Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Difficult customer

160 replies

Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 11:07

My tradesman dh has carried out a tiling job for a customer he did at a really cheap price has he is trying to build up his reputation.
So far he has a fair few happy customers who have given great reviews.
Unfortunately I'm not sure if we are currently experiencing the customer from hell.
He finished thier bathroom tiling job and the guy and his wife both came and had a look and said it was nice and paid up dh did his best to clean up and wiped the tiles over and they seemed nice and clean.
So on arriving back home he is bombarded on WhatsApp saying what a mess the tiles are with grout stuck on them the tiles are textured ridged so obviously grout as ingrained into the pattern obviously when dh wiped them over they where wet and once dry the grout haze etc came to light.
The guy was saying how can you leave a job like this and that his tiles where wrecked with blown up pictures of grout on tiles.
Dh acknowledged some responsibility for maybe not cleaning them so well and arranged to go back next day to clean them up well I also went to have a look and to be honest all that struck me at the time was how good it looked yes sure there was some grout ingrained.
Dh worked most of the day cleaning them up and at the end the guy took a look and said yes it's fine although he spotted a pin size of grout and pointed it out but he said no problem and thanks I came and wanted to have a look but the guy wouldn't let me see for some reason.
So again on arrival home dh is bombarded on WhatsApp about how he has wrecked his tiles and he has to pay somebody to come and fix it and that he should never do this to anybody else's bathroom and to stay away from grouting.
So what you think are we at fault.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 12:31

Okay all points taken and I totally agree with all of you. Obviously this is a learning curve that can only serve for him to better himself.

OP posts:
ILoveMaxiBondi · 09/04/2019 12:31

And if your DH really sees his future in tiling he needs to do a proper course. Not a 3 day intro to tiling for the DIY enthusiast course.

Contraceptionismyfriend · 09/04/2019 12:32

OP. He isn't being dismissive. He doesn't want to deal with an unqualified cowboy anymore.
Your DH needs to park his dreams for a while until he is qualified or he is going to ruin your lives finically! I would not be allowing him to bodge anymore jobs.

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 12:32

He has never had any complaints about his plastering I'm glad to say

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 09/04/2019 12:33

Running a business is about a lot more than having a trade or skill.
He needs to manage expectations, offer good customer service and be professional (ie not take his wife with him). Sounds like he doesn’t know how to work with the type of tiles the customer requested
Having said all that some people are chancers who set out to get money off a job from the start but again running a business involves dealing with people like that.

IHateUncleJamie · 09/04/2019 12:34

Textured tiles need grouting differently from smooth ones. My DH is a great amateur tiler and ripped his thumb to shreds on my dsis’s textured natural stone tiles (complete with bits of quartz and shiz) so that the grout was only between the tiles and not wiped over them. Had he grouted the same way you grout smooth tiles, he’d have wrecked the tiles and they would have looked like crap. It’s not rocket science. Confused

When you say you’re worried about them “taking it further”, what do you think they’ll do?

Tara336 · 09/04/2019 12:40

There’s some really useful and constructive comments on here. We own our business wn business and unfortunately there are some people that will never be happy no matter how hard you try. I would add that when you quote and have any correspondence always put it in email or letter not wassap. No one can say whether your DH has done a god d job as it’s down to the customers expectations and what DH told him was achievable with the product the customer chose. Treat this as a lesson and if needs be offer a refund but ensure that it’s in writing with an explanation that the tiles are difficult to clean etc. You will get a 6th sense in the end of who’s going to be an awkward customer and then learn to avoid.

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 12:48

Thanks all for the input.
He should have only applied into the lines instead of all over but those tiles where mega sharp and he would have been there a whole week filling in the grout.
Now he will know for sure how to deal with this wretched sort of tile.

OP posts:
IHateUncleJamie · 09/04/2019 12:55

@Worzil yes, exactly. It’s a long job with those tiles if you do it right. They do (usually) look very nice afterwards though.

Can he practice at home with different sorts of tiles?

MaybeitsMaybelline · 09/04/2019 12:55

I thought the same, as some other posters, he isn’t an apprentice trained tiler as a profession.

Had he been he would have had every confidence in his work and the job would have been left perfect, a shirt course doesn’t make you a tradesman, more a good DIYer.

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:08

He is willing to buy grout remover and go back if the guy will let him
He used special abrasives and white vinegar for trying to remove the grout before but it hasn't 100% done it obviously.

OP posts:
Tomtontom · 09/04/2019 13:10

Jack of all trades, master of none.

He shouldn't be advertising himself as a tradesman, to do so and then give a substandard service is just going to land you with a heap of complaints. He's a handyman, then he can judge each job before quoting for it and turn down anything beyond his capability.

Tomtontom · 09/04/2019 13:12

The problem he has is that he has been given the opportunity to remedy the issue, and he failed to do so. Therefore the customer would be within their rights to contract someone else to sort it and bill your partner for that work.

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:14

If he wants to bill us then fine and we can all move on

OP posts:
Piffle11 · 09/04/2019 13:21

I don't think it's a case of him not doing a good job - textured tiles are a nightmare to grout and to clean. I don't think your husband should shoulder the blame completely: did they not think about how hard the tiles would be to clean? We have textured tiles in our bathroom and they are a bugger to clean, but I was aware that this would probably be the case. I certainly didn't expect the tiler to completely clean them - I think they were difficult to do in the first place. Your DH should chalk this up to experience and perhaps warn future clients in advance of the perils of textured tiles! I wouldn't be offering a discount, they already had the work cheap.

Romax · 09/04/2019 13:30

Dh worked most of the day cleaning them up

Says it all really

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:31

Yes piffle his actual tiling is great no complaints there its just the way he grouted that's caused the problems.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:33

He spent about 4 hours cleaning them

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 09/04/2019 13:33

pifle It’s not the generally cleaning that’s the issue, he had left them covered in grout and that’s not up to the customer to deal with, that’s part of the work.

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:34

Customer inspected and said yes it's okay no problem.

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 09/04/2019 13:35

Stop blaming the customer!!!!

Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:35

It's very true that the grout didn't show properly first time because they had just been wiped.
However second time customer inspected once dry so I don't know.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worzilgummidge · 09/04/2019 13:36

I'm just looking at it from both sides nick

OP posts:
jetadore · 09/04/2019 13:43

Seems like there's fault on both sides here, but do not offer any refund. Looks like the cutomer's not going to be happy whatever you do now so might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb as they say. Learn from it and move on.
Also a learning experience for the customer - cheap/fast/good - you can only pick two!

jetadore · 09/04/2019 13:50

Did he seal the tiles before grouting? If the tile is porous and the grout's been absorbed in I doubt there'll be any way to get it out. Just leave it and move on with your life.