What would you do with this "situation"?

[Grace'sDad]

Forgive the long whine but I need some fellow feeling here!

I did a job for a customer - approx 14sqm of 25x25 Waxman "pool" mosaics - boxwork around baths and floors in 2 bathrooms and a small floor in an ensuite shower room.

Before I even started the job I noticed that the sheets were varying greatly in size - upto 1/2 a tile difference and the backing was cack to say the least.

There were also issues with the quality of the boxwork - in places it was cut very uneven and would affect the final look of the tiling but as there were no spotlights fitted I thought I could manage a reasonable finish.

I pointed all this out to the customer and said that I could either do my best but that she should expect a less than perfect job due to the above factors, OR she could pay me for another 4 days so that I could lay them strip by strip by strip in order to achive perfection.

She asked me to simply do my best and assured me that she understood.

I completed the work over 3 days but irritatingly when I returned to start grouting, she had put lots of crosses on tiles which were standing out - under the NEW spotlights (AAAARGH!)

For the sake of peace, I agreed to dig out and re-set which took me a full day in the end, even though 90% of those affected were down to the tiles and not me - honest!

After this had dragged on and on I managed to get just over half my money, even though I only had the floor grouting to complete now.

You probably know the story (it's posted in the grouts and adhesives section) but I grouted the boxwork in brilliant white microflex. All ok.
Then I grouted the floors in 2 rooms with Microcolour wide joint grout brilliant white. Not ok - its a couple (well quite a few actually) of shades darker than the microflex - even though BAL's tech advised me to use it, knowing that I had used Microflex elsewhere.

Now this customer wants me to return and grout the final bathroom floor using Microflex (which BAL are now happy to guarantee - why the hell didn;t they say so in the 1st place!?)

She also wants me to change the colour of the floor grout which she is not happy with. To do this will cost me about £70 in Aquamix colourant and another 2 days unpaid (i've also never used the stuff before and the tiles are crap so goodness knows how it will turn out - it may end up worse than ever!). I also suspect that to add insult to injury, she will have placed many further little crosses on tiles and want them re-doing.

All this for £440 which she still owes me.

I feel that I have been reasonable so far - it is an annoyance about the grout difference (and I am taking it up with BAL) but for flip's sake, it's going to end up that colour before long anyway being a floor!

I think she is being unreasonable and I feel that I should go and grout the remaining floor and ask for payment. I am prepared to lose the cost of the aquamix plus a bit extra - say £150 and explain that it is a DIY job.

I am at the point now where I cannot afford to spend any more time on this - other jobs are going stall and suffer.

What would you do? Should I or can I get legal on her if she refuses to meet me part way. After all I did what she asked - white floor grout and I think she is being too picky especially as it will be grey after use anyway!

(this is the 1st and only time I have had an unhappy customer and it's stressing me right out.)

 

[bigandy]

Forgive the long whine but I need some fellow feeling here!

I did a job for a customer - approx 14sqm of 25x25 Waxman "pool" mosaics - boxwork around baths and floors in 2 bathrooms and a small floor in an ensuite shower room.

Before I even started the job I noticed that the sheets were varying greatly in size - upto 1/2 a tile difference and the backing was cack to say the least.

There were also issues with the quality of the boxwork - in places it was cut very uneven and would affect the final look of the tiling but as there were no spotlights fitted I thought I could manage a reasonable finish.

I pointed all this out to the customer and said that I could either do my best but that she should expect a less than perfect job due to the above factors, OR she could pay me for another 4 days so that I could lay them strip by strip by strip in order to achive perfection.

She asked me to simply do my best and assured me that she understood.

I completed the work over 3 days but irritatingly when I returned to start grouting, she had put lots of crosses on tiles which were standing out - under the NEW spotlights (AAAARGH!)

For the sake of peace, I agreed to dig out and re-set which took me a full day in the end, even though 90% of those affected were down to the tiles and not me - honest!

After this had dragged on and on I managed to get just over half my money, even though I only had the floor grouting to complete now.

You probably know the story (it's posted in the grouts and adhesives section) but I grouted the boxwork in brilliant white microflex. All ok.
Then I grouted the floors in 2 rooms with Microcolour wide joint grout brilliant white. Not ok - its a couple (well quite a few actually) of shades darker than the microflex - even though BAL's tech advised me to use it, knowing that I had used Microflex elsewhere.

Now this customer wants me to return and grout the final bathroom floor using Microflex (which BAL are now happy to guarantee - why the hell didn;t they say so in the 1st place!?)

She also wants me to change the colour of the floor grout which she is not happy with. To do this will cost me about £70 in Aquamix colourant and another 2 days unpaid (i've also never used the stuff before and the tiles are crap so goodness knows how it will turn out - it may end up worse than ever!). I also suspect that to add insult to injury, she will have placed many further little crosses on tiles and want them re-doing.

All this for £440 which she still owes me.

I feel that I have been reasonable so far - it is an annoyance about the grout difference (and I am taking it up with BAL) but for flip's sake, it's going to end up that colour before long anyway being a floor!

I think she is being unreasonable and I feel that I should go and grout the remaining floor and ask for payment. I am prepared to lose the cost of the aquamix plus a bit extra - say £150 and explain that it is a DIY job.

I am at the point now where I cannot afford to spend any more time on this - other jobs are going stall and suffer.

What would you do? Should I or can I get legal on her if she refuses to meet me part way. After all I did what she asked - white floor grout and I think she is being too picky especially as it will be grey after use anyway!

(this is the 1st and only time I have had an unhappy customer and it's stressing me right out.)

first i have given you thanks as i think it can be hard to admit to people you have a problem(esp people in your trade)even when it's not your fault.

re the job,how much of this have you explained to the customer?i would of thought she should meet you half the way if she is reasonable(don't forget to mention the day's lost work you have already had, in straitening out all the tiles because the substrate was sub standard)but then you will have a better understanding of how your customer will react as we have nt met her.but i would be tempted to talk with her before i started and get an agreement.
re legal is it really worth it? by the time you can prove that the substrate was nt right and that bal advised you to use these diffrent products.i am not sure where you legaly would stand but sounds like a lot of messing for a couple of hundred of quid

hope this is of some help and i have nt rambled on

 

[sWe]

I feel for you mate. Lesson of the day: Get signed disclaimers in cases such as this.

I suppose you could try to talk to her, but I doubt that would do much good. If she expects showroom quality with crap materials and conditions, she's either a basically unreasonable person, or she's taking a ****. Bit hard to judge which though.

IMO, you went beyond your duty when you dug out the unflush tiles, given that you had warned her, so a little reciprocation would be in order.

IMO, she has overdrawn your good-will account.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I'd like to see a few pics.


Mosaic work is always tricky, time consuming and require a level of patience that quite frankly would drive normal people around the bend.

The preparation work required to the substrate that is to be tiled also needs to be perfect. The client needs to be told this, simply implying "I'll do my best" is admitting failure before you even start. Never give a client a choice, they either pay for the prep or you don't commence the work. It's that simple.

Now onto the tiles, if for any reason you are not happy with the quality of the product you must refuse to fix. This is for your own protection as well as the clients and the faulty product is still the responsibility of the tile supplier whilst still in the box. By fixing them you have accepted the product and the job is in your hands.

You need to do what you need to do to make the client happy and get your payment. You accepted the job and the prep and fixed the tiles. Sure it will cost time and money, but your reputation will remain intact.

If you complete all that is asked of you then 'YES' you should be paid.

I know it may sound harsh, but this is all part of learning your own limits as a tiler. Sometimes a lesson can only be learned by moving out of one's comfort zone.

Keep this job as a mental note for similar one's in the future. You will no doubt be better prepared for any issues that may arise.

 

[Grace'sDad]

Thanks guys.

Mick - hard words to swallow but I know you're right - thanks for being honest.

I've got to remedy the situation and learn from it and move on, hopefully with a customer left satisfied.

Inexperience with mosaics has cost me dearly. I can't really blame anything else.
With hindsight, I should have either sought a signature on a disclaimer or walked away from the job.

Oh well - you live and learn. At least people aren't dying over it!

Big lesson for others -
fail to prepare for mosaics = prepare to fail!

 

[AllurePTS]

Yep, it's a sore one Dad ....she's not being fair really, but I'd have to agree with Mick ....I personally feel that I have to take the responsibility for my work no matter what

 

[doug boardley]

yep, on that too, pedantic customers can be a real pain,but as pro's we have to keep the customer satisfied, (and our reputation intact) it works both ways tho', do we pat ourselves on the back when a job has gone absolutely brilliant, superb end product,earlier than expected completion and a pocketful of wonga, or do we think that maybe we overpriced the customer. To be honest, I think we just take the rough with the smooth.:santa_cheesy:

 

[White Room]

Sometimes you think your helping out the customer (I've done it myself) and in the death You give an inch they take the mile