# Customer complaints



## bergenbldr (Apr 23, 2005)

Over the years i have started to notice a trend in that the few customers who have complained about the quality of our work,also seemed to have an issue with the cost of the job being to high.Sort of a mindgame of look your work is no better than this hack,so you should charge me less.Just wondering if others have had a similar experience.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

If you've only had a few, I'd call that 'normal', even if it does screw with your mind. 

You do need to answer for yourself if they did, indeed, have a legitimate quality complaint. If so, then the price may well have been too high for the resultant quality. Hard to say.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

bergenbldr said:


> Over the years i have started to notice a trend in that the few customers who have complained about the quality of our work,also seemed to have an issue with the cost of the job being to high.Sort of a mindgame of look your work is no better than this hack,so you should charge me less.Just wondering if others have had a similar experience.


I only have one client who complains about price - he's a doctor in a $750K house. He loves my work but doesn't think it's worth the price I tell him. He's always gotten great deals from me - until recently. I have finally figured out a lot of my pricing, and he asked for a small table to go in his billiard room. He wanted Cherry with a decorative edge, a drawer and a turned split leg from the front of the table down to the corner of the meeting walls. The table would sit in the corner and be about 32" R circle but only 1/4 of a circle. I gave him several prices, you know with the drawer, without the leg, no drawer and leg etc. The price for everything including the finishing, delivery and installation was about $1500.00. He was expecting less than half of that. Needless to say I didn't get the job and I didn't want it at that price.

You need to ask them why they are not happy. What of the quality. Not built strong enough? The finish was sloppy? They saw the same thing at HD and it was 1/3rd the price only it wasn't the right size? When you have figured out where they _think_ you are lacking you can more firmly address the issue. If you did everything up to the standards of the contract that you supplied then you should not have these guilty feeling. If not, well.....:no: . If you didn't, then they have a right to have issues with you. You need to ask the point blank questions to get the answers, if they can't supply you with the needed answers then forget about it. If they are a huge client, and provide much work to you, then you've got to get this figured out if you want their continued business. I also find the longer you work for someone the more they think you are overcharging them. Don't know why, but this is what I have notice with my long term customers. Mostly, try to forget about the bad apples, customers are human, and humans like to gripe, especially when it comes to getting their monies worth. They just don''t realize that if you build something for them that they can buy in a store that was massed produced in China, your material costs are greater than the whole product costs. Hope you can get something from my ramble.


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## hjm (Aug 26, 2006)

I have the same issue, Dr.'s living in million dollar home complain more than any one. I've learned to charge a higher rate for them, I can make it perfect but they still find stupid crap to complain about. never fails


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

hjm said:


> I have the same issue, Dr.'s living in million dollar home complain more than any one. I've learned to charge a higher rate for them, I can make it perfect but they still find stupid crap to complain about. never fails


 
Ya, it seems to me when they are charging your insurance company $500/hr for a checkup it's one thing. But when you charge them $60/hr for a hard worked on project it just too much money. They may have gone to school for 6 or more years to do their thing, but if I stuck him in my shop I bet he couldn't make a nice piece of furniture as much as I could use a scalpel to fix a kidney. To them were just workers/laborers of the less than ubber class. They really don't think that it takes skill and learning to do what we do.


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## hjm (Aug 26, 2006)

The basement I'm doing now has a gas pipe running up the middle of the egress window, and he knows that he has to pay to have it moved, they told him $100.00 and hour to move and relocate, he was upset because he only makes $85.00 and hour, just another day in richville.


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

hjm said:


> The basement I'm doing now has a gas pipe running up the middle of the egress window, and he knows that he has to pay to have it moved, they told him $100.00 and hour to move and relocate, he was upset because he only makes $85.00 and hour, just another day in richville.



Got the nail on the head! 

The only reason that I do not buy crack is because the crack dealers "have no right making more money than me". Some people (not all) with higher educations feel that pay should somehow equate with the level of education. So I might buy crack if the dealer could show me that is he a doctor with an ivy league education.


Note to moderators: The reference to crack is not an illegal drug but rather a split in a foundation or rock formation.


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## Atricaudatus (Apr 11, 2005)

I was about to open a thread on this very issue, but this one is just what I had in mind.

I would like some feedback from my fellow tradesman on this: I did a service call for a customer whose termite guy had reported a "leak under his shower." I dispatched two guys to his home, crawled under his house, determined the source of the moisture was not his plumbintg system, but rather his tile shower pan liner had failed. I advised the customer of his problem and how to go about correcting it (contact a tile contractor.) The time actually on the job was a little less than twenty minutes. Total charge: $60.00

Today I get a message from this guy saying he felt the $60 was too high for the time it actually took us and that $40 is what he felt was "fair."

I plan to send him the following letter, but don't want to go off half-cocked. So I would like some feedback from you guys before I actually send it.

My response Mr titehieney:

"Dear Mr. XXXXXX,

I have received your telephone message expressing dissatisfaction with our charge for the service call at your residence. In response, I would like to point out the following. Our normal service charge is actually $70.00, so the $60.00 you were charged already reflected the fact that you are a valued customer and the time required to ascertain the nature of your problem. The regular $70.00 rate is in line with other licensed plumbing contractors in this part of the country, neither the lowest nor the highest.
Please understand that our service charge must necessarily include the actual over head costs associated with business. These costs include liability and worker’s compensation insurance, payroll and payroll taxes, fuel and maintenance of our trucks, licenses and training, among others. Also note that what you get for your money is a licensed professional and the training and experience that comes with it. A surgeon does not adjust his fee for performing a heart bypass based on the time you are actually on the operating table. Therefore the price you pay is not for the time it takes us, but rather the expertise we possess and the result we provide. This is a value unrelated to the hands of a clock. Would perhaps you prefer to hire a less competent tradesman for the same fee, but who would spend twice as much time to provide the same the result? 
In keeping with our long standing commitment to customer satisfaction, it has always been our policy to never expect a customer to pay more than he believes our service to be worth. Therefore, please feel free to remit the $40.00 you deemed a fair price for our expertise, and I will adjust your account to reflect “paid in full.”
Accordingly, I encourage you to find another plumbing company to meet your needs; one whose fees are more in line with your expectations.

Sincerely,"

Input? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Rhett


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Atricaudatus said:


> I was about to open a thread on this very issue, but this one is just what I had in mind.
> 
> I would like some feedback from my fellow tradesman on this: I did a service call for a customer whose termite guy had reported a "leak under his shower." I dispatched two guys to his home, crawled under his house, determined the source of the moisture was not his plumbintg system, but rather his tile shower pan liner had failed. I advised the customer of his problem and how to go about correcting it (contact a tile contractor.) The time actually on the job was a little less than twenty minutes. Total charge: $60.00
> 
> ...


 
Write the letter as follows:

Listen scumbag, You asked for the service and I provided it. We gave you a price that was lower than our standard charge. My buddy Vito is on his way to collect. He has a collection fee he will be charging you, I suggest you pay him. 

Or yours works too.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

That letter is a very tactful way to fire the customer. 

I have had people remit less than the invoiced amount for similar reasons, but I've never sent a letter. I am just "too busy" to do any more work when they call later on. I think that there's merit in your approach and mine. Might depend a little on the temperament of the customer and the general culture of your local market.


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## Sonny Lykos (Mar 11, 2006)

Atricaudatus said:


> Therefore the price you pay is not for the time it takes us, but rather the expertise we possess and the result we provide.
> Sincerely," Rhett


Rhett, somewhere,perhaps as the next sentence, you should say:

"Since you only place value on time, and not expertise, but I suggest that in the future, any problems you have, be they concerning your home, medical, or legal, that you contact our local ManPower company. Their telephone number is.......... and their "labor rate" is only $12.85 per hour which includes all payroll taxes and workers compensation coverage. They may not know much about anything, but to those whose primary value is not "professional exertise", but "time", one of them should easily meet your requirements. In addition, you'll probably have to pick him up and drop him off, but that's a cheap trade off, eh? You sure can't beat the price. Meanwhile, I implore you to take my invoice, and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. Understand that to me it's only money, not something that I equate with my integrity, nor a deity to which I pray. It's merely one of the many "tools" in life. But to you, it's MONEY - therefore, to you, it is life itself."


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

I would not be as polite, and I promise I would fire the customer as well....the only change would be that i would tell him if he thought the billed rate was unfair, just toss it....then he will feel better and I will know better.

Last year, we demolished a house to make way for a new office building. I had a line on the lot, let my customer know about it, and since we would get to construct the new building, he got good rates for the demo and subsequent prep on the site. 

A month ago, the weeds were getting high and the customer told me he never had time to get in and mow the lots....so here I am..it is my customer, as a favor, I go and mow the lots to keep him from getting a citation from the city. Some kids pulled bricks from a pile next door and made some sort of little plie with them and I hit them (the bricks) with my morew, denting the car next door. $800 bucks out of my pocket.....Meanwhile, I am working up his bids on the new building and I see building flags appear...and I call up my customer who said he saw a building he really liked and decided to get the contractor of that project to build his new office.....but don't feel bad...he will still want another building in the future, and he may let me do the inside work after the shell is built....My response? I know those guys will treat you right, they do excellent work, and thank you for your past work....goodbye. I did not say a word, nor did I agree to even answer the phone if he calls. What really burns me is the time I spent on his bid, and he didn't even have the gumption to let me have a shot at the different style of building he wanted....great loyalty. There is a just a little more. This spring, a storm took the roof off of this guys mother's home, and he called me, and I sent both crews out...T&M, to fix the problem.....and this was the thanks I got. Yep...he may call, but he won't have a chance to show me his integrity again.


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## Debookkeeper (Jul 23, 2006)

Atricaudatus said:


> I was about to open a thread on this very issue, but this one is just what I had in mind.
> 
> I would like some feedback from my fellow tradesman on this: I did a service call for a customer whose termite guy had reported a "leak under his shower." I dispatched two guys to his home, crawled under his house, determined the source of the moisture was not his plumbintg system, but rather his tile shower pan liner had failed. I advised the customer of his problem and how to go about correcting it (contact a tile contractor.) The time actually on the job was a little less than twenty minutes. Total charge: $60.00
> 
> ...


I think it is a great letter! I would however take out the few lines starting with "A surgeon does not ........." to the end of that paragraph. IMHO, you have absolutly no reason to justify your way of doing business and how much you charge by comparing it to a doctor. By taking it out, it is a very nice statment and explanation of your business practice, and a very polite way to tell this customer to go pound dirt!! :notworthy


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Ego is free, so long as you keep it to yourself.


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## Slovers (Sep 2, 2006)

*Informing customer of service call rate*

:thumbsup:


Atricaudatus said:


> I was about to open a thread on this very issue, but this one is just what I had in mind.
> 
> I would like some feedback from my fellow tradesman on this: I did a service call for a customer whose termite guy had reported a "leak under his shower." I dispatched two guys to his home, crawled under his house, determined the source of the moisture was not his plumbintg system, but rather his tile shower pan liner had failed. I advised the customer of his problem and how to go about correcting it (contact a tile contractor.) The time actually on the job was a little less than twenty minutes. Total charge: $60.00
> 
> ...


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## Atricaudatus (Apr 11, 2005)

mdshunk said:


> That letter is a very tactful way to fire the customer.
> 
> I have had people remit less than the invoiced amount for similar reasons, but I've never sent a letter. I am just "too busy" to do any more work when they call later on. I think that there's merit in your approach and mine. Might depend a little on the temperament of the customer and the general culture of your local market.


Marc, I've always used your "too busy" method in the past. Thankfully, I seldom get any complaints about our rates. Most customers understand and appreciate what they get for their $. Maybe I was in a mood, but this guy's message rubbed me the wrong way. I've never sent a letter before, but this time.... (hear the music playing "we're not gonna take it anymore" in the background):laughing: 



joasis said:


> I would not be as polite, and I promise I would fire the customer as well....the only change would be that i would tell him if he thought the billed rate was unfair, just toss it....then he will feel better and I will know better.


I thought about that also. It's only $60 after all, but it's the principal of the thing.



Debookkeeper said:


> I think it is a great letter! I would however take out the few lines starting with "A surgeon does not ........."


Thanks, Good idea. I removed the line about the surgeon, but left the one after it. It does sound better that way.



Tscarborough said:


> Ego is free, so long as you keep it to yourself.


Explain? I'm not entirely sure what you meant by this, but my reply to this customer has nothing to do with ego. If you have one customer suggest that his bill should be %30 less, how would *you* respond? "Yes sir, you're right. I'll lower my rates at once?" 
Of course I could just let it go, but I'm not going to. Not because of my ego, but because I feel I'm defending my integrity and that of my trade. 



Slovers said:


> :thumbsup:


Thanks. :thumbsup:


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## Double-A (Jul 3, 2006)

Atricaudatus said:


> I dispatched two guys to his home, crawled under his house, determined the source of the moisture was not his plumbintg system, but rather his tile shower pan liner had failed.


I fail to see how $35 dollars per man for the time it took your guys to greet him at the door, announce their arrival, listen to his complaint, coordinate an investigation of the complaint, crawl into a confined space and properly diagnose the problem, crawl out of the confined space and explain the problem to him to his satisfaction is over charging.

As he was a good client, you discounted your bill to him 15% before submitting it. If he feels overcharged, then why is he complaining to you. It was his termite man that discovered the problem with water under the house. If diagnosis were such a simple and straight forward thing, requiring no splecialized training, why didn't his termite man diagnose the problem? Why did he call your company?

I'm sure the cost of his contract with the termite company is worth $70-$100 per year, yet they only send one man out to do an inspection that takes an hour or less.

By comparison, he is paying you at least 50% less than he is paying his termite company. 

This client didn't pull your name out of the phone book, he called you. He had a relationship with you and were already accustomed to your companies style of doing business.

To expect a discount after the fact is insulting and petty. If he had concerns, the time to voice them was before he verbally contracted for your services, not after. Once he OK'd your guys to find the problem, he committed to the cost of the search.

Tell him to send a check for whatever he feels all that is worth and mark the check "Payment in full for invoice #" and you will have to be satisfied with that.

If he feels your services for two men to investigate a damaging and potentially dangerous and even life threatening situation is worth no more than a decent tip for a meal for two at the nicest restaurant in town, then have him call the maitre d' and a waiter next time he has a leak. Maybe they can kowtow the thing away.


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## Atricaudatus (Apr 11, 2005)

Double-A said:


> I fail to see how $35 dollars per man for the time it took your guys to greet him at the door, announce their arrival, listen to his complaint, coordinate an investigation of the complaint, crawl into a confined space and properly diagnose the problem, crawl out of the confined space and explain the problem to him to his satisfaction is over charging.
> 
> As he was a good client, you discounted your bill to him 15% before submitting it. If he feels overcharged, then why is he complaining to you. It was his termite man that discovered the problem with water under the house. If diagnosis were such a simple and straight forward thing, requiring no splecialized training, why didn't his termite man diagnose the problem? Why did he call your company?
> 
> ...


:notworthy 
Now *that* was well said! Those are great points. I really like the last one about calling the waiter to solve the problem. :laughing:


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

Another approach could be to just say OK to the HO request to the discount.

Then on the next job raise your rates by the same % as his last requested discount. All is fair in love and war.

I have been through this experience before and believe me it's not worth fuming over $20. You will get it back 'next time'.


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## Mark Parlee (Apr 24, 2006)

Rhett

I understand your point 

Send the letter and let us know how it turns out

Mark


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## Dave-Raleigh (Jun 12, 2006)

For $60 I would (after pulling myself off the ceiling and calming down) just pretend that I never got his message. I'd ignore any new messages and just see what he really does. The most you are going to lose is $40 anyway. You already lost the first $20 in his eyes.

You have already decided you don't want him as a customer anymore. I wouldn't do anymore work for him either.

Whatever letter you send him will possibly just cause him to badmouth you in the future. 

Rich people just seem weird to me. They can spend hundreds of dollars on $1 items, thousands on things only worth a hundred bucks or so and hundreds of thousands (millions?) on cars they never drive. One minute they don't care what it costs to have something done and 10 minutes later they are nitpicking $10 on some item that costs hundreds of dollars.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

The price is what it is. There is no reason for explanations or justifcations of your price, so long as it was known upfront. Ego comes in when you try and convince or justify your normal work procedures or anything else to the customer. The price is what it is.

Your price was 70 bucks, you gave him a regular customer discount of ten dollars; send him a bill for the $60 and move on.


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## copusbuilder (Nov 8, 2005)

Tscarborough said:


> The price is what it is. There is no reason for explanations or justifcations of your price, so long as it was known upfront. Ego comes in when you try and convince or justify your normal work procedures or anything else to the customer. The price is what it is.
> 
> Your price was 70 bucks, you gave him a regular customer discount of ten dollars; send him a bill for the $60 and move on.


And just how is "ego" related to justifying your cost to a customer?


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## RobertWilber (Mar 5, 2006)

This is why I tell people my rates when I make the appointment and have a "base" service call fee, which includes the first hour or part thereof, preprinted on the invoice, as well as the hourly rate for additional time printed thereafter.
Funny, but people don't argue with preprinted values


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

RobertWilber said:


> This is why I tell people my rates when I make the appointment and have a "base" service call fee, which includes the first hour or part thereof, preprinted on the invoice, as well as the hourly rate for additional time printed thereafter.
> Funny, but people don't argue with preprinted values


Robert, you don't have to, but if you don't mind... could you scan in one of your invoices and post it? XXX out any information that identifies it to you, if you want to.


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