Nice Customers But They Are Driving Me Mad.

[Sean Kelly]

What the customer said:

Sean: You do not have enough tiles to complete the job.
Cust: Thank God for that. We thought we would have too many boxes left over. I'll pop out to Homebase later on today.

Later on that day........

Cust: They only had 1 box. I'll try another branch later.

Later........

Cust: 2nd branch don't have any tiles.

Next day........

Cust: My Husband went out and bought some from a branch miles away.

I couldn't be bothered to tell her all that her bathroom now consists of 3 batch numbers


This is the same customer that I bent over backwards for because they were let down by previous tiler. I worked 11 hour days. I worked Sat & Sun, but she still wanted a lie in at the weekend so I could not start until 09:30.

Payment:

I finished the job last week and have not yet been paid. I sent email this morning and I just rang to chase again.

Cust: My Husband has set up payment on his bank account for Friday.

Her Husband is an accountant !!!!!!!!



Before you ask.........I measured up the room the previous week. I gave them the dimensions and told them how many sqm to buy. When I said to her 'Why did you not buy enough tiles' she said that she and her Husband measured the room and bought plenty of tiles for the job.

 

[Qwerty]

I feel your pain @Andy Allen . I had to sacrifice the layout on the last bathroom I did purely to allow enough tiles for the whole room. Finished the job with 2 spare tiles, one of which I was never going to use as it was chipped. I too gave them the required square meterage but they decided to deduct the 10% I added to save money

 

[Andy Allen]

Think you will find it's Sean thread not mine...lol
Nice of you to think of me though...

 

[Qwerty]

Think you will find it's Sean thread not mine...lol
Nice of you to think of me though...

Hahaha!!! Doh!!

 

[Dan]

I'm not sure id leave the job without payment to be fair. I'd just say look, payment required upon completion. Like with anything. I'll drive you the hole in the wall if you want.

 

[J Sid]

Sorry Dan, think you live in a different world to us, or is it just me!
I never expect payment before I leave. I always send a bill with bank details for payment.
Yes some customers offer payment on completion if they are home when I finish but most of the time I send a invoice by email with bank detail.
Asking if not threatening to drive them to the cash point to collect your money sounds like the sort of thing the local cowboys will do. I thought the cash point only pays out £300 a day, hardly enough to pay a days wages let alone materials on top.

 

[Brian the Tile]

I dont think he is living in a different world, you give a price they know how much it is ,you do the job ,they are happy so should pay you, i have it on my letterhead ,payment on completion of work ,no problems

 

[On one]

Penny pinching on the tiles........had to be an accountant.

 

[Andy Allen]

I live in dans world........payment on completion
No excuses. ....don't think I would drive them to the cash point. ...but would wait till they got back...lol

 

[Brian the Tile]

Can't go to tesco and tell them you will pay them next week

 

[Sean Kelly]

I'm not sure id leave the job without payment to be fair. I'd just say look, payment required upon completion. Like with anything. I'll drive you the hole in the wall if you want.

Well if I can't trust an accountant and a lady that does a lot of work for charity then who can I trust!

I'm afraid technology is against us on this one. I, like most, accept bank xfer. I am at the mercy of the customer and gave them 3 days to pay. This customer went over by 1 day and had to be chased by email & phone.

Some customers don't think that I was in their home for 2 weeks and I paid out over £600 on materials. I have not been paid for 3 weeks and am actually £600 down.

What can I do to stop this happening in future?

Deposit, or money up front, or staged payments? We've talked about this before. However, on this occasion I am 100% sure I will be paid on Friday.

 

[widler]

Not many customers pay me straight away, most aint in when im finished anyway, so i just tell them to check everything and when they are happy pay up or a brick goes through your window
I don't mind, i like them checking my work out beforehand to see if owts wrong , makes me feel like im not bodging and scarpering like a gypo

 

[Brian the Tile]

Make it clear at the outset that it is payment on completion whdn you are asked to do the job, ok sometimes they may not be there ehen you finish the job ,phone call to customer ,hello everything ok if so ill be round for payment if that is ok,if they are happy with the job there is no excuse for making you wait

 

[White Room]

Nearly all my customer do bank transfer nowadays and usually give them a week to pay....

 

[J Sid]

Not many customers pay me straight away, most aint in when im finished anyway, so i just tell them to check everything and when they are happy pay up or a brick goes through your window
I don't mind, i like them checking my work out beforehand to see if owts wrong , makes me feel like im not bodging and scarpering like a gypo

At last someone who thinks like me. I treat people/customers as I would like to be treated myself .

That's three of us, anymore?