I've been working on a complete bathroom install recently. It was a bit of a different design than what i'm usually asked to quote for. A quirky little cottage just outside Peterborough. If anyone's seen my facebook page, you'll proberbly have seen the "traditional" bathroom i've done recently.
Anyway, old building means old plumbing so the job had a few issues and i ran over by a little bit from the estimate. All's fine though and customers exstatically happy seeing the bathroom come together. However, they're due to fly out to Mexico a few days after my estimated completion date. So i put some late evenings in and work a full weekend to catch up. There were no issues with me working in there whilst they were away, but i really wanted them to see it complete at least before they went.
They flew out to Mexico this morning. I managed to get finished by late Monday night. So last night i went out with my eldest (5 year old) after the school run to collect the last of my tools. Customer welcomes me in and is as enthusiastic, excitable and hospitable as he's allways been. With a big smile he points to his kitchen table. "A little something for you and the misses to say thank you for all your hard work", followed by "and to make the peace with your better half for you putting so many hours in"
On the table was a bottle of wine, a packet of fruit shorties (long story, but customer gave me these daily, and we agreed they tasted very similar to the biscuits in the ration packs HM Forces issue. These were the only edable item in them!), Also, a bunch of flowers for the better half and a really nice thank you card with a message instructing me to take the misses out for a meal and £40!
Dare i say it, it made me feel a little emotional. But, after all the hassle we all endure in our trade daily to please our customers it reassures me that there are people still out there that notice the efforts we put in. And that don't just want you to do a perfect job, cheap as chips and as quick as possible.
99.99% i leave my customers happy as larry. But to recieve acknowledgement on top of the pay i was expecting, and to this extent really made me smile!
Anyway, old building means old plumbing so the job had a few issues and i ran over by a little bit from the estimate. All's fine though and customers exstatically happy seeing the bathroom come together. However, they're due to fly out to Mexico a few days after my estimated completion date. So i put some late evenings in and work a full weekend to catch up. There were no issues with me working in there whilst they were away, but i really wanted them to see it complete at least before they went.
They flew out to Mexico this morning. I managed to get finished by late Monday night. So last night i went out with my eldest (5 year old) after the school run to collect the last of my tools. Customer welcomes me in and is as enthusiastic, excitable and hospitable as he's allways been. With a big smile he points to his kitchen table. "A little something for you and the misses to say thank you for all your hard work", followed by "and to make the peace with your better half for you putting so many hours in"
On the table was a bottle of wine, a packet of fruit shorties (long story, but customer gave me these daily, and we agreed they tasted very similar to the biscuits in the ration packs HM Forces issue. These were the only edable item in them!), Also, a bunch of flowers for the better half and a really nice thank you card with a message instructing me to take the misses out for a meal and £40!
Dare i say it, it made me feel a little emotional. But, after all the hassle we all endure in our trade daily to please our customers it reassures me that there are people still out there that notice the efforts we put in. And that don't just want you to do a perfect job, cheap as chips and as quick as possible.
99.99% i leave my customers happy as larry. But to recieve acknowledgement on top of the pay i was expecting, and to this extent really made me smile!
