bad customers advice

[Dazzling Tiling]

ive currently finished a job where the customer did nothing i asked
from having washing machines tumble driers sofas sideboards placed on my work only hours after its been carried out,
to add insult to injury the customer insisted in having 2 kitchen fitters a painter and a spark working at the same time as me and stramping all over my floor.
Now the customer is complaining that my work is not up to her standard,
now im out of pocket

any advice

 

[peteablard]

If someone was walking over a floor I was doing before I said they could then I would have pointed out the problem to the customer and come back when I had the floor to myself. I wouldn't have carried on fixing....

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

when i fix a floor always in rappid set and god himself would not be allowed to walk on it intill i said you can you need to firm up a lott if you dont want people walking over you and your floors

 

[Dazzling Tiling]

thanks Pete i pointed this out many times to the customer, but they continued to do so, 55m2 of white porcielin 600mmx600mm it appears to me that there were out to con.
I was asked to do the job due to the house being damaged due to a heating boiler catching fire and its an insurance job,I
was told if anyone from the insurance company came i had to say i was subcontracted from another company, and that the customer is saying that the insurance company is not paying out
I understand that in this financial down turn everyone is trying to save a quid or two,
but now im thinking of giving up being self employed,

 

[Dazzling Tiling]

thanks ray, firming up is what a few folk have said but as you can imagine im trying to protect my reputation, we all knock our pans it to get it, this is the first this has happened in the 1 and a half years ive been self employed,

 

[peteablard]

Being firm won't harm your reputation, laying a bad floor will.......
how bad is the floor? Are they saying you won't get paid at all?

 

[Dazzling Tiling]

there is a few areas over the full area where there has been sofas and washing machines placed, ive taken pictures and im thinking of going to a lawyer, from a previous job i learnt to get at least half the money up front,

 

[peteablard]

Can you not go back and replace the bad tiles?

 

[Dazzling Tiling]

I could Pete, but why should i, and to add insult to injury ive seen on my facebook page that the customer is sitting enjoying a wine in there lovely newly finished house, now if i was unhappy with work carried out im my property i wouldnt be saying this on a social network i would be leaving public messages to the tradesman but not a peep
there must be something out there that can protect us from con artists

 

[Dazzling Tiling]

i could go back, but thats more money out my pocket, i just think there out to rip me off, i read on my facebook profile that the customer was enjoying a glass of wine in there newly finished house, if that was the case i would have been leaving public messages to the tiler not bragging about the newly finished house,
Im taking it as a learning curve

 

[peteablard]

I'd pursue though the small claims court, plenty of advice can be found on here about it

 

[EverDon Tiling]

Any chance we could see the pictures?

 

[dave l and l]

i has a problem with an insurance job a few years ago, never even managed to get tiling just ripped a wall down, the customer used my quote to use for the insurance company then employed someone for cheaper, once i got wind of this i phoned and phoned but to no avail. finally a nicely worded letter mentioning insurance fraud and me turning up at her place of work got me some attention. i offered a settlement that she agreed and that was that,
i would go back and sort bad tile then threaten them with legal action if they still refuse to pay,
ask the other trades on the job if they know what insurance company is supposed to be paying maybe one of them will know

 

[AliGage]

I've got some of those stair rods from tradertiler. I stick a couple in each doorway if i don't want people to go in.

I assume you've told her your views on it. That people have been on it and you said not to? If you have what did she say?
I'd explain what you've said here about the sofa, washing machine etc. Say you'll replace at her expence. 1 of 3 responses i'd anticipate:

She says no and refuses to pay, small claims.
She say yes, lets you do it and refuses to pay, small claims.
She says yes and squares all payment at the end, happy days!

 

[kilty55]

hi there,call your customer and ask for full payment see what the response is if they decline advise them you will be taking them to court.

they cant simply not pay and sit and expect you to be paid nothing yet not ask for you to rectify the work,sound like dirty chancers to me by what youve described.

send a recorded delivery invoice giving 7 days for payment and if not met small claims will be next is my advice mate

 

[paul flight]

i always cary a camera with me to every job and if there is a prob take pictures with time and date . explaine to customer why you are taking the pictures . they will soon stop trade messing up your work. coz if it goes to claims court they wont have a leg to stand on..or a nice floor

 

[Martino]

Sorry Dazzling tiling but as soon as they walked or placed something on it after i said i didnt want them too. i would refuse to lay any more tiles?....they are totally out of order and it does sound they are out to scam.....if i were doing the job i would have waited for other trades to finish there job first...makes more sense, remember the customer is not always right

 

[afright]

Did a big teracotta floor once after sealing it came back next day someone had walked all over it footprints every wear Dr Martin in fact there was only one bloke on the job wearing them,the kitchen fitter he denied it until we proved him wrong his firm had to pay for us to strip the sealer and reseal it again took us nearly two days he was removed from the job.