Anybody been down this road with some learning to share?
We're a small D+B company that did a very high end remodel for some "difficult" people. It came out great, post-build appraisal was 1.5 cost of construction, etc. The project (2 new baths) was closed out by City inspector July 11, 2008. We provide a one-year warranty and had about 15 call backs during that period. My tile setter (sub) re-polished and regrouted hundreds of square feet of marble over 4 visits.
Just got another call back for tile issue. I very politely explained to HO that the year warranty period has expired and that tile setter has no further obligation to do additional work. After some back and forth I offered to bring in another tile-setter at my cost just to maintain a good relationship.
Two days later, a $100K job we had been designing and planning for a year was cancelled by the prospective customer who had received a "horriffic" reference from this customer indicating we don't warranty our work.
No way am I inclined to extend my warranty after that - but reputation is so important.
Without knowing all the circumstances of your last project,I can only hope that you would follow through do the repairs.
The fact that the situation arose so soon after the job was completed can only lead me to believe that it was a botched job and the fact that a year has elapsed isn't Carte-blanc to being relieved of the warranty.
Hard to form an opinion when we don't know the specifics to why the tile callbacks occurred.
Also, just because you offered a 1 year guarantee, what did the tile guy offer you? What is the tile guy saying about his, or the new tile guy saying about the old tile job?
Sorry if I seem callous but you may have actually brought this on yourself by going beyond what you should have done time and time again. If they accepted the original tile job why are you going back and polishing the tile. If they are scratching it after the fact then that's on them. I'm all for going the extra mile and making a customer happy but going back 15 times .... why would you do that? You repolished and regrouted 4 times over that year? Why did you feel that was your responsibility? I may have done it once as a gesture of good will but I would have explained that scratches that appear after this are their responsibility. My warranty specifically explains what is my responsibility to fix and what is their responsibility to maintain.
Now that being said, that's just not right that they are bad mouthing you to prospective clients when you have already gone above and beyond. I think I would start with a conversation with them and ask them why they feel they deserve an extended warranty. Then I would follow it up with a letter spelling out what you have discussed. I also think a meeting in person with the prospective clients might be able to salvage their project. Just explain to them that some people are just impossible to please. Show them pictures of the finished work. Show them any paper work or letters you have from the problem clients that shows that they were very satisfied at one time but they just had unrealistic expectations. Give them as many other references as you can. One bad apple should not be able to spoil this project, are you absolutely certain this is the only bad reference they got?
In the future, I suggest you need to take further steps to set expectations before hand. I feel like I am constantly setting expectations from the minute I meet a prospective client all the way through to the end of their warranty period. Under promise and over delivering does wonders for client satisfaction.
We keep getting called back to address NEW issues (i.e.) scratches in the marble that are being caused by normal use. We've responded to every call like this over the warranty period - but no one is going to keep marble flooring from scratching.
My point is, when does it end? If not at the end of warranty period, then when.
Lesson learned here. You should talk to the potential new customer and explain that the callbacks were not warranty work but were in good faith. There have been no installation or labor-based callbacks.
There may be no healing the issues with the past customer. You may have to cut your losses and move forward losing a reference.
There's no local warrantee mandated. We offer it because we should as good builders. It starts from the final inspection date because that's the point where things start getting used,
Grouting was redone as the HO's literally view it through a magnifying glass. I think the rand of reply's defines the problem: if you're TOO accommodating of a customer's whims, expectations become uncontrollable. If you don't respond to the whims, you're uncooperative.
Whoa, right there is part of the problem. Why are you letting them do that? Your contract should reference some form of industry standards. Of course I can't find mine right now but it should dictate what is acceptable and not acceptable for tile and grout. For example, I think mine says paint is to be examined from a distance no closer than 6'. Damn it, I wish I could find my book, who did I loan that thing to this is going to kill me, anyway I'm sure SLS or Rory will post a link here to some industry standards, they are good with the links.
I think the rand of reply's defines the problem: if you're TOO accommodating of a customer's whims, expectations become uncontrollable. If you don't respond to the whims, you're uncooperative.
Other call backs included scratches on a door-mirror (just at their little dogs height) which showed up after 6 months -visible only from specific angle. Rubbing pocket door. Paint strokes visible on trim piece (4X), drywall fastener popping (1X), resetting a GFIC circuit (1X), troubleshooting lights -needed a new bulb (1X), Nuheat thermostat replacement - this one legit! Tile scratches or grout anomolies (4X).
I would consider putting more into the front end of these discussions. Its unprofitable to put all your effort in at the back end, especially when what you're doing isn't what is required, contracted, nor was it requested from the outset.
Difficult clients are only difficult because we allow them to be. Not taking no for answer is one thing, but offering choices beyond "no" is just begging for problems as well.
As others have explained, you should look up the industry standards for acceptable quality and use them. You should also go over what is and isn't warranty. If the house is accepted at walk-through, then the work has been accepted. It now comes down to material and workmanship defects and failures. Equipment, appliances, appurtenances, fixtures and devices all have manufacturer's warranties on them and you should not be covering those out of pocket. Labor is usually NOT included in most manufacturer's warranties for these items and that should be made clear at the outset.
Yes, folks get upset that they paid good money for such things and when they fail to satisfy completely, it makes them mad. But not nearly so mad as you having to go to them on the back end and explain what is and isn't covered and what you will and will not do for them.
As for your prospect, explain to them what you have explained to us. That one out of 15 trips to the home was actually a warranty item, and that 14 trips and repairs, along with several hundreds of dollars were spent in this home "not honoring your warranty". Don't make the old clients out to be the bad guys, just say that they had unreasonable expectations that you were happy to meet in order to keep them satisfied, but if your reward for doing a good job is a bum reference, then its time you stood by your contract and let things run their course. Its only good business.
You can only reason with reasonable people when they are being reasonable, otherwise, its unreasonable to expect a reasonably satisfactory result.
it's extra top-secret cia kinda stuff...on a need to know basis :shifty:
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