Customer's kid painted the cat during a plumbing job demo gone wrong

CastIronHater

·1mo·24 replies·24 participants

CastIronHater⭐ ExpertOP1mo

been doing this in Virginia for 15 years and nothing prepared me for yesterday's nightmare on a simple water heater install. i was showing the homeowner how to flush the old Rheem tank out back when their little monster of a kid grabs my sample of PEX tubing and starts 'painting' the family cat with leftover joint compound from the bucket. cat's yowling, mom's screaming, and the dad's just standing there filming it all like it's funny - FML, had to wrap up quick and chase the kid off before he smeared it on my work van. watched a Roger Wakefield video last week on dealing with crazy clients but this takes the cake. now i'm worried about bad reviews from this crap-show, even though the install went perfect. anyone else had pets turn a demo into chaos?

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NotAnElectrician18⚒️ Journeyman1mo

had a similar shitshow last month where the family's dog pissed all over my tools during a drain cleanout, parents just laughed it off like it was no big deal - these homeowners are clueless.

WrenchWanderer⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those entitled homeowners and their feral kids are the real plague on this trade, turning every job into a damn circus. hope you got that on video to counter whatever BS review they leave.

CircuitSavant4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

had a similar mess on a panel upgrade last month, but i kept my cool and turned it into a funny story that got me five-star reviews instead of complaints. turned that chaos into my best referral yet, feels damn good when you handle the weird stuff like a pro.

DuctDetective⚒️ Journeyman1mo

kids are the WORST wildcard on any job site, had one smear grease on my boots during a furnace swap and the dad just laughed it off like it was no big deal. totally get the frustration, especially when you're trying to demo something simple and it turns into a zoo. chased that brat away myself but ended up with a one-star review anyway, bullshit.

FlangeFanatic⚒️ Journeyman1mo

painted the cat?! man i gotta give that kid points for creativity, i had one draw on my new milwaukee packout last month and still laugh about it. told the parents straight up their review wasnt landing with me either. kept my cool and got a referral from the grandma next door so not a total loss.

GreenThumbGuy⚒️ Journeyman1mo

kids like that are the WORST part of this job, turning a straightforward install into a damn circus while the parents just laugh it off. homeowners think its all fun and games till somethin gets ruined and theyre callin you for cleanup.

WireNinja88⚒️ Journeyman1mo

did the cat end up ok or did you have to call animal control after that mess?

SpringSpecialist3⭐ Expert1mo

did you have to do an emergency p-trap swap in the kids bathroom after all that paint got rinsed?

NotAnElectrician12⚒️ Journeyman1mo

kids like that are the WORST, had one once dump my bucket of fittings all over the yard during a drain cleanout and the parents just laughed it off. makes you wanna bill em extra for the headache and lost time.

FlushMaster500⭐ Expert1mo

always some little gremlin in the house ready to wreck the job site while the parents laugh it off. had a kid once pour my whole box of pex fittings down the stairs and i was the one looking like an ass for getting pissed.

WattTheHeck7⚒️ Journeyman1mo

kids like that shouldnt even be allowed near a jobsite, hell id bill the parents double for the hassle and let the cat's vet bill be on them.

LeakHunter⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those entitled homeowners think jobsites are their playground, letting brats run wild with paint. id double the bill too and tell em to shove the vet costs where the sun dont shine.

GreenThumbGuy⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those entitled homeowners who let their feral kids run wild are the WORST, turning every job into a damn circus. had a similar crap with a toddler dumping my joint compound on the carpet last month, and the mom just laughed it off like it was no big deal. dads filming it all? that's straight up lawsuit bait waiting to happen. we gotta start charging extra for babysitting fees on these chaos jobs.

WireWhizKid⭐ Expert1mo

goddamn homeowners letting their feral kids run wild like that turns every job into a circus, and then they got the nerve to leave bad reviews when we clean up their mess.

V4142🔧 Apprentice1mo

kids like that shouldnt be anywhere near a jobsite, id charge the parents an extra $200 hazard fee next time to keep em outta my hair.

MoveMuscle⚒️ Journeyman1mo

holy crap, kid paints the cat? next time bring a squirt gun loaded with water to chase off the mini picassos before they turn your demo into a damn art gallery. had a similar mess last month when a toddler tried finger-painting my sharkbite fittings with mustard from lunch - cat got off easy. least the dad's video might go viral and get you some free laughs out of this circus.

CanvasKing2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

never leave any samples or materials within reach of kids on a job site, i saw a buddy get sued after a toddler smeared pvc cement everywhere and ended up in the er.

LiftLad⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man that sounds like a total disaster, i've had dogs chew through my hoses but a kid painting the cat? oof.

SpotlessSteve3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

don't let that family near your referral list, one bad review from them could tank your rep with the neighbors.

JoistJockey4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

yeah spotlesssteve's right, i lost two leads last year from a similar family drama spilling online. cut ties early.

RollerRanger2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

ugh i feel your pain, had a similar mess with a client's bird crapping on my tools during a faucet swap. took hours to clean and they still stiffed me on the tip.

NotAnElectrician13⚒️ Journeyman1mo

birds are the worst, at least cats don't fly. how'd you even get the compound off everything?

FurnaceFiend⚒️ Journeyman1mo

try using quick connect fittings next time for demos, less mess for kids to grab. saved my ass on a boiler job last month.

DirtBagDan⭐ Expert1mo

that's hilarious in a dark way, but yeah commiserating hard - pets and kids are why i stick to commercial gigs now.