£10 to repair a wahing machine !!!!!!!!!!!

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  • #9676
    Electricmalc
    Participant

    This is the first complaint about charges I have received in the 11 years I have been working for myself.
    I usually charge £32 inc plus parts to do a job. I do make a few exceptions, like timer on oven set for automatic etc.

    New customer rang to say Hotpoint 95 series washing machine dead, he had checked the fuse.

    Attended next day, job only about 1.5 miles away, on a mobile home park.
    Usual thing can’t park, only in car park. So toolbox in hand and a few spare parts in pocket, found number 25.

    Easy job, door not shut properly. But also noticed that timer knob comes off when pulled to start machine, suggested I fit new part while I was there, back to the van for a pattern one.

    As it was a quick job, only charged £20 plus the timer knob £5.00

    So I was niffed to say the least, when I received this letter !!!.
    ………………………………………………………………………..

    Dear Sir

    Thank you for sending receipt of £25. I would say that had I known you charge £20 for call out, I wasn’t given this information when you were recommended.
    There are plenty of washing machine engineers who do not charge for call out. If I had known I would have phoned round. This Mr ………. On the mobile home park never mentioned this fact to me.

    I would say that’s the easiest £20 you have made from a pensioner in recent months, from a mistake on my part.

    Thank you for fitting new dial, used it since ok.
    If I am sounding sour grapes, I’m sorry, but to me at my age 84, £20 is £20.

    Would you consider reimbursing me with £10. I know business is business but I thought you might give a thought to my situation.

    If you wish to reply, I would be grateful with your opinion on this matter.

    Yours sincerely

    Mr………

    …………………………………………………………………………..

    What a B….DY cheek, what can I say!!!!. What year is he living in???

    I am on several neibourhood watch lists, the help and care, police protection panel, and trading standards lists, as being a decent trader, but he expects me to do a call for £10.

    Malc

    #135190
    Alex
    Participant

    Re: £10 to repair a wahing machine !!!!!!!!!!!

    Electricmalc wrote:

    What a B….DY cheek, what can I say!!!!. What year is he living in???

    Malc

    At that age, probably his last.

    I recall once where a customer brought into us a wet & dry cleaner. The fault was due to the pump airlocking, and we cleared the air lock whilst he went up town shopping. At the same time we looked in the base and gave it a bit of a clean over, as well as ensuring all was well.

    We charged £10 + vat. He came back an hour later and picked up the cleaner and paid honey sweet. An little while later he phoned up telling us he was cancelling the cheque. Reason being; it stated in his instruction book that should the machine develop certain symptoms, there may be an air lock. The booklet then goes on to advise, follow this procedure etc. etc. He felt that we should have pointed this out to him at the time he passed the product over the counter for repair, and we in effect had “ripped him off”. I told him that his bank would charge him £12 + for the privilege of cancelling the payment, and; Sir, get stuffed!! Needless to say I heard no more.

    He was an ex school teacher of mine, and I’d waited over 30 years to tell him that. The pleasure was worth the loss of that customer I can tell you, as he made it quite clear during my school years I was going nowhere.

    Who said he was right? Come on, someone did, I heard it!!

    Alex.

    #135191
    kwatt
    Keymaster

    As we would say…

    Was that £10 in auld money? 😉

    K.

    #135192
    BSH-MAN
    Participant

    Re: £10 to repair a wahing machine !!!!!!!!!!!

    Did he offer to pay in Groats ? :clown:

    #135193
    kwatt
    Keymaster

    Re: £10 to repair a wahing machine !!!!!!!!!!!

    Alex wrote:Who said he was right? Come on, someone did, I heard it!!

    Now Alex, would we ever cast aspirations on your character?! :rotl:

    K.

    #135194
    Penguin45
    Participant

    Re: £10 to repair a wahing machine !!!!!!!!!!!

    Malc,
    I have to ask, why was your customer unaware of your charges before you turned out? This situation wouldn’t have arisen with my business as the customer is fully informed before I attend. Should I show a bit of mercy and knock a bit off for being an OAP, the customer is very pleased.

    Don’t want to appear negative about it, but I suspect you’ve rather walked into this one.

    Cheers,
    Chris.

    #135195
    alexa
    Participant

    You guys seem to do fixed price labour calls.
    We give estimates but the customer is charged what the job costs, not what the best case scenario is, as sometimes jobs require additional work and recovering that additional labour is difficult if a fixed labour price is quoted.
    Out of town calls are charged a mileage (it’s not my fault they live out of town)
    Also you seem to return to complete jobs at no additional charge
    Here a call out of $A60 plus $A10 per 5 minutes plus parts plus tax
    Put your rates on a contract or on your invoice or as in the url below

    http://www.appliance.asn.au/Facts.html

    It seems to me that today customers wants to blame someone else for their predicament and I refuse to feel guilty.

    Any response should put the guilt back on them by quoting costs, taxes, if they had done their research, if they had…. etc etc etc

    And of course there’s the “why didn’t you say that in your ad” “why didn’t the operator tell me”

    If we had to say all the things we do and don’t do there would be no time for working.

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