Opinions Please, Chandelier Positioning

[jmellc]

Guys, give me your thoughts. I went out to hang a chandelier for a new customer. He told me his girlfriend would be there to advise me. She wasn't there, his father was. I looked over, gave the father a price. He called son, he ok'd price. I hung chandelier. Had to install a better box, used a fan box on inaccessible type bracket. The guy got home, looked at it a moment and liked it. I finished, cleaned up & gave him invoice. Had to wait for him to finish a video game, but he paid me. I was barely home when he called that his girlfriend was there & didn't like that the light hung catecorner to the room. It is a square fixture, with square ceiling canopy. I explained about the location of the screw ears in the box not allowing what they wanted. Light had no way to adjust either. At any rate he texted later & wanted me to work out another visit with GF to fix it. Attic is inaccessible, I'd have to rig up a strut that I could only anchor at one end. Would have to take light down and totally redo box.

Not sure what I'll do. I don't think I should have to fix this for free. He looked at it before I left, said he didn't notice it being out of square. I"ve seen square fixtures of many types done all angles to room. He's a fairly long drive too. I hate to start out messing up a relationship but also don't want to have to wrestle the monster again for free.

What are your opinions on orthodoxy of square/square & what you would do?

Thanks, I've already decided future chandeliers have a minimum charge, roughly 3 hours plus margin, to justify the aggravation. Usual issue is "move it up, move it down, do it again, etc", then get a call next day to come do it all again.

 

[brian john]

I went through a similar thing twice when doing residential, after the second time I NEVER hung chandeliers with out the female member of the family at home to approve it. The husband, father, boyfriend son or lover will throw you under the bus in a red hot second.

This is a billable change.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I would have used a round bracket or rigged something up that worked. Then I would have hung it square. There is almost always a way to get a fixture square.

Normally I would not charge to redo it but he did okay it....

 

[jmellc]

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I won't do another one w/out the decision maker there.

This is also another situation where I get ill with customer not wanting it to "cost too much". He could save $ by not buying the expensive chandelier to begin with.

 

[electricmanscott]

I went through a similar thing twice when doing residential, after the second time I NEVER hung chandeliers with out the female member of the family at home to approve it.

Sounds good in theory but not realistic in my experience. Whoever is there ok's it, done. Somebody else wants it changed no problemo, pay up.

 

[LarryFine]

The guy got home, looked at it a moment and liked it. I finished, cleaned up & gave him invoice. Had to wait for him to finish a video game, but he paid me.

Job finished. Their request is for additional work, at an additional price.

I would offer a discount of, say, free travel time, or maybe just one way.

 

[LEO2854]

Electrical work is not free your time is money,,go back make the changes the give them the Bill:grin:

 

[220/221]

1. Hard to say without seeing it. It may look to me like an obvious oversight on your part. Did the squareness factor ever occur to you?

2. He said the GF would be there to advise. She was not = his liability.

Any one of use has had to deal with the same thing when mounting fixtures that have no adjustment designed into them. I probably would have hung it, looked at it and said @#*%!! , then figured out how to fix it.

 

[stevenje]

after the second time I NEVER hung chandeliers with out the female member of the family at home to approve it.

Words to remember:

If mama ain't happy.... nobody is happy!

 

[ceb58]

Sounds good in theory but not realistic in my experience. Whoever is there ok's it, done. Somebody else wants it changed no problemo, pay up.

Correct, this is the customers girlfriend wanting it changed. He may have a new one in a few weeks and what if she doesn't like it and wants it changed? Tell the guy you will change/fix it but there will be a charge. He may grow a set and tell the GF to get over it.

 

[readydave8]

It would depend on the fixture. If I went back and agreed that it looked bad I might change it for free, sometimes I'm so wrapped up in how to make something work that I overlook a simple aesthetic issue.

But if it was a tossup which way to turn it I'd want to get paid to change it, probably cut him a break as others have said but if so make sure he knows he's getting a discount.

 

[jmellc]

This had a nonstandard bracket. Flat bar with about a 1/2" 90 at each end, about 6" long, with an 8-32 hole & screw. Canopy fits over, screws go in horizontally. I MIGHT be able to take out a round bracket and bolt the fixture bracket to it, then mount to box. I didn't happen to have any extra brackets at the time. I try to keep some.

My wife said she'd probably be bothered on that issue too. My thinking was back to the house I grew up in. We had basic ceiling lights, round canopy, square shades. Shades fit a certain way to the bulbs and pointed wherever they pointed. I stood back & looked at chandelier, saw it pretty well corner to center of near wall & thought it looked good.

I'm calling them tomorrow. I'll see how I think about it then. But future installs will not be a bargain for anyone. I'll include some "pick factor" in the price.

 

[charlietuna]

Thats why she's his "girlfriend"! They make an adaptor plate that allows full fixture positioning of the canopy, but i wouldn't touch it without writen agreement of payment.

 

[BJ Conner]

Talk to the guy, then do it. Experience is a good teacher but the tuition is high. Nothing will cost you as much as a pissed off cusomer.

 

[growler]

I probably would have hung it, looked at it and said @#*%!! , then figured out how to fix it.

If you are hanging a chandelier and it doesn't look quite right you normally know this and it is a center of attraction ( it will get noticed ).

It sounds as if the OP didn't charge enough to pay attention to detail when hanging this fixture and that was a mistake. It also sounds as if the OP has already figured out what the problem is and has learned his lesson.

 

[jmellc]

I went back & redid the light. Figured a way to use additional brackets to hang it square. GF was there this time.

Yes, I've learned a few lessons from this. Starting rate for a chandelier from now on is $50 more than I charged him, $50 more if new box is needed, $50 more if taller than 10' ladder will reach. $50 more if I have to assemble it. The family decision maker must be there to OK everything 1st time around. Take a partner to help, as many chandeliers are awkward & heavy.

 

[jmellc]

If you are hanging a chandelier and it doesn't look quite right you normally know this and it is a center of attraction ( it will get noticed ).

It sounds as if the OP didn't charge enough to pay attention to detail when hanging this fixture and that was a mistake. It also sounds as if the OP has already figured out what the problem is and has learned his lesson.

As far as the hanging position, it looked good. Diagonal to room, as I've seen lots of square chandeliers done. That was the only practical way to hang it, given the position of the box. Yes, I was able to change it with some additional hardware. I didn't charge to redo, as I wanted to keep the customer. I think I would have been justified, as he looked at me hanging it and said it looked good. When he called later, he said he didn't notice it not being square until his girlfriend brought it to his attention. It must have looked pretty good, or he would have noticed it 1st time. He works at IBM, so I know he's a guy who pays attention to details.

 

[Split Bolt]

IMHO, you did the right thing and will get more work from these people and possibly referrals as well. Much better than a P.O.ed homeowner telling everybody they know NOT to call you. Lesson learned, move on. Now, if you were able to get it square on the second trip, you would have been able to do it on the first! Next time you go to a sporting goods store, get yourself a good, strong fishing tackle box. Start throwing parts from old fixtures you take down and spare parts in there. The compartments on the top will hold all the little brass finger nuts, etc. and the bottom will fill up with mounting hardware.

 

[electricmanscott]

He works at IBM, so I know he's a guy who pays attention to details.

Probably making lots of money while the blue collar guy is at his house working for nothing. :roll:

 

[kwired]

1. Hard to say without seeing it. It may look to me like an obvious oversight on your part. Did the squareness factor ever occur to you?

2. He said the GF would be there to advise. She was not = his liability.

Any one of use has had to deal with the same thing when mounting fixtures that have no adjustment designed into them. I probably would have hung it, looked at it and said @#*%!! , then figured out how to fix it.

You ever been to a doctors office where you wait for three hours past your appointment time to be seen, yet if you do not show up for your appointment at all they bill you a minimum charge