Broken vase

[jwjrw]

So Im changing out an inside panel... The pantry is just around the corner the panel is in the right side wall of it. I had to cut the studs out on each side because the new panel was longer.....The vibration must of knocked the vase to the floor in the pantry and broke it. I had no idea it was there and dont feel it was my fault. If I dont replace it I imagine I will get bad reviews from customer...If I do replace it I lose profit but still make money..and maybe get more work in the neighborhood. So do you think I should of looked in the pantry before I started???? I will from now on but I think its more rotten luck then anything...

 

[shepelec]

Lousy luck. I have had this happen with pictures on the wall.

Admit it, offer to pay for it and move on. I have found most times the customer will let it go.

 

[Volta]

Yeah, that's bad luck. Hard to claim that it is the customer's fault though. I'd offer / ask them if they want it replaced. If it had sentimental value, you won't be able to. If it was cheap, they shouldn't care. If it was valueble then some compromise might be called for.

 

[jwjrw]

170.00 and I'm not really saying its the customers fault but at least she new it was in there and had moved anything that could be broke from tables etc in the rooms we were working in....Just bad luck I guess..She was gone I showed the husband he said oh no big deal not your fault...Then the wife got home...It was a wedding gift so she cared about it..Didnt outright say I want it replaced but you know she does..

 

[shepelec]

I would show a discount on the invoice. That would show them that it did matter to you. I know it sucks but in this case I would take $100 off the bill and call it a day.

 

[N844AA]

You should always check out the backside of a wall before you start hammering on it. This business of "leaving bad reviews" tells me you somehow have gotten drawn into Angieslist of some other scam which you should avoid. You can do a perfect job and people will still complain, there's no mechanism to remove fake reviews, etc.

The Internet is a very un-democratic place and you have no control of your reputation. One bad review even if undeserved will tarnish your rep for the rest of your life. It's not fair, the balance of power favors the homeowner, and if you try to get false info removed, you will be ignored.

I avoid situations like this.

 

[jwjrw]

You should always check out the backside of a wall before you start hammering on it. This business of "leaving bad reviews" tells me you somehow have gotten drawn into Angieslist of some other scam which you should avoid. You can do a perfect job and people will still complain, there's no mechanism to remove fake reviews, etc.

The Internet is a very un-democratic place and you have no control of your reputation. One bad review even if undeserved will tarnish your rep for the rest of your life. It's not fair, the balance of power favors the homeowner, and if you try to get false info removed, you will be ignored.

I avoid situations like this.

The pantry door was 6feet away and the stairs were between it. Yea my fault for not realizing it came over that far. That said when you cut a receptacle box out do you make it a habbit to go in the room behind it looking for things that could fall? If you do I bet its because you had this happen also...And she had removed anything breakable from everywhere else we were working..

And you can dispute bad reviews. Im getting lots of work off Angies list now. Good jobs and reviews

 

[N844AA]

That said when you cut a receptacle box out do you make it a habbit to go in the room behind it looking for things that could fall?

No, not really, I see your point.

And you can dispute bad reviews. Im getting lots of work off Angies list now. Good jobs and reviews

Wow, this is good news!

 

[WinZip]

This reminds me of a china cabinet I had to pay for repairs.

Kitchen remodel an one of my guys was trying to drill a hole threw a wooden panel under a cabinet an he got caught on a nail an the auger pulled him into the cabinet as he was trying to release the trigger on the drill so when he did release the trigger he says oh chit I drilled threw the wall an into a china cabinet. $$$$$$$$$

From what I remember it was a 1000 or 2000 rpm drill

 

[cadpoint]

...That said when you cut a receptacle box out do you make it a habit to go in the room behind it looking for things that could fall? If you do I bet its because you had this happen also...

Yeap, my own house, drilled right into a metal air duct, cause I didn't take the time to look! It happens... I frankly have to stop myself sometimes and take that minute to look around, think about my environment, and the cause and effect of what I'm about to do. I've even stopped other trades more than once when they were not conscious of their deeds as well.

Got luck with the client!

 

[growler]

The vibration must of knocked the vase to the floor in the pantry and broke it. I had no idea it was there and dont feel it was my fault. If I dont replace it I imagine I will get bad reviews from customer...

From time to time certain things do go wrong and that's all part of it. Sooner or later everyone has an accident and most of them are something small. The money to replace a broken vase should be considered as part of operating overhead. Don't think of it as money spent on this particular job but as money spread out over a period of time as an operating expense. You probably don't break a vase on every job but over a period of time there is a certian cost for incidentials and this is added to the total job cost. If you accomplish 20 jobs with only $200 in incidential cost then add $10 to every job to cover this cost.

If you have figured the cost of the panel change right then replacing the vase shouldn't be that big of a problem, it's just another expense to be prepared for ( and charged for ).

 

[Volta]

. . . That said when you cut a receptacle box out do you make it a habbit to go in the room behind it looking for things that could fall? . . .

It's sure a good idea, and we sure learn a lot from mistakes! :grin:

But we should be looking on the other side of the wall whenever possible for fire/smoke resistance purposes, anyhow, as we are reminded by the Fine Print Note to 300.21.

Granted, that is less important within a dwelling unit where the doors are often open anyhow than some commercial structures.

 

[zog]

Yeap, my own house, drilled right into a metal air duct, cause I didn't take the time to look! It happens...

Well I hope you did the right thing and offered to pay yourself

 

[augie47]

Even though it was a reasonable distance away, I don't think you can remove yourself from it entirely. If it takes full payment to make the customer happy, then so be it..it's one more expensive lesson.
I would try and explain to them as you did us, that you do "check" but have never had such an occurrence at that distance. As shepelec suggested, offer to take $100 off the invoice and see how the customer feels.

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

Maybe offer her an additional service like hang a new light , recessed can in hallway , change out some switches install a dimmer you get the message something she would appreciate having done that is not a big cost to you minimal material cost mostly labor

 

[jwjrw]

I'm going to eat it all. Its one of them coulda shoulda and I didnt.
I have plenty of room in the bid for it and its better then me knocking it off a shelf in my eyes. One more thing I learned...Will my learning never end

 

[Volta]

I'm going to eat it all. Its one of them coulda shoulda and I didnt.
I have plenty of room in the bid for it and its better then me knocking it off a shelf in my eyes. One more thing I learned...Will my learning never end

Not 'till that last day. :grin:

Maybe offer her an additional service like hang a new light , recessed can in hallway , change out some switches install a dimmer you get the message something she would appreciate having done that is not a big cost to you minimal material cost mostly labor

Good idea, if you can do that and you pay for it you'll both feel happy. Remember that was a gift, the money is irrelevant.

In five years all they might remember is 'some electrician broke the wedding gift'.
Or, they might say, 'That poor guy was working on the wall when the vase fell, but at least he was good enough to fix that ________ for us. We still use him'.

The money won't be important at that point, either way. They will only think about how they were treated.

 

[dduffee260]

Ask her how long she has had the vase. What was the cost new? Have her pro rate it for the usage she has had with it. See if that works.

 

[jeremysterling]

Yeah, I'm working on a customer's sconce, a warranty call. Bad LV transformer, piece of cake, right. $16 for new ballast.

I removing the glass and missing set screw causes me to lose control of a "globe". Replacement cost is $100.

No, I just need the flute, not the whole fixture. Oh, the whole fixture is $380!

I think a maintenance man lost the set-screw, but the breakage is still on me.

 

[cdslotz]

At least that vase wasn't an urn with granny's remains in it