One week before electricians due to wire in power box on slab - I decide to run a power lead to the submursible pump in the outflow tank - to see if I can pump the tank out and inspect it.

All it does it trip out the power pole

"Hmm", I think, "Maybe I'm not meant to do that."

"Maybe the control panel is sitting inside the fully flooded tank and I've just damaged it".

I ring Kevin at

"Kevin - in theory I should be able to just run a power lead to the submursible pump and it should work ?"

"Yes - that should be fine"

"OK - well it just trips out the power supply - I think the motor if fused"

"Well that happens some times if they are sitting for several months before being commissioned - we'll give you a replacement"

"Great - now also - where is the control panel ? I have the electricians coming next week and I need it"

"What time are the electricians coming ? I'll come out to you then"

"10.00 am next Thursday. Can you make sure you bring a spare pump, because I think we will need to replace the existing one"

"Sure, I'll see you then"

The day before the electricians come I ring up Kevin.

"Kevin, just reminding you about 10.00 am tomorrow - can you still make it ?"

"Sure - I'll be there"

"Great - and don't forget to bring a spare pump"

"Shall do - no worries"

The day the electrician arrive - they run an overhead power lead to the pumping tank and set up a socket on a pole ready to plug the pump in.

Kevin arrives with the control panel.

We plug in the pump, it trips out the power distribution box

Kevin:"Hmm - I think your pump is fused - you'll need another one"

Me: "Did you bring the spare ?"

Kevin: "no - sorry - when I went to the van that holds the pumps, this morning, it had gone to Bunbury"

"I'll come back tomorrow and install one"

Three weeks go by, no new pump is installed, calls to Kevin's mobile number go to message bank, no phone calls are returned.

Eventually when I phone: "Hi Tony, Good news, we've had some fresh stock of pumps come in - I'll install it tomorrow"

Another two weeks go by, no pump is installed, no phone calls are returned

I ring up the manager to complain:

"Hi - this is Tony Epton. Could I talk to the manager"

"Hi Tony, sorry - he's not in at the moment"

"Do you know when he will be back"

"No - sorry - we think he has gone down South today"

"Can I have his mobile number ?"

"Sorry - we don't know his mobile number"

I give the job to Linda - she is much better at this sort of thing.

She rings them 2 minutes after I did.

"Hi - this is Linda, Can I talk to the manager please"

"Sure - just putting you through"

Linda makes a complaint.

Kevin installs a new pump the next day.

Next I find that the warning float is on all the time and the alarm is on continuously

I know that the electricians had a bit of trouble with it - so I am prepared to believe that it could be wired wrongly

After several weeks of calling Kevin's mobile and getting no returned calls I try the manager.

I'm lucky enough to get him immediately

"Hi - this is Tony Epton - We've got the pump working now, but the alarm is on continuously"

"Now I guess it is a fault in the float switch unit, but we'd have to be unlucky to get two faulty pieces of hardware. I know my electicians had some trouble wiring it, and they said that the circuit diagram supplied had an error in it. I'm quite prepared to pay for a completely different electrician to come and reconnect it - who are the electrician you use that specialise in this ?"

"We don't have any special electricians - the client organises their own electrician"

"That sounds like a very indirect way of doing it - you must have problems with a lot of your installations"

"No - it's a very standard device - we've installed thousands of systems with out any problem"

"Hmm - so where do we go to from here ?"

"I'll have Kevin come out and install a new float switch unit"(gives a specific date)

On the morning of the (specific date) I have Linda ring to check that Kevin is coming.

"Oh no - sorry - he's been sent down south to do a job today - we can get Frank to do it"

Half an hour later:

"Sorry - Frank says he is to busy to do it today - he'll definitely do it tomorrow"

"Look - I'll tell you what - can you get a replacement unit out of store and keep it at your front desk - I'll come through in two hours time, pick it up and install it ourselves"

An hour later we ring to check that the item is available:

"Yes - I've got it under the counter here - it's a little square box with switches"

"No - that's a control panel. It should be a little rubber thing with a cable coming out of it"