Advice / thoughts please

[charlie1]

Will try to keep this as short as possible....

Had a very heated discussion with a customer the other day regarding their toilet I tiled 2 weeks ago for local bathroom company. Job was only 9 m2; large format porcs walls half way and floor. When I finished, tidied and all hovered up, I asked customer to have a look and check they where satisfied as most of us usually do, she pointed out a small piece of Silicon i had missed so i quickly apologised and fixed,...she was then happy (as she was during installation)!

Yesterday i get a call from bathroom company owner regarding a snaging list at same address....

I turn up and the other tiler from same company is pointing out what the snags where (he was doing main bathroom at same property)..snags: one tiny hole in grout (2mmm), chrome trim scratched, (you can only really take my word for it but it was tiny) there main issue was though... where I finished the tiles half height there was a gap ranging from 3mm to 8mm between wall and tile, I finished this with decorators caulk and looked ok, the wall was slightly bowed hence reason for 8mm adhesive in middle of wall. I don’t really know any way around this unless you bend tiles to suit but the you have other problems, last issue was the floor was too high, I really have no idea how to fix this unless you don’t ply it but I’m just the tiler on this one, this was all prepped by company.
Anyway, I’m working through the list when the customer turns up (I must point out, they where both very nice UP UNTILL NOW)...

Me: he there, can you just show me the problems as better than working from list..

Him: (Very Angrily) ....how about you just rip the whole lot back off, it’s all a mess

Me: eh???????

Him: look at the gap between wall and tile

Me: yes reason......(interrupted)

Him: come through here to kitchen

...Starts comparing his 10 x 10 tiles on kitchen tiles, i tried to explain the difference but uninterested...he went off on a real rant but he said something very interesting, he started mentioning bs standards of how flat a wall should be a over a 6ft edge!!....the tyrade went on.....for a good 5 mins but I managed to calm the him / her down as they were being totally unreasonable, they were not interested in me fixing the small issues (extremely small) , they just wanted me out there house. I explained I just want to try and fix, so managed to calm them down, fixed small errors again, they were happy again when I left, 3 of us laughing about it in the end but something tells me this is not the end of this....???
It raises questions.

1, what makes customers happy with job one day and then furious to extent they don’t even want you in their house the next?
2, where do customers acquire information on bs standards?
3, what makes a customer suddenly become (hyper critical) with your work when they have been happy throughout and at the end of the job?

your thoughts on this are very much appreciated, never seen a change in a customer in my life!!

 

[Ajax123]

Have you been paid?

 

[Bubblecraft]

Generally this attitude is down to the final payment. Have you been paid?

 

[charlie1]

final payment is made by company once whole work is finished, other tiler still working upstairs, he should be finished by now.

 

[charlie1]

Generally this attitude is down to the final payment. Have you been paid?

Hi bubblecraft, I don't think this is down to a payment issue, one day he called boss to question thy there was a bead of caulk running along the tile trim (that was all) the day after he's wanting the whole lot ripped out....bear in mind, they have been happy with it for 2 weeks now! Something has happened within 1 day.....??

 

[kilty55]

hi charlie,imo mate you have aproached it in the right way you have said you will rectify the bits and peices highlighted.

i am coming across more and more customers atm who are unreasonable/speak to you like they own you and generally behave in very strange ways indeed who knows what makes them tick......its generally money imo

the wall issue with dado height tiling i have come across before where i have had to advise companies to ensure wall is flat 1st other wise once your tiling is on and flat the wall above shows up its true shape and it doesnt look good,trying to get people to understand these things sometimes is more difficult than you would think lol

wouldnt worry too much about it

 

[Andy Allen]

sounds to me that the other tiler has stuck the boot in, do you know him well? is he a mate?....some people are just like that, cant help picking holes in others work, and could be where the client got the bs standers from, if you not reponsable for the prep then floor hight issues should have been discussed with the client by the b/r company...

i would just do the snagging, bid them good day, get paid, move on.....even though it may mean bitting your tongue.....some days i go home with a hole in mine...lol

 

[Perry]

yes it sounds like the information has come from a tiler its easy to pick faults with someone elses work as you cant see whats behind the tiles

 

[Brian the Tile]

if you are sure your work is spot on and you are happy with it well stick to your guns then wait and see if the other tiler also gets shot down in flames,then you have to put it down to cowboy customer that doesnt want to pay up,make sure you get paid like i say stick to your guns and take it all the way,good luck

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Other tiler. Definitely.