DH threatened by dodgy workman. What should we do?

[Janni]

DH has a flat that needs clearing, after his useless brother squatted there for a year. We're not a dodgy family, honest, but the brother is something else.

I booked what looked like a reputable firm to come and clear it this morning at 9 a.m. - by phone and email. The guy sounded fine.

DH went to the flat, they didn't arrive. He phoned. The guy said 'there's been a cock-up'. DH is very stressed at the moment and, by the sounds of it, lost his temper on the phone.

The guy then issued death threats, said he was a bouncer and would come and kill him. At which point DH legged it from the flat and went to a local cafe to call me and warn me not to have anything to do with this man if he called. He has my name, our email and our phone number (landline and DHs mobile)

I do not feel at all threatened - I don't think we'll ever hear from him again. BUT I am FURIOUS on DHs behalf and want to take some action. There is a head office address and phone number on the internet site and it LOOKS like a reputable company, with offices all over, testimonials etc

What would you do?

Telling someone "There's been a fuck-up" is not a very professional way of speaking to a customer, so I'd be tempted to write to HQ on that matter alone. It doesn't matter what the customer says, there are ways of dealing with anger/swearing etc without issuing death threats. I think you should be honest in your letter about what your dh said, and acknowledge it was wrong, but that Phil's response was inappropriate and unacceptable.

Thanks mablemurple

Actually I'd be inclined to report this to the police. Issuing death threats is a crime quite apart from being a very unprofessional way to carry on a business!

If the police turn up at the company, I'm sure Phil will think twice before speaking to people in such a way.

Freckle - my fear is that this man is unhinged.
He does have our home phone number, he does have my name. We don't have any evidence to give the police and I'm not sure what they would do in the circumstances, other than provoke him. BUT I do want to stop him doing this again so I will think about it and talk to DH when he finally gets home.

That is precisely why you should involve the police. If anything did happen, the police will wonder why you didn't report the threats. Who knows, perhaps he's done this before and it's been reported but the police could do nothing without further evidence. Your report could result in the police being able to take action.

agree with Freckle. Call the cops - death threats are bloody serious especially as he called back, so he clearly wasn't just speaking in the heat of the moment.

plus he has the adress of your property!

sounds to me as though you should report it just in case.

address

Oh God I am so in a mess now about all this..

Talked to DH last night about what had happened. His feeling is that the guy is quite high up in the firm and that he'd been let down by the workers who were meant to do the job, so was venting his rage. DH said he'd said a lot of insulting stuff about 'people like you having a go at me' BEFORE DH lost his rag and swore at him and once DH had sworn that's when he REALLY went psycho on him with the death threats etc. At the moment DH is under a serious amount of work pressure - hasn't been home till the early hours the last few nights and he feels that if he did anything to provoke this man that the consequences could be serious eg setting fire to the property or something, whereas if he just sits on it all for now until he can think straight he'll make a better decision about what to do.

I WILL tell him some MNers think he should go to the police, but I'm also taking the advice of others who say I should stay out and let him deal with it.

Thanks for all your messgages x