INSTALLER ADVICE FROM RICHARD RENOUF

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SPECIFIC WITH YOUR CLIENTS

Richard Renouf, Furniture & Floorcoverings Consultant

She felt this was not what she had been promised and it meant that her new tap would be, In effect, second-hand when it was finally installed.

What is a temporary tap? It might seem obvious to us as installers, but to one customer who asked me to visit it was not so clear. The issue for her was that the installer had promised her a ‘temporary tap’ but had installed her new tap temporarily. She felt this was not what she had been promised and it meant that her new tap would be, In effect, second-hand when it was finally installed.

It would be easy to blame her and also easy to assume that other customers would be delighted with what the installer had done, after all, he had enabled his client to keep a water supply whilst the installation was being done but it’s dangerous to assume. By the time of my visit, some weeks had passed due to the major falling out over this and many other issues and had resulted in the installer leaving the job.

Although it’s often said, ‘the customer is always right.’ I don’t actually know many installers who believe this to be 100% true. Recent events during the government lockdown have taught us to perhaps reconsider the way we operate and how we do things when undertaking an installation project.

Temporary taps is a case in point. During lockdown, only essential work could be carried out and that included working for customers who had no reasonable access to their water supply. Plumbers and some installers had to carry on because that essential supply had to be provided for.

In my days as a working installer I would always discuss the access to water with each customer, planning the times when things would be disconnected and reconnected to minimise any disruption for the customer and providing alternative supplies if necessary. Sometimes I had to work late into the evening to make sure the water was back on before I left. Hygiene is another hugely important consideration and taking the necessary actions to minimise health risks. The current risk of picking up or transferring coronavirus has shown us how easily other viruses may have been passed on by us over many years. It’s easy to think ‘It’s just a cold’ or ‘it’s just flu’, but even these seemingly mild illnesses can have a devastating effect on some vulnerable people. It’s left me wondering how many people might have picked something up from me over the years, and what the consequences of that might have been. Of course, I have always known the importance of washing my hands! But just how diligently did I put that into practice?

Taking time out to learn, develop and even simply to rest, has been forced on many of us. It’s been frustrating because there were so many other things we would like to have done, but slowly we’ve realised the benefits of not working every hour we possibly can, and of taking our skills and understanding to a new level.

During lockdown I was moved by the sacrifice of those whose actions during wartime were commemorated on VE Day. We’ve recognised the new heroes, not just those working in the NHS and Care services, but also those working in supermarkets, emptying dustbins, and shopping for isolated neighbours. We’re good at rising to the challenge when things are tough.

Lockdown has given us all an opportunity to naval gaze and re-evaluate ourselves and subsequently, I for one am already asking myself, how consistent will I be when things ease up and how can I maintain selfimprovement – maybe you should too?

www.richard-renouf.com