Unsavoury customer. What would you do?

[ProDave]

So I did some work in a smelly house.  The lady owner had 2 dogs and 2 cats.  Most of the job was by the front door so I kept that open and I could just about breath.

Now I can tolerate a bit of personal discomfort once in a while. But a day or so later SWMBO is complaining of flea bites and even found a flea. Yep I had brought a load of fleas back with me from the smelly house.  Poor animals.

So cue 2 days of stripping the house, cleaning everything, spraying everything with flea spray. I just about escaped being sent to the dog house.

Now this lady has been phoning me wanting me to do more work.  Do I:

a) never answer her calls, never turn up even if I say I might, and generally P her off?

b) Tell her straight, your house stinks and is lousy with fleas. When you give me a certificate of fumigation and treatment for your animals so they don't suffer, I will consider coming back.

If b) tell her to her face or send a text?

 

[Murdoch]

C) tell her you are busy for the next 6 months

 

[Sidney]

D) Block her number.

 

[Andy™]

E: send her an invoice for flea removal

 

[revjames]

Tell her the truth. Be tactful. 

 

[Doc Hudson]

F) Advise that any additional work will now incur an additional £300 fee per day, to cover a full set of work clothes to be disposed of before you enter back into your own house to avoid any future contamination. Plus other cleaning products.

Doc H. 

 

[Tony S]

Answer B/ let her know in no uncertain terms you will not do work for her again unless the flee problem is sorted out.

To be perfectly honest I’d tell her to do one.

 

[Murdoch]

There you go Dave.. Plenty of options ...Take your choice 

 

[Blue Duck]

Having worked in many unsavoury households I can sympathise with the effort it takes to deal with flea outbreaks - my cat is also much happier now!

As for the hobgoblin, do you think they can handle the truth? 

Are they of sound mind? 

Will they kick off and give you a bad name? 

If so then tell them your busy or you have seen the light and moved back to England!

Good luck! 

 

[ProDave]

Regarding giving me a bad name.  This is an odd one. I have now done 3 CU changes in 3 adjacent houses, the second 2 word of mouth from the previous one.  I guess I am not going to get to the end of that road then if I "upset" her.

 

[Sharpend]

Explain  that due to an incident that occurred upon leaving her house you feel you are unable to return. You can’t help having an allergic reaction to her animals :C  

 

[roys]

G./ Wear a flea collar

 

[Blue Duck]

F/ Appropriate  PPE

Failing that...

:innocent

 

[sprocketflup]

Actually, Ive had a similar situation. I know I'm a monkee but am remarkably flea free ( contrary to Canoeboy's protestations) however cat fleas love the taste of my ankles, and I know by the time Ive done for the day if there were cat fleas in a property, and itch like mad for days afterward.

I use the £10 cans of flea spray from Pets At home etc and spray the daylights out of my soft furnishings/van etc, but then I if have to go back, spray my socks with the stuff ( it says on the can not to do that but hey) which has worked for me in the past.

The other option so ive been told is to buy a couple of cat flea collars and wear them as ankle bracelets/ASBO tags. Said to work very well

 

[Evans Electric]

We often get these dilemmas ....I had this one  a few years ago ....."Would you like a cuppa tea  Sparks ?"      Back of a shop .  

 

[apprentice87]

I would just say that you are allergic to cats, but you thought you would be ok, but after you went home you had a terrible rash etc, so you cannot do any more work there..

Does not upset anyone then.. You cannot help allergies..

john..

 

[ProDave]

I like that idea. I'll just say I am allergic to "something" in your house and came up in a rash. No need to mention the F word.

Re the state of the kitchen sink.  I did a job in a house like that (no fleas, just filthy) I didn't even want to use the loo for a pee, I crossed my legs.  I then found the guy was a nurse at the big hospital in Inverness. I just hoped his personal hygiene at work was a lot better than at home.

 

[davidbrac]

yep l too would go with the allergic excuse, defiantly would not revisit.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yep !  Go down the allergic road .