customer refusing to pay

[PAUL ROY]

Hi, i have been a self employed tiler for approx 5 yrs. I provided a quote for someones bathroom a couple of weeks ago for 10m2 of wall tiling (main bath wall and window wall). They rang me back a few days later to accept the quote and book the job in. The day after this they rang me back to ask how much it would be to tile the other two walls, as they had enough tiles to cover it, which i quoted them for and they accepted.
When i turned up to start on monday, all the tiles were there, i supplied the adhesive, grout and trims. There was 18m2 of tiles and i needed 17m2 for the full job so all was ok.
By the end of the first day i had completed about 10m2 and went back on tuesday to continue. I completed the cuts to the 3 walls, thus just leaving the window wall to tile on wednesday(today). During the day (yesterday) i had been noticing quite a few of the tiles at the bottom of the boxes were broken. As i was checking through the remainder of the boxes, i found one of the boxes was a different colour altogether, not a shade difference, it was a beige marble effect tile instead of grey like the rest.
I brought this to the attention of the owner who contacted her partner. It turns out he got the tiles cheap about 18months ago from somewhere he worked but cannot get anymore. We are now 1m2 short to do round the inside of the window due to all the broken ones and the odd box.
I ran through various options with them last night and later on he phoned me and said he didnt want the rest of the tiling doing (the window wall) and that he was not paying me for what i had already done (12m2). When i questioned this, he said he was not happy with the work, however both him and his wife had said earlier it had staqrted to look good, even though it is not grouted yet.
I presume their backsides have fallen out because of the shortage of tiles and are now looking for a way out of paying so they can start afresh with different tileS. I have told him it doesnt work like that and if there is any poroblems he can identify with my work then i will put it right.
I am due to go and see him at 3pm today to go through it, any advice appreciated!!!!
cheers
Paul

[enduro]

Hi, i have been a self employed tiler for approx 5 yrs. I provided a quote for someones bathroom a couple of weeks ago for 10m2 of wall tiling (main bath wall and window wall). They rang me back a few days later to accept the quote and book the job in. The day after this they rang me back to ask how much it would be to tile the other two walls, as they had enough tiles to cover it, which i quoted them for and they accepted.
When i turned up to start on monday, all the tiles were there, i supplied the adhesive, grout and trims. There was 18m2 of tiles and i needed 17m2 for the full job so all was ok.
By the end of the first day i had completed about 10m2 and went back on tuesday to continue. I completed the cuts to the 3 walls, thus just leaving the window wall to tile on wednesday(today). During the day (yesterday) i had been noticing quite a few of the tiles at the bottom of the boxes were broken. As i was checking through the remainder of the boxes, i found one of the boxes was a different colour altogether, not a shade difference, it was a beige marble effect tile instead of grey like the rest.
I brought this to the attention of the owner who contacted her partner. It turns out he got the tiles cheap about 18months ago from somewhere he worked but cannot get anymore. We are now 1m2 short to do round the inside of the window due to all the broken ones and the odd box.
I ran through various options with them last night and later on he phoned me and said he didnt want the rest of the tiling doing (the window wall) and that he was not paying me for what i had already done (12m2). When i questioned this, he said he was not happy with the work, however both him and his wife had said earlier it had staqrted to look good, even though it is not grouted yet.
I presume their backsides have fallen out because of the shortage of tiles and are now looking for a way out of paying so they can start afresh with different tileS. I have told him it doesnt work like that and if there is any poroblems he can identify with my work then i will put it right.
I am due to go and see him at 3pm today to go through it, any advice appreciated!!!!
cheers
Paul

Best advice is too keep your cool with the customer, let him say what he has too then voice your opinions, but try not to get mad with him. If by the end of it and you can not agree explain you will have to take legal action. Check out these web sites they could help. www.thomashiggins.com and this one you can ask this question and you will get loads of good advice. www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk

[basshunter]

suggest a nice mosaic inside the reveal perhaps.good luck with it

[PAUL ROY]

The mosaic on the inside of the window was one of the options i suggested to them yesterday, the other was to strip the top half of the far wall, which they wernt going to have done originally, trim it off and decorate the top half then the tiles can be used for the window. This has alll been put to them but they said they dont want to do that???

[CJ CERAMICS]

Hi paul
welcome to the forum.
sorry to hear about this mate i have the same problem with a builder who has sold up owing me 7.5K. i am at present in nogatiation( think thats spelt right) to reclaim the money. as to your position it does seem to be a tricky one. obviously you will want paying for the work which you have already done and for the materials you have used.
they however would want their bathroom to be finished.
as too them saying that they are not happy with the standard of work the only way to assess this is to have an independant inspection as to the standard of work thru the BTA. this is both costly and time consuming.
the one thing you must do is to remain calm while you are talking to them.
ask them for a detailed list of the aspects they are not happy with
and take photos of the offending aspects so that if neccessary you have prove of your work as is. If you feel that these things need addressing put it in writing to them that you will remedy these aslong as you receive payment as stipulated upon completion. what options have been discussed as to finishing the window area? my thoughts would be to infill with a suitable colour mosaic to make a feature.
sadly as to the tiles being a different colour(i think) and i could be wrong but as a tile installer it is our responsibility to check all the tiles for shade colour descrepancies prior to fixing. if i am wrong on this someone will put me right.
i hope this helps
chris.
REMEMBER KEEP CALM AND CIVIL AT ALL TIMES MATE.
AND TAKE PHOTOS TO SHOW HERE FOR HONEST OPINIONS

[PAUL ROY]

Thanks for ur relpies.

I did check the colours and shades of the tiles and spotted the odd coloured box before it was put on the wall, but as this was at the bottom of the pile, the tiling has already commenced and we are now short, as i say due to this and due to some of the tiles in the sealed boxes being broken.
I am fully willing to finish the job, they just dont want the window reveal to look different and are being totally uncooperative when really this is their fault for buying tiles with cracks in and being supplied 1 box the wrong colour.
They are just looking for a quick escape so they can buy some new tiles (enough to do the job over again) but not pay for what has already been done as i presume they will be removing these tiles now.
will know later when ive been round! If they are in as agreed!!!

[united]

Sorry to hear this Paul, Stick to the advice above.

Hope you get it sorted. Let us know how you get on.

[CJ]

No comment...........as I'm far too vindictive.

People like this really get my back up.........

[J.R Tiling]

Hi Paul

Sorry to hear about that mate , cant belive some people do they not realize you need to get paid in order to live just like everyone else !!

Hope you get it all sorted

[simhopper]

I have a friend who once never got paid, He went round with a carrier bag full of black paint, Asked to be paid, Was refused so he holed the bag and walked out......Tilersforums do not condone this sort of action !

Times are hard enough without folk like this but you cant be seen to be weak, Ask calmly and politly, Then if they refuse take them to court

[heavytrevy]

You mentioned in ur first post u had been tiling for a day before u noticed that 1 of the boxes was the wrong colour?

taking into consideration that 1 box did u have enough tiles including wastage to finish the job?

It is the tilers responsibility to check all of this before comencement of tiling.

I always ask before i start the job whether or not the tiles are discontinued and are more available.

my personal opinion is u should cope this one on the chin, learn from it and move on, lucky it was a very small job.

Trev

[TT Tiling]

good luck with it all mate ,but please stay cool ,in 18 years i have been tiling and have never had any one not pay me , but when a customer one day said my work was not up to it i lost the plot , worst thing i could of done ,after we all calmed down about a week later ,he did pay up and say sorry ,think it was all down to money at the end of the day ,money he didnt have , and didnt want to give ,all happy in the end , but please please be cool ,walk away if you cant agree come back later ,take pics ,
hope you get your well earn"t money