Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Tosh on May 06, 2009, 05:51:22 pm
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I tripped up over a customer's gnome and broke it. The place was like a minefield; full of the chavish tat.
I owned up; showed the lady the gnome, and she said not to worry.
Three days later I've got a two page letter saying I've also broke a wishing well, she's had it for 20 years, it was of sentimental value to her and would like me to pay for a new one!!! Oh and she cancelled. Now, I don't think I broke the wishing well, but it's possible; there's tat everywhere.
Anyway, I've had a think, I'll reply by letter back (she's a mad old witch) and I'll refund her the cost of the clean; even though I don't think I should. I've got an interesting newspaper clipping where a Tesco Home Delivery driver is suing a customer because he tripped in their house.
But what's that act/law with regards to householders responsibilities towards tradesmen working on their property?
I'm sure Ewan has mentioned it, but the thought of trawling through his back posts makes my eyes bleed.
Can anyone help?
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Well, well well, bound to be a elf and safety issue there (you wish) ;D
Fishing for compensation?
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Well, well well, bound to be a elf and safety issue there (you wish) ;D
Fishing for compensation?
;D ;D ;D
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I tripped up over a customer's gnome and broke it. The place was like a minefield; full of the chavish tat.
I owned up; showed the lady the gnome, and she said not to worry.
Three days later I've got a two page letter saying I've also broke a wishing well, she's had it for 20 years, it was of sentimental value to her and would like me to pay for a new one!!! Oh and she cancelled. Now, I don't think I broke the wishing well, but it's possible; there's tat everywhere.
Anyway, I've had a think, I'll reply by letter back (she's a mad old witch) and I'll refund her the cost of the clean; even though I don't think I should. I've got an interesting newspaper clipping where a Tesco Home Delivery driver is suing a customer because he tripped in their house.
But what's that act/law with regards to householders responsibilities towards tradesmen working on their property?
I'm sure Ewan has mentioned it, but the thought of trawling through his back posts makes my eyes bleed.
Can anyone help?
I stepped on a crappy terracota turtle a few months back and crushed the thing... It was right under the window and as i stepped of ladder backwards i crushed it - but i thought as it must only be worth a few quid they wouldnt care - anyway i came to collect and they refused to pay - tight gets, i just said okay :(
Could you of snagged a hose on it tosh?
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sory but hears the bit a bout keping stum ??? ???
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Hose got caught around one of those tall ornamental planter things yesterday and I dragged it down the garden emptying newly planted plants and soil all over the gravel path (no way of hiding that!) managed to scoop most of it up and had to own up, she only laughed thank goodness :)
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i bet you went gnome fuming with yourself
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I tripped up over a customer's gnome and broke it. The place was like a minefield; full of the chavish tat.
I owned up; showed the lady the gnome, and she said not to worry.
Three days later I've got a two page letter saying I've also broke a wishing well, she's had it for 20 years, it was of sentimental value to her and would like me to pay for a new one!!! Oh and she cancelled. Now, I don't think I broke the wishing well, but it's possible; there's tat everywhere.
Anyway, I've had a think, I'll reply by letter back (she's a mad old witch) and I'll refund her the cost of the clean; even though I don't think I should. I've got an interesting newspaper clipping where a Tesco Home Delivery driver is suing a customer because he tripped in their house.
But what's that act/law with regards to householders responsibilities towards tradesmen working on their property?
I'm sure Ewan has mentioned it, but the thought of trawling through his back posts makes my eyes bleed.
Can anyone help?
Sorry to say this but why would you even consider suing this customer.You were the one who broke/damaged her property,you never hurt yourself,and even if you did you should have been aware of the stuff in her garden that could be a problem.
This is why we have to live in a society of compensation claims from minor incidents that are basically down to common sense.
I would have thought that an apology to the woman was more in tune rather than a legal response...
just my thoughts.
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i bet you went gnome fuming with yourself
lmao ;D ;D ;D
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One of my custy's has a sloping path with a metal drain cover set in it - been like it for thirty years. An uninvited canvasser slipped on it in the rain and successfully sued him. (House insurance paid up)
My best (worst) ornament-smashing story as told before but it's worth repeating. Outside a custy's bungalow (£20 job) were two "burmese" pottery lion planters I caught one with the hose and it gracefully toppled over and smashed. I own up and offer a free clean and he laughed and accepted saying don't worry we've got a spare in the shed.
He shuts the door, I turn round and snag the other one smashing that one too! I could have cried! Fortunately he laughed again - I didn't - he got two free cleans out of it!
As for the wishing-well what's it's value? Did you do it? If not tell her so and don't pay - if you did then pay up. (Or repair it)
But if you injure yourself falling over this tat then the shoe is on the other foot isn't it?
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As far as I understand the law, a commercial customer has to provide a safe working environment, whilst no such obligation exists for domestic customers.
It seems to me that most people don't bother gardening any more, they just buy loads of potted plants, Tosh's mine field is a good description, maybe it's time to impose a plant pot tax on new customers.
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One of my custy's has a sloping path with a metal drain cover set in it - been like it for thirty years. An uninvited canvasser slipped on it in the rain and successfully sued him. (House insurance paid up)
My best (worst) ornament-smashing story as told before but it's worth repeating. Outside a custy's bungalow (£20 job) were two "burmese" pottery lion planters I caught one with the hose and it gracefully toppled over and smashed. I own up and offer a free clean and he laughed and accdepted saying don't worry we've got a spare in the shed.
He shuts the door, I turn round and snag the other one smashing that one too! I could have cried! Fortunately he laughed again - I didn't - he got two free cleans out of it!
As for the wishing-well what's it's value? Did you do it? If not tell her so and don't pay - if you did then pay up. (Or repair it)
But if you injure yourself falling over this tat then the shoe is on the other foot isn't it?
I've done a fair bit of damage since going WFP.
Scratched a car with my hose. Cost me free cleans for a year or so. Still a customer. About £150
Broke a garden table after tripping over tat. That was a ladder job though. Cost £200. Cancelled but no loss as it was an over the garage roof job.
Plant pot £12 (free clean). Still a customer - and a good one at that)
Knocked the fancy bit off the top of a conservatory roof and broke it (cost yet to be determined. They currently owe me £55. I imagine this will form part of the settlement when I'm eventually able to find someone home). Still a customer.
Another plant pot elsewhere - £5 (reduced price clean). Still a good customer.
Garden ornament (walked into it and knocked it down). Estimated cost one free clean (£15). Still a good customer.
Several other minor misdemeanours where customer wasn't concerned about it.
Total cost about £387 in 3 and a half years of WFP with some more to follow as the cost is currently unknown to me.
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yesterday broke a piece of 12" plastic stick in fencing pole fell on it
and one of those bloody solar lights which i trod on when stepping
backwards.
should start looking where im going :)
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Leapstallbuildings,
Your a clumsy bleeder aren't you ;D
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Leapstallbuildings,
Your a clumsy bleeder aren't you ;D
i was gonna say that
Are you blind by any chance :)
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Leapstallbuildings,
Your a clumsy bleeder aren't you ;D
i was gonna say that
Are you blind by any chance :)
Yes, but only in one eye (true) LOL.
The bulk of it was from two incidents though. The table I needed to move as I wanted to put my ladder there. The patio was full of kids stuff and I went over one of the toys and dropped the table I was moving. It went down hard but I didn't even know that the leg was broken until I got a phone call a couple of days later. This was because it had a full cover on it (it was Winter time). As for the car, I was never totally convinced that I caused the problem but I must admit that the marks were consistent with a hose being pulled across it. I really don't believe that the car people were trying it on. The table job was better gone. I had to take a ladder over a garage roof and I sometimes had to knock toys out of the way to get a place to put the ladder down. I was thinking of dropping that one anyway. Wish I had now.
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I have busted a fair few plant pots i broke a gate last year its only a 3ft high gate so i used to climb over it.
Anyway did it one time and it fell off.
I went home got my tools and went back and repaired it.
Put a note through customers door and they were fine about it.
Still a good customer.