated, and no flex occured) and that I made sure to install the brace that goes underneath to add extra stability. He conceded these points and I went on my way.
12) A day later I get a text. They are not happy with the taps. They consider them inferior quality.
13) I politely ask him to elaborate on what he means by inferior. He replies " when you turn on the taps gently there isn't an even flow of water - if the hot tap has been on and you then go to cold separately the water is initially warm - the taps have residual dripping which the others never had until the utility started playing up - there is a perpetual teardrop of water hanging from the tap - I don't like the close proximity of the two levers, they are very fiddly to use, the tap handles on the originals were much further apart. Because the new ones are Franke we thought the performance would be the same but it's anything but, I'm afraid. I hope all of this makes some kind of sense"
Bear in mind I brought the taps round to show him, took them out of the box, he held them, took them upstairs to show his wife.
What would you do?
Below are the taps. The new one (Franke Ascona) is on the left, the old one (Franke Olympus) on the right.
[automerge]1599066950[/automerge]
Forgot to say in his first text saying he was unhappy with them said "please source the source the same as we had before or an alternative of better quality"
So I guess the options are:
1) Arrange to replace the taps with two Franke Olympus (same as he had before) and get paid the difference in the price for the taps but no extra for labour
2) Arrange to replace the taps with two Franke Olympus (same as he had before) and get paid the difference in the price for the taps and the cost of replacing them
3) Refuse to do either of the above as he is being unreasonable and demand payment
4) Something else
1) Received email with pic of a tap, he writes that it drips, asks for advice/poss repair. He had two identical kitchen mixers.
2) I replied quickly saying it looked like a Franke Olympus, asked if 'Franke' was written on the base plate and/or does he have any paperwork etc
3) He replied no and no.
4) First warning sign: Less than 24 hrs later (during which short period of time I hadn't yet got back to him) he sent a passive aggresive follow-up email saying that if I was unable to identify it or help would I "kindly let him know."
5) I replied with a thorough explanation of how to find out by emailing a picture to Franke, explained that their official spares are very, very expensive, that I could visit to see if generic ones fit but it would be chargeable etc etc.
6) He thanked me for this and after a bit of quibbling I arranged to go round. The grub screw on the first tap handle I tried was rounded off, so I said new tap.
7) He was clearly an extremley particular type (as well as unlikeable, very superior) and wants things just so. I told him the same taps are available although they are £150 each. He said it doesn't "have to be another Franke Olympus but something of similar quality, similar style." I took this to mean he'd be happy with something a little less expensive and fancy as long as it is decent. I said I'll have a look and email him a suggestion. Already this is some pretty high maintenance stuff for a tap change.
8) I email him my suggestion of a Franke Ascona as it's same brand, almost identical spout height, arch etc. Only real difference is more compact body.
9) He replies he is interested but wants to physically see it so he can decide. I know, I know I should have bailed by now. But I do exclusively small jobs and taps are bread and butter.
10) So I arrange to buy the taps, bring them round and show them to him. He likes them, he even takes them up to his wife to show her. We book the job in.
11) I fit them. No sooner have I left then I get a call saying one is loose. I return and it's not. It's solid but he has been going over them with a fine tooth comb and has noticed that if you move it around from half way up the tap flexes a bit on the stainless steel sink. I say - as politely as possible - that that inevitable, the previous one would have done this too but you didn't notice because you actually move the tap around by the spout (which I demonstrated, and no flex occured) and that I made sure to install the brace that goes underneath to add extra stability. He conceded these points and I went on my way.
12) A day later I get a text. They are not happy with the taps. They consider them inferior quality.
13) I politely ask him to elaborate on what he means by inferior. He replies " when you turn on the taps gently there isn't an even flow of water - if the hot tap has been on and you then go to cold separately the water is initially warm - the taps have residual dripping which the others never had until the utility started playing up - there is a perpetual teardrop of water hanging from the tap - I don't like the close proximity of the two levers, they are very fiddly to use, the tap handles on the originals were much further apart. Because the new ones are Franke we thought the performance would be the same but it's anything but, I'm afraid. I hope all of this makes some kind of sense"
Bear in mind I brought the taps round to show him, took them out of the box, he held them, took them upstairs to show his wife.
What would you do?
Below are the taps. The new one (Franke Ascona) is on the left, the old one (Franke Olympus) on the right.
[automerge]1599066950[/automerge]
Forgot to say in his first text saying he was unhappy with them said "please source the source the same as we had before or an alternative of better quality"
So I guess the options are:
1) Arrange to replace the taps with two Franke Olympus (same as he had before) and get paid the difference in the price for the taps but no extra for labour
2) Arrange to replace the taps with two Franke Olympus (same as he had before) and get paid the difference in the price for the taps and the cost of replacing them
3) Refuse to do either of the above as he is being unreasonable and demand payment
4) Something else
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