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

CastIronHater

·1d·13 replies·14 participants

CastIronHater⭐ ExpertOP1d

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⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⚒️ Journeyman1d

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.

GreenThumbGuy⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⚒️ Journeyman23h

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

LiftLad⚒️ Journeyman1d

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

SpotlessSteve3⚒️ Journeyman1d

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

JoistJockey4⚒️ Journeyman1d

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

RollerRanger2⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⚒️ Journeyman1d

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

FurnaceFiend⚒️ Journeyman1d

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⭐ Expert1d

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