Bit of a predicament...

[stressed out]

Ok, here goes... I need a new radiator fitted in kitchen, engineer turned up today, (was booked for today but they never gave me a time, just turned up!) Anyway, as i was a bit peed off that he had to move loads of things, including my dog and her bed from the hallway, even though that's NOT where the radiator will be fitted, i sort of got into a dispute with him about moving things about and that i would have liked to have been warned first, so i could be prepared, without a dog and toddler running about.(in a flat). Anyway, he started going on about how he rung the bell earlier ( about 30 mins before), and said to me that i could'nt be bothered to answer the door and that i called him back when i felt like it!!! Obviously he got my back up here so i threw a few expletives at him and explained that it's not that i could'nt be bothered but that i could'nt get to the door. (My son is hyperactive and does'nt sleep till 4/5am! so obviously i'm tired to get up!) So he proceeded to get his apprentice to pack up and in a huff they took thir tools etc and left... I rung the receptionist at the firm and she told me that he was the boss,(the one i had a row with), so i started to explain that maybe i'd been a bit hasty and that i was stressed out so she said she would have a word with him and maybe he would come back another day to do the job... during the conversation she became shirty with me and said that she did'nt want to retaliate so that she would hang the phone!...

Anyway this whole episode has left me a bit peeved now, especially after the personal comment the engineer made about me not been 'bothered', and i wonder what i should do from here?... Thanks

[B00]

Is it too stupid a point to make to just forget using this firm and go with another company?

It may also be wise to maybe bite your tongue a little bit with the next engineer? Yes I know its hard when all Hell appears to be breaking loose, but if you want the job done............

Good luck :-)

[stressed out]

I can't really choose the firm as it's up to my landlord who he uses, the last company was useless. And contacting my landlord is like contacting Ghandi!

Thats why i posted this...

[B00]

Ahhh right gotcha. sorry then, i'm out of ideas. Only thing I can think of is try to contact your landlord and plead your case and maybe suggest he use a different company?

[Whickerman]

Ok - here goes... going to do my UN bit here and try show you the other side of this argument.

I appreciate that you have personal problems with the child etc, but they aren't the plumbers fault. If he's working for a firm he'll be given his jobs at the start of the day, and will have had no knowledge of or input into the arrangements made re his arriving. He arrives at your door and finds that you aren't answering - he will have reported this and be told to go to the next job, but luckily you got hold of him first.

So he gets there, and you need the radiator fitted. Unfortunately for all concerned, all radiators need to be connected to the plumbing, so he has to move your dog and some furniture, which you get annoyed at, and had a dispute with him over. He's just doing his job and gets fed up and leaves, returning to base to talk to his boss.

The secretary answering your call gets to hear the whole story, even though she hasn't the remotest input into solving your problem - you should have spoken to the boss, not her - and she gets exhasperated trying to deal with you.

Sound very different from what happened? Probably not from his point of view. I'm not siding with him, just trying to point out the other pov. So - what to do next? Call the company, reschedule, be ready for him at 8am, don't lose it when he gets there, move all furniture over pipework, and don't forget he'll probably need to dig out floors for the pipes!

[stressed out]

Fair enough Whickerman and point made, i guess i would have liked to be prepared, i understand it's a big job therefore i should have been warned that i needed to move things about and i would have done it the night before... Actually, i would'nt have been able to speak to the boss as... He was the boss! oops... So, i just have to see if he'll be willing to come back and do the job, the receptionist did say that she could send someone else but that he was the best person for such job.

I know i have to learn to bite my lip at times but i was flustered plus i really got infuriated by the comment he made about me not been 'bothered'. When that was not the case and they should'nt speak to a client like that.

[joko]

firstly, did you ignore the doorbell because, as you have said, your boy kept you up half the night?
because if you did then yes he is right, it was because you couldn't be bothered.
you may have had a good reason for not wanting to get out of bed but its is still not bothering.

if you simply didn't hear it because you were asleep then thats different.

secondly, they haven't seen your house, so how can they tell you what needs moving?
they don't know where the pipes are anymore than you do until they arrive and look, nor do they know what stuff will be in the way.

i think if the even the secretary got shirty and went so far as to put the phone down on you, you must have been giving her some reason, and if a workman actually leaves a house midway through a job, therefore losing money, then you must have been speaking to him quite badly.

i agree you must mind your manners and try to see that just because you are stressed, doesn't mean you can take it out on everyone else.

i really don't see how moving a dog bed is such a big deal either.

[spinchimp]

Learn to treat people with more respect.