Going back to fix it — when a callback is free, and when it’s chargeable
A client calls about a job you already finished. Before you agree to anything, work out whose fault it is. Check if it is still inside your guarantee. Check what the visit costs you. Then pick from four honest outcomes. Do not just say “yes, free.”
Before you agree to a callback, ask three things. Is it your work? Is it inside your guarantee? What does the visit cost you? Then pick one of four outcomes. You can fix it free or charge for the visit. You can route it to the supplier as a parts claim. You can also decline with evidence. Booking the visit is not an admission of fault. The original invoice and photos make a guarantee enforceable.
A finished job is not always finished. A tap starts to drip again. A hinge works loose. A client says the paint is already peeling. Callbacks are not rare, and they are not always bad news. What decides the cost is what you do in the first few minutes after the call. How the client words the complaint matters less.
Three questions before you agree to anything
Ask these in order. Ask them before you promise a free fix or quote a price for one:
- Is it my work? A leak behind a wall you never opened is not your repaint. A part that failed on its own is not your installation. Look before you decide. Do not assume the worst because the client sounds unhappy on the phone.
- Is it inside my guarantee? Check the period you stated. Do not go by a vague sense of how recent the job was. A workmanship guarantee with no written period is a promise with no real limit.
- What does the visit cost me? Travel, time on site and parts all add up. A callback comes after you priced and closed the job. The free callback profit check works out how much a visit like this takes out of the job's profit.
Four outcomes, not just “free” or “no”
When you know whose fault it is, pick from four real responses:
- Fix it free. It is your work and it is inside your guarantee. Go and fix it. Do not bill for the visit. This is the guarantee doing its job.
- Charge for the visit. It is outside the guarantee, or it was never your fault. Examples are wear and tear, misuse and damage from something else. Quote the visit and the fix like any other job.
- Route it as a parts claim. A part failed. Your workmanship did not. Send the part back to the supplier or manufacturer under their own warranty. Do not cover it under yours.
- Decline, with evidence. The damage plainly does not come from your work. A tile cracked by a dropped object is one example. Explain what you found. Quote the fix as new work if the client wants it done anyway.
Go and look first
Booking the visit is not an admission of fault. A client who reports a problem has not shown that the problem is yours. Someone needs to look before either of you can say whose it is. A free repair and a chargeable callback start the same way. Turn up and check. Do not agree to a fix over the phone on the strength of the client's guess at the cause.
This matters as much for a manufacturer warranty on a part as for your own workmanship. A part that failed early is usually still the supplier's problem. First confirm that it is the part and not the way you fitted it.
What a workmanship guarantee needs
A guarantee that holds up needs three things written down. Do not leave them implied. The first is a period: how long you are on the hook, commonly six months to two years. The second is a scope: your labor, and not always materials that the client supplied. The third is a list of exclusions. These stop wear and tear or someone else's later work from quietly becoming your problem. The terms and conditions builder already writes this clause for you. Fill in the period that fits your trade. It goes straight into the quote.
Keep the record that proves it
A guarantee is only as good as what you can point to when someone calls it in. Keep the original job's date, its invoice and any photos from the work. They let you check a callback against what you agreed. You do not have to rely on memory. Keep records at least as long as the guarantee runs.
A callback that needs more than one visit is often a snag list in disguise. A snag list is a short, agreed set of small items. You walk it and sign it off together. That is better than a separate callback for each thing the client happens to notice. Do you need exact wording for any of the four outcomes above? See the callbacks and guarantees scripts.
Common questions
Do I have to fix a callback for free?
Only if the fault is in your work, and only inside your stated guarantee period. Wear and tear, misuse and materials the client supplied are not covered just because the job is recent.
What if the damage isn’t from my work?
Go and look first. Then explain plainly what you found and why it is not the same as the original job. A tile cracked by a dropped object is a different problem from a tile you fitted badly. Say so. Quote the repair as new work if the client wants it done.
What if a part failed, not my workmanship?
Route it as a parts claim against the supplier or manufacturer. Do not cover it under your own guarantee. Your labor and their part carry separate guarantees. You usually cannot be expected to cover a failed part for free.
How long should a workmanship guarantee last?
Make it long enough to cover a fault that would show up in use. That is commonly six months to two years, depending on the trade. Write down the period, what it covers and what it excludes. Do not leave it as an open-ended promise that you never stated.
How long should I keep the paperwork?
Keep it at least as long as your stated guarantee period. Longer is better. The original invoice, its date and any job photos let you check a callback against what you agreed. You do not have to rely on memory.
Want the original job still there when you go back?
BizBinder does not track your guarantee period. It does not remind you when one is about to run out. That is still yours to know. It does keep the original job with its date, its materials and its invoice. When you go back, you can see what you agreed. You can also see what the job really paid once you count the visit.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide What to do after the job — the follow-up that wins the next one One routine covers the thank-you, the review ask, and the referral ask.
- tool Client follow-up planner Enter the date a job finished. You get six follow-ups as real dates: thank-you, review ask, nudge, referral, check-in, and win-back. Copy them or add them to your calendar.
- tool Job profit check Enter the price you charged, your direct costs, and the hours the job took. Hours include site, travel, quoting, and admin. The tool shows the real hourly rate against your target.