Customers expectations

[hammers4spanner]

When you lot do bathrooms and it comes to the last fiddly bits.
Do you find the customer expectations are in dreamland ?
I always find that they go over absolutely everything and nit pick over tiniest of bits.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Depends how much they spent eg normally find the 8-10k ones do

But the ones for 4K and under I find there easily pleased but you might get the odd one or two faults

 

[Scott_D]

What are the issues?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Not real issues it' just things they do .
Full on analyse the tiling the silicone finish . Any tiny blemish it's a point with what can you do with that.
The annoying thing I find is that I'm not doing high end bathrooms. Most are 3 k ish

 

[Old Account]

When you lot do bathrooms and it comes to the last fiddly bits.
Do you find the customer expectations are in dreamland ?
I always find that they go over absolutely everything and nit pick over tiniest of bits.

Let me tell you something, it is not just bathrooms, it is literally every single job from small to big refurbishments. The last two big jobs I have same thing. Asking for things which weren’t discussed. They do not see the things you do for free, how much effort you put in. People getting funny because they know you have something to loose which is your reputation. If they know you take care of your company they have you right on the b.... they make you do more for no additional money, they are cheeky and cocky because they know you cannot do this otherwise bad reviews will follow. I could write a book about rough customers.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I bring the customer in at various stages to take a peak. I would rather do that then end up with a list once everything is finished. In the middle of one now.

 

[Best]

Ironically it is sometimes the customer who has had trouble with previous plumbers work, who then decide to watch over your work and interfere.
The strange thing with folk is, if you do a perfect job except leave a few very obvious faults - say the bath panel hanging off and basin not level, then the customer will only complain about those faults and not nit pick on fine detail. It is something about human nature, - we generally like to check, then complain and then see a resolution to our demands, to finally become content with what we ordered. So if you leave an obvious 'fault', the customer will only focus on that and ignore the rest of your work.

 

[king of pipes]

Be a lair if i said it has never happed to me but i have high standards a would not leave obvious faults but hey not perfect . kop

 

[hammers4spanner]

For God sakes some people.
Had an email today from the customer can you remove sticky stuff from basin.
Couldn't think what she was in about so it turns out it's the bead u put across back of basin to the wall.
Wants it removed lol

 

[Welder]

FWIW, I used to get this all the time. In the end I set up a contract and issued it to every job over £300. In it it specified that if it wasn't detailed on the quote then it DID NOT get done. I explained that it was to protect them and to manage their expectations.

The contract also contained really onerous clauses re non payment too. Basically it said if there was no good reason for non payment I could kick the door down and take goods to the value of my debt and had only to make it secure afterwards. The thing was, that those clauses were only of interest to those who would try to rip you off.

Probably illegal, but in all the jobs I had only three people questioned it. I turned those jobs down.

By detailing what you do, you can always refer to the contract. In addition I always put in a paragraph which said if there is ANYTHING you either do not understand, are not completely sure of or have any concern about THEN SEEK CLARIFICATION before agreeing or signing. Oh it also said you can't cancel with out penalty.

Point is, using it you'll soon find out who the robbing swines are. Then you can decide to walk away unscathed. When produced in court, the court stays on your side as you've tried to do what you can BEFORE the event.

Happy to share if it would help.

 

[Scott_D]

The silicon???

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yep the silicone

 

[Scott_D]

Have you been paid?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Not been paid as yet , done some work for her before and she' fine but one of those nuisance customers