Nightmare Customers

[Nomad]

Last week I was doing work for a good customer I’ve known for many years.

She recommended me to a neighbour, I went and priced up a job to lay laminate, also an extra half day to rehang some interior doors.

Customer said they would clear furniture from the room. I turned up and furniture hadn’t moved, Customer told me you must have misunderstood., I spent an hour clearing the room before and started laying laminate. We left on good terms but they are off my Christmas card list.

I sent a message to check we were still ok for the next session to fix doors.
Customer cancelled see screenshot



How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?
I’m just checking if I’m being over-picky about the people I accept work from.

 

[Blobber]

Last week I was doing work for a good customer I’ve known for many years.

She recommended me to a neighbour, I went and priced up a job to lay laminate, also an extra half day to rehang some interior doors.

Customer said they would clear furniture from the room. I turned up and furniture hadn’t moved, Customer told me you must have misunderstood., I spent an hour clearing the room before and started laying laminate. We left on good terms but they are off my Christmas card list.

I sent a message to check we were still ok for the next session to fix doors.
Customer cancelled see screenshot
View attachment 515565


How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?
I’m just checking if I’m being over-picky about the people I accept work from.

Run away

 

[MattF]

How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?

You really need to ask?

 

[Dozzer]

How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?
I’m just checking if I’m being over-picky about the people I accept work from.

As you don't have anymore work booked with her, be polite.
But if she does come back to you later, quote accordingly and add the PITA cost!

 

[DanZac]

View attachment 515565


How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?
I’m just checking if I’m being over-picky about the people I accept work from.

Nip round and quote for building them a steel door for their "safe room" this is a welding forum after all.

Maybe you could get a bit of extra work bricking up their windows for them while your there (you can never be too safe these days).

Make sure your wearing your tinfoil hat when you go round though. You dont want to catch their lunacy.

 

[Jackimus]

Don't under any circumstances be inside the safe room while they are outside.....

 

[OJCar]

Have you been paid for the flooring work?
If so, add her to the "Not Received" file.

 

[Mark 5]

It's easy to write this, especially as work/jobs in any profession are in short supply but sometimes just say No! to a potential customer.

I think sometimes builders/plumbers/the self employed put themselves on a hook.

I have a sneaking admiration for this guy.

 

[dobbslc]

How would you rate this customer on a scale of 1 to avoid-at-all-costs?
I’m just checking if I’m being over-picky about the people I accept work from

You could always offer her a solid steel door to hang on the plasterboard stud wall and 100 empty pop bottles to pizz in when she's locked herself away when the rest of us all go for a riot...

 

[Smallfry]

Before I stopped working, we made delivered and installed furniture, the majority of it semi RUSTIC. Also did restoration and refinishing work

I do not have enough life left to begin on this, and probably the forum does not have enough capacity either. But ........

People moaning because wooden furniture had knots in it, or the knots were in the wrong place ....... yes really.

Complaints about blemishes that I needed the Jodrell Bank radio telescope to see.

Ordering things that were too big to get into the property, or no viable access, and all that it entails. No refunds threats of court action etc.

Wrong colour, despite them choosing it.

Claims of damage. One being having a guy waving his arms about, threatening me with physical violence, because we had smashed his new flat screen TV, when in fact his wife had knocked it over, but was too frightened to tell him, so blamed us instead.

Refusals of settling up, the very worst being (censored due to accusations of racism) and the most wealthy.

Want to charge through a company and describe items as "office furniture" or something completely different, in order to claim VAT, which of course reflects very badly on us when caught out.

This is just for starters. I am so glad I packed it in straight after the pandemic. Don't have to pander or be nice to people any more.

 

[Mark 5]

Before I stopped working, we made delivered and installed furniture, the majority of it semi RUSTIC. Also did restoration and refinishing work

I do not have enough life left to begin on this, and probably the forum does not have enough capacity either.

People moaning because wooden furniture had knots in it, or the knots were in the wrong place ....... yes really.

Complaints about blemishes that I needed the Jodrell Bank radio telescope to see.

Ordering things that were too big to get into the property, or no viable access, and all that it entails. No refunds threats of court action etc.

Wrong colour, despite then choosing it.

Claims of damage. One being having a guy waving his arms about, threatening me with physical violence, because we had smashed his new flat screen TV, when in fact his wife had knocked it over, but was too frightened to tell him, so blamed us instead.

Refusals of settling up, the very worst being (censored due to accusations of racism) and the most wealthy.

Want to charge through a company and describe items as "office furniture" or something completely different, in order to claim VAT, which of course reflects very badly on us when caught out.

This is just for starters. I am so glad I packed it in straight after the pandemic. Don't have to pander or be nice to people any more.

Oh your post bought it all back, I know what you mean.

One particular customer, a lady, oh boy, to be fair to her she always paid but a nightmare to deal with.

She and I we got on but I think instinctively she knew I wouldn't put up with some of her ways.

Had a lot of work from her and properties but some of our work she would put an electron microscope to, sometimes she had a point, most times it was her needlepoint fault finding.

Tiresome and the word ' exacting ' doesn't cover her ways.

Or the time I installed some pine knotty doors for a customer to complain and refuse to pay as some of the doors had to many knots, grrrrrr.

 

[oldbikedavey]

Whingeing Poms are worse than a plague of boils, mate !

 

[Mark 5]

Whingeing Poms are worse than a plague of boils, mate !

Oh I don't know, a room full of whining Bruces ain't attractive either.