Thick customers

[M107]

Ever done work for one & you just know they are going to be a pain in the ar5e for ever more.

Had a call (from one I did work for last year) Wednesday last week, think along the lines of neighbours from hell for this customer (not the brightest or most work orientaited family by any stretch of the imagination).

"the kids have knocked the heating control thing off the wall, I'm in for the next 2 hours can you call round & fix it"

(the kids are ferral just think of your worst nightmare child & mutiply by 4 of them)

Errr no I'm busy on a job, the earliest I can get to you is Saturday, but it will be 08:30 on my way to another job.

(as I'm saying it I'm mentaly giving myself the mother of all kickings)

"Oh cant you drop in tonight, I'll be home by 19:00 so anytime after that will be ok."

No when I end the working day at 17:00 it is then my family & doing my own diy work at home time.

"ok saturday morning then"

So I go there saturday for 08:25, knock the door............................no answer, knock again...................still no answer, all curtains are shut so I give it until 08:40 & knock again............same result no answer.

I think f*** it why am I putting myself out for muppetts like this & I never did get the

 

[ProDave]

Time to stop being nice with them.

Just tell them you TRIED to come at the arranged time, and they were "not in" (probably still in bed) and tell them you are not wasting any more time on "no show" jobs and they will have to get someone else.

they will probably tell all their friends how "unreliable" you are, but that's probably another shower of people you don't want to work for, so that's a bonus.

I had one the same, a Polish woman who spoke hardly any English. I made an appointment and she wasn't there. I waited half an hour and nobody turned up. I've simply told her I'm not coming again and to get someone else.

When you get to the point of dreading going to a job, it's time to say no. you have to remember, being self employed gives you the liberty to refuse jobs without having to justify your reasoning for doing so to anybody.

 

[m4tty]

Tell em to jog on ffs

 

[Megaohm7]

They would have probably had the wheels off your van while you was inside trying to sort out their heating anyway!!!

 

[apprentice87]

Hi There,

If these people are a load of muppets as you say, i doubt very much whether they actually own the house. Make sure when you do work for these sorts, that you do not get [once the job is finished and you ask for payment] "Well, it is not my house, you will have to get the landlord to pay you"

My mother had a washing machine repair bloke turn up once. First thing he said to her was; "have you got the money" and wanted to see it before he started work

She said to him "I take it you have been caught a few times" He said that yes he had, LOADS of times, so now he always asks to see the money first THEN does the repair.

I would not have the bottle to do this!! but, then again, i would get caught all the time instead...

john....

 

[Evans Electric]

There was a guy last year on the phone giving me all these different times he could be availiable , wanted a quote for a twopenny -halfpenny job I could do while I was there . Its like you have no life of your own as you are expected to fit in with his busy schedule.

I just told him I was far too busy .

 

[Andy™]

got a call from an annoying customer on monday saying the doorbell is broke. so i said i would call round friday morn about 10. gets there, no answer, phones her, still no answer. so leave

much later (5pm) missed call from her and she left answer phone message, i dont think she quite understands what an answer phone message does... i.e you say a message, i listen to it later. she's talking away saying 'hello... hello... andy?.... can you hear me.... are you there....'. this lasted about a minute

Canoe - i know what you mean about the supply & demand - had similar a few times in the past with people wanting someone for nothing. even got one who asked for a price & availability of a part, then wanted it fitted to the vehicle for nothing extra

 

[ProDave]

got a call from an annoying customer on monday saying the doorbell is broke. so i said i would call round friday morn about 10. gets there' date='[b'] no answer,

I'm not surprised, the doorbell is broken :coat

 

[Andy™]

I'm not surprised, the doorbell is broken :coat

i knew there was something i was supposed to remember about that job

 

[PC Electrics]

When you get to an appointment and no-one answers the door (and especially if you know they are in but in bed) put a business card through the door. They will know full well you visited.

 

[steptoe]

and write the time on it.

thats what I do, and if its for a landlord I take a picture of the front door/house that is date/time stamped and forward it along with my invoice for a call out.

 

[Andy™]

When you get to an appointment and no-one answers the door (and especially if you know they are in but in bed) put a business card through the door. They will know full well you visited.

i do on most occasions, although when asked about it later i said i put a card through and they then remembered that they did see a card and threw it in the bin with the other junk mail...

 

[a1]

Or get some nice ones specifically printed up...

Sorry we missed you while you were snoozing in noddyland...