Advice sought regarding a work situation

[Paul the 6th]

Special moan just went there!

[rowdy]

I have offered to rectify it.

Trouble is I expect no matter how good I get the job done he will not be happy.

[rowdy]

I have also told him to google the shed reviews but he has found good reviews obviously (for the company that make the shed, but most are for other products!), so that doesn't really wash with him.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by rowdy

Trouble is I expect no matter how good I get the job done he will not be happy.

Then call it quits now.

I've never run my own business, but I have had customers like this who bought services from the companies I worked for. They were never ever ever ever happy no matter what you did or what you said.

Sometimes we would have saved alot of time and money if we had just given them a refund in the first place, rather than ploughing time and more money in trying to make them happy.

How much money does this person owe you and how likely do you think it is, that he will pay your bill at the end of the day.

[dirtydog]

In the 6 years or so that I've been working as a handyman/plumber I've never had someone refuse to pay so I don't know what I'd do tbh.

Generally I will supply the materials that I need, if the customer wants to get there own stuff I'll point them in the direction of shops or websites that I know sell decent quality stuff. I did a job not so long ago and the taps the customer had bought were terrible quality, they felt more like plastic than brass, they were really really bad. I pointed this out to the customer but he still wanted them fitted. So I fitted them but with no guarantee on them.
Doesn't help you much now but might do in the future.

As for your situation now, if it was me I would print out the reviews of the shed he bought and show him. I would offer to try and make a good shed out of the bad one, but only on the proviso he pays for the extra materials. If you think he's not going to pay either way then just walk away and chalk it up as a job gone bad

I haven't read all the replies so sorry if this has been mentioned already.

I've done a few bits for other folk and If I don't source the materials then I make sure I tell them where to get them from. Might be helpful in future to do the same, even if it means you take them down to selco so they simply see the options. I know what its like though, folk don't like been told what something costs they much prefer to see it themselves even if as it often does its costs them more than it would had they bought through you.

A shed base should generally be bigger than the shed its taking, 50-100mm is fair enough.

When you ID'd the issue with the shed you should have called him and explained the likelyhood of it been a poor finish then checked he wanted you to continue. If he did and you did but he wasn't happy then tough **** to him.

What I'd be doing now though is weighing up what he owes against what it'll cost for you to resolve it.
If he owes £500 bit you can fix it for £100 then IMO fix it and waive the £100 on the understanding he pays the £500 upfeont, mutter some BS about that invoice been due and you need to balance the books/pay suppliers but basically if he doesn't pay it you can't sort it.
If on the other hand you're currently square then I would look at trimming down the battern on your base to make that good then shake hands and tell him "congrats I'm not even going to contest the shed feel free to never ask me to work for you again". Then report him on EVERY handyman forum/site etc to warn others he's a mugging moaner.

Unfortunatly some folk do know that if they make it hard enough for you then you will just walk away. Ascertain if you've got a chance of getting what you're owed, then question if he ever had an intention of paying anything.

Hope that's of some help/ inspiration - learn from it and move on.

[Nobbylad]

But him a penis enlarger and let him have it for free

Originally Posted by Nobbylad

But him a penis enlarger and let him have it for free

want to build fallout a shed nobby?

Contractually speaking he wouldn't have a leg to stand on if he hasn't paid you for the work done, and you've done what was requested of you.

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by rowdy

anyone that has their name in fancy writing on there number plaque on there house is a bit suspect right?

And the fact he couldn't even put up a flatpack shed. He still cries into his pillow every night over the memories of being bullied.... at boarding school.