Legal matters are best left to solicitors (as per GirlRacerRed's comments) but sometimes it is better to try and resolve these situations without recourse to court action - which will be very expensive for at least one of you. So here is some good advice:
- Document everything. As a matter of course photographs of your work should always be taken. If you have not committed anything to paper, sit down and write it all down in your work diary. A work diary can be excellent protection for tradesmen caught up in legal disputes - courts will give credence to a diary kept in the course of business which may document customer issues as they happen - e.g. found tiles bowed, pointed out to customer who told me to go ahead anyway.
- Always respond positively to customer complaints. Keep a customer complaint file, and record the customers complaint. Document the action you have taken, and set a plan to respond to the complaint. Make a visit to the customer or even arrange for an independant tiler to visit and assess the work. You should always try and reach an informal resolution if possible. If either of you go to a solicitor at this stage in the dispute the solicitor will advice you to aattempt to resolve the complaint first. Again, make sure you document and photograph everything.
- Ultimately you and the customer may not reach an amicable resolution. That will be the time when the matter may become the subject of a court hearing.
- Remember that there are places for both you and the customer to keep help and advice - Citizen Advice Bureau and Trading
Standards are 2 bodies that can give further help and advice to both of you.
- Finally it may be worth checking your Public Liability Insurance policy. This may cover you for any costs arising from an allegation like this - but some policies do not include this cover.