Cat amongst the pigeons?

[Agile]

I was called yesterday by someone with a Worcester HiFlo 400.

He called someone else this morning who came and spent an hour to tell him the APS was at fault but he had no spare. He charged £110 plus VAT.

He called me to ask if I had one. I said that I doubted it was the APS at fault so I would have to diagnose the fault properly.

I quickly found the fan was seized. Three year old boiler and the fan had already been replaced after two years. I lubed the fan and left it working.

Now the controversial part! I suggested that as a failed fan is a very basic fault and so easy to diagnose. As I had found it within 10 minutes then he might wish to complain that the previous engineer was incompetent and ask for the payment to be returned.

What do consumers and engineers that about that?

Tony

 

[namsag]

Agree basic should have seen fan stuck . i never take any money till repair done and on odd occasion i have not got a scooby no matter how long i have spent on it i never charge

 

[scatmanjohn]

As I had found it within 10 minutes

10 mins ....blimey...what were you doing for the first 9 mins.

 

[doitall]

As I had found it within 10 minutes

10 mins ....blimey...what were you doing for the first 9 mins.

Took him 3hrs to get there and another hour to park what is it now a quid for 10mins.

Did the geezer pay the dosh Tony

 

[namsag]

Dont be daft DIA he went to job on the bus.

 

[doitall]

Dont be daft DIA he went to job on the bus.

From Crickelwood, a tube outa Willesdon Green would be the best other than shankes pony

Mind you knowing Tony he knocked the door around 22:00Hrs

 

[heatingman]

Agree basic should have seen fan stuck . i never take any money till repair done and on odd occasion i have not got a scooby no matter how long i have spent on it i never charge

Same policy here, which makes me a bit picky what I go and look at. Customer should ask for refund, but if they already have the money their probaly stuffed. They sound unscrupulous by taking money for failed/non repair. Tell customer a bit of bad publicity might make him feel better.
Was he OK for paying you, hope you didn't go all soppy and let him of a chunk.

 

[Crystal]

I can't help with your problem, but is "pidgeons" pidgin english for pigeons ?

 

[corgiman]

wouldnt it be great to get paid for getting it wrong

if I could (in good conscience) I would loaded

Lmao

 

[namsag]

Its amazing how many people pay for non fixes and think nothing of it , F ing mental in moi opinion

 

[ollski]

Surely he gets his money back, if he paid to get a fault repaired and it isn't?
I went to a worcester 280 today which had the gas valve, expansion vessel, overheat stat and god knows what else replaced to fix a lockout problem. Total cost of around 700 quid. Don't know if any of it needed fixing but one thermistor later and its fine.....well after throttling the max gas pressure back by 4mb

 

[Agile]

On a Sunday its a 25 minute easy car ride and parking is easy and free.

To be more correct the customer paid because he had been told the fault was the APS but the engineer (?) did not have one with him (?).

I discovered the fault was not correctly diagnosed! If it was correctly diagnosed then I would be happy for the customer to have paid. As it was not then I think he is entitled to a refund.

It took me 9 minutes to take off the control panel, test the APS, remove the EXV and then the combustion cover!

I then removed the fan and lubed it then reassembled it and tested. Time on site about 55 min.

I gave him an invoice for £94 as its Sunday but I now note he wrote out a cheque for £105!

Amusingly, customer lived at 82 and I have friends at 68 and 64 but he did not know either of them!

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

If I charged people for not fixing things I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

)

 

[doitall]

If I charged people for not fixing things I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

)

Perhaps thats the cure Chris reverse phlegmatic's

 

[JohnD]

Tell your customer I'd be willing to not fix his boiler for only £50.