Dishwashers....

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
la vache!
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Dishwashers....

Post by la vache! »

Minor question - when dishwashers (or for that matter washing machines) go wrong, what do you do? We have it in our Ts & Cs that we cannot be held liable for these instances, although they are convenient for guests. Should anything be offered, like a bottle of wine? I hate b***** dishwashers.
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Susan,
We go and buy another one. We do allow for this in our contract, so if it takes a couple of days we are covered.
Best,
Alexia.
Clexane
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Post by Clexane »

Susan,

I would through in a bottle of wine for any inconvenience the guests experience. It costs little and gets a lot of good will. Also try a basket of fruit if wine is inappropriate particularily in this season.
So you wanted a holiday home in france ...

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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Don't even mention it..
:roll:
I have had a nighmare season repair wise. A gas leak, Transco came out and supposidly couldn't find anything, guests still concerned about their baby in the room so rang again and was definitely a gas leak on second look and the fire got a "do not use or incur a fine" sticker on it (lucky it was July). Cost us a fortune for an emergency plumber on a Sunday night but had to be done. (Originally Transco just "sniffed" didn't use any equipment")

Also boiler has gone off, radiator leaked a bit onto bathroom floor and needed replacement, roof leaked in - all stuff that despite your best efforts of maintenance just happen. We have left wine, flowers and promises of discounts on future stays and we have had the most glowing reports ever in the guest books. I suppose most people know if is a genuine breakdown/emergency or just negect and have thankfully been more than reasonable about it.

I don't have to tell you guys how hard it is to put a leaking roof, broken down boiler etc right in a 4 hour change over slot on a Saturday :( Thanks goodness for a reasonable run of guests.
Patia
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Post by Patia »

Tell me about it Sue . . . as I was saying to my husband about half an hour ago "Who'd be a landlord" . . . there seems to be something new to deal with almost every week! Just had an e-mail from our agents in Spain to say that our current guests are having trouble with the fridge . . . goodness knows why, we bought that particular property in December and the fridge came with it, so I don't know exactly how old it is, but it looked quite new. Anyway, can't have a fridge on the blink with those Spanish temperatures can we . . . but tomorrow's Sunday so . . . However, like Alexia, if I can't get it fixed easily and quickly, I'll just have to arrange to supply a new one. Now if that was my own fridge here at home we'd probably be trying all sorts of DIY remedies before going out and buying a new one (including a good, old-fashioned kick probably) but it has to be nothing but the best and most efficient course of action when it comes to our guests . . . Sigh!

Patia
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Every time my husband goes up to Paris for a few days, something goes wrong. Not nearly every time: it's a guaranteed 100% of the time.
Last week it was hornets in a bedroom wardrobe, the day before the guests left. They only mentioned it because I rang to ask if everything was alright..... and they actually went out to buy anti-hornet spray themselves. By the time they left there were no more hornets - great!
If the dishwasher broke down I would probably arrange for my cleaner to go around once a day to do the washing up (if I couldn't replace it quickly). I would consider this to be part of the normal running costs.
On the subject of things going wrong: I don't get upset about insects (ants, beetles - even hornets - etc). We are in the middle of the countryside, nothing is lethal & they have been here a lot longer than any of us.
I did receive a photo once from a guest whose wife was allergic to (wait for it.......) ...worms! (I didn't believe it, either.)
In Provence small black worms work their way up the walls if there is a huge storm about to break. They know about it long before we do. The photo showed - if you looked hard - 2 tiny worms on the wall. I had to tell him that - NOT reluctantly - I would not refund his week's rent. But he probably deserved a prize for the most original attempt.
Best,
Alexia.
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

we've just had a call this morning - the fridge door has dropped off...it's built in...I left the house at 2.30 p.m. yesterday - the last thing I did was check the fridge as it has been frosting up (folk putting too much in it and turning up the thermostat!) - it was fine and has been for a couple of weeks since we have been keeping an eye on it - our new folk arrived after 9 p.m. - I get a call at 9.30 a.m. the housing door has dropped off! Can that happen in less than 24 hours? - he says it looks like the hinge has sheered through...

at our other house I had a call the washing macjine isn't working...when I investigated that was the door not closed firmly enough!

As you say who would be a landlord!!![/i]
it's all a learning curve!
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

Tansy,

I am not at all mechanically minded but if the fridge was frosting up it could be because the door was not shutting properly due to a faulty hinge. Or, if the fridge is frosting up, that could prevent the door from shutting flush, which would put extra pressure on one of the hinges.
Paolo
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

It's odd Paolo...it is the hinge that is for the housing door if you see what I mean...that wouldn't/shouldn't have any extra pressure...well if it was a fridge at home one wouldn't fill it and force the door closed...so I suppose when I think of what you've said...could be!!

We will be taking the dishwasher & fridge out of their housing and installing standard white goods...looks like fridge this week (were hoping end of season) :roll:
it's all a learning curve!
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Alexis,
luckily the family there are more than happy to wash up. Its a quite a new machine and still under warranty, so the technicien is coming out Tuesday. I don't really want to buy another one yet!
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

You're lucky then, Susan (still under warranty). Under these circumstances I would certainly offer wine to the family: 6 bottles of decent wine cost little enough, or 1 bottle excellent wine.( How good are you at evaluating your guests' wine taste??)
If the machine has to be taken away for more than x days, your vendor may give you a temporary one: it's worth checking the terms of the guarantee (the number of days varies from manufacturer to manufacturer).
Best,
Alexia.
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

Paolo - been and had a look - yes it is the hinge on the housing that has broken - the fridge is absolutely fine...we had been almost nursing it along because of the frosting up before but it does look like too much being forced in the fridge and folk trying to force the door closed has just put too much pressure on the housing door.

Problem is now - the kitchen was fitted 10 years ago..bet anything you like we won't be able to find the right hinges! So it will mean a new fridge even though the existing is fine...maybe it is just telling me we need a new BIGGER fridge for 10 people in the house! :roll: :lol:
it's all a learning curve!
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

This whole thread reminds me of our drama with a simple plastic handle on the washing machine door.

You have to wait a couple of minutes after the cycle is finished before the door will open. If you do not wait, but yank on the handle, the plastic handle breaks.

Year 1 (machine is about 4 years old): Replaced plastic handle - only cost about 12 Euro

Year 2: another impatient set of guests, broke handle, replaced it at inflated cost of 16 Euro. See pattern emerging, so put a friendly sign above machine advising guests to have patience.

Year 3: German family in, didn't read sign (note to self: don't always assume everyone can read English), broke handle again. Now machine is so old, plastic handle unavailable; have to replace whole door. Cost now 45 Euro plus handyman to fix it.

Year 4: Cannot believe it. Its happened again ! Must learn a lesson. Don't know what lesson to learn, so just replace whole machine - cost now 450 Euro for Bosch machine

Year 5: No problems - YET - well, its only August.

As Tansy so perfectly put it: ... who would be a landlord!!!

Me. Its all part of life's rich panoply 8)
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Richard,
We had exactly the same experience - at the beginning, anyway. After the second broken handle I simply told guests that we had not replaced it & that they could either open it manually or we would provide a handle: they were warned that if it broke it would cost them 30euros (the cost to us). Nobody asked for a handle. We have now bought a new machine........
Best,
Alexia.
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

I know, sometimes you have to literally spell it out. You get the guests who like to pull out all of the plugs when they leave (like my dad who still unplugs the TV and video every night!). I had to write "Freezer" on the freezer plug as I got sick of a frequently defrosting freezer on the bench....
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