# Angry customer



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

Hey guys... I finally ran into an impossible and angry customer.

A bit of background:
I installed about 440 sqft solid bamboo. The job also entailed ripping out carpet, some tile in entry and under a wood burning stove, and glued parquet in kitchen.

The agreement stated nothing about moving furniture or appliances, but I agreed verbally that it shouldn't be a problem (times were slow, I decided to pass on the extra $ for that work to get the deal). 

Long story short, as I was demoing the parquet flooring, i accidentally put a hole in the wall with my pry bar. Not big, and not all the way through the drywall, but still...

So I finish the rest of the job, and we are short a transition piece, which I said I would purchase and come back next week to install and fix the hole. I was extremely busy that week, and unfortunately, she was not available when I was, so this dragged on to the next Saturday. At this point, she's already mad, but I came in and did the patch and finished the transitions.

However, as I was there, she mentioned she could get someone to put the heavy stove back, so ok, no worries.... Well, now she contacted me, pissed beyond all means that I didn't finish the job. She is not comfortable moving the stove, so wants me to come in and move it. Well, this is Easter Sunday, and I wasn't even paying attention to my phone, but she already gave me an ultimatum...

1) I repair the patch to HER liking (I think I did a pretty good job) or pay her $100

2) refund her for the extra box of material, and provide my invoice for what I paid

3) put the stove back

And do it all on HER schedule, or she will sue me, file complaints with the state and everywhere else she can...

So... Any suggestions? She wants an answer by tomorrow noon...


----------



## NJGC (Apr 5, 2014)

I suggest you take care of the customer. Sounds like reasonable requests being made in an unreasonable way. People tend to get sour when completion drags on. 


Accidents happen, if that was my job the wall repair would of been the first thing I took care of. 

Got any pics of the patch job? Is it to industry standards?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


----------



## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

you moved the furniture/stove, she expected you to move it back. when you agreed with her having someone else move it, probably pi$$ed her off even more and then she was looking for smaller details to blow up. 

are you looking at $100, the box of flooring ($70-$120?) and getting a helper or two in to move the stove? do it and shine while doing so to turn her around.


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

This was her reply:

You are going to do all of the following, on my schedule:

1) You can either finish off the wall repair, to a standard which is
acceptable to me, or you can give me a hundred dollars cash to finish up
that work. Your choice.

2) You will put my wood stove back as it was, prior to your unhooking
it, being careful not to do any damage to anything as you reinstall. If
you damage the work you have done, you will have to repair it, to my
satisfaction.

3) You will bring a receipt which shows me exactly what you paid for
the bundles of wood flooring. You will reimburse me, in cash, for one
bundle and then take the one bundle in my garage with you. (I don't
care if Lumber Liquidators will take it back from you, or not. That
will be your problem.)

I expect you will make arrangements to do all of this at a time that is
fully acceptable to me, and you will communicate with me PROMPTLY, to be
sure that we get this final plan of action in place, and executed.

My boyfriend is a thirty year consumer advocate, with all of that time
being within the real estate industry. In addition to all else he has
done, he has been the lead plaintiff in a federal class action antitrust
lawsuit that made it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.

If he has to get further involved, he has assured me that he will help
me draft a complaint to file with the State agency which oversees your
license. He said he will also help me file negative reports with
Angie's List...The Better Business Bureau, Yelp...and one or two other
entities which provide such venues of complaint. Any such complaints
will be thorough and accurate.


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

My patch


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

Can't seem to post a pic...


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

I feel sorry for her boyfriend the consumer advocate.......

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## heavy_d (Dec 4, 2012)

Sounds like you screwed up and want more excuses. You gotta bite these problems in the bud before they bloom. Your patch is probably awful and she has to look at it every day and gets madder and madder. Prove us wrong and put up the pic.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


----------



## John1957 (Nov 20, 2016)

Satisfy the lady and move on. I don't know about you, but I would feel like crap if I finished any job that my customer wasn't happy with. Be very specific with your scope of work next time because verbals can bite you in the ass.


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Man oh man...


----------



## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

I probably would bend over backwards to get everything taken care of and volunteer some other work...but that's just me.

I hate having any negativity about me or my work.


----------



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

This kind of reminds me of a floor guy around here....who's initials are the same. Gary, is that you?


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

They sound like pretty simple requests.


----------



## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I feel her demands are a little out of line.

Demanding to see the receipt? Was this a T&M job or a priced job. If you gave her a price to do the job she doesn't get to tell you to give her money back. It cost what you agreed on.

If it was T&M then you will probably have to show her the receipts and take the extra back. As far as I'm concerned, leaving extra for future repairs is a good thing.

Moving furniture and removing the stove was a gift to her. You told her it wasn't included. Putting it back comes under the same category. You had no obligation to do any of that and just because you removed it doesn't mean you have to put it back, especially if it wasn't stated in your contract, you did have a contract, right?

Getting it done on her schedule is a given, if she's not there then you can't do the work. But it can't be just on her schedule. You both have to agree on a time, not just her tell you be here at such and such or I'll report you. Life just doesn't work that way.

You should have refused to move the furniture in the first place or charged her to do it. That's where this all seemed to have started.

The ding in the wall is your goof, you need to fix it.


----------



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

"Repairing a patch to HER liking" :laughing: What did you think was acceptable? Got a pic?


----------



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Leo G said:


> I feel her demands are a little out of line.
> 
> Demanding to see the receipt? Was this a T&M job or a priced job. If you gave her a price to do the job she doesn't get to tell you to give her money back. It cost what you agreed on.
> 
> ...


He should have discussed the furniture. Never assume anything.

One of my floor guys would ding a wall occasionally and just expect me to fix them, saying "it happens"..no remorse. He's not my floor guy anymore. Yes, it happens, but I'm not your mamma...


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Leo G said:


> The ding in the wall is your goof, you need to fix it.


He needs a patch and paint guy, unless he's going to use the extra bundle of flooring to do that part of the wall....


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Moving a wood stove and putting it back? If it has a crack, expect to pay for repair. The only thing I'll do with a wood stove is haul it off to the dump, scrapping, or give away.


----------



## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Leo G said:


> You had no obligation to do any of that and just because you removed it doesn't mean you have to put it back, especially _*if it wasn't stated in your contract, you did have a contract, right?*_


Duh, duh done... 






*What does the contract say?* 

While it may guide you on a response if you want to be a stickler, and whether or not she's keeping the bundle (assuming she doesn't want color matched material for any future repairs) what are we really talking about here... you're probably talking 2-3 hours work including drive time... use it for a wrap up at the end of the day or Saturday morning so you don't lose regular work time and so she has no excuse on you not providing a time convenient for her...

Just get it done and move on, but be sure to prepared to have something for her to sign using her wording (i.e. - "to my satisfaction"), take pics BEFORE presenting it to her after you've done what you need to do, in case she tries some other BS...

In your response to her, be sure to mention that you didn't move the stove because she said it was going to be taken care of...


----------



## illbuildit.dd (Jan 7, 2015)

Write her back and say "kiss my a$$". Competition is tough out here for some people. 

But seriously, I would have suggested tile under the wood stove if it's being used. Get rid of that ugly pan


----------



## Joe Pro (Aug 14, 2016)

1. Have a painter fix the hole and paint the entire wall. She is on beast mode and looking for everything. Make it perfect, paint the whole room if needed.

2. Refund the box of flooring and tell her it's on your company account. Don't get receipts just monthly invoices.

3. Move the stove with all types of floor protection. Not sure if she owes $$$ but get paid and have her sign that work is complete.

You just learned why you don't do favors when you need the work. You don't have the money to cover the favors when they go wrong. Make her happy no matter what, otherwise this will cost you $$$$ down the road.

Try to learn crazy in the estimating stage, not the payment stage.


----------



## sparehair (Nov 21, 2008)

Give her 100 for the patch, 100 for the flooring and 50 for moving the stove. 

She is toxic and if she determines that she can bully you into more and more she will. Dont touch another thing in her house. You walk up to the front door, pay her, get her to sign off on it and youre done.

The drywall repair will never be done to "her satisfaction".

The stove will never be installed to "her satisfaction."

I gaurantee you will make more if you just pay her to f off and just go do another job. On a weekday.

Shes a ******** dont touch her.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

She was toxic, so was her boyfriend...

I sent her a reply agreeing to everything but providing my cost on material. I wanted to get this over with. Apparently, that didn't suit her. She never replied.... Instead I got a call from her hot shot "consumer advocate" boyfriend who left me a 2:30 minute harassing voicemail about "getting the state up my ass" and having this situation "go nuclear" and that I need to do EVERYTHING she asked or else...

Long story short, I calmly told him that I have a contract that stated what I was going to do, anything extra is up for debate, her word against mine, etc... I also told him that I've kept all our conversation records that prove I've tried to work with her but we couldn't agree on a schedule, etc. I said if you want to take this further, be my guest. He sent me a text simply saying "look, I just want this done and over with". I put everything down in writing, got his signature for the work, and moved on.


----------



## sparehair (Nov 21, 2008)

Gbfloors1 said:


> She was toxic, so was her boyfriend...
> 
> I sent her a reply agreeing to everything but providing my cost on material. I wanted to get this over with. Apparently, that didn't suit her. She never replied.... Instead I got a call from her hot shot "consumer advocate" boyfriend who left me a 2:30 minute harassing voicemail about "getting the state up my ass" and having this situation "go nuclear" and that I need to do EVERYTHING she asked or else...
> 
> Long story short, I calmly told him that I have a contract that stated what I was going to do, anything extra is up for debate, her word against mine, etc... I also told him that I've kept all our conversation records that prove I've tried to work with her but we couldn't agree on a schedule, etc. I said if you want to take this further, be my guest. He sent me a text simply saying "look, I just want this done and over with". I put everything down in writing, got his signature for the work, and moved on.


Go nuclear?

What a fing turd.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

He's probably all smug and proud that he "forced" me to do the work... I kinda feel sorry for him, as it sounds he has his hands full with such a girlfriend...


----------



## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Gbfloors1 said:


> He's probably all smug and proud that he "forced" me to do the work... I kinda feel sorry for him, as it sounds he has his hands full with such a girlfriend...


Yeah, somehow I think he has some 'splainin to do... so much for everything... :whistling




Gbfloors1 said:


> *I sent her a reply agreeing to everything but providing my cost on material. *I wanted to get this over with. Apparently, that didn't suit her. She never replied.... Instead I got a call from her hot shot "consumer advocate" boyfriend who left me a 2:30 minute harassing *voicemail about "getting the state up my ass" and having this situation "go nuclear" and that I need to do EVERYTHING she asked or else...
> *
> Long story short, I calmly told him that I have a contract that stated what I was going to do, anything extra is up for debate, her word against mine, etc... I also told him that I've kept all our conversation records that prove I've tried to work with her but we couldn't agree on a schedule, etc.* I said if you want to take this further, be my guest. He sent me a text simply saying "look, I just want this done and over with". I put everything down in writing, got his signature for the work, and moved on*.


No material prices for you Mr. Consumer Advocate...


----------



## TaylorMadeAB (Nov 11, 2014)

I've always found that the people who can actually do damage don't talk about it, they just do it. 
The guys who brag about it are just making noise 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Gbfloors1 (Aug 15, 2016)

The dude even sent me his case file to prove that he was involved in a case at the SCOTUS level....


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Is his dad bigger than your dad too?

Did he send a comparative dic pic analyses?

What a two bit flea on a plague stricken broke dick dog.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

TaylorMadeAB said:


> I've always found that the people who can actually do damage don't talk about it, they just do it.
> The guys who brag about it are just making noise
> 
> 
> ...



Truer words have never been spoken.


----------



## A&E Exteriors (Aug 14, 2009)

Tell her to go **** herself


----------



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Can we Yelp review customers yet?


----------



## A&E Exteriors (Aug 14, 2009)

sparehair said:


> Give her 100 for the patch, 100 for the flooring and 50 for moving the stove.
> 
> She is toxic and if she determines that she can bully you into more and more she will. Dont touch another thing in her house. You walk up to the front door, pay her, get her to sign off on it and youre done.
> 
> ...


Spot on


----------



## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Always always under promise and over deliver. It's a motto I live by.


_____________


----------



## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

gbfloors1:

You didn't "run into" an "impossible and angry customer". You created her. 

Drop everything else you're doing, make this right, and apologize.


----------



## SuperiorHIP (Aug 15, 2010)

You should tell him you have a friend who is in law enforcement and if after the two of them break up she wont give him back the jar in her purse that stores his balls you will gladly have your friend threaten her with legal action.


----------



## Pearce Services (Nov 21, 2005)

If you are going to do this work, and I think you should. Do 1 item and get sign-off on that item, then the next then the next. I would do the stove first, then do no further until you are rid of that risk, do the rest in order of risk. 

Then give her the $100 for the patch since she will never be happy.


----------



## bigcatirrigation (10 mo ago)

MarkJames said:


> Can we Yelp review customers yet?


www.proreviewshare.com

I've been using it. Only way to avoid really bad situations is to know before you walk in.


----------



## the rock (Feb 27, 2011)

I hate to say it I honestly feel bad for you You are going to get these now and again and there is NOTHING you may have done to prevent it DESPITE what others will tell you. Suck it up and try to learn a hard lesson from it. I have been a contractor for 30 years. When I think back on the things I used to do for people I shake my head and laugh. Good luck with your business my friend. Nick


----------



## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

Man, this was from 2017 in April. 

Andy.


----------

