Help!! Carpet fitter has just stormed out. AIBU?

[whenskiesaregrey]

Sorry for rambling state of this post, I am a bit upset about the way I have just been spoken to. Also, sorry for the length of the post, I just want to include all the detail.

I ordered some carpet last week to be fitted today. It is a local small carpet shop, not part of a chain. They offer a 'free fitting service', but you pay 75% of the price in the shop, and the remainder once fitted. I presume this is because they sub-contract out the fitting. In my case this was £150 in the shop, and £50 once fitted. I have bought carpet and fitting from this shop before, and the fitting service wasn't great, but they said they were using a different company that day, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered from them again. In the shop, I mentioned the problems I had had last time (punctuality, not taking old carpet away) and asked for reassurance that the service would be better this time. I was assured it would be.

Carpet was due to be delivered at 9am. At half past 9, no-one had turned up, so I rang the shop asking where they were. I was told they had has a couple of problems this morning and only had one fitter on instead of two, and they might be able to fit me in a 2pm today. I can't do that time as DS has a party 2-4pm, and I work Wed-Fri, so this morning really was the only time this week that was suitable. I explained to the man on the phone that I has problems last time, and was told it would be better this time. So he said he would move some things around, and fit me in about 10am this morning.

At 10, two men arrived to fit the carpet. In the bedroom, the furniture we had left in there was a double bed, a wardrobe, and chester of drawers and two little side units. We had been told in the shop not to worry about moving any furniture out of the room, that they would move it around the room to fit it. DH had taken the mirrored doors off the wardrobe to make it lighter to move, and we had moved all of the other usual bedroom stuff out of the room. The chest of drawers were half empty, just had underwear in them. The bed still had the bedding on it because I didn't think it would make any difference. The little side units did have things in them, but they really are very small, so I thought they be okay. I am 27+ weeks pregnant with PGP, so it is a bit difficult to move things around.

He went to the bedroom and looked around and sighed. The said, you're going to need to get those clothes out of that wardrobe. There wasn't very much in there because we are getting new wardrobes, so it was just a few things to keep us going until the new stuff arrived. I said I would move it, but it shouldn't make much different to the weight. He said if he tried to move the wardrobe, it would collapse, which I said wasn't true as we have just decorated, and have been moving the wardrobe around so we could get to the walls. But I still carried on moving the clothes. He then started opening the drawers in the chest of drawers, which have my underwear etc in. I said the drawers are almost empty, so the underwear shoudn't make any difference to the weight. He then picked up the small unit and dragged it around the room in a way that the drawers all fell forward and the unit nearly tipped up. I said to him that I would move it if he was going to move it like that, and moved the other unit out of the room. He then said 'look love, I'm doing you a favour here, I could leave you to move it by yourself if you want'. By the point, the other lad had turned the double bed up on to its side and was leaning against the window. I said to the first lad that I understood that he has obviously had a busy morning and he didn't have much patience, but I had been waiting for the delivery too. He said 'no patience?! I shouldn't even be here. I'm not staying here and taking this. Do you want me to go'. I said to him if he wanted to go, he should go, but it's his job to fit the carpet. He shouted to the other lad, 'right, we're off', stormed down the stairs and got in the van. The other lad looked a bit sheepish, and I said 'so is he just going to go, leaving the bed on its side and all the furniture like that'. I am quite obviously pregnant, and DS was playing downstairs and shouting to me, so it was obvious that I would not be able to move the furniture back. He said he would have a word with him, but once he had got in the van, they drove off. So the bedroom is left with the very heavy oak double bed on its side, a unit in the middle of the floor, and they left the door open as they stormed out.

I rang the shop and explained that I thought the fitter was very rude, and what was going to happen now. He said that they had done me a favour by moving the other appointments round to fit me in at 10am, and they were wasting time on the phone at the moment, and other appointments needed to be done. He then said it is in my best interest to be flexible with the delivery time, because I wont get my £150 deposit back, because they have ordered the carpet. I then tried to reiterate how rude the fitter had been to me. Apparently the fitter had told the lad in the shop that I refused to move anything out of the room, and that is why he left. Now, if the shop had explained to us to make sure wardrobes were empty, drawers were empty etc, then we would have done it. We told them when we ordered it it was for a bedroom, so you would know the type of furniture would be in there. But we were told that we did not need to get any furniture out of the room, the fitters would work around it.

Was I being unreasonable to the fitter? Is it true I can't get my money back on the carpet? I don't want that fitter back in the house, he really was so horrible to me. I understand he has obviously had a busy day, and I said that to him, but at the end of the day, that isn't my fault and he shouldn't take it out on me. I also don't like the suggestion from the shop that they are doing me a favour by re-arranging the delivery for me, when I have paid for a carpet and fitting, and that is what I expected.

I am pretty upset at the moment, which is probably all pregnancy hormones. I got a bit upset on the phone to the shop, so he said he would ring me back 'when I had calmed down'. So I am waiting for them to call back now. Where do I stand?

Thank you if you read this far!!

eurochick, that is not the OPs problem.

She asked the shop about the furniture. So her job should have been marked as a fitting with furniture. She did this no doubt because of her pregnancy and PGP and the difficulty in dismantling the wardrobe the bed.

It is not her fault that this info was not passed onto the fitters.

It is not her fault that they did not arrive at 9.00 nor telephone her to explain that they would be late.

It is not her fault that she had a birthday party that afternoon and so could not be accommodating for their botch up - by the way how come they told her they were down to one fitter but then turned up with two?

Once again, deep breath. They advertised a service which included fitting around furniture.
She had a good reason for wanting that service.
She double checked and made it clear that this is the service she was after.

Regardless of what other fitters do and regardless of what other posters would do. The OP is preggers and finding moving things difficult so she SPECIFICALLY asked for a service that would mean she did not have to move everything out of the room.

That service was not only NOT provided but she was made to feel like she was at fault, she is being made to feel so on this thread too and she neither has her carpet nor her money.

Yes, Takingiteasy. I agree.

But those of you with tradesmen DHs - surely they would all make sure that the customer was aware of the services included?

I bet some of you lot wouldnt offer a cup of tea to a workman either!

Takingiteasy
I think the OP said that there were only a few things hanging in the wardrobes.

The shop should really have made that clear. I would not have thought to empty wardrobes, tbh.

But working as a subcontractor you're picking up work from the shop, not direct from customers. Shops will promise the earth to get money and not communicate that.

'Oh you relax Mrs Brown, we'll take care of everything' cue DH turning up to fit a kitchen where Mrs Brown hasn't even done last nights dishes.

I recently had fitters in - I cleared the place, including old carpet & underlay and offered cups of tea, and even put the football on the telly quite loudly so they could listen.

Ah, so now it all boils down to not offering workmen a cup of tea either!

AmberLeaf, you are failing to look at this situation in its own rights. Now you are grasping onto straws in an effort to remain in the right.

That is crap, takingiteasy.

I have never ever offered a workman a cup of tea. It was not the Done Thing in Germany.

I did make coffee and buy croissants for our movers though.

well then the subcontractor should take issue with the shop - not the customer.

I pay my hard earned to expect a job well done and with good humour, if you're not up to that then civility at the very least.

In return you will get my sparkling wit and an awesome cup of tea or two and home made cake.

TheEternal - Really? How do you expect people to move things if they are full?

takingiteasy, did your partner ever blame the customer in that instance? Did he take out his frustration on the customer and storm off with the kitchen units they had paid for? Did he threaten to stand back and watch a pregnant woman haul heavy furniture out of a room despite assurances from the shop that she did not need to do that?

I understand what most of you are saying, but a mis communication between the shop and the fitters is not the fault of the OP nor should she suffer ill-treatment, rudeness and a complete lack of service because of it.

optimist that is presumably an additional packing service you paid for. And it means the furniture was empty before being moved. Basic furniture removals moves empty furniture.

What's crap?

I don't think it makes any difference what is the norm, or what others here would have expected. you were expressly told by the shop that you didn't need to move furniture. You explained about your gripes with the service last time and were assured this time things would be fine. In no manner was this delivery what you had been led to expect, and the fitter was rude and abrupt to you to boot.

TBH although this type of thing is hard when you are pg, I wouldn't 'use' that to raise the emotional stakes with the shop. I would just call, tell them their service has failed in every respect, and that you want a full refund, today, or you will be contacting trading standards. I'd also be nipping down to the shop Before that call to take a pic of the poster in the window, so you have some sort of proof that you had the rights to expect what you did, just in case they tell you to go stuff yourself.

oh there you have it OP - you didn't offer a cup of tea...he needed a pick me up to straighten his attitude out. basically you deserved the way you were spoken to because you didn't rush into the kitchen and make him a brew

amberleaf- I think most people would offer a cup of tea but not if the workman was acting like an obnoxious twat - there you draw the line I think

YANBU. It doesn't matter how badly your day is going you do not take it out on a customer. I completely agree if it was an issue they could have just said I'm sorry but we won't be able to fit with this much furniture still in the room you will need to have it removed and book another appointment for fitting once the room is clear at which point you could have highlighted to them that the shop actually advertises the removal of furniture as part of the fitting hence the reason it hasn't been moved at which point it would be down to them to have it out with the shop not you. I wouldn't have been happy with him looking whats in my drawers either its an invasion of privacy.

Personally I would speak to your bank first just in case they can help and claw the money back, if not I would then see about having the carpet delivered and paying an independent company fit it for you, I would tell the shop in no uncertain terms that they can waiver the £50 you owe as the total price included furniture removal and fitting which you have not had and that that is roughly what it will cost to get a private fitter in not to mention the inconvenience their actions have caused. If they do not agree I would then take a picture of the shop with the advertisement in it as evidence and complain to trading standards. Try and do all your correspondence with the shop in writing (by e-mail) if possible so you have a record (proof) of what has been said so that if it comes to getting trading standards involved then it is not just your word against theirs.

Good luck!

TheRubharb, no in that isntance he explained to the customer he needed an empty kitchen to rip it out and fit a new one unless she was happy for everything to be skipped. Pretty obvious to me, but not to some it seems. So rather than lose the job and contract with the kitchen supplier he helped her pack up and made sure a couple of hours went on her bill.

TheRhubarb To me its about what your attitude towards workmen/tradesman is, thats why I mentioned the tea.

She expressly chose that shop because they provided that service. She did this because she is pregnant with PGP and no doubt felt that such a service would be ideal so that they did not have to empty the bedroom. She told the shop that this was the service she wanted. She booked a time that she could make and this was agreed.

They have failed on all counts. Her being pregnant does have a lot to do with it because it's why she chose that service. Because it relates to how rude the man was when he said he would watch her move the stuff out herself. Because it relates to how they felt the bed up on its side without knowing if she had someone who could put it back for her.

Rhubarb I didn't say anythign about dismantling the wardrobe and bed. I said it was common sense that they should have been emptied. Yes, the OP is preggers but presumably her partner is not.

We had our house painted inside last year and spent each evening after work and morning before work emptying furniture or moving it to the middle of the room so the decs could work. It's not rocket science that a carpet fitter needs to access the floor and a painter needs to access the walls!

I said in my first post on here that the fitters should not have spoken to her like that. The best thing they could have done was unloaded her carpet and gone off to do another job whilst asking her to remove the bedclothes and empty the cupboards and drawers in the meantime.

:o sorry, Takingiteasy. Just read that back and it looks incredibly rude.

That Mrs Brown hadn't done her dishes - that was crap. That the shops tell their customers anything to get the deal and your DH has to deal with it.

Sorry.

It would not have occurred to me to empty the wardrobe, but obviously if I were reminded to do so then I would have. You have to assume that this might be the first time that the customer has had something done, and might not realise that the wardrobe should be empty.

And, yes. That packing was an extra service.

AmberLeaf - sure. Because I am reasonably explaining why the OP is in the right and THIS particular tradesman is not, therefore I am a witch who discriminates against ALL tradesmen.

Go on, I'd love to hear more remarks about how you view me!

You're are taking it a bit too far and my post re tea was not addressed to you anyway!