Its people like this that are exactly the reason why I dont do ANY private work, I do all my sub cintract work monday to friday and the occasional saturday. I probably get about 5 or 6 phone calls a month asking for private jobs, ranging from servicing to full heat installs but I flat refuse anything.
I reckon I could easily do another 8k to 10k per year with this work I turn down, but its just not worth the hassle to me.
If there is one thing I've learnt doing this job its that PEOPLE ARE ARSE HOLES, and when it comes to parting with money or getting something for free then some people will do anything and sink to unbelievale lows.
My manager called me the other day saying I had a recall against a service I had done, and fair enough it happens. I went back as if I didnt I wouldnt be paid for the job at all and I though as it was working the day before then if its not working now I'd probably only left a stat turned down or something daft like that.
Anyway, I get there and the boilers working fine. I spoke to the customer and he said "no its not, since your serviced it yesterday the hot water is coming on with the heating"
anyway I had a look and fair enough the 3 port was passing slightly when the hot water was on and the bathroom radiator was getting slighlty warm. Anyway, I swapped the syncron motor and alls good.
Then comes the bomb shell, the bloke then tells me its been broken for months, but he's on a contract with BG whereby he pays fifty quid everytime he calls them out and then he came out with this little gem
"it was easier and cheaper to blame YOU and get it fixed for free, but here's a fiver for your trouble"
Told him to keep the fiver and told him as I was a contractor, when people do things like this, it could cost me my job. I wouldnt have minded so much but it was a 5 bed house in the decent part of birmingham. But like my dad says "you dont get the type of money some people have being honest"
I rang my manager and told him what had happened and asked for the bloke to be charged, but he said there was no point and this "complaint culture" has firm hands tied behind their backs, but he paid me for the service and paid me an hour for the repair, so I'm quid in. But it doesnt detract from the fact that the customer was a bandit