Customers From Hell

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31 Aug 2011
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Location
Hertfordshire
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Female customer, ordered everything she wanted, squeezed every last penny out of us on prices.

A week later phoned to say we sold her the wrong sink, she wanted undermounted not inset but actually the sink can be fitted either way. Had this confirmed by manufacturer, she still ranting and threatened to go to the police!

Turns out, she had planned her kitchen and miscalculated her worktop dimensions :LOL:

Next day, back on phone again, the cooker hood that she had signed for 7 days ago as in perfect condition mysteriously became damaged, nothing to do with her fitters of course ;)

demanded a new one the next day or would go to the police again. Oh the pleasure I experienced writing the email informing her of our terms & conditions and that all damages to be reported within 48 hours of delivery :mrgreen:

Last I heard, she was off to the police station again, once she had stopped crying,

good luck!!!
 
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Crikey, 48hrs isn't a long time for anyone to examine everything that comes. I've fitted kitchens that have taken a week of good hard graft. Quite literally opening the last few boxes on the last few days. Even Magnet give you 7 days from delivery to check everything is in order (not that their designers can actually order everything on the plan though) ;) ;) ;) ;)
 
And no way am i standing on the doorstep checking and signing for a complete kitchen signed unchecked like it or take it back. :rolleyes:
 
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We had a customer once who was absolute nuts, she threatened to call the police after accusing us of stealing her cat! I still ask myself why we kept going back, she moved at least 6 times and each time we would install her a new heating system and bathroom. Every time it was the same, she would go nuts over the smallest incident.
On one occasion she accused us of fitting a heating system that did not work, when it was pointed out it was the room stat set to low she started hitting it with her stick until it was broke.
On another occasion she asked us to tile her bathroom complete with her own tiles, when I asked for the tiles she went to the kitchen draw, found about 3 and accused the decorator of stealing the rest.

I could write a book on her alone not to mention the rest of them.
 
Dodgy customer website is a great idea.. Here is my entry then!!

Avoid a DHM in cleadon, if he is still with us.. Absolute tawt that has you running around for him then at last minute when work is done he sheets on your head!!

To be fair I have only had that one bad customer in last 7yrs of being self employed, had a few slow payers tho. I generally get a signed agreement if works are over a grand now.

Hope I have not said anything illegal here!
 
You effectuvely need a signed order for everything, now, due to the DSR.
 
Its about time someone starts a website called trust a customer, why are we the only people whoi get treated like S**te, and knocked for payment.

Having been in the trade for over 30yrs I have had my fair share of non payment or awkward customers and my wife has wanted to set up a website called Rogue Customers for years. The subject pops up about once a year but we don't do anything about it because there may be legal issues related to Data Protection, but we wish there was such a website.
 
nigel gray had one.
The man from w sussex who built a porch & conservatory for a non paying customer and then got permission from a court to pull it down
when payment wasn't received.
 
I know this is an old thread but thought I would share this with you anyway.
Many years ago I was a domestic appliance engineer working for an independent company. I got sent to a house to repair a a Philips tumble dryer that wasn't working. I knocked on the door and a middle aged lady opened the door and her first words were "Who are you?" I replied I am Solyom and from ABC services to repair your TD. "Good" she replied "I thought you might have been from Philips and I don't want those idiots here!"
Ding Ding Ding went the alarm bells in my head!
She took me upstairs to the bathroom where the TD was and I looked at it and found a cut out was faulty. I explained I didn't have one with me and would have to order it. She replied "The man from Philips didn't have one either, how long will it take you to get one?" I told her that if Philips didn't have them in stock I couldn't answer but would call her the next day after I had phoned Philips with the answer.
As it turned out Philips had them in stock in Croydon and I was going there the next day and picked one up.
I called her and said that I would be there the next day. I duly turned up, fitted the cut out, turned on the dryer and.......nothing. No power. I tested and there was no supply to the machine, I tried the light switch, nothing. As it was dusk I looked out and all the street light were off. It was a power cut.
I went downstairs and told her that there was a power cut but I had tested the machine with my multi meter and all was good.
She SCREAMED at me, you've blown up all the power in my house! I replied " no madam there is a power cut, please check with your neighbor." She went next door, came back and screamed at me, you've blown up next door as well. Get out of my house. By now I had had enough so asked her to pay her bill and I would leave. She then told me she would call the police. I asked why and she said she would tell the police i was a burglar. I said this would be difficult for her as my company has records of her booking the appointment, I have headed stationery and a company van outside. She ran upstairs, threw my toolbox down the stairs, ran back up and disappeared leaving me standing there. When she re appeared she told me she had called the police and I had better get away or would be going to jail. No bloody way was I running!
I waited by the front door and was looking out the window when I saw two bobbies hats just above the privet hedge, the police were trying to sneak up but had obviously forgotten to allow for the height of their hats!
They arrived at the front door and I called the woman saying the police were there. They rang the bell and as I went to open the front door she slammed it shut again. The police were pushing the door, I was pulling it, she was shoving it shut and screaming go away.
Eventually we got the door open. The woman was shouting "Arrest him, he's a burglar!" The police, 1 middle aged sergeant and a very young bobby just stood there looking at me. I replied " I'm not a burglar, I'm an engineer who has just fixed her TD and she doesn't want to pay plus she is loony"
The sergeant asked for ID so I showed him the invoice, pointed to the van and told him the TD was upstairs.
With that the lights came back on. Not being a fool the sergeant sent the bobby upstairs with the Mad Hatter to look at the TD. When they came down the bobby said the machine was working, the sergeant told her to pay me and we all left laughing at the situation.

Another very short story.
Got called to a washing machine.
A wire had come loose, told client would fix it for a tenner to cover fuel and time.
She told me she had already had a quote for a fiver and would I do it cheaper.
I told her.........
 
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