Help please...........

rborist1

rborist1

Location
Canada
A couple of weeks ago one of my staff broke a single pain of glass on a large 3 pain window at a clients house while stump grinding. When I spoke with the client I said that I would have the window repaired. She said that she would call the company that installed the window in the first place, I said that was a good idea. Well it now turns out that the window company replaced the entire window to the tune of over $1000.00. At no time did she get an estimate from the glass company who replaced the window or get other estimates. She phoned today wanting payment for the window from us. What would you guys do if you were in this situation. /forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
As much as Id like to tell you otherwise, Id recommend you pony up and pay. In the future, mention youd like the oppurtunity to also get a repair quote just for comparison.
When I was a company man, one of my climbers had dropped a 6" limb across and shattered a skylight over a clients kitchen. There was glass shards everywhere in this poor womans kitchen. Long story short, she agreed to let us replace the window as soon as it was available. Plywood skylight til then. Anyway, the window was a custom ordered, and discontinued model from nearly 12 years ago.
I think after somewhere near 10-12 months, and 100 million phone calls we were able to locate a replacement.
That was a pain in the arse.

That one cost at least 3 times what the initial job brought in.
 
I would also say pay it....word travels fast in this business and the last thing you really want to do is start burning bridges with clients. Homeowners get a bad case of the telephone game and your company name will start to travel to the neighbors somehow associated with the words horrible and rude. Risking the loss of future business isn't worth the 1000 bucks. If anything, chalk it up to a learning experience and if it happens again (God forbid) you know what to ask for in advance. Peace...hope it works out
 
Simple- have 1-3 other companies go over, look at the window, and write an estimate for replacement. You might have to pay them for this, since it's evident it's not gonna get replaced AGAIN.

She was wrong to just go ahead and have it replaced. In the long run, you might be best off to just pay the bill, but if you're just concerned about minimizing your current losses, I bet you could settle with her for less $.

love
nick
 
I most likely will pay it. I don't know much about windows, so I am going to contact the glass company and enquire as to why they had to replace the entire window and not just 1 pain. I am going to actually ask for the window, after all I am buying it! What burns me is we were doing a small stump in a flowerbed for less then $100.00 that I never saw.......hourly grinding. It was surrounded by rock which my employee shoveled away.......he apparently missed one!

Thanks for the prompt reply's. Do any of you have a disclamer on the back of your estimate forms dealing with flying debris from stump grinding?
 
I have a pretty good home restoration estimating program. Give me the dimensions, type of window, type frame, etc and I can probly give you an idea of what it'd cost.

love
nick
 
Craig,

In the few times I've seem our company damage things, we've paid for them. No questions asked. Just make it up later- here and there.

But there was one time... We were working for a client removing trees. They wanted the chips "there". The two underground tanks were pointed out to us. No where near there was where the chips were going. While dumping, blam! Right through a tank. I thought I was going over. The back tires fell through a lid and the body was almost all of the way up. Anyway.....towing company came (from around the corner) and I rigged the truck for them and the hoisted us out around five feet. The bill-$1000.00!!! That's $200/ft!

No way was I paying that. We got three other estimates from local companies that were all $350-$400. We sent them a check for $400 and a letter. That was that.

The homeowner wanted us to replace the lid of the tank. Didn't do that either. Dunno if this helps any?
 
If it gets down to the nitty gritty, just send them what you think is fair, with a letter. As soon as they see they'd have to get the lawyer to get the other few hundred dollars, they probably will be happy with what they have, though they'll talk $#!+ about you forever.

love
nick
 
[ QUOTE ]
If it gets down to the nitty gritty, just send them what you think is fair, with a letter. As soon as they see they'd have to get the lawyer to get the other few hundred dollars, they probably will be happy with what they have, though they'll talk $#!+ about you forever.

love
nick

[/ QUOTE ]

I think her husband is a lawyer. /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
What burns me is we were doing a small stump in a flowerbed for less then $100.00 that I never saw.......hourly grinding. It was surrounded by rock which my employee shoveled away.......he apparently missed one!

Thanks for the prompt reply's. Do any of you have a disclamer on the back of your estimate forms dealing with flying debris from stump grinding?

[/ QUOTE ]

No disclaimer here. Do you carry plywood to lean in front of windows when grinding close by? i usually sub out my stump work, and have had some minor incidents, but nothing major. The guy who does my stumps is always fair about the damages.
 
i WOULD SAY TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THE GLAZING /WINDOW COMPANY LOOKS TO ME LIKE THEY ARE TRYING IT ON A BIT /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
Sucks man, I would contact the window company and see why they couldn't just replace the window, its not like a log came down and damaged the sash or frame. sounds like glass company might smell insurance. You still gotta pay, husband lawyer or not -- lawyer husband makes it worse -- take it up with window co, and bend over good luck.
 
Yes, it does suck!! But the cold hard fact is that no matter what your intent tree care is a customer service buisness. Yes, we work on trees, but we serve a client. The world is full of tree companies good and bad, customer service often seperates the adults from the kids! The other cold hard fact is that before you started the work the client had a whole, unrepaired window. It is not an unreasonable request for them to have the exact same after your job is finnished. You may be getting taken for a ride, but that does not matter.

Pony up, and do it with a smile on your face. You cannot buy a reputation, but you can sell one out.

Tony
 
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