Am I wrong? and if I am how should I put it right?

Lifeisbutadream

Quite a long story, but I will try and get to the point.

OH and I run a joinery/building business.

Last year we agreed to supply and fit windows for a custoemr. OH was very busy so we got a contractor to fit the windows (he is very good, we use him a lot) the customer paid the fitter directly and I invoiced the customer for the windows. This is on 17th December 2008.

Customer then rings and says the fitter has gone through a phone cable. SO I arrange for an electrician to go and look. He cant fix it so customer and I agree that he will get BT to fix it and we would pay if there was a charge (and it was found that the fitter had caused the damage)

Hearing nothing, I rang in January and asked for payment of the windows. I finally received payment of the windows on 17th January with £500 deducted.

All this time I keep asking whether they have had BT out - they keep saying not had time yet. So I request the rest of the money and say I will pay for the repair when they finally get it done.

I then receieve a further £300 leaving £200 outstanding.

To cut a long story short, the have only just got BT out last week (because I arranged it in the end) - customer rang me this morning and said that BT werent charging but the phone still isnt perfect and she would like to choose a new phone and knock the money from the £200.

I blew my top and said that I thought she was taking advantage and trying to get something for free. I said that it is our policy to ensure that our customer was happy but in this instance I dont care because I think she is taking the michael. She started crying and said she would send me £200.

I feel really bad now and with hindsight should maybe just pay for her phone!

She got a fantastic bargain on the windows as it is, because I made a mistake when quoting and actually only made £30 profit which I can live with, but I must have spend 40 hours sorting this out and feel she is pulling a fast one (i.e. nothing wrong with her phone)

Should I ring and say sorry? Should I offer to pay for her a phone?

I have never ever spoken to a customer like that before and I really do feel awful!

HopeAndDriftWood

The council cut through our phone line when painting our house, when i lived with my parents. They were trimming the plants outside, or something. BT came to fix it, and charged nearly £300. The council refused to pay, saying that they should have been made aware of where the line was, and how important it was. In the end, they paid £100 as a goodwill gesture.

She was clearly taking advantage, and i wouldnt worry too much. If you feel that bad, maybe buy a thank you card, and send it to her? Just thank her for using your company and apologize for the issues involved. Maybe offer a small discount if she uses you again? But i wouldnt refund the £200, because you already quoted her a brilliant price, and shes clearly trying her luck. My mum used to fake cry on the phone all the time, try not to let it worry you too much.

dacouch

I agree, a nice personal letter apologising for any inconvenience and explaining you are a small business who likes to give great customer service but times are hard.

May be summarise that the fitter did cause a problem which no doubt caused minor inconvenience but it did not cost her money and if it was me I would put a £25 voucher in. The reason I say this is I have done a lot of customer service complaint and sales training and there is good evidence that if a customer has a problem that is not sorted out they tell 10 of their friends if they get good customer service they only tell 3. However if someone has a problem with a company but it is sorted out to their satisfaction they tell around 8 of their friends how pleased they were. In addition they will normally use the company again as they know if they have a problem it will be sorted out.

It would be wide saying the payment is "Ex Gratia" and putting without prejudice at the top of the letter.

I think if you mention times are hard and your husband genuinely tries to keep all his customers happy she not see you as a faceless company that annoyed her

qw3rt7

BT will charge if the fault is on the customers premises, ie from where the cable hits the house onwards. If they did not charge, its either outside the premises (BT fault) or no fault. (they usually charge for no fault found aswell)
Changing the actual telephone would make no difference, unless she claimed your fitter broke the actual phone (not cable etc).

Basically looking at this, its a scam. If you insist on feeling bad about yourself, wait and see if the outstanding £200 arrives first!!

Lifeisbutadream

qw3rt7 wrote: »

BT will charge if the fault is on the customers premises, ie from where the cable hits the house onwards. If they did not charge, its either outside the premises (BT fault) or no fault. (they usually charge for no fault found aswell)
Changing the actual telephone would make no difference, unless she claimed your fitter broke the actual phone (not cable etc).

Basically looking at this, its a scam. If you insist on feeling bad about yourself, wait and see if the outstanding £200 arrives first!!

I dont think it is a scam, I think there probably was a problem, but I dont know whether the fitter caused it.

She told me that she needs a new phone because the phone line to the room she wants it in doesnt work, so she needs a portable phone that she can move around the house with.

qw3rt7

I dont think it is a scam, I think there probably was a problem, but I dont know whether the fitter caused it.

She told me that she needs a new phone because the phone line to the room she wants it in doesnt work, so she needs a portable phone that she can move around the house with.

If thats the case, the only way you would be liable would be if the fitter damaged said internal phone line, in which case BT would have fixed it for a charge.
Did this women tell you what the BT engineer said when he got there?
You seem almost defensive of the customer, despite the fact they withheld £500 of your money initially, now down to £200.
Considering, as per your initial post, your first reaction was the same as mine,im confused. Has something happened to make you change your mind?
I was only posting due to my experiences with BT, hoping it would be of some use to you.
Anyway, best of luck i hope it works out in the end.

Lifeisbutadream

qw3rt7 wrote: »

If thats the case, the only way you would be liable would be if the fitter damaged said internal phone line, in which case BT would have fixed it for a charge.
Did this women tell you what the BT engineer said when he got there?
You seem almost defensive of the customer, despite the fact they withheld £500 of your money initially, now down to £200.
Considering, as per your initial post, your first reaction was the same as mine,im confused. Has something happened to make you change your mind?
I was only posting due to my experiences with BT, hoping it would be of some use to you.
Anyway, best of luck i hope it works out in the end.

Sorry I didnt mean it to sound like that - I just dont think it was a 'scam' I just think she was trying it on

I am furious with the customer - hence why I was so horrible to her on the phone - I have had almost 3 months of this and am fed up with it. I just feel awful because I have never spoken to a customer like that before.

BT supposedly cant send out a report, and she told me that she hasnt been charged.

Savvy_Sue

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

She told me that she needs a new phone because the phone line to the room she wants it in doesnt work, so she needs a portable phone that she can move around the house with.

And this is your problem how? IF that's the line the fitter allegedly damaged, BT have now been out to fix it. But it can't be SUCH a huge problem if it's taken her all this time to sort it out.

by all means send a note apologising for being abrupt on the phone, with her receipt, when the final payment arrives, but set out the timescale and she should see where you are coming from.

Lifeisbutadream

An update:

I got the cheque this morning, along with a letter apologising for the problems paying me and for the stress she has caused me!

I have banked the cheque and when it has cleared I think will write to her acknowledging receipt and saying that I may have been hasty dismissing her request (for a new phone) and if she purchases one then I will consider a gesture of goodwill.

I still feel bad about making her cry, but feel much happier that she has acknowledged that she was wrong!

TCM_3

Offer her a voucher from Argos or somewhere to buy a new phone that way you have control of the amount of your money she will spend! I would be concerned that a phone of £25.99 would suffice but she would insist on an all singing all dancing one with bells on and flashing lights that you would be expected to foot the bill for. A voucher of a set amount would be a good will gesture towards a new phone.
Good Luck!
T

Caroline73_2

I don't understand why you are considering paying towards a new phone?

It took them almost 3 months to get BT out to fix it - they obviously weren't that bothered.

The initial problem was with the phone line not the phone anyway? The customer would have needed a new phone anyway if they wanted a portable one.