It was working Okay before!!!

[ADS]

Hi,

I've recently gone self-employed and I had a thought today about a problem

that could easily crop up.

I was wondering how many other sparks have come across this situation and

what they do, if anything, to try minimise the chance of it happening.

You got to a customers house, do the work requested, get paid - everything hunky dory then...

Next day a phone call...

"My telly / DVDplayer / Nintendo WII / Computer isn't working.......it was working fine before you rewired/fixed/tested our electrics!!"

Now you know it's nothing you've done - it's just coincidental - but what do you do???

Even worse, I suppose, is if they actually accused you of taking something (cash..whatever) because they'd simply mislaid it or put it somewhere else.

How do you other sparks deal with or avoid these situations??

Cheers

 

[Lee321]

you tell them (if you think you can diagnose the problem explained) that you can attend and if its not due to anything you have just completed then a charge will be made.

in practice it is an awkward situation

 

[NozSpark]

Generally I always make sure any expensive electronic equipment is unpugged from any circuit that I'm working on (by customer if poss!)... If I've done a PIR then I always tell them to make sure that everything is plugged back in and turned on (especially fridge / freezer) before I leave..

As for customer accusing you of taking things.. I've found gold rings that were previously lost and any money I find on the floor where I'm working I put on the nearest piece of furniture or window sill.... you never know if they've placed it there to check your honesty!

I have been accused once on taking someones drywall saw (same as mine), I knew I hadn't but had to go through the motions of looking for theirs.. In the end they found it and all they said was that they'd found it... no apology or anything!! fraking banker... (sorry admin!)

The worst I find are the people who are getting work done on a grant or "care and repair" scheme (or something like), infact anywhere they are getting it for "free" ---- had one where it was quoted to add accesories in an extension to match existing (which were plastic),, by the time I'd finished they had changed the existing to chrome and asked why I'd put plastic???

 

[ADS]

---- had one where it was quoted to add accesories in an extension to match existing (which were plastic),, by the time I'd finished they had changed the existing to chrome and asked why I'd put plastic???

I like that NozSpark - really had me chucklingROTFWL

This is the reason I asked the question - coz you come across all sorts of people in this job, and with having access to peoples homes it puts you in a dodgy situation.

 

[NozSpark]

This is why you should do a detailed quote / estimate for the job.... then you have something to refer to should you have any disagreements...

to be fair that is 1 job in 6 years!

I've also had one on a US import Winnebago on which I did a UK conversion (with 230/110 step up/down transformer).. the 12v wire wound had transformer (to charge leisure batteries) burn't out not long after I did it and customer was claiming it was my fault --- came to a compromise in the end (more in my favour than his) --- I spent hours on the blinking thing as he had no wiring diagrams or schematics and I had to get them from Winnebago.

 

[gselectrical]

Did a job on the in-laws house a few months ago. Tv stopped working shortly after I left. (all equipment was disconnected before any testing) I still got the blame even though there was a massive storm the night before and the TV was about 94 years old. Oh well! J :^O

 

[Evans Electric]

You'll never change folk, Ads. Being accused of stealing must be the worst, never had that ,touch wood.

We installed a supply to a new machine two weeks ago , SWA 4mm 3 phase/N . Tested at the machine for 415 v and left it for the engineer to commision . Because it went backwards says its our fault that a small motor had gone ponto . Sod off, we never try machines , don't know if they are ready to run or what , anyway machine won't start without computer input,they are just trying it on 'cos they forked up .

 

[kme]

You'll never change folk, Ads. Being accused of stealing is the worst, never had that ,touch wood. We installed a supply to a new machine two weeks ago , SWA 4mm 3 phase/N . Tested at the machine for 415 v and left it for the engineer to commision . Because it went backwards says its our fault. Sod off.

So you DID check phase rotation before you left? :^OROTFWL:^OROTFWL:^O

 

[Evans Electric]

With all the gearing etc, we have no idea which way the main drive has to turn, so its up to commisioning blokes.

 

[apprentice87]

Yep, i agree, if you have checked phase rotation, it is up to them to find out which way their motor is wired, so that when they connect it up, it goes the right way. None of this "experimenting" lark is needed at all.

If they were not too tight, [or stupid] they would have got a proper phase rotation meter [like my one!!] that will identify the terminal sequence on an unpowered motor so it goes the right way first time. Next time they should pay someone, [like yourself] that knows what they are doing to wire the thing in for them.

john..

 

[nsbs]

Its happened to me loads of times over the last 30 odd years, as part of my PIR contract, I have a clause that all accessories must be unplugged before the test can begin, and I will not take responsibility for damages accessories.

Never been accused of taking anything, but you will never people, if they think they can get something for nothing they will.

ian

 

[mole2006]

Walked in to an Architects once and this woman started screaming at us for switching off her machine. It took us about 10mins to convince her we had only just walked up the stairs and hadn't actually started any work headbang

Also when I was an apprentice we were rewiring council houses, myself and a second apprentice was arrested on suspicion of stealing around

 

[ProDave]

I did a CU change once.

Next day customer complained because every time she plugged her iron in, the RCD tripped. It never tripped before (well it wouldn't there was no RCD)

I told her to buy a new iron.

 

[Evans Electric]

Classic that one , Prodave, I've had that a few times myself.

 

[NozSpark]

I did a CU change once.Next day customer complained because every time she plugged her iron in, the RCD tripped. It never tripped before (well it wouldn't there was no RCD)

I told her to buy a new iron.

And that's exactly why I always explain after I've installed a RCD that they will "see" faults that would have otherwise been missed before,, and that irons, kettles and washing machines are More likely to have these kinds of faults than anything else.