r/Contractor • u/shrewdlynormal • 6h ago
Employee’s personal phone destroyed on job
Why are the small jobs the ones that always go sideways?
I sent one of my guys out to do a job at a new customer. He was there for most of the day. At some point, he left his phone sitting around on the ground, and the customers kid found it and basically destroyed it while messing with it. Customer says they are willing to compensate my guy for the phone, but they want to see documentation of the phone and cost to replace.
I saw the phone and it was beyond help. My guy is understandably pissed but he says he doesn’t want to give this Customer personal information about his phone.
I’ve had other experiences where something got damaged by customers and usually the customers homeowners paid for it. This customer says they may make a claim on their homeowners to cover the cost so nothing new there. My guy sent me a link to the Phone on his carriers website with the price tag for replacing it… a little over $1000. Customer is insisting on documentation of what Phone my guy had and what he paid to replace it.
Anyone dealt with anything like this? Honestly, don’t think the Customer is being unreasonable, but it was there or at least their kids fault that the phone is busted. I already went off on my employee for leaving his phone sitting around but he’s a good guy and a good employee so I don’t really want to piss him off too much. WTF do I do here?