to be ticked off on my MIL's behalf?

[geekymummy]

My elderly mum in law had a new carpet fitted in her front room today. She phoned us and was very upset as they've left two very large bags of leftover carpet in her back garden, and refused to move some furniture to even roughly to where she'd like it (a display cabinet, sideboard and two small sofas), saying it would be £10 per item! She didn't have any cash on her otherwise she would have paid

Previously we'd always used local businesses who have proved to be very helpful but in this instance she went with a rather large chain... AIBU in thinking in that seeing she's elderly that they could have put some of the furniture at least back in the room for her instead of in a heap in a corner? When we got there we couldn't believe it - the sofas lumped on top of each other, everything else just haphazard.

On the plus side, the carpet does look very nice...

[Pavlovthecat]

your poor MIL. Its wful. Does not surprise me but I would be furious too, and write a letter of complaint to
a. the top dog
b. copy to local paper

YANBU

[hertsnessex]

did they have to clear out the room first? if that was me i would have tipped them just for doing that. i don't think they 'have' to do that - but it would have been nice.

[lottiejenkins]

Your poor mil... I would be on the phone to the company first thing in the morning,,,,, Tell them something along the lines of you want the furniture put back or you may feel the urge to contact your local paper....

[Chequers]

Message withdrawn

[stitch]

the gits probly didnt move it because she is elderly.
i think you should call up the company and complain. they may turn around and say it is a health and safety issue, but i would make sure you tell them that their staff demanded a tenner per item.
what gits.

when i was heavily pregnant, we had somoe cable put in. the wire needed to go behind some bookshelves, and unfortunatly that meant they needed to be moved. the older workman refused to do so, saying he wasnt allowed to for health and safty reasons. he then stood and wathced me, heavily pregnant, do all the moving. his teenaged apprentice type person must have got embarrassed, because he then started helping me. his boss didnt stop him, so i think it may actually have been that he had a bad back, as opposed to just a blanket health and safety rule. iyswim.
but i would complain on your mil's behalf

[geekymummy]

I'm definitely going to complain, but I googled them and there's not even a customer service number, just the numbers of the local stores, and her one was less than helpful and now have probably gone home as no one's picking up.

stitch - that's just AWFUL!

[lucyellensmum]

I would imagine that the fitters are probably paid per fitting and most likely on a fairly low wage to do so - so "wasting time" moving your grans furniture would have been a problem for them. This happens to my DP alot, he is a carpenter and the times he has to clear rooms of furniture etc before he can begin - he doesnt price this into his estimate but its clearly expected of him and can take two men half a day - he charges £150 a day so do the maths. Saying all that, its usually young and perfectly able people who expect this - the older generation are far more considerate and helpful. Once i refused to let DP start some decking work he was doing for a client because they had gone on holiday and hadn't even cleared the space of all their garden rubbish, including an old fridge etc. Mind you, lazy feckers had left the washing up in the sink too - perhaps they expected him to do that for them too .

I do have to say though geeky, if it were my DP he would have moved the furniture, cos he is proper nice , and sometimes being helpful and kind goes a long way. I always avoid large chains for the very reason that customer service is a foreign concept to them.

[cmotdibbler]

A lot of the carpet fitting services charge to move furniture and to dispose of the old carpet. In our last house we had most of upstairs done by a big chain and moved our own furniture, but had our room (huge wardrobes) done by a more expensive place that would move furniture

[geekymummy]

lucyellensmum - and no doubt my MIL would have given him a tip, tea and some cake... she really is lovely like that