Letter to a poor quality "mister fix-it" who was hired to replace a kitchen faucet I could have done on my own.


Len Ilton,

Return to me half ($12.50) of the $25.00 I paid you, for these reasons:

1. You left the job unfinished: the sink still needs to be caulked and was left without screwing it down, and I’ll have to do it.

2. I asked you to show me how to put the faucet in so I could learn how to do it; you didn’t.

3. You put a kink in the copper pipe for the cold water and I’ll have to fix this.

4. You connected the pipes so the hose for the spray was caught and doesn’t pull out as it should.

5. You flooded my kitchen floor and didn’t even notice.

6. You didn’t show up with caulk so I went out and bought it within an hour of your leaving.

7. You promised to come on Saturday of Labour Day weekend to finish but you didn’t show up.

8. You told me I needed to buy a connector for the dish washer which I did, but it was unnecessary. The connector I showed you worked fine. You didn’t see that because you didn’t try it on the faucet, only on the dishwasher hose.

9. I’ll have to spend more money buying a proper wrench to finish the work.

10. I paid you for a full job, which you didn’t complete.

11. I will have to undo your work to do it properly.

12. I understand that you think sitting in your van doing puzzles is more important than earning a good reputation for doing good work when you say you want to find paying work.

13. I give everyone a second chance. You blew that one too.

14. You stated your philosophy is “doing it right the first time.” You don’t honor your words and don’t stand behind your work.

15. I was testing you to see if you had the professionalism for me to recommend you to others through my business, Handy Ande. You failed the test too many times.

I’m not giving you any more chances. Please put $12.50 in cash in an envelope and leave it in the milk box for #401. That’s the gentlemanly thing to do.

Andrea Reynolds, #401 Sept. 11, 2007.


Update, Nov. 6, 2007: I saw Len around the building and he plainly ignored and avoided me. Of course, he hasn't had the good manners to talk to me or refund half of the money which I think was fair. Not a gentleman.

I paid someone else another $30 to undo the work and do it properly with the right tools. And of course, I'll tell my neighbors of my experience and I will never offer him work through Handy Ande, my other company.

Would you hire this guy?