Carpetfitters

Yesterday I witnessed something I believe to be very bad business practice.Customer orders carpet. Firm takes deposit and fits carpet.

Nothing in writing but as the fitter is getting ready to leave he requests full immediate payment of the balance . not today or tomorrow but immediately.

All that`s done is angered the customer and their representative.There are other issues but that`s not important right now.
If payment terms were agreed beforehand then fair enough but they were not.

In my experience most folk expect an invoice in the post a few days later then pay a few days later or leave invoice oin site and pay within seven days I rate these as GOOD PAYERS.

Anyone other opinions as to normal practice?

I actually consider with 28 days to be normal for supply & install but just wonder what others expect as local custom & practice?

Cash on completion is hardly rare.

None of the carpet sheds will deliver and fit unless full payment is made before delivery.

Add in that when goods are in a customers property, and the customer decides they don't like the colour / made a mistake, then getting money is near impossible without court action.

Sorry, but I do think your post is trivial and pointless, more so for being in the "Electrics" section

who is this bloke.

i always take payment on completion of work.
payment by cheque has a extra 2% transax charge.
anything over seven days will have interest added daily.

when was the last time TESCO let you take a basket of shopping home without paying?

Your customer is lucky, nothing leaves our warehouse unless payment is made in full

business`s not following this rule spend too much time chasing customers who "forget" to pay

lymmranger said:

business`s not following this rule spend too much time chasing customers who "forget" to pay

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don't know about forget just ignorant.

ebee is right in one aspect: nothing in writing about the terms of payment caused the aggravation.
If the client had known he/she was expected to pay the remainder at the end of the day when the job was finished, all would have been fine.

I agree with Ebee too. I think it's only fair to wait for a written bill to come in. Besides, what if the carpet looks all wrinkled after a couple of days?

Stivino said:

I agree with Ebee too. I think it's only fair to wait for a written bill to come in. Besides, what if the carpet looks all wrinkled after a couple of days?

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don't matter if you pay before, after, on fiiting you still have a guarentee.

if you want to pay later pay on your flexable friend don't expect everyone else to wait for their money.
you can't afford it then don't have it.

You might have a guarantee but it's not unusual to find that once they've got the money, they don't want to know.

Stivino said:

You might have a guarantee but it's not unusual to find that once they've got the money, they don't want to know.

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they can try an avoid it but the end of the day you have your rights and the balls in your court.

you need my missus on the phone she'll get them round the nextday
once she starts.

If you havent paid them then why should they come back to you to rectify any issues, payment upon completion should be expected, as stated, mr tesco wont let you take the food home, and try it, and then if the oranges arn't orangy enough expect you to 'forget' to pay. Why do people expect tradespeople to wait to be paid. You work in an office you wont go without payment until the boss knows all your work is correct, you get paid at the end of each week/month regardless. Cant see the point in this post.

Employed people don`t get paid the end of the week its the week after.

The reason for my post.

I wanted to see if there are variations by region or age relating to traditional custom and practice.

As regarding supply & install of goods/services - Around here it has always been :-
job gets done then invoice gets sent (or left with customer) and invoice gets paid either within 28 days or 14 or 7 are the normal terms.
Most people pay well within the terms (OK some don`t and need chasing up but that`s unusual). If people want paying on completion then that`s not a problem providing that it is made clear from the outset. If it is not made clear then "normal" terms are assumed.

In this particular case the person asked on day one if the carpet would be fitted whilst the owner was away and other works was completed which should be between day 9 & day 14. The reply was "No Problem" and the customer was sent away with a few samples to decide upon.
Day 2 customer rings shop to confirm choice and saleman turns up to measure up and discuss options and various all in prices - timing is again metioned and the reply is "No problem".
Day 3 customer rings shop to confirm choice pays a deposit and is again told "No Problem" ref timescale.
Day 10 customer rings shop to say job has run over timescale but will be clear at noon on day 11 is fitting before day 14 still possible?
Shop says will ring back but does not.
Day 11 customer rings back to enquire again and is told fitters earliest is day 15 customer accepts that and arranges to keep away until day 16.
A few hours later shop rings back - we do not have the carpet it is at the makers and is cut to size (so this "No problem" is not really true is it? and never was) shop buts blame on customer by saying orders go out on day 2 and your deposit not made until day 3. (Delivery to shop between 1 to 4 days of order) "oh don`t they do it every week then?" "Not always, sometimes its every 2 weeks" "Then why was I always told no problem rather than we will do our best but can not be 100% sure?" "Oh all we can say is sorry, end of".
By now the customer is miffed because the "No problem" should have been "We will tery to" .
Day 17 shop says "Can do day 18".
OK day 18 carpet gets fitted - part of the agreement with the salesman was a mat well would be made up to floor level by putting a piece of plywood in then carpet would run over a flat floor - carpet fitter had no wood and no such instructions, he made it level with some of the existing underlay but it was not that successfull .
The job was finished about midday and the customer had intended to get the owner to the building society that afternoon and take it to the shop that afternoon if possible or on day 19 at the latest.
That is the only point at which the customer received any paperwork and a request for payment now, not later today or tomorrow but now. He paid the carpet fitter his fee cash instantly because he was happy with the fitter himself but is annoyed at the firm for suddenly springing payment terms on him as carpet was laid and never before verbal or written.
The firm made comments about "You don`t go to Tescos and pay later that day or the day after".

Well I don`t think that firm is any good and I would not use them.

I know for a fact that most other similar businesses would have also
1/ Cleared the room themselves (At least the heavy items like suite & TV etc).
2/ Lifted old carpet , but may/maynot have removed it from site.
3/ Sent bill and expected payment within a reasonable period.

Case in point - My Mum & Dad recently had two carpets fitted - they came measured up, moved furniture,lifted old carpets and placed outside, fitted new carpets, even planed doors to fit and a week later I phoned them and asked for the bill as I was taking my Mum to the bank and wanted to get a cheque for them, they had not even done the bill yet but it was ready by the time I took the cheque in and the gave a ittle discount for a cash sale even though it was a cheque. That is a professional service and is the norm around here


The tale was told to a few neighbours and a few tradesmen.
Each and every one of them was disgusted and advised in future use a "Proper Firm"

I am sorry but you are mixing up several issues here...
1/ 99% of carpet fitters are self employed - confirmed by the fitter being paid seperately - the fitter is only really interested in his fee.
2/ the fitter would expect extra for moving furniture
3/ the fitter would expect extra for removing old carpet
4/ the fitter would expect extra for "boarding out" the floor
5/ fitters hate moving electricals - they have a habbit of not working when re-installed and customers regularly try the old "it worked before you touched it" scam
6/ fitters fit flooring they dont shave doors - joiners do that (at a cost)

Regarding the carpet - yes sometimes suppliers are out of stock, I agree that the shop should have kept you informed
good businesses have a full fitting diary for up to 10 days in advance - in this case you expected the shop to rearrange its diary to suit you - not always possible!

You clearly live in a very honest area - what planet is it on?
I WILL NOT trade like that - I spend enough time on "moneyclaim online" as it is!!!
....pay in full or no flooring is our motto - especially on special order items

1/ 99% of carpet fitters are self employed - confirmed by the fitter being paid seperately - the fitter is only really interested in his fee

Which only became apparent once he fitted the carpet not before.

There was no issue with the carpet fitter himself, nice bloke and he got paid cash immediately and thanked for a good job. I witnessed this myself

If the carpet fitter was self employed, he would have been contracted by the shop. Therefore his contract would have been with the shop and it is the shop that should have paid him.