[Paul Simpson]

Had British Gas fitting a new radiator to my master bedroom and despite using a drop sheet and thinking he'd emptied it all he manages to leak black crud from the old radiator over our cream 80/20 carpet, an area about 6 x 8 inches.

Comes and tells my wife as calm as you like and that he will call out the cleaners they use "Rainbow"
She tells me and I think about it a few minutes before telling him I do carpet & upholstery cleaning myself.

I dig out my spotter machine, some M/splitters and Solvex and 10 minutes later its gone.
The engineer was obviously happy he didn't have to report his cock-up and this being his 3rd visit seemed a decent guy so thought I'd do him a favour.

Should I have let them deal with it though? Their mess, let them clean it up?
Maybe watched the Rainbow cleaner and tell them how to do their job 
Or get some tips 

 

[Ken Wainwright]

I'd have done the same Paul.

From a practical point of view, there is always a remote chance that the waiting time could have allowed the stain to become more difficult to remove. And hey, accidents happen.

You then have the possibility that this engineer may remember you and something positive could come out in the future.

Of course, there are those who would become angry and demonstrative saying it's their problem, let them sort it out or I'll sue, but hey, I've got better things to do in life

Have you ever scuffed any paint whilst on site yourself? Chances are if you tell the customer, they'll say don't worry, we've got some paint left, I'll just touch it up.  Same sort of thing.

Safe and happy cleaning
The Ken

[Paul Simpson]

From a practical point of view, there is always a remote chance that the waiting time could have allowed the stain to become more difficult to remove.

Yep agree Ken, plus the position it was would have mean't having to step over getting in/out of bed.

He's just left, said he hated doing radiators 
Took him over 3 hours and by his own admittance should be a hour job.
And where I said "tells my wife as calm as you like".
Seems he was panicing really, was really apologetic to the wife while I was sorting it and saying how calm we were, most people would have gone mad.  :

Don't know if anything will come of it but he also asked for some of my cards, said he's passed Rainbow's details onto a few of his mates, plumbers and alike when they've had similar problems.
 

[John Kelly]

British Gas have over 5 thousand fitters so they have lots of claims everyday. These are passed to a loss adjusting company who use companies like Rainbow and others to clean up the mess. We used to do loads of them. You wouldn't believe the state some of them were in.

[Neil Williams]

Should I have let them deal with it though? Their mess, let them clean it up?
Maybe watched the Rainbow cleaner and tell them how to do their job 
Or get some tips 

It would have been easy to sit back and go "You created it you sort it" and there's nothing wrong with that in principle.
But think of it as real life training where if it had gone wrong there would be no comments against you, and this way you now have another 'life experience' in your arsenal to use when the phone call comes in from a customer.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

I would have just got the VANISH out 

[colin thomas]

i used to get calls to clean up after sky dish fitters had been in, brick dust, footprints, the lot, you would think they would know better,

colin