What to Do When You Make a Big Mistake on a Job
The Reality:
You drilled through a water pipe. You ordered the wrong boiler. You scratched their new car with your ladder. It happens. The next 24 hours determine whether this costs you £500 or £5,000 plus your reputation. Here's exactly what to do.
Protect customer trust alongside Customer Review Management Playbook 2026, How to Deal with No-Show Customers, and How to Fire a Bad Customer Without a Bad Review.
Every trade has made a big mistake. Broken something valuable. Installed the wrong part. Caused damage they didn't notice until after they left. The mistake itself isn't what kills your business—it's how you handle it.
This guide covers immediate response, customer communication, insurance claims, cost decisions, and preventing it from happening again. Read this before you need it.
Immediate Response: First 30 Minutes
The moment you realize the mistake, your next actions matter more than the mistake itself.
What to Do Immediately
The 6-Step Emergency Response:
- 1. Stop work immediately: Don't make it worse trying to fix it quickly
- 2. Assess the damage: Photos, notes, full scope of the problem
- 3. Make safe: Turn off water/power if needed, prevent further damage
- 4. Tell the customer NOW: Within 10 minutes of discovery, face-to-face if possible
- 5. Document everything: Photos from multiple angles, timestamps, what went wrong
- 6. Contact your insurance: Report within 24 hours (policy requirement)
What NOT to Do
- Don't hide it: Customers find out eventually. When they do, trust is gone forever.
- Don't blame others: "The supplier sent the wrong part" = excuse. Own it.
- Don't minimize: "It's not that bad" when they're clearly upset makes it worse.
- Don't leave the site: Leaving looks like you're running away. Stay and fix it.
What to Say to the Customer
This conversation determines whether they forgive you or destroy you online. Here's the exact script.
The Mistake Disclosure Script
"I need to tell you something. I've made a mistake. [Explain what happened in simple terms]. This is completely my fault, and I take full responsibility. Here's how I'm going to fix it: [specific fix plan]. I'll cover all costs, and this will be done by [specific date]. I'm really sorry this happened."
Why it works: Immediate ownership, no excuses, specific fix plan, timeline commitment.
Common Mistake Types & What to Say
Mistake: Damaged Property
"I've damaged your [item]. I saw it happen and stopped immediately. My insurance covers this, or I'll replace it out of pocket if that's faster. Can I get the replacement details from you today so we can order it tonight?"
Key: Acknowledge it, offer insurance AND personal fix, show urgency.
Mistake: Wrong Part Installed
"I installed the wrong [part]. I didn't catch this until [when]. The correct part is on order and will be here [date]. I'll swap it at no charge, and I'll knock [amount] off the bill for the inconvenience. Does that work?"
Key: Timeline for fix, discount offer, ask for their approval of the solution.
Mistake: Work Doesn't Meet Standard
"Looking at this, it's not up to my standard. [Specific issue]. I'm going to redo this section completely. No charge, and I'll have it done by [date]. I want this to be something you're happy with."
Key: Self-identify the problem (shows integrity), commit to full redo, emphasize quality standards.
Creating the Fix Plan
You've told them about the mistake. Now they want to know: how are you going to fix it?
The 3-Part Fix Plan
Part 1: Immediate Damage Control
What you're doing TODAY to prevent further damage or make it safe.
Example: "I've turned off the water main and cleaned up the spill. No further water damage will occur."
Part 2: The Repair
Exactly what you're replacing/redoing and when.
Example: "I'm ordering the correct boiler today. It'll arrive Thursday. I'll install it Friday morning, job done by 2pm."
Part 3: Making It Right
Discount, freebie, or extra service to compensate for inconvenience.
Example: "I'm taking £200 off the final bill, and I'll include the extended warranty at no charge."
Handling Insurance Claims
If the damage exceeds £500, involve your public liability insurance. Here's how to do it right.
When to Use Insurance
| Damage Type | Typical Cost | Use Insurance? |
|---|---|---|
| Scratched car | £300-£800 | No - pay out of pocket (avoid claim) |
| Broken window | £200-£400 | No - cheaper than excess |
| Water damage to floor | £2,000-£5,000 | Yes - exceeds excess |
| Damaged roof structure | £8,000+ | Yes - definitely claim |
| Wrong part (£600 boiler) | £600 + labour | Maybe - depends on excess (£500 typical) |
The Insurance Claim Process
- Contact insurer within 24 hours: Most policies require prompt notification
- Don't admit liability in writing: Tell customer you'll fix it, but don't sign anything admitting fault before insurer reviews
- Provide evidence: Photos, quotes for repair, written description of incident
- Get repair quotes: Insurer typically wants 2-3 quotes for repair work
- Keep customer updated: "My insurer is handling this, they'll contact you within 48 hours"
Insurance Premium Impact:
Making a claim increases your premiums. Typical impact:
- • First claim: 10-20% premium increase next year
- • Second claim within 3 years: 30-40% increase
- • Third claim: May not be renewed
Rule: If damage cost is close to your excess (£500 typical), pay out of pocket to preserve your no-claims record.
Cost Absorption Decisions
You've messed up. Now you need to decide: absorb the cost yourself, claim insurance, or negotiate with the customer.
The Cost Decision Matrix
Pay Out of Pocket If:
- • Total cost under £500
- • Customer is high-value (repeat business worth £5K+/year)
- • Mistake was 100% your fault (no ambiguity)
- • Prevents bad review on Google (reputation cost exceeds repair cost)
Use Insurance If:
- • Damage exceeds £2,000
- • Customer threatens legal action
- • Structural damage or safety issue
- • Your cash flow can't absorb a £2K+ hit
Negotiate Payment Split If:
- • Partial customer fault (they provided wrong specs, changed plans mid-job)
- • Pre-existing condition contributed (old pipes that burst during work)
- • Scope creep caused the issue (customer added work that stressed the system)
Review Damage Control
The job's fixed. Now you need to prevent the 1-star Google review that costs you £10K in lost business.
The Recovery Sequence
Day 0: Fix Completed
Walk customer through repaired work. Get verbal confirmation: "Are you happy with this now?"
Day 1: Follow-Up Call
"Just checking in—is everything still working properly? Any issues at all, call me immediately."
Day 7: Satisfaction Check
"Has it been a week since the repair. Everything still good? I really appreciate you giving me the chance to make this right."
Day 14: Review Request (Only If Happy)
If they confirm satisfaction, ask: "Would you mind leaving a review mentioning how we handled this? It really helps."
The Review Recovery Script
If they do leave a bad review despite your fix, respond publicly:
"Thank you for this feedback. You're right—we made a mistake on your job. As soon as we discovered it, we [specific fix action], covered all costs, and completed the repair within [timeline]. I'm sorry for the initial error, but I'm glad we could make it right. Please contact me if there are any ongoing issues."
Why it works: Acknowledges mistake, shows you fixed it, demonstrates accountability to future customers reading the review.
How to Prevent It Happening Again
Every mistake is a process failure. Here's how to fix the process so it doesn't repeat.
Common Mistake Categories & Fixes
| Mistake Type | Prevention Fix |
|---|---|
| Wrong part ordered | Photo verification checklist before ordering (customer sends photo, you confirm model number) |
| Damaged property during work | Pre-job walkthrough with customer: "Point out anything fragile or valuable I should know about" |
| Measurement error | Measure twice protocol: Always measure critical dimensions twice before cutting/ordering |
| Scope misunderstanding | Written quote with detailed scope, customer signs before work starts |
| Quality issues (rushed work) | Final inspection checklist before leaving site (photograph completed work) |
The Bottom Line
Mistakes happen to every trade business. The difference between a £500 inconvenience and a £5,000 disaster is how fast you own it and how well you fix it.
The Crisis Management Checklist:
- ☐ Tell customer within 10 minutes - No hiding, no delays
- ☐ Own it completely - "This is my fault" not "The supplier messed up"
- ☐ Propose specific fix with timeline - Not "I'll sort it" but "New part Thursday, installed Friday 10am"
- ☐ Document everything - Photos, notes, timestamps
- ☐ Contact insurance within 24 hours - Even if you don't claim, report it
- ☐ Follow up after fix - Day 1, day 7, day 14 check-ins
- ☐ Update processes to prevent recurrence - Don't waste the lesson
Customers don't expect perfection. They expect honesty and accountability when things go wrong. Handle mistakes well and you'll often get better reviews than jobs that went perfectly.
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