[lukeg]

Cleaned a customers windows on wednesday last week, had a phone call yesterday lunch time being accused  of scratching a patio window, i explained to her that i find it highly unlikely i have caused this as i have a final walk round checking the windows when finished as i do on all jobs, she wasn't having any of it and was demanding insurance details and that i pay. I told her i would call round on monday to have a look and ended the conversation, it was playing on my mind so went straight out, got there for about 3 and she wasn't in had a look at the window and the scratch is 2ft from the floor and the scratch is about an inch long going across and is quite deep, now i would of noticed it if it was there when i cleaned the job and would definatley know if i caused it! I don't even think it is possible to make such a deep scratch with a brush. i never ever use the stock of the brush but again even if it tried to scratch the glass with it i know it wouldn't make a scratch like that.

Anyway i phone her when i get home and left an answer phone message telling her that there is no way i could of done it.

She then rings me back saying she is going to a solicitors and is going to tell everyone she knows that i have scratched her window.

If i had the slightest doubt i could of caused it, i would of paid to have it replaced.

I have drafted a letter out to her explaining everything as i couldnt reason with her on the phone.

Have any of you guys had similar experiences and what did you do knowing you didn't do it and were there any repercussions?

What will a solicitor tell her?

[bumper]

your not at fault and she carnt prove it was you,it will cost her more than the scratch with a solicitor no prove,dornt lose any sleep over it,
  bumper

[bobplum]

what makes me wary is the fact she asks for insurance details straight away,not can you call and have a look
you cleaned Wednesday,she calls Saturday?

your only guilty by association,ie you were there doing your job but as there is no witness to it etc she cant prove its you

stand your ground and tell her she due a price increase

[scottt24]

Unless you have grit trapped in the bristles I can't see how you can scratch glass with a brush
It may reassure her if you were to go round and give her the pole and ask her to see if she can scratch the glass

[MATT BATEMAN (OWC)]

stand your ground and tell her she due a price increase

 

I've been accused of this on a couple of occasions. Each time I show them the brush so they can see how soft the bristles are, they havent pursued it after that.

[PAUL ERITH]

Cleaned a customers windows on wednesday last week, had a phone call yesterday lunch time being accused  of scratching a patio window, i explained to her that i find it highly unlikely i have caused this as i have a final walk round checking the windows when finished as i do on all jobs, she wasn't having any of it and was demanding insurance details and that i pay. I told her i would call round on monday to have a look and ended the conversation, it was playing on my mind so went straight out, got there for about 3 and she wasn't in had a look at the window and the scratch is 2ft from the floor and the scratch is about an inch long going across and is quite deep, now i would of noticed it if it was there when i cleaned the job and would definatley know if i caused it! I don't even think it is possible to make such a deep scratch with a brush. i never ever use the stock of the brush but again even if it tried to scratch the glass with it i know it wouldn't make a scratch like that.

Anyway i phone her when i get home and left an answer phone message telling her that there is no way i could of done it.

She then rings me back saying she is going to a solicitors and is going to tell everyone she knows that i have scratched her window.

If i had the slightest doubt i could of caused it, i would of paid to have it replaced.

I have drafted a letter out to her explaining everything as i couldnt reason with her on the phone.

Have any of you guys had similar experiences and what did you do knowing you didn't do it and were there any repercussions?

What will a solicitor tell her?

Tell her if she starts telling every one that you scratched the glass with no solid witness that could be classed as defamation of character which could mean legal action from your self  

Two can play at the legal threat game  

Paul

[Dean Taberner]

Have any of you guys had similar experiences and what did you do knowing you didn't do it and were there any repercussions?

Yes it happened to me a few years ago now,

At the time I explained to the customer that I know for sure that it couldn't have been me and if they were as intelligent as they thought they were then they would know that it couldn't have been me who did it.

We still clean their windows today.

[lukeg]

Thanks for the replies makes me feel reasurred, i will add in the letter about inspecting my brush but i don't think she will, she is obviously looking for a scape goat.

My brush is a superlite dual trim thingy and always kept clean and even if it did have grit in it which it didn't it wouldn't of made a scratch that deep more of a surface scratch. Plus the scratch is across the window and i always use up and down movement when scrubbing apart from the very top and bottom.

[Dean Taberner]

Go easy though,

Apparently you could get abit of this,

See this first key risk on this link.....

http://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/hslcasestudies/windowcleaners.htm

[robertphil]

dont write !   you could trip yourself up in the letter.    let her write to you and whatever you do dont reply straight away,think it over a few days,praps get a solicitor to write one in reply
   dont write ,i learnt this from a previous business and thru friends with other businesses

[ben M]

dont write !   you could trip yourself up in the letter.    let her write to you and whatever you do dont reply straight away,think it over a few days,praps get a solicitor to write one in reply
   dont write ,i learnt this from a previous business and thru friends with other businesses

totally agree,don't write to her first! go back to see her tomorrow,make sure she is in and show her your brush. If she still telling you off,stay polite and tell here that you are waiting a letter from her sollicitor!

[Ian101]

dont write !   you could trip yourself up in the letter.    let her write to you and whatever you do dont reply straight away,think it over a few days,praps get a solicitor to write one in reply
   dont write ,i learnt this from a previous business and thru friends with other businesses

totally agree,don't write to her first! go back to see her tomorrow,make sure she is in and show her your brush. If she still telling you off,stay polite and tell here that you are waiting a letter from her sollicitor!

if she still says its your fault ask if she has your full address and contact details for legal letter if she says no then smile and run away in the style of del and rodney in the infamous broken chanderleir episode  ... be better if you have a bright yellow 3 wheeler to hand as well

[rosskesava]

I would be asking how she knows it was you who scratched the glass as opposed to assuming it was you.

The two are very different.

[Ian Lancaster]

We get the odd one, maybe once a year.  Standard response: first I take a pole round to the job, offer it to the customer and ask them to try to scratch the glass with it on the promise that if they can we'll pay for that and any other scratch they think we caused.  They usually drop the complaint there and then.  If they persist, I tell them I will inform my insurance company and if they think there are grounds for a claim they will deal with it, otherwise there is nothing I can do.

Whatever you do don't put anything in writing.  If the insurance company want to write to her that's up to them.

The bottom line is you are not responsible.  It is up to the complainant to prove their claim.

I don't believe it is possible to scratch glass with a WFP.  In all my 40-odd years doing it trad I never managed to scratch any glass and I fail to see how a soft brush with constant water lubrication could do it.

I don't believe this 'bit of grit' in the bristles can scratch glass either.  The grit would have to be very firmly held to drag it across the surface hard enough to cause a scratch, and brushes can't do that - especially if they are constantly being washed through!  I've had grit on my scrim and wiped the glass with it and still not managed to cause a scratch.

[Tony Edwards]

Had this last year and she was a solicitor. Threatened to sue me as " she was a solicitor '. I emailed her back denying it was my fault .She kept on emailing and calling for a few weeks with legal threats.

When she realised that I was not bothered or worried, she left me alone.

The windows had been scratched by the builders but she thought she would try and blame me.

[dazmond]

do what ian lancaster says then if shes still trying to pursue it just dump her and never go back.end of problem!!

[Positivity]

Blame never falls to the ground - it always lands on someone.

[jimiwindows]

get your pole out and rub up and down her back door she will stop moaning after that.

[lukeg]

Thanks for all the good advice, i'm not sending a letter i will just wait to see if i hear anything from her and i'm not going back round either, She has already said that she doesn't want me to clean her windows and i'm not going to lose any sleep over it, the only thing that i was a bit concerned about is if i lose any other customers because of her telling other people i did it. (i clean next doors)

[ben M]

Thanks for all the good advice, i'm not sending a letter i will just wait to see if i hear anything from her and i'm not going back round either, She has already said that she doesn't want me to clean her windows and i'm not going to lose any sleep over it, the only thing that i was a bit concerned about is if i lose any other customers because of her telling other people i did it. (i clean next doors)

go next doors and explain the situation to the customer