Getting anything done at the present appears to be impossible ..
We wanted to have some work done in the garden, just a concrete base ... So we get out the yellow pages and the local paper .... lots of calls eventually one of the local "big boys" of building turns up in response to a call I made in response to a small ad in the local paper.
The price quoted at best "outrageous" but then I expect he didn't need the work and if we were really desperate it was good money for him. But it represented half a months take home pay for me...
Nobody else came near or by to even quote for the work... eventually a friends husband did the job .. he is a landscape gardener, it took him and his mate a (short) day to complete (for about a weeks worth of my pay ... ) and he did a very good job.
Painters and Decorators ... I eventually ambushed one working on a house down the road, at the 3rd time of asking we got a quote the work was done after chasing around for a couple of weeks. It looks like a good job on part 1 of the project ... part 2 (inside the conservatory) was abandoned.. "we'll come back & do it later" and a quote given for a 3rd part (the hall and landing) was silly ... another "don't need the work"? Part 2 ... never got done ..... even when we said yes to the silly quote for part 3 they never got back to us!!
The Kitchen we went to one of the biggies direct for this "Moben"
Claims I would query (they might even be false claims but no court has ever reached that opinion yet)
"we will project manage it all for you"
"about a week"
"if you pay it off straight away you only pay one months interest on this credit scheme"
"finished to the highest standards"
Project Manage... well we did find the name of our project manager when she signed the "now you are happy with you kitchen" letter. Otherwise if we hadn't chased and harried there would be not tiles on the walls. One of the plug sockets would be upside down. Chasing was a real nightmare too, our "on hand" project manager had no direct dial number, was always busy and was only not available (if you got through) between 9 and 5 when of course we couldn't hang around on the phone.
About a Week ..... delivery in late June, start work (the day after we came back from holiday) had to be week 2 of July ... the tiles were eventually stuck on the wall first week in September!
Credit Scheme ... get a better price ... only pay one months interest and pay it off .. sounds good... They took the payment on delivery. It cost to set up the loan.. "Set Up Fee" and it cost to redeem the loan "Redemption Fee" yeah only one months interest .... But the real con here is ... you lose the leverage of not paying until you are happy because they have the money up front!!
Finished to the highest standards ... to be frank it is a lie!
- The doors do not close properly
- Plug sockets upside down
- Grouting that leaves gaps and cracked in several places
- Ovens that are so slow to heat up (sometimes) it would be quicker to rub sticks together to start a fire, build a camp oven and cook in that!
The trouble is because of the chaos caused by having an incomplete kitchen for over 2 months we lost the complaint form and the will to live (taking days off for the tiler who never came) and allowed a statement to go unchallenged in telephone call from Moben and all of a sudden we are happy.
Dear Moben we are far from happy.......
Do you run a business?
Do you want to win friends and influence people?
Do you want people to tell their friends how easy it was to deal with you?
Here are Ted's Hints
- If you are not interested in the job say so.
- If you want a happy customer tell them who to talk to ....People like people!
- Give them a direct dial number, remember most people have deals that mean phoning 01..... numbers are free or cheaper than 08 ... and mobiles charge for even 0800!
- Employ phone people 10:30 to 18:30 to be around outside the 9-5.
- Keep to time... you charge by the hour ... my time costs by the hour too. Currently I am charged out by the "firm" at £150 ph...... That is why I am not doing it myself!
- If you can't deliver ... be honest and ask the customer how they would like to move forward. Most will want you to be the solution because they trust you now!