Me vs. the customer

[Mr. Wizard]

Did a service upgrade today. Everything went smooth, passed inspection. While waiting on POCO I ohmed my circuits, all ok. Panel gets energized, I turn on the main, then branch circuits one by one, all ok. Homeowner comes out and says her TV isn't coming on. I go in and verify there is 120 on the recep. A cable box is plugged into the same outlet, and it's on. She, after a rant, tells me I fried her TV. She then takes the TV to the local barbershop/cd retailer/TV repair shop, and comes back 20 minutes later with the diagnosis of "there was no ground on the TV when the power was restored, so it fried the TV." Huh? If her TV (built in the late 90's, and by the homeowners own account, stays on 24 hours a day) would have fried, then the cable box and anything else on that circuit would have went up in smoke too. I remained very polite and cordial to her, but I feel she's going to run this one in the ground. What would be my recourse, or how could this best be handled? Thanks

 

[zbang]

"there was no ground on the TV when the power was restored, so it fried the TV."

Ask her to show you the ground pin on the TV's power cord.

(z suspects that the TV didn't work before, but most of have already thought of that.)

 

[nakulak]

buy her a new tv.

in the future, tell homeowner to unplug all electronics prior to you getting to the job, add disclaimer to your proposal indicating this..

 

[mivey]

I would have to have a talk with the repair shop and have them explain it to me in front of the customer. I would feel sorry for the repair shop if they repeated the same story then.

I'm not so sure you got the full story from the repair shop.

 

[Mr. Wizard]

buy her a new tv.

in the future, tell homeowner to unplug all electronics prior to you getting to the job, add disclaimer to your proposal indicating this..

And I would do that in a heartbeat if she (or someone) could explain how it could have happened

 

[Power Tech]

Did a service upgrade today. Everything went smooth, passed inspection. While waiting on POCO I ohmed my circuits, all ok. Panel gets energized, I turn on the main, then branch circuits one by one, all ok. Homeowner comes out and says her TV isn't coming on. I go in and verify there is 120 on the recep. A cable box is plugged into the same outlet, and it's on. She, after a rant, tells me I fried her TV. She then takes the TV to the local barbershop/cd retailer/TV repair shop, and comes back 20 minutes later with the diagnosis of "there was no ground on the TV when the power was restored, so it fried the TV." Huh? If her TV (built in the late 90's, and by the homeowners own account, stays on 24 hours a day) would have fried, then the cable box and anything else on that circuit would have went up in smoke too. I remained very polite and cordial to her, but I feel she's going to run this one in the ground. What would be my recourse, or how could this best be handled? Thanks

Measure it and go to Walmart and buy her a TV. Obviously, by the actions you described this is staged (she's a liar). Your out $150, that will seem inexpensive if you take the battle road. Been through it -- You will not win. Proceed with great caution. And, get the check!

 

[jaylectricity]

She then takes the TV to the local barbershop

I haven't read the whole thread yet...I just wanted to tell you that I laughed at that joke.

 

[Power Tech]

I would have to have a talk with the repair shop and have them explain it to me in front of the customer. I would feel sorry for the repair shop if they repeated the same story then.

I'm not so sure you got the full story from the repair shop.

There 's no repair shop.

Call her bluff. I dare you.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

And I would do that in a heartbeat if she (or someone) could explain how it could have happened

If this is a MWBC, and you left the neutral screw loose, it would fry that tv. Other than that, it's probably a coinsedence.

 

[jaylectricity]

And now I'm sickened by some of the responses in this thread.

How would upgrading the electricity in the house cause a television to have problems?

Buy her a new TV?

NO WAY!

 

[jaylectricity]

There 's no repair shop.

Call her bluff. I dare you.

Yes...thank you Power Tech.

 

[mivey]

There 's no repair shop.

Call her bluff. I dare you.

Probably some clueless kid behind a sales counter giving "expert" advice.

 

[Cow]

She most likely won't pay her bill no matter what, she just sounds like that type of person. So now you want to add the cost of a tv to it?

If the little cable box isn't smoked, there's her sign.

 

[JFletcher]

" her TV built in the late 90's..."

I'll assume that her TV isn't enormous if she moved it by herself to a repair shop and back in 20 minutes.

I'd buy her a used TV. CHKD or DAV, ~$50, problem solved, lesson learned.

 

[mivey]

if she moved it by herself to a repair shop and back in 20 minutes.

And that in itself is flaky. The shop must have been right next door and they were waiting on her with screwdriver in hand.

 

[Mr. Wizard]

" her TV built in the late 90's..."

I'll assume that her TV isn't enormous if she moved it by herself to a repair shop and back in 20 minutes.

I'd buy her a used TV. CHKD or DAV, ~$50, problem solved, lesson learned.

It's just a little 20" picture-tube TV. I really would get her a TV (a used one) if I honestly felt that I caused her old one to go out. But this was my second visit, and neither time did I see the TV on. The cablebox was fine, and there were no complaints about anything else not working. I personally beleive she trying to scam me. If I run out and buy her a TV, it'll put the fire out, but if she is scamming me then she would have succeeded in ripping me off

 

[JFletcher]

It's just a little 20" picture-tube TV. I really would get her a TV (a used one) if I honestly felt that I caused her old one to go out. But this was my second visit, and neither time did I see the TV on. The cablebox was fine, and there were no complaints about anything else not working. I personally beleive she trying to scam me. If I run out and buy her a TV, it'll put the fire out, but if she is scamming me then she would have succeeded in ripping me off

I don't think you caused her TV to fail (my gut tells me the same it tells you: it was broken before you got there), and you're right, if she's scamming you then she is ripping you off for ~$50. If it were a more high-ticket item, say a 60" plasma 1080 or a new $4k laptop, I'd put up more of a fight, you bet! Or let my insurance eat it if it came to that.

In this case, I think the time you will spend (waste) arguing/dealing with her will be worth more to you than the TV is, ripoff or not.

 

[Dolfan]

TV's are free at the local dump. There stacked up next to the tires and computer monitors.

 

[okeefe]

Somebody tell me how the tv would not work after the service upgrade, but the cable box stills works. Did you plug the tv in to see if it works? Where can a person bring a tv in for service and have it looked at so fast with an answer? The story does not make sense. I would not want to buy her a tv, and not sure that I would buy one, because if you do then she will call next week and ask for something else.

 

[JFletcher]

TV's are free at the local dump. There stacked up next to the tires and computer monitors.

Here they will not let you take items out of the dump, but that might be an option in TX.

...because if you do then she will call next week and ask for something else.

Good point.