J
jonnyc
IF YOUVE HAD A BAD CLIENT RECENTLY READ ABOUT THIS ONE .
MAY MAKEYOU FEEL BETTER
THEJOB FROM HELL IN SOUTH AFRICA
Iwas first introduced to my client and wife at the Hilton in London in 1996.
Theyhad purchased 1100.00 sq mts Bulgarian and French Limestone from Paris CeramicsIn London .
Bothwere keen to use a stone fixer recommended by stone supplier for their projectin East Pretoria, South Africa.
Withclient having agreed costs and saying they would sort out work visa for us, Iflew out alone a few days ahead of two of my employees and one ex employee whowas coming from Queensalnd ,Oz.
Withno tools on board plane was waved straight through and met client and wife onother side of customs.
Theyimmediately asked me if I had been to South Africa before, to which I responded no, but pointed outthat I had travelled quite extensively through many other countries in Africa.
Wellthis is South Africa and it is different here replied client and I am now goingto show you why we brought you here and did not employ a stone fixer in South Africa.
Theytook me to their current home and showed me approx 100.00 sq mts of granitefloor tiling.
Whatdo you think of that client said?
Notquite sure what to say, I said it looked quite good but that we would do abetter job with no lips , on his new project.
Infront of his wife he says, I hope you will because I broke both their arms forf------ my floor up and they were thebest in Johannesburg and I will f--- you up as well if you don’t do jobright!!!
Notthe best introduction to my contract.
Wethen went off to see the site which was a very large and long single storyhouse.
Ilooked at the screed we were to lay on and you could see a couple of inchesunder a straight edges in places.!! It was appalling and corridors which weremeant to be 1200mm wide varied by up to 100mm and we meant to be laying stonewith cabachons right through middle and this was going to look very bad.
Notso good so far, but had a very nice house with pool, cook ,driver/handyman atour disposal.
Virtuallynew car and we all had club class seats out and back to uk.
Wentto meet Paul coming from oz next day and he sailed through customs probably onaccount that he brought his b----y surf board with him!! And didn’t look likehe was going to do any type of work at all.
Mytwo from uknot so lucky. They had the hand tools and were promptly arrested . First Iknew of this was when I saw them point me out to customs from other side ofglass and they arrested me as well.
NaivelyI said client had told me he had sorted visas out and simply mention his nameon arrival if there was a problem. He had not sorted anything out and manyhours later he rescued us from being sent home before we had started , quitehow I can only imagine!
Sowere all in and ready to go, just the stone to supposedly come tomorrow.
Nextday arrives with news that stone is still in the Atlanticsomewhere and not due for ten days.
Ohdear, but never mind because I have put a clause in my quote stating that ifsite not ready client will need to pay a day rate whilst we wait.
Diggersgot his surf board and hes off to the coast he thinks.
Ihowever think this would be good opportunity to get site properly prepared so Ioffer our services to rescreed the whole 1100 sq mts and sort out the localbuilders getting bathrooms ready and walls plumb and straight. Client was topay us anyway for downtime so this would please him I think and perhaps hemight give me the remaining 17% of 25 % deposit promised before I left the uk.
Well he was pleased that we were working forhim but no he didn’t have the rest of deposit available now.
Iam getting worried now but what can I do.
Wedo all the prep work and he pays rest of deposit in Rand instead of Dollarsagreed, so we decide to take a trip upto Sun City for weekend.
Thishas been quite a stressful start to job so be good to let off some steam.
Allgoes well and we go in to casino I hand out some cash from recently receiveddeposit.
Afew minutes later there is a commotion at one of the tables that one of guysare at and he is being questioned by security. I go over and get arrested forhanding my employee forged notes. I get hauled off upstairs and explain myclient has given me notes and give his details.
Backwe go to Pretoriaand I think I should check out the flight availability in case we need to getout fast.
Alltickets have been blocked by wife of client who owns travel ageny that issuedtickets for us. So we cant even get out.
NowI am really worried and we haven’t even started tiling.
Iam summoned to a meeting in his boardroom next day with wife, three different contractors on job and architect.
Ihave already put my invoice in for all the days downtime due ,and client hascalled meeting to inform me that I do not invoice him for work but must invoiceeach contractor for the works I did on their behalf and they pay me not him!!!
Thiswas not what was agreed or set in my quote but then nothing in my quote seemsto be adhered to.
Istate this and then add about the tickets being cancelled and being arrestedfor forged notes.
Ithen hear the words from first day. Right Ive had enough of you Johnny Clarke,coming over here to my country and telling us we have done so many things wrongin the site preparation, Im going to F--- you up here right now!!
Hestarts to get up and the all the others jump in the lift and leave me to myfate.
Hegoes for the safe , the same safe he had opened only few days before to show mehis guns boasting of how many blacks he had killed when he was a copper in hisyouth.
Iam s------g myself . He is in such a rage he cant get safe open . I don’t thinkhe can be mad enough to shoot me but I think he might point gun at me. Havingseen him knock one of the builders off the roof with a breeze block and dropkick another who had displeased him when they let one of his peacocks **** on apiece of stone, I decided best policy was to stay sitting down and see what wasgoing to happen. This man was very large.
will post what happened next if anyone interested
MAY MAKEYOU FEEL BETTER
THEJOB FROM HELL IN SOUTH AFRICA
Iwas first introduced to my client and wife at the Hilton in London in 1996.
Theyhad purchased 1100.00 sq mts Bulgarian and French Limestone from Paris CeramicsIn London .
Bothwere keen to use a stone fixer recommended by stone supplier for their projectin East Pretoria, South Africa.
Withclient having agreed costs and saying they would sort out work visa for us, Iflew out alone a few days ahead of two of my employees and one ex employee whowas coming from Queensalnd ,Oz.
Withno tools on board plane was waved straight through and met client and wife onother side of customs.
Theyimmediately asked me if I had been to South Africa before, to which I responded no, but pointed outthat I had travelled quite extensively through many other countries in Africa.
Wellthis is South Africa and it is different here replied client and I am now goingto show you why we brought you here and did not employ a stone fixer in South Africa.
Theytook me to their current home and showed me approx 100.00 sq mts of granitefloor tiling.
Whatdo you think of that client said?
Notquite sure what to say, I said it looked quite good but that we would do abetter job with no lips , on his new project.
Infront of his wife he says, I hope you will because I broke both their arms forf------ my floor up and they were thebest in Johannesburg and I will f--- you up as well if you don’t do jobright!!!
Notthe best introduction to my contract.
Wethen went off to see the site which was a very large and long single storyhouse.
Ilooked at the screed we were to lay on and you could see a couple of inchesunder a straight edges in places.!! It was appalling and corridors which weremeant to be 1200mm wide varied by up to 100mm and we meant to be laying stonewith cabachons right through middle and this was going to look very bad.
Notso good so far, but had a very nice house with pool, cook ,driver/handyman atour disposal.
Virtuallynew car and we all had club class seats out and back to uk.
Wentto meet Paul coming from oz next day and he sailed through customs probably onaccount that he brought his b----y surf board with him!! And didn’t look likehe was going to do any type of work at all.
Mytwo from uknot so lucky. They had the hand tools and were promptly arrested . First Iknew of this was when I saw them point me out to customs from other side ofglass and they arrested me as well.
NaivelyI said client had told me he had sorted visas out and simply mention his nameon arrival if there was a problem. He had not sorted anything out and manyhours later he rescued us from being sent home before we had started , quitehow I can only imagine!
Sowere all in and ready to go, just the stone to supposedly come tomorrow.
Nextday arrives with news that stone is still in the Atlanticsomewhere and not due for ten days.
Ohdear, but never mind because I have put a clause in my quote stating that ifsite not ready client will need to pay a day rate whilst we wait.
Diggersgot his surf board and hes off to the coast he thinks.
Ihowever think this would be good opportunity to get site properly prepared so Ioffer our services to rescreed the whole 1100 sq mts and sort out the localbuilders getting bathrooms ready and walls plumb and straight. Client was topay us anyway for downtime so this would please him I think and perhaps hemight give me the remaining 17% of 25 % deposit promised before I left the uk.
Well he was pleased that we were working forhim but no he didn’t have the rest of deposit available now.
Iam getting worried now but what can I do.
Wedo all the prep work and he pays rest of deposit in Rand instead of Dollarsagreed, so we decide to take a trip upto Sun City for weekend.
Thishas been quite a stressful start to job so be good to let off some steam.
Allgoes well and we go in to casino I hand out some cash from recently receiveddeposit.
Afew minutes later there is a commotion at one of the tables that one of guysare at and he is being questioned by security. I go over and get arrested forhanding my employee forged notes. I get hauled off upstairs and explain myclient has given me notes and give his details.
Backwe go to Pretoriaand I think I should check out the flight availability in case we need to getout fast.
Alltickets have been blocked by wife of client who owns travel ageny that issuedtickets for us. So we cant even get out.
NowI am really worried and we haven’t even started tiling.
Iam summoned to a meeting in his boardroom next day with wife, three different contractors on job and architect.
Ihave already put my invoice in for all the days downtime due ,and client hascalled meeting to inform me that I do not invoice him for work but must invoiceeach contractor for the works I did on their behalf and they pay me not him!!!
Thiswas not what was agreed or set in my quote but then nothing in my quote seemsto be adhered to.
Istate this and then add about the tickets being cancelled and being arrestedfor forged notes.
Ithen hear the words from first day. Right Ive had enough of you Johnny Clarke,coming over here to my country and telling us we have done so many things wrongin the site preparation, Im going to F--- you up here right now!!
Hestarts to get up and the all the others jump in the lift and leave me to myfate.
Hegoes for the safe , the same safe he had opened only few days before to show mehis guns boasting of how many blacks he had killed when he was a copper in hisyouth.
Iam s------g myself . He is in such a rage he cant get safe open . I don’t thinkhe can be mad enough to shoot me but I think he might point gun at me. Havingseen him knock one of the builders off the roof with a breeze block and dropkick another who had displeased him when they let one of his peacocks **** on apiece of stone, I decided best policy was to stay sitting down and see what wasgoing to happen. This man was very large.
will post what happened next if anyone interested
