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I am always careful when pulling and returning appliances to undercounter locations. However this time a very thick and spongy vinyl got caught when pushing the appliance back into place. As usual the vinyl was only laid to just passed the front feet on the appliance.
The customers Father was not too impressed, and I am expecting the customer to contact me when she gets home from work tonight.
How do you all guard against this happening and if it does what do you do?
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
We issue sliders to all engineers (Hoover part number 682549). We are good at showing these to the customer, and then explain that if we fit them to the rear feet, there is no way we can retrieve them, but very good peventitive measure, and there ready in case has to come out again. Surprising how many we sell on the strength of that.
No point in telling you at this stage how to avoid what has already happened. May mean you need to put your hand in your pocket. If customer comes back, ask for 2 quotes on headed paper; when received pick the supplier fitter you wish to use, and arrange the replacement yourself and pay the fitter. You may get a discount. Do not pay the customer as they will probably pocket the money, then point out the damage to everyone who enters their kitchen. Also do not offer a sum in compensation, they will see you are admitting liability, and leave yourself wide open.
If at any stage you feel you are being taken for a ride, where you know you did not cause damage, tell the customer to go through their insurance, and supply your insurance details. Their insurance will liaise with yours just the same as a car crash. Tell your insurer/broker what is going on and deny it through them.
Best of luck.
Alex
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
trusted wrote:
How do you all guard against this happening
One thing I do if the floor is covered in the type of vinyl you mention, the one that rips if you look at it to hard, ask them if they have any furniture polish, Mr Sheen, Pledge etc and liberally spray the floor in line with the feet before you slide it back.
Jim.Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
I found trouble with furniture polish is that it leaves the floor extremely slippery, an accident waiting to happen.
On lino, wooden or tiled floors the glisdomes are excellent.
Or a cheaper option, some good old fashioned washing up liquid, or conditioner even, does the job.
As there is still some cusion flooring out there, as in this case, on going it might be prudent to invest in some plastic/perspex sheeting which can be placed under the appliance front feet to pull out on to. If the flooring goes all the way under the worktop/unit then a piece the size of the appliance footprint can be left in-situ and the appliance pushed back onto. Again, a possible little earner.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
I use teflon coated sliders available from B&Q and similar. They are rubber on the top and shiny on the bottom. I have two sets, one that are flat and one that are like cups where the feet can rest inside. Once under the front feet I slide the machine out but as soon as possible (and height restrictions from work tops allowing) I tip the machine forward raising the back legs over the flooring.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
But how do you get them out when you have pushed the machine back?
It is often the back feet that rip the covering as you try to slide it back.PS. I always wipe the floor carefully after using Mr Sheen. 🙂
To slide out, a thin rubber backed door mat is quite useful, rubber side upwards of course.
Jim.Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
I just lift the machine up the few millimetres necessary to pull them back out or retrieve them before the final push home when it’s mostly back in situ anyway. The cupped ones can only be used if the machine is able to be lifted up at the front about an inch or so. If not, the flat ones are only about 5 mm thick so I use them.
If the machine is so tight that it can’t be lifted up even a few mm at the front then I’d advise the customer that this machine can’t be pulled out without the risk of some floor damage. I point out that whoever tries to get it out could damage it and if they don’t want to try it, I can as long as it’s understood that I will try my utmost not to damage anything but if it occurs it’s not my fault.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
I’ve been doing this many years and find the easiest thing is to ask the customer for a cloth and use (fairy) soapy water to wet the floor with.
You can do this while explaining the pit falls of moving an appliance on said flooring and while your taking every care not to damage it, with their permission you will attemp it only if they agree that you will except no liability. (Put it in writing on the job sheet)
Luckily I’ve not ripped one since using thick soapy water and you also avoid a claim if the customer slips a breaks her neck on the polished floor if you try mr sheen!
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
The Hoover part number I suggested, Glisdomes and the Magic Sliders from B&Q are all the same thing.
As I said earlier, we offer to put some on the rear feet to eliminate damage now and in the future, should the customer wish to purchase them. Most times they pay up happily knowing there wont be an issue in the future. If not, Pledge is the best option of the lot.
Alex
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
Honeywood wrote:
Luckily I’ve not ripped one since using thick soapy water and you also avoid a claim if the customer slips a breaks her neck on the polished floor if you try mr sheen!
You only need to spray under the work top so the customer is unlikely to slip on that. Whilst the machine is in the middle of the floor my thin rubber backed floor mat allows me to slide the machine about about with impunity. I can also tilt the machine on its lower edges without damaging the floor as well. 🙂
You need a mat just a little larger than the machine.Jim.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
When I worked for the Whirlpool agent we had “sledges” with the Aerial brand name on them. Basically it was a triangular shaped piece of plastic (folded in the middle for packing), Lift the front up, slide the sledge under until touching the back feet, then tilt machine forward slightly and push sledge under rear feet. Once the rear feet were on the sledge you lifted the front again and pulled the sledge using it’s handle, machine then slid out easily with no damage. Putting it back was just as easy.
With BG, we have a large piece of perspex that we lift the front onto, then drag the machine onto it. Not as good as the sledge but works ok.Brian
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
I have always used the customer’s doormat – the low-pile variety usually bought at B&Q for about 5 quid. (and strangely enough, usually brown and reeded pile with rounded corners!!) Any mat, even the bath mat will do. (I also carry 2 spares on the van just in case).
Turn the mat pile side down, tip the machine back slightly (third of an inch is enough) kick the mat under the front feet and let the machine down on it. Open the door and pull the machine out whilst leaning it slightly forwards – hey presto, slides out easy!! It also serves to lift the machine back feet clear of that pesky lip of lino that the floor fitter couldn’t be a*sed to glue down.
Once the machine is clear of the cupboards, I move the mat to the back feet before I lean the machine back. I have my second mat ready when the machine is returned to the floor.
No damage, no pressure marks, no hassle, very little effort. I move washers, dishwashers, fridge-freezers, cookers across floors with virtually no risk of damage. Even built in ovens get set down on my 2 upturned doormats. 😉
With this method, and a little care, I’ve never torn a floor in 23 years. I’d rather buy the customer a new doormat than a complete kitchen floor!! Fairy is the favourite lubricant for sliding the machine back into its position; but the front feet remain on the mat until the machine is 99{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} home.Sorry about your predicament, Trusted, but hopefully this could help others to avoid the same fate.
Cheers,
Steve.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
My trusty dowling never lets me down when putting them back just rolls back nicely, also does the job when pulling them out.
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
johnnyj wrote:My trusty dowling never lets me down when putting them back just rolls back nicely, also does the job when pulling them out.
Okay, I give in. What’s a dowling?
Re: I ripped their floor vinyl.
Try cutting the shaft of a broom handle about 600mm or buy a bit dowling slightly thicker from a hardware store fit a piece of string to it, lift front of machine slip it under and roll machine out when putting it back use the string to retrieve it, doesnt work on machines jammed right under work top but works okay on most.
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