My first Mistake what was yours

[johnmess]

I started working for myself few months ago and been getting in work although not to regular yet. Done a couple of full bathroom replacment leaking taps and non flushing toilets.

So yesterday I was called to replace a couple of basin taps. Picked up the taps the customer wanted and started working. The old taps had been cemented in including cement around the nut.

My first mistake was breaking the sink my heart just about fell out of my behind. In trying to remove the old taps I had craked the sink I let the customer see what I had done and promtly left, got another sink after agreeing I would replace and install free of charge because of my mistake. Put the new sink and taps in no problems and left thinking every one was happy.

Gets a knock on the door this morning telling me there's water everywhere and the hot waters not working ( again heart out of my behind) I have never left behind a leaking joint and had inspected them before I left.

Gets to the house to find a tiny bit of water on the floor and found out the bottle trap has a tiny crack in it which is sepping water when the sink is used. The hot also works perfectly well so not sure where that came from.

Tells him he needs a new bottle trap which will cost under a fiver and I will fit it for free. He said no he will get another plumber in.

So there was my first mistake breaking the sink and second was not inspecting the old trap.

Its crazy how this job seemed to trun out so bad making me doubt my abilities.

So is anyone willing to share there first mistake.

 

[Blake]

I can't think of one particular mistake, but we all make them mate. After a couple you learn to check and double check and make sure you learn from it.

If when working on a job, like the sink you mention, I would have pointed out the taps look like they are stuck hard and the sink could be damaged etc. It just covers you back.

Chin up mate, learn and move on

Oh, hot and cold on the wrong way around once, that just came to mind. Not a big one, but silly none the less!

 

[Centralheatking]

Replacing v. old taps on v. old basins can easily end up as you did - next time point it out to the customer and let them decide if its worth their risk.

We installed a le Blanc combi years ago that was only supplied with french instructions so we followed the smaller version pattern which we had done loads of - only for the decorator to ask if it was normal for water to be coming out of the lpg feed pipe on the wall outside !!!!!

centralheatking

 

[tiling spread]

i got a call from a m8 asking me to move some pipes around and fit a new sink
get there and shut off boiler started to mark up sink and look at tha pipe work told them not too use the water till i get back went got pipes fitings waste
fit it all up the last job was to cut old pipe in the suspenped celing join it check it and get me money
so cut old pipe water started to p*ss out ok ok so got a bucket then the water started to get HOT burnt all my hands and arm went shut off the boiler and went back and fitted the joint
after about 10 cigs and a fight with the numtys that worked there for puting the water back on got my money and left never payed for a take a way from there agen loving it lol

 

[Blake]

my mate did a job yesterday where there was no flow around the cylinder. He suspected a blockage so he undid the nut on flow to cylinder and nothing. He went up into the loft and checked the header which was full, he then cut in the feed to see if he could find the blockage but all ok. Confused, he pondered for a while before it dawned on him what he had done.

It was a terraced house and he was in the wrong roof space, he had cut he neighbours pipes!!! Made me wee myself

 

[dontknowitall]

The person who doesn't make mistakes isn't trying hard enough.

 

[WaterTight]

I'm quite new to the game so have made a good few mistakes in the not-so-distant past. Think breaking a customer's sink is annoying? Yeah I've done that. Try breaking a chunk out their bath! That lightens up your day.

There is a definition of an expert as a man who has made every possible mistake. It's not far off. When you shadow an old boy and watch the way he assess, pauses, thinks, tests, prods, it's all because at one time he lept in and regretted it. You're not alone, you've just got to laugh it off and get on with it.

Act with integrity, admit mistakes, do whatever is necessary to put them right and leave the customer as happy as possible. Then once you get experienced you can cover your mistakes and disguise your bodges and nobody will be any the wiser!

On a sidenote with basins: Not only is it a good idea to tell the customer that the basin is at risk due to how stuck-tight the taps are (which I'm now in a habit of doing) - it might be worth telling them outright that it's new basin time. I did some work for an old woman who told me her husband lost a hand when a basin broke in half and severed it. Sure enough - he came in later to say hello. Nice chap. Minus one hand.

 

[johnmess]

Thanks for the replys guys they been great. I will not make this mistake again. It never crossed my mind to warn the customer that the sink could break will take that on board for future.

 

[mjt]

WE
ell guys least its not just me!!!

Went to a job recently and cracked the sink as above it was in the room with a bath and the toilet and another basin was in the room next door - customer just said oh dont worry we have another in with the toilet and we were thinking of knocking through to make one room and fitting a shower where the cracked sink now was and would i be available to do it!!!! needless to say i didnt charge for the other jobs i had done (washer changes) and said i would be happy to quote!!!

I decided to do the lottery that day!!! (wasn't THAT lucky though!!!)

 

[PuraTherm]

Broken sinks, broken toilets, chipped tubs, drilled through live pipes and wires. I once drilled through a telephone line that served a block of flats. Connected flow to return. Turned on an eco 7 immersion heater with no water in it. When you make the mistake you think "What did I just do?". After a few years you learn to check and recheck. You know when you have learned from them when you can look back at your mistakes and laugh. You only need to worry when you look back and think that you have never made any. Just as long as those mistakes only harm your ego.

 

[REDSAW]

The mistakes dont make any difference its knowing and learning how to give the bull to the customer its there fault. lol.

 

[plumberdarren]

brilliant, how many people at some point have taken off a trap and tipped the water away into the sink minus the trap youve just taken off ?......doh lol

 

[dontknowitall]

At some point? I was only telling a customer yesterday how many times I've done this in the past. Didn't want to admit I'd done it in their kitchen too!!

I used to start building in confidence and then have it knocked back a few steps when I started. Then the confidence would climb again until another set back. Worst was a customer's soaked carpet that I only just managed to dry out and clean in time before they asked me to pay for a new one. Taken nearly three years to feel I know what I'm doing with most jobs, although I do have to phone a friend sometimes.

One of the best things that happened to me was meeting an experienced plumber who was happy to work with me from time to time. We give each other work when times are too busy so between us we can keep more customers.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

The mistakes dont make any difference its knowing and learning how to give the bull to the customer its there fault. lol.

exactly lyings a art

 

[dontknowitall]

Keeping your customers after making mistakes is a greater skill