how long would you warranty your work for?

[huggytree]

i typically give a 1 year warranty and im VERY tough about it....yea if its 1 week past ill fix it(depending on the situation)

i had a leak today on a project 3 years old....i fixed it for free because it was a product that failed...a fitting on their water piping...it should last 40 years!....not 3.....i was able to repair it without any drywall damage or damage of any kind....so the homeowner is happy...they did not expect it to be free, but were very happy it was...i even came on a Sunday to fix it....

should i have charged them something??? would you have?

[SteveM]

I can only speak for the automotive industry, but whenever our mechanical shops replace a hard part (excluding tires/wiper blades/brake pads and other standard wear items), we warranty the work for 12 months/12,000 miles. There are always circumstances that will require bending the boundaries a little bit, but generally speaking 12/12 is our line-in-the-sand unless otherwise specified.

That being said, I think in the specific situation you mentioned you did absolutely the right thing. Not only did you retain a customer, but you just gained some valuable advertising juice in your customer's circle of influence. That in itself is worth more then an hour or two's labor and a $20 part any day. On the flip side, you may want to call the manufacturer of the failed fitting and talk to them like a Father, and demand a little restitution for the part and the labor to replace it.

[Steve B]

My hardware has a lifetime warranty and my installation has a 1 year warranty.

[huggytree]

it took me 2 hours to fix and cut and scraped the heck out of both of my hands (trying to squeeze into the spot without opening up a wall)

the part was nothing..$8 at the most

if i had to go into the drywall i was even considering paying for that repair too.....when in this situation its either all covered or not.......it stunk that it had to be a Sunday, but when water is spraying you cant tell them to wait 4 days until you have an opening

my family sat home and did nothing on Sunday...our 1 day to do family stuff.....oh well

[MyITGuy]

I warranty my service anywhere between 30-90 days depending on the customer type. Their is a difference between our client/product types though so our warranty periods would be different.

IMO, you should have charged for your work, especially if it would have involved drywall repair. However the way you handled it will either lead to more work from this homeowner or some word of mouth advertising as Steve M mentioned.

[KristineS]

I'd say you handled it the right way. You certainly made the customer happy and definitely increased the likelihood that they will recommend you to others.

I would be talking to the people who made the part about its failure though. Even if it's a cheap part, you should still let them know.

[Haup9]

At my full time job we deal with warranty parts all the time. The manufacture sets the warranty period but some times my boss will extend it for a good customer or someone that he wants to impress (in the hopes of getting their business in the future).

I think what you did was great and think you have earned a customer for life! I know that I would be telling all my friends about the service you provided! That means alot to people now a days. Not many companies go that extra little bit anymore. I would talk to the manufacture though, maybe they will reimburse you. It's worth a shot.