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I’ve just managed to escape from a job where things got from “Oh lovely you’ve come to fix the dishwasher, madam will be pleased!” ………to “I must say I’m terribly peeved about this whole thing and I shall be contacting my lawyer immediately!”
Picture the scene….. Chuffing great big house, 3 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools..massive kitchen, AGA, island units, induction hobs, huge Whirlpool F/Freezer and (unfortunately for someone :rolls: )2 built-in Neff dishwashers (side by side) standing 2 feet off the ground atop bespoke hand made drawer units. 😯First problem : no access to isolation switch?
Second problem: No access to water supply or drain couplings?
Third problem: No-one to help lift the machines onto the deck?
Fourth problem: Too risky doing problem 3 lest the water was turned off!After hasty and heated phone calls between the housekeeper and madam (who was in her studio in London at the time apparently?) She (the housekeeper) was able to show me a blue-print drawing left by the kitchen fitters of the access points to both machines. 😀
Fifth problem: the drawings showed the mains outlet supply was behind the left hand cupboard and the drain and inlet couplings directly behind the sink unit. that in turn led to ….
Sixth problem: Bespoke cupboard and sink units have fixed oak false back panels with no cutouts (=no way in), so that led neatly to the point where the shoosh hit the fan…
Seventh problem: I stated that I cannot repair said appliances and insisted the bespoke kitchen company return and take the dishwashers out so that I then can repair them. All hell then appeared to break loose around me, the gardener turned up, the guy that was doing maintenance to one of the swimming pools was dragged in to make up the numbers nicely. The kitchen was a hive of inactivity and confusion by which time I dealt the killer blow…….
Eighth problem: Close examination of the bespoke kitchen proved without doubt that the Italian marble worktop would need removing before the cupboards could be. 😕 (I did suggest someone hack the backs off the units with a jigsaw, but no-one seemed willing for some reason? 😆 )
Phone calls got more intense, I sat on my toolbox during most of it humming that good old ditty “Right said Fred!”
Finally I was called to the phone to speak with madam, she was a little hysterical by this time and it was difficult to get a word in edgeways. But I finally convinced her that it was best she take up the problem with the bespoke kitchen company and be sure to call me again in future after the dust has settled on her problem…… 8)
Oh I was so so tempted to take pictures of the scene, but it was all I could do to contain my amusement and keep tongue firmly in cheek all the while!
Oh how the rich live eh? :rotl:Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND why you could not do this small task for MADAM
if it had been me i would have happily demolished her kitchen only to rebuild it with love care and attention then as i left i would have swept the gravel back into place and mown her lawni would also have gone back that night and egged her house
oh to live the dream😈
when do you have to go back?
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
deltra wrote:did you charge madam ❓ 😈 after all,time is money ❗
Sweet cheeses no! It’s not the first time I’ve come across problems like this and I’ve learnt from experience not to put anything in writing when folks start talking about lawyers and suing. :rolls:
I’m sure the dust will settle on this one and I will no doubt return and charge an appropriate fee in the fullness of time. 😉
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
This problem (it appears?) has transcended from logic to farce. I appear to be regarded by both parties rather as the mediator rather than the bloke that is simply trying to fix this flippin’ dishwasher. 😈
Firstly the customer has asked that I put in writing to her exactly what the problem is in this case? Bit of a Mexican stand-off has developed since that request as I have only given verbal advice and refuse to be drawn on supplying written condemnations of anything or anyone?
Now (since then) the bespoke kitchen firm has come forward (darned if I didn’t suspect as much as to who they were – not surprised at all now I know 😉 ). They steadfastly deny their installation is at fault and refuse to assist in the removal of the dishwasher. They claim that they have spoken to Neff and Neff say the machine can be repaired (quote) “in-situ”.
That statement was all I needed to hear on the matter because I can now wash my hands of the whole affair without conscience, fear or favour. By simply suggesting they contact Neff and let them sort it then…..? :rotfl:
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
The XML scrolling thingy eat my previous post for some reason (hungry for news I expect?).technology eh?….. :rolls:
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
They claim that they have spoken to Neff and Neff say the machine can be repaired (quote) “in-situ”.
Bollox, to put it bluntly.
I have walked on many of these bespoke jobs, for the exact same reason. And I know for a fact my ASM would back me up on it. We are there to repair a faulty appliance, NOT dismantle a no doubt highly expensive kitchen. Which if damaged the claim will go in faster than Concorde.
As usual it’s the kitchen company not thinking about repairs that may be required in the future.
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
My guys are instructed the same when it comes to unconventional installations. If all is as per specification, then we carry on, but if there is a risk of peripheral damage then all is pointed out to the consumer, and we benefit by an easy access when calling back, and life will be easier next time.
A classic is a siliconed hob, they won’t even attempt it in case the laminate of the worktop peels or splits. Or grouted in hoods, which they all are, but if we remove and fail to “make good” then we tend to get issues.
If the product is installed correctly, then no problem, we sort it.
Alex
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
How about this one 😉
I recieve a call to repair a built in DW,when I arrive the owner says “I have tried to get it out myself but there seems to a problem with the floor”he wasn’t kidding, the kitchen fitters (loosly phrased)had laid ceramic floor tiles after the units had been fitted over an inch up the plinth.
Then he finds that the kitchen company has done a bunk 😆Anyway we got the repair done several weeks later after he had hacked the floor up 😆 plus extra charge for the wasted visit 😈
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
My favourite this week – Went out to a built in fridge freezer in a caravan. Customer had been forewarned of the visit but when I arrived had left instructions that access was not to be granted without him being there. Caravan site manager asked when we would return and was told “not sure since we can’t get access” Having a bit of sense he let me in and once the appliance was powered up it was apparent that the fridge compressor was stuffed. I left a message with the manager and was contacted later by the customer who stated “I was a manager with John Lewis group in white goods area and we have never had a compressor fail in such as short time (three months) I do not agree with your findings.
He was referred back to the supplier and low and behold we receive a message saying that he would be back down in six months and we could change it then. Two days later we were requested to go back and change the pot. Contact was made and a time arranged, during which the customer indicated that he would pay the labour charge on completion, with the proviso that he was satisfied with the repair and no damage was caused to his caravan. At this point I got abit peed-off and told the customer that we would arrange that afternoon to carry out the repair but would require the unit to be food free and out of its enclosure. As expected he went up like a bottle of pop, stating that he would not remove the unit – it gave me great pleasure in turning up, giving the customer the boxed compressor and indicating that the five year guarantee only covered parts and as such our responsibility was discharged. If you could bottle the look you wouldn’t need nuclear power !Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
i delivered a machine about 6 months back, the customer paid us to connect it for him when we got to the house and wheeled in the machine,
into his lovely new fitted kitchen tiled floors walls really nice i even commented on the fact, i asked where the machine was going and he pointed to a gap near his wall.
oh dear
the smart arse kitchen fitters had made a few gaffs
gaff 1 placing the washing machine taps first then plastering so that the taps were half buried in the wall plaster
gaff 2 placing a woodem plinth under the worktop about 2 inches deep
gaff 3 and this is the good one, making a gap barely wide enough for the washer to fit into, and then tiling with the chunkiest tiles all the way back to the wall.
i explained to the customer that i could not plumb it in for him, he did his nut at me 😯 and said he had paid me for connection,i offered to refund the connection charge eventually i made him understand i am not a kitchen fitter plasterer or a tiler and that the problem lies with the kitchen fitters.
about 2 weeks later he called me back to connect it,he explained that it had taken many phone calls but it was now ready
fix 1 the taps were now at an angle pointing an inch out from the wall so the machine would not push back flush
fix 2 the wooden plinth had been removed hence the worktop was loose(the man ended up using a bit of wood on top of his washer to prop it up 😡 )
fix 3 the tiles and half the plaster had been lovingly removed with a hammer ruining half his wall he also informed me that the kitchen fitters blamed everyone on earth for the problems without admiting fault and also would not be coming back to repair his tiles.
the customer has now given in and puts up with it.oh joy oh joy oh joy ilove 😈 plumbers and kitchen fitters
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
DDSDDS wrote:
the customer has now given in and puts up with it.This is how these companies get away with it, unfortnatley most people give in to easy or can’t be bothered 🙁 Is it the British way?
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
hi is there any tips or tricks getting these appliances out of the kitchen units as i went to repair a intergrated dishwasher for a start the taps and waste pipe were behind the back wall of the sink unit when i got that removed and turned off and removed then tried to remove the dish washer it would only come out so far then the back legs would catch on the tiles then when you ajusted the front legs to get clearance it would jam against the work top what a night mare 😡 fasetester
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
Hi All,
We all seem to get the same problem with fitted kitchens. My answer is if I have ANY probs getting a machine out or removing covers so that I can work on it. I kindly tell the customer to arrange for its removal and to give me a call once this has been done. This can take from a few days to months.
Bill Ellis :scot:
Re: Bespoke kitchen ding dong!
thanks for the reply bill the intergrated appliances are a total nightmare the house holder think you can take the kitchen apart and re build it and the say its no good to me like that and the tilers just tile about half way in under the appliance you know your self the problums 😡 fase tester
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