Some Customers and Builders

[afright]

Just had a look at a few bathrooms in a 18th century house as per usual they want it done yesterday,walls ceramic and floor 600 x600 porcelain there is a very bad dip in one floor told customer that floor needs leveling and over plying then backer board ,they said " our builder never told us that"! ,they have got builders to plaster boarded the shower and the rest of the walls are old lath and plaster which is crumbling told the customer that the shower needs tanking and the old plaster to be removed and boarded,the customer "my builder said it would be okay" Told them no guarantee some customers would rather listen to the builder than the tiler who might be doing the job,just makes you think is it all worth your time and effort when they are not prepared to listen. :mad2:

 

[charlie1]

Afright, you know your stuff, make sure the builder and client knows you know your stuff too and it will all come good!! I say call a meeting!

 

[beanz]

Maybe he/she needs to ask their builder to tile it...

 

[Martyn Leeds]

the builder will probably say "he don't know what he's talking about"

and then get one of his guys to have a bash at the tiling...

same as usual unfortunately

 

[Andy Allen]

nightmare trying to quote a job when a builders on site, they allways think they know best.

stupid really, when they never question the sparky or plumber, just another example of everyone thinks they can tile........about time customers listen to what we say, then we wouldnt be getting all these threads on here about jobs failing..

 

[afright]

All they kept saying was "how much I did not allow for that " I just thought to my self what am I doing here,the customer said I will talk to my builder on monday,wonder if I will here from them again then again got a bit on now so really dont need the hassle.One wall over the bath was some sort of perspex which had been tiled before ,even told them that will have to be removed,they had a moan saying "we just fitted the bath"I think because it was tiled before it can be tiled again,they seemed to want a good job but just dont want to pay the extra to make it look right.

 

[Colour Republic]

the customer "my builder said it would be okay" Told them no guarantee some customers would rather listen to the builder than the tiler who might be doing the job,just makes you think is it all worth your time and effort when they are not prepared to listen. :mad2:

Maybe you should have taken the time to fully explain the benefits instead of putting in their head you're going for a belt and braces approach.

You must have ripped out tons of old mouldy showers, maybe you should start showing them pictures.

There will always be somebody out there that will do the job cheaper because they are not doing it to the same spec, if you want people to spend their cash more wisely you need to demonstrate the extra they are getting for it, not just expect them to take you on your word becuase you know better.

I rarely have a problem because I give them the full facts in a way they can understand, they can only come to one conclusion. The only time I have a problem is if they don't care about the property, some landlords for example where it doesn't make financial sense in the short term to spend that extra, they have borrowed heavily, have low yields and plan to sell before any problems surface. That is there call and they are well within their rights to make it.

 

[DHTiling]

Typical customer / builder who think tiling is lower than any other trade..nowt to it and just bang them on.. then when it goes wrong... then!! it becomes important..

 

[afright]

The building is listed so I think they are a bit worried about ripping into the walls,and the rooms have just been decorated I have explained that to get a good job it needs to be prepared correctly,I think it is a bit of a shock to them that the builder never mention about this.

 

[beanz]

I assume it's only grade 2 listed?

 

[CJ]

Tiling isn't a proper trade. :mad2: How many times have we heard that one.

frigging builders want these jobs done, so they can get back in, finish off wot they need to, to get there final cheque.

Stuff the consequence. Then it's us that get the phone calls.

 

[afright]

Still just got an e-mail from them they have found some one else who can start straight away and he as said that every thing is fine he can tile the walls with out preparing,but they have said if they are not satisfied they would be in touch.

 

[beanz]

Still just got an e-mail from them they have found some one else who can start straight away and he as said that every thing is fine he can tile the walls with out preparing,but they have said if they are not satisfied they would be in touch.

It'd be a real shame if the lot fails eh?

 

[PJ Tiling]

Mate i'm feeling your pain. It is all I have had since October ''my builder said this'' and ''my mate said that''. Tbh it's really starting to get me down about the trade, I don't get why people are unwilling to trust what a professional has to say. You wouldn't say to a surgeon ''But my GP thinks it will be fine''.

 

[DHTiling]

Still just got an e-mail from them they have found some one else who can start straight away and he as said that every thing is fine he can tile the walls with out preparing,but they have said if they are not satisfied they would be in touch.

Then you can have great pleasure in saying i told you so and do one losers..

 

[Spud]

sounds like you have had a lucky escape

 

[jlktiling]

Proof that you should keep a diary of jobs that you go to, particularly failures, and then present them to the customer when quoting, and then you can show them what it would look like if it when wrong!
Get an ipad or tablet, then put the photos on there for the customer to see.

 

[bugs183]

Pants isn't it...
The troubler is with that situation Joe Public have usually spent all their money before we turn up to measure, they're fed up and just want it done, cheaply and quickly.
They've had tons of extras off the builders and plumbers and now when you do the right thing and suggest that the walls need sorting they just don't want to hear it.
That guy did you a favour by getting the job, but that isn't the point, huge Porcelain tiles are awkward enough on a decent wall what with size and weight, let alone a lath and plaster wall.
You suggest the correct way but don't get the job cus it doesn't suit.
Ah well, you won't be the one fighting with lath and plaster once it starts falling apart!!!!