Customers! Looking for perfection?

[Time's Ran Out]

It’s in open forum so ‘mind your language ‘!
On Monday last week I did something I’ve not done for a very long time and in fact I can’t remember ever for the reason to divulge.
I packed my tools and left a job after spending the day before on a small downstairs Wc.
Anything I said would’ve sounded as though I was making excuses but I know it was a customer who I wouldn’t be able to placate. Didn’t want to in the end!
He told me I should be using a wet saw on 50x20 ceramics from the Ukraine (BCT in disguise) so I could take mm off and leave a good edge,
He showed me how he tried to clean my joints of adhesive on a 4-6 hour adhesive so that the grout would fully fill the lines.
He suggested that I dot and dab the tiles like he does so the joints are left clean.
He had prepared the walls himself and had painstakingly built the room ready for my finish.


It would have looked better grouted but who ever says that to a customer.
As I said - excuses - and I know where he was coming from, but sometimes rubbish tiles and rubbish walls doesn’t mean rubbish Tiler!
Sometimes you have to realise you can’t polish a t*rd.
Have the days of doing a decent job gone?
Are we being subjected to finite scrutiny at every stage of the job from dust sheets to hoover or have I just encountered Mr Internet who looks for perfection in everyone else?
I do my best.

 

[Dumbo]

Don't really know what to say , but he was lucky to have a top craftsmen in his house who does give a damn about what they do . Thing is these people come along seldomly but when they do it feels like the last one was only a couple of days ago , I'm lucky I have dodged a few bullets when I've told my plumber friend I'm not working for them he then says what a pain they were .
Forget it and move on , it's just the same as pricing when you're told you are to expensive then the next person tells you , you were cheaper than the other guy ,
So forget and move on .

 

[Bond]

I think we have all come across Mr perfection, thankfully not to often, l just tend to agree with them and chalk it down to experience, whilst thinking what a dick, he’s bloody lucky to be getting such a good job.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I think we have all come across Mr perfection, he’s bloody lucky to be getting such a good job.

In his view he wasn’t!
Another Tiler had done his bathroom when he wasn’t there. He mentioned the grout lines not lining up and the mess around the whole house - yet was happy to accept it as a finished job.
Extra vigilant on my room and as I mentioned I wasn’t in the mood to complain or justify my work - it must be age but I got a bit of pleasure walking away although I don’t think the Bathroom co. we’re too happy with me. But as per some threads on here, you get little bits of information as you go and the whole picture built up tells you not to start in the first place.
Hindsight .....

 

[Boggs]

Some people eh!

I can recommend a good dabber though.
(See my latest pics)

 

[Old Mod]

Well if his ‘prep’ is so amazing seenoevil, it won’t be too far of a leap to tile it himself then will it.
Especially as he’s so educated when it comes to tiling!

 

[Andy Allen]

I tiled a 40 m floor in a new wimpey home, house last month, for the customer before they moved in.
They spent £800 on a " professional snagger".....who new they existed, to come in and snag the place before they moved in.
362 snags later he left........ leaving wimpey homes with a massive headache.
And some of the things on the list was nothing short of rediclus !
How long will it be before this kind of thinks creeps into the private sector ....... imagine that having your work scrutinized by some stranger who goes through your job with a fine tooth comb till he finds a fault...!

 

[Boggs]

I tiled a 40 m floor in a new wimpey home, house last month, for the customer before they moved in.
They spent £800 on a " professional snagger".....who new they existed, to come in and snag the place before they moved in.
362 snags later he left........ leaving wimpey homes with a massive headache.
And some of the things on the list was nothing short of rediclus !
How long will it be before this kind of thinks creeps into the private sector ....... imagine that having your work scrutinized by some stranger who goes through your job with a fine tooth comb till he finds a fault...!

Wasn’t there one of those on here last year?

 

[Dumbo]

Actually reminds me of Frankie Howard on Wogan when a young actress was saying they were having their opening night and she was worried because the critics would be there , so Frankie said, " don't worry about critics , they're like unics in a ***** house , they've seen it done , they know how to do it , but just can't do it themselves ,

 

[Blunt Tool]

Know how you feel John, I walked from a job for a bathroom company because I refused to start a whole tile from the bath, the bath was fine but at top one side was whole tile and other side was an inch gap. Customer said I hadn’t a clue and questioned if I had ever tiled if I couldn’t rake a small cut in! Then he questioned why I had bags of cement (Ultra adhesive) as opposed to the pre mixed tubbed adhesives the professionals use and why I was using that blue cheap cutter out of a DIY store (Sigma) instead of the professional Rubi? He even phoned the bathroom company to ask if I was even a tiler, I walked before I I did something I regretted later!

 

[Sean Kelly]

A few years ago I quoted for a job. I told the customer how many square metres of tile they would need. They accepted the quote and I was to buy the tiles. I put the order in and a few days later I got an email from the customer to tell me that they had had another quote and the other tiler said they needed less tile. I explained that the 'natural' stone from Topps is not always perfect so we have to buy more tiles and we send back the dodgy ones. They were not having it and wanted me to come over and measure again. So I cancelled the order and said I didn't want their custom.
Lesson learned, I don't buy any tiles for customers.

I feel for you John.

 

[Dumbo]

A few years ago I quoted for a job. I told the customer how many square metres of tile they would need. They accepted the quote and I was to buy the tiles. I put the order in and a few days later I got an email from the customer to tell me that they had had another quote and the other tiler said they needed less tile. I explained that the 'natural' stone from Topps is not always perfect so we have to buy more tiles and we send back the dodgy ones. They were not having it and wanted me to come over and measure again. So I cancelled the order and said I didn't want their custom.
Lesson learned, I don't buy any tiles for customers.

I feel for you John.

I just tell customers I'm not interested in supplying tiles , some of them want you to take samples around to their house , my opinion they can get their lazy backsides out and have a look themselves.

 

[On one]

I just tell customers I'm not interested in supplying tiles , some of them want you to take samples around to their house , my opinion they can get their lazy backsides out and have a look themselves.

The only time I have taken tiles round to a customers house, came back to bite me in the a**e........they chose the tile......I did 3/4 of the bathroom on the first day......2nd morning they said they didn't like the tiles and could I change them!

 

[Dumbo]

Said this before , I had prices paving supply some Trav , clearly not like the sample , they wouldn't have it so had to send it back . Cust me carriage both ways and 10or 12 percent restocking charge .

 

[Unused Account 1]

Ive noticed more and more lately,even expensive tiles ,coming updifferent sizes,getting crazy
I did a job ,75x200,fitted them vertically ,put batten on the wall ,tiled it looked fine ,but tiles sizy again ,high end job really,finished with terrazzo look tile on the floor,when the guy put shower screen on wall ,75x200 tiles no where near square,never had any probs in 17 years ,all i can do is go with walls ,lol

 

[Wayne Brown]

His loss TJ I bet he wished he kept out of it now just goes to prove you cant please everyone all the time. Kop

 

[widler]

People who want perfection (which is not possible) are usually massive k nobheads who couldnt tie their own shoelaces

 

[Boggs]

I hate the door hanger types, watching everything you do and always in the f**king way.

 

[bsc ceramics]

To long in the tooth for all that malarkey John

 

[Tiler Durden]

Are you talking about taking a MM off on the tile in the photo? How did you do it? Scored it and nippers or something?

 

[Time's Ran Out]

That picture was to show his perfect preparation. Less than a full tile from side wall to door frame on a bowed wall!
On the first day I didn’t know if the bathroom co. hadn’t prepped the job so I made no comments. As the width of the room was only 900 wide it was a joint through the middle and a cut to side walls, to the door frame 1 tile or a tile and a half so in effect no full tiles. It was only after 3.00pm when I started the window wall that tile sizes and shape became the challenge. 2 hours and 12 tiles later I went home only to return to his ‘issues’ the next day.
It was his cleaning of the joints that tipped the decision.
I believe the bathroom co. have returned his deposit.
Onwards and upwards.

 

[Tiler Durden]

I’ve walked off a couple of jobs in 30 years. Sometimes life is too short for the stress of it.

I’ve stayed on with a couple of jobs for people who had unrealistic expectations of perfection. Lost money on each one.

 

[WetSaw]

I'm fortunate that my clients employ me because of my rustic style.