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dai

  • Posts: 3503
Claims culture pitfalls
« on: April 22, 2007, 09:24:15 pm »
I cleaned a block of luxury flats a couple of weeks ago WFP. All the residents were delighted except one. She claimed I had scratched the glass on her first floor french windows. These windows have decorative guards coming half way up the windows, they are a pig to clean because the bars run diagonally and there is no space to get the brush in from underneath. The only way to do them, is a bit at a time through the diagonal bars.
She swore that the scratches were not there when she went out, but were plain to see on her return, after I had cleaned the glass.
I was extremely lucky that the scratches were on this window, and not any other.
The scratches were 20 ins long and vertical behind the guard. I was able to demonstrate that it was impossible to move my brush vertically, even for half that distance.
This was the first time these windows had been cleaned since last October. The flats are right on a west facing beach, so you can imagine the state they were in.
The thing is guys, what if she had accused me of damaging one of her normal windows? I would not have been able to prove my innocence.
With most insurance not covering the window we are working on, it could prove to be very expensive.
How can we check for any pre-existing damage when the building has 3 floors,
many of them holiday homes?
If the matter went to court, would they believe you or some toffee nosed client.
I think it's time to make sure we are covered for all risks with our policies. Dai

matt

Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2007, 10:49:13 pm »
its the world we live in

thats another reason why i have steered away from a van mount and prefere the trolley / cart system

TERRY AB

  • Posts: 167
Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2007, 11:33:00 am »
I can understand what you are stating, but look at it from a court judges stand; its going to be her word against yours and it plays no real difference if she has more money than you its still one oppinion against another. She would be pushed to prove that you had done it, you dont have to prove you did not!, you would only need to show that it was not possible with your method.
Also if you had done this all the Windows would be damaged and why were they not ?, how would she explain that.
If you believe she will take you to court and you are not sure you will win, why not inadvertently break the Pane, then your Insurance would have to pay up.
Terry

Seers

  • Posts: 719
Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2007, 11:54:25 am »
We've got an issue on one of our sites at the moment. They've accused our staff of scratching around 18 panes of glass during a build clean on four luxury flats. The panes in the lounge are floor to ceiling glass and take 8 weeks to ship from Norway.

All scatches are internal, we cleaned internal and external. Some of the scratches are so deep I don't know what I would have to use to duplicate the scratches. I'm sure we didn't cause them.

If we do end up paying luckily we have treatment risk insurance which covers all items we clean. Hopefully if we fight our corner we won't get the blame in the end.

Cheers,

Huw.

dai

  • Posts: 3503
Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2007, 09:15:47 pm »
huw, Who are your insurers? Can anyone recommend a company that insures the glass being worked on? Dai

Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2007, 10:49:03 pm »
Got called back tonight"can you come round and look at something?"

I had cleaned their lean to cons roof plus windows. It was very dirty and had hardly any pitch. I cleaned it standing on step ladders using an applicator on a pole and  a hose pipe. I didn't make any physical contact apart from drawing the applicator across the glass.

His roof, or sections of it had slipped about a centimetre away from the wall(so he said) and he blamed me for it. He Said I must have dragged something down it and pulled it away from the wall .

We banged it with a mallet to repeatedly to get it back to where it should be. He still thinks it's my fault.
There was no thankyou for coming round and fixing it. Only- we'll have to see if it leaks- with the implication that if does that'll be my fault too.

If it was the loosening effect of my cleaning and watering it then the next heavy storm it will slide off completly

matt

Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2007, 11:10:54 pm »
i once got blamed for breaking a tile

the funny thing is, it was nowhere near where i had been, it wasnt even near a window :(

of course to keep them happy i fixed it, they then cancelled me


Pat Purcell

  • Posts: 568
Re: Claims culture pitfalls
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2007, 11:22:07 pm »
seerclean, if all the scratches are on one side its almost definetly fabricating debris, if you google scratched glass you will find all the info you need,
Basically when they temper or toughen the glass, small glass fines land on the top surface of the glass before it goes thru the oven and get baked into the glass, when you use your scraper or sometimes just a scrim or towel the glass fine becomes dislodged and scratches the glass
If you look really closely it will look like a spot at the start of the scratch and it tails off towards the end
Boston USA    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   Cork Ireland