Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: capital-services on September 28, 2007, 05:56:38 pm

Title: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: capital-services on September 28, 2007, 05:56:38 pm
Is there any law to stop them??

cleaning a 1st floor flat, took 2hrs customer must have smoked 10 small cigars in the time, job was refered so I didnt complain, couldnt wait to get out.

Dennis
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Kwackers on September 28, 2007, 06:09:43 pm
Should've just made a polite comment at the start explaining you have quit a bad case of asthma and passive smoking tends to kick it off, i'm sure they'd go outside!

Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: ollie on September 28, 2007, 06:11:18 pm
It happens a lot to me and I gave up 22 months ago so it makes me crave sometimes! I wouldnt ask them to stop as im in there house.
ollie
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: spindle on September 28, 2007, 06:15:09 pm
i am not aware of any law forbidding people to smoke in their own homes..

but it IS your place of work ...........so therefore imho he shouldnt be smoking whilst u r working

as a smoker ............... i would have joined in ;) ;D
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: gwrightson on September 28, 2007, 06:33:32 pm
I know what i would have done if somebody i was paying asked me to stop smoking in my own house,
gGo find yourself another job, as if non smokers dont have enough stupid rules on their side :-\

but, I do know that certain council workers will not carry out work if the tenant has been smoking in the envoirment , but that is obviously for council tenants and properties.
personaly , I wouldnt even think about saying something, unless you want to lose the job.

Geoff
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: maxcarpets on September 28, 2007, 06:41:05 pm
I gave up smoking about 3 stone ago! I think people should consider you  and at least ask if you minded them smoking. I find that cleaning carpets tends to send them on a race to smoke the whole packet before you have finished!

Cheers

Justin
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Mike Osbourne on September 28, 2007, 07:25:34 pm
You can't drive and smoke according to the news today.

Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: lands on September 28, 2007, 07:36:11 pm
It is illegal to smoke in your home 30 minutes before any visitors
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: gwrightson on September 28, 2007, 08:02:20 pm
Pete , I cant find your comments substatiated anywere, however i did find this

During the course of my work, I visit clients in their own home, how does the law affect me?
The smokefree law does not prohibit people from smoking in their own private dwellings. You might find the Trade Union Congress (TUC) guidance helpful, which has been developed specifically for people who work in other people's homes.

taken from ukgov.orgA major change is the code's inclusion of smoking at the wheel as behaviour that police may interpret as a distraction and failure to be in proper control of the vehicle. This addition will polarise drivers' opinions both for and against


so smoking isnt against the law whilst driving,
another 28 points are introduced including changing cds, eating a chocolate bar etc etc,
yet fiddling with a sat nav, is not covered........ strange , when a minister was asked why not, his reply "not everybody has sat navs"" ;D ;D ;D

what a great retort from the interveiwer, " Not every body smokes either"  ;D ;D
 Geoff

Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Andy Foster on September 28, 2007, 08:03:28 pm
As an ex-smoker, I don't like going into a smokey house to work, but unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it.

It isn't illegal to smoke half an hour before having visitors, but it is common courtesy and some councils have said that their home visitors such as carers can request that their clients do not smoke for an hour before they visit and have given them permission to refuse to enter the house if a smoke free room is not available for them to work in.

As long as the custy isn't blowing smoke in my face I would simply ask to open a window and say that it is for ventilation to assist in drying times... no point in getting into a debate about smoking.   If they want to kill themselves then let them.

Andy
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: PaulKing on September 28, 2007, 08:22:43 pm
totally agree andy,happened to me last week,just asked if customer could open the windows to aid drying. was a bit chilly but was'nt smokey.
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Andy Foster on September 28, 2007, 08:27:40 pm
Good incentive to get a sweat on!

Gets you out of there quicker too.   ;D
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Mike Osbourne on September 29, 2007, 09:19:35 am
Put an air mover on them, they'll take the hint.

Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: lands on September 29, 2007, 10:09:16 am
Just what I was told by a council bod.

Another good hint would be to wear a t-shirt with a picture of Roy Castle on it. (If ya wanna be a caarpet cleaneeeerrrr yeah)
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: CARPET KNIGHTS on September 29, 2007, 11:05:25 am
My aunt and unc live in a council house and when having work done they had a letter beforehand stating that they must not smoke in the house for at least 1 hour before the start time and throughout the time that the worker is there as that is their place of work and smoking in a workplace is against the law now!
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: PaulKing on September 29, 2007, 12:17:00 pm
belive it's true if it's a rented property ( i.e not their own as the worker is a employee of teh owner, either sub or directly in the case of teh local authority.

However we usually don't fit that catergory, like the air mover idea will save that one,

I rembered anoher one if there is a annoying kid/ bored customer get a bootle of ammonia out open it up so the smell gets out,and suggest they might like to pop out while your using it, then just don't ever tell them when you have stopped using it. usually buys you a hour or twos peace.

Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Andy Foster on September 29, 2007, 01:01:38 pm
Council owned properties being worked on by council workers or sub-contractors there on behalf of the council (i.e.- being employed by the council to do a job) ARE subject to the no smoking law as the property is owned by the council and is deemed as a place of work for anyone representing the council.
(Boy that's a lot of councils!)

Privately owned or rented properties however are not.
If memory serves, housing associations are not covered either. (Will stand corrected if this is now not the case - worth knowing if someone knows for sure.)

Andy
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Len Gribble on September 29, 2007, 07:20:30 pm
I got told off for smoking in my wife’s car when I was at the council tip and I thought I was in a designated smoking area.

Len
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: will_turton on September 29, 2007, 07:49:37 pm
  sorry lads but its there house, who the hell is anyone to say they cant smoke in there own home, if you dont like it, dont work there, some of you lot are like babies, spitting your dummys out over smoke, oh and i dont smoke
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: Andy Foster on September 29, 2007, 08:13:56 pm
I don't think anyone is 'spitting their dummy out', simply discussing ways of avoiding breathing it in.
In my opinion it is just common courtesy to ask if the people/person you are with minds if you smoke; whether or not it is your house.

No-one on here is saying that they can't smoke, just how to deal with it if they do.

If councils want to make those rules, that is up to them, I would not dream of asking someone not to smoke in their own home, that would be downright rude.

Personally I never smoked in my own home, it makes the place stink and is unpleasant for any visitors.
I used to be on 30 a day and smoked for 22 years and always went outside to smoke.

This forum is for discussing issues that people wish to raise and get others' opinions on.  Sometimes there are heated discussions, this doesn't appear to be one at the moment.
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: colin thomas on September 30, 2007, 07:45:18 pm
get a life, so  they smoke, you only have to be  there for a couple of hours, they are there all day!!! there are more things to worry about,

colin
Title: Re: customer smoking whilst I'm cleaning their carpets
Post by: PaulKing on September 30, 2007, 08:36:30 pm
 CBT do you know that stand for a S&M partice c888 and b8ll torture

Does'nt hack me off just like to avoid ciggy smoke as much as possible, thier house their choice, my day my choice, it's all about give and take.

used to smoke 40-60 a day, stoped 5 years ago and spent the same on cars instead ( i.e make sure the repayments are the same as smoking for me and wife smoking)

had some really nice cars in the last few years, and don't regret stopping one little bit,  check out lingscars and see the fAgs for cars meter really makes you think if you look at a range rover.

http://www.lingscars.com/car_detail.php?make_model=341&id=1745&status=0