Jobs or clients from hell. - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

**Sir Ramic** · 11-03-2008

As the TV prorgram says "Builders from Hell" but what about clients?
Today is my 7th day on the same job and each day the woman has a moan or totally flips (and i mean flips) over something.
1st i gave them too many options regarding grout colours and not enough time to sort it out. (actually at the time of quoting i asked if grey grout was ok for the floor and they said yes)
2nd She flipped when i was tiling the kitchen floor and she couldnt walk on the floor for at least 2 hours. (these was the day i saw her turn into a demon)
3rd The parquet floor that her husband was taking up ( or supposedly taking up, as i did most of it) created a smell throughout the house, she stormed out!!
4th, too much dust created ( she was actually cleaning the same room all day as i was trying to tile)
5th asked if i would do my cutting outside in the garage which was through 2 doors which she insisted on being closed at all times. I wouldnt mind so much but the cutting i was doing was hand cutting. The electric cuts were done in the garage.
6th No Radio allowed ( she is the Devil)
7th Water available by cold tap only and was walk through 2 doors and electric garage door then a garden gate even though they had a kitchen sink in the garage

8th on quoting i asked abouot tile trim. I had said that if they required it then the tile shop would advise which was more suitable. They bought the tiles and no trim. I asked why and they said they didnt want it. Which was ok due to teh nature of the tile and room to be tiled. On the 6th day they changed their mind and wanted trim. i only had a few off cuts with me and they expected me to go and get a piece of each colour to choose from. I refused so after more "looks" from the client she chose a colour...............5 minutes later she was back saying i had rushed her descision and changed her mind again after staring at the trims for at leat 15 minutes. All the time her husband was giving it the "yes dear, no dear"
9th an alarm cable had been tucked under the skirting many years ago, when the floor was retiled they said just push it back and tile the floor. I said it would be batter tacked around the skirting but they didnt want that.
On the 6th day i was informed that the alarm did not work and i must have damaged the cable....still waiting on the outcome of this.
Last day today.....wonder what she will find today????

**grumpygrouter** · 11-03-2008

Think I may have walked by no.5!!

Grumpy

wayne · 11-03-2008

tiled a wall i a bathroom thursday. got there friday she decided the colour wasnt right and asked me to take them off. they had already had it skimmed and i had used rapid set on the walls. took tiles off yesterday and they pulled the full lot off including bonding. she took one look asked if it was going to cost her more and said it better be done by the end of the week as she needed some peace and quiet !!!

GRAYLIN · 11-03-2008

I agree with grumpy.

You must have the patience and resilience of a Saint.

TilingLogistics · 11-03-2008

Day 2 would have done it for me

Kev

**MICK the Tiler** · 11-03-2008

Sounds like a potential repeat customer AY!!!

You gotta learn to try and pick 'em BEFORE!!! you unpack your tools. MAKES FOR A QUICK GET AWAY!!!!

tilinga2z · 11-03-2008

Just spent thursday and friday tiling a customers kithchen, I bought the tiles from Topps porcelain bevelled misshapen 10x10's (Porcelanico Carrara), in truth I am an idiot for buying these as they are around 1cm thick in the middle which required wet cutting on almost every cut. But they matched the brief and the colour scheme perfectly. The job should of took me a day but with these tiles I took 2 days fitting only, leaving me to go back on this monday past to grout up. On the morning of the second day the customer said his wife did not like the tiles but that did not bother him. On the Saturday morning he rang and told me that my tiling was **** and he was going to rip off all my tiles and not pay me. I tried to calm him down and told him that these tiles look a bit odd until they are grouted and that he should judge my work after the job is finished, he said no and told me to come and get my tools and that I would see a different side to him when I arrived. I asked if he was threatening me and he said I will see when I arrive. After another angry call I told him that I would bring in the Police to get back my stuff, which I have just done finding my tools in his garden when we arrived. All this because IMO his wife did not like the tiles, I am 2 days plus addy down and he still insists he will take me to court, happy days, not!!!!

FYTC · 11-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpygrouter

Think I may have walked by no.5!!

Grumpy

Now that is patience. I'd have told her to stick it up the rear end on day 2.

**sibs** · 11-03-2008

Jesus sounds like a bad case of highly strung neurosis! Or possibly menopausal lol. It affects women in different ways.... you never know she may have been the most layed back person you ever met in her younger days

I do feel for you she sounds like a complete nightmare! But I gotta laugh too!!! Chin up SirRamic think of the money

is this what you would like to do to her? (Toung placed firmly in cheek while writing this post) Hope this has made you laugh!

**Sir Ramic** · 11-03-2008

Well job has been finished and a cheque for full amount is in the bank. The comment when i left was what a wonderful job i had done and how pleased they were, even got a £20 tip

BUT ....... the day didnt start good. I was tiling the bathroom walls today and when i had set out i gave them a shout to come and check that it met their requirements ( See i am learning, playing safe) No answer...so i called again, no answer.....So i opened the door into the kitchen what i had tiled previously and called once more..no answer. I coould hear their voices in the garage so went across the floor opened teh door into the garage and shouted "Hello"....all hell broke lose......"You havent walked across that floor? I have just bloody cleaned it " i replied "its ok" Her reply was " Its not bloody ok, idont F***ing believe it" then a crash from what sounded like a mop and bucket being thrown at husband... I dissapeared back to the bathroom quick. 5 minutes later the husband comes up as if nothing had happened, checked the setting out was as he liked...."Splendid" he says.

Wait there is more. Seeing as she isnt talking to me or even coming to look what i am doing I think i wll have the radio on. So on it goes very low but just enough for a bit of entertainment........30 mins later she must have been passing by and she went ballistic again. So i said sorry i forgot no radio, old habits etc (tongue in cheek) She turned around and went into a room. By this time i though ok, no radio but i have my earphones and MP3 player. So i just got that all set up and i was flicking through to see what i would listen to and she saw me. " I told you i dont want any music in the house and you delibrately disregard my orders".
Ok thats its the red mist descended and i let fly. " You said no radios, ok. You cant hear this and i like to work with some music." "Just let me get on with the job and i should be finished by 3pm and we will both be happy" She storms off downsatirs.
Around 12.30 pm the husband appears again with cup of coffee for me and acts as if nothing has happened. We chat about how nice it looks so far and i ask a question about his hobby. No problems at all.
Anyway god knows what was going on but i never want to see their phone number appear on my mobile ever again, £20 tip or no tip.

DEN · 11-03-2008

First of all sir ramic i must commend you on having the patients to deal with this woman,you obviously went beyond the call of duty to take the tiles up which the husband was supposed to do,and then have to do a half marathon to cut every tile aswell,you go out of your way to please the customer and thats the thanks you get,sounds like a real nightmare,well done for being the consumate proffesional and just getting on with the job in all adversity,you deserve more than just getting paid for that job..

**Sir Ramic** · 11-03-2008

Not sure if i have a lot of patience but i am very laid back in life. Sometime i guess we can all blow from time to time but this woman was something else.