Report it. They probably have insurance to cover this. They should want to keep a regular customer.

A department store's workers scraped my wood entry door removing a defective mattress. The store's insurance sent a man to repair the damage.

A furniture store's delivery team backed in to our driveway and knocked over the mailbox on the parkway. The mirror they were delivering was only about $250, but the store's insurance paid more than that to re-set the post and box. (There was no *need* to back in -- it was going to save them ten steps unloading the mirror.)

I agree I would let the company know about the damage and see how they plan on handling it. Possibly have it repaired or not charge you for the visit, I am sure there are options for thatthat.

If you haven't already, report it ASAP. The longer you wait the more they will hold you accountable & blame the damage on you. Call today, even if they're not open, leave a message on their answering service. It's a non emergency & Memorial Day weekend, but waiting until Tuesday is bad. They might say you had a party from then until now.

The least they could do is discount one of your future services. Since you've used them before, I'm sure you'll need them again for something.

Good luck!

Thanks for your replies! I know it's minor, but it's still damage that needs repair (which I actually prefer we do) and it should have been pointed out to me, and any owner. That's what really angers me. Don't smile at me while I'm thanking you for your work when you know darn well you dinged my wall!

DH did call yesterday afternoon and the info was taken, and will be passed along to a manager. We told them we have pics we are happy to forward.

We do pay a monthly fee for their services, so perhaps they can waive one or two for compensation. I'm interested to hear what they say.

I'll keep you updated.

To you, it is. As I've stated, it is to us also. However, when a worker damages a home, they should inform the homeowner, not walk away knowing the owner is going to find it later and then have to do something about it.

For people who can't fix a hole in the wall, they must try to remedy it somehow, and contacting the company responsible should be the first thing they do, lest they are left to hire someone out of pocket.

It's about accountability. The manager should know that workers representing the company were dishonest by omission, which is not cool.

Did you see them damage the wall? Do you know for a fact they damaged the wall? Saying "I'm pretty sure it happened when they took down a large vent cover on the ceiling-perhaps it fell, I don't know." tells me you are only 50/50 sure about this. Personally, I would let it go.

Well, being that my eyesight is still intact, as is my memory and cognition, I feel supremely confident that the hole in the wall, directly under the grate they removed, and heretofore unseen by both me and my (likewise intact) DH, was caused by the workers.

I'd say odds are nearing 100% on that one.

Do you have paint to repaint that whole wall?

OT: How often do you need duct cleaning? We have *never* had our ducts cleaned in 15 years, and I don't find any increase in dust in the house. We do have Aprilaire air cleaners (5" thick filters) on the HVAC systems -- which I change annually, mostly 'just because', not because they look soiled. My central vac is pretty good at removing dirt in the house; wood and tile floors plus wool area rugs.

Do you have paint to repaint that whole wall?

*****

I hope not. I believe we have leftover paint and can do the area, vs. the wall. At least, I hope so!

This was our first duct cleaning in ~ 12-13 years in this house. I was noticing more dust over the past year, I'd say. I'm hoping that I don't see a layer of dust within a day of cleaning now, that's for sure!

Oh, just read you have a central vac. Lucky you! Next house...I keep telling myself.

You can probably just use a teensy bit of filler and sand it in about a minute then use a sponge brush to put a little paint over top. It really only looks like a few minutes repair that I really don't think I would bother anyone with.

Again, we're more than capable in know-how, materials and physical capacity, and will repair it, but that's not the point. My question was "should I report it?", and I did.

I think it was the right call. The company should know that their workers did damage (yes, not big) and slipped away before the homeowner found it.

Not cool.

I would say yes, to report it. They should have acknowledged that it happened. It is interesting how reluctant people are today to take responsibility for their actions.

I don't understand the accusatory tone people are taking regarding the workers. It's such a small amount of damage that the workers may not even been aware of it when it happened nor noticed it after the fact. It's a small ding in drywall. It's not shattered glass or something that makes a breaking sound. A minor bump with a ladder or tool could easily go unnoticed by someone concentrating on the job at hand.

You did not see them do it, yet you called their boss over what most likely was accident. Shame if someone supporting a family loses their job because of tiny dent they did not even notice.

I think you are making a lot of assumptions. The first being that they actually did the damage to the wall. The second is that they were aware of the damage and knowingly mislead you into believing there wasn't any damage done. Those are two pretty big assumptions.

I would bet it was an accident and they probably weren't even aware of it. I think calling and complaining was an overreaction. I expect a small amount of damage (small dings, minor paint scrapes, etc.) when I have work done on my house. It's just part of the process - tools are heavy, accidents happen. As long as it's not significant and it's easily fixable, I just let it go. A complaint can make the difference between someone having a job and losing that job. A minor repair isn't worth it imo, but you've already reported it so it doesn't really matter.

Also if you send pictures, maybe try taking them again. They are kinda blurry. Clear pictures are important for insurance claims, etc.

We spoke with a manager and we're sending pics. We told him it's NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL AND NO ONE SHOULD BE PUNISHED (we are ASSURED that won't happen)...BUT...their workers did the damage (spare me that it was there before, because it wasn't) and whether they realized it or not (and I don't know how you ding a wall, or drop something, and not notice), they left a wall damaged.

We're fixing it. The manager will reiterate that the workers should be careful.

End of story.

Monday morning quarterback away. Thanks for all your input.

Mimipadv out!

"Monday morning quarterback away."

It was pointed out to me recently that if I write a post asking for advice, I'll get it even though maybe I won't agree with all of it.

This is exactly why I hover and mutter " be careful" over and over when my husband does things around the house. In fact, I try to do as much as I can myself because I know I will be more careful. The day he put the computer tower on an antique, took it partially apart and then shoved it into a different position on the wood top, gouging enormous scratches into it, convinced me that he'll never understand. I shrieked "don't shove it, pick it up!" and he got mad at me for being "hysterical." Meanwhile, the top of the table is ruined because he wouldn't put it on a piece of cardboard or newspaper or dish towel even though I asked him to.

I think you did the exact right thing. I hope your touch-up job matches and you don't see that spot every time you walk by.

Was it done by them? Probably. Could it have been there before? Possibly. Is it likely that it was there before? No, not likely from the cursory evidence. Should you contact them and tell them about it? Yes Will the workers lose their job over it? Of course not. Do I think they knew they did the damage and hid it? No Do reputable places take precautions to avoid damage? Yes Can they eliminate all possibility of an accident? Of course not.

Things happen on a job. You try to be careful but schtuff happens. You are annoyed about it, you took reasonable action on it and now it's over. Hopefully you feel better and can move on. That's what should happen.