It’s Not Worth The Kilowatt Hours Of Energy To Argue

I work with damage claims. I am the one who decides if your claim is valid and if you get money. I am allowed to pay out a claim in case of leniency. Up until a four-digit payout, I do not have to discuss it with anyone, and I make sure I write down everything. If there is a payout, I can say why, what, when, and why again.

A client hands in a claim. A machine my company placed broke down, unexpectedly, and it needed to be fixed. We paid for the technicians, but it needed two visits before it was fully fixed. There were no damages, but the client claims extra use of electricity. I ask for proof, though according to our contract, we are not obligated to compensate anything in this specific case.

What the client sends me is a bar graph, with no actual numbers or usage, just bars that end between numbers like 0 – 27 – 54… not even sensible numbers. I do my best and estimate that the client used 48 kWh extra. Let’s pretend that it is 50 euros. I offer 75 euros, just to be on the safe side. 

The response to the offer?

Client: “This is much too low! According to my electricity company, it is 52 kWh! I demand you compensate me fairly.”

Me: “I recalculated the extra usage. It would come to about 55 euros. I could transfer that amount to you, but since that is less, I re-offer 75 euros out of leniency.”

Client: “We still think it’s too low, but we decided it is not worth our energy and time, so you can transfer 75 euros to our bank account.”

Some people are just so ungrateful.