Handling a neighbour's complaint about noise, dust or damage
At 7:20 a woman from one of the houses behind the site is at the gate. Yesterday the roller on the parking lot shook her dishes, and this morning there is a crack above her kitchen door. She wants to know who is paying, and she has the city's complaint line ready.
Listen, go and look together, check your records, fix what is clearly yours the same day, and report any damage to your company without admitting or denying fault. A neighbour has no contract with you, so a client's routes do not apply: she can complain to the city, claim for damage or call her councillor. A same-day response gives her a named contact and a record of what will happen next.
- Listen to the end before you explain, away from the machines.
- Look together, with her permission, and photograph it with a tape in the frame while she watches; note her words.
- Check your records that morning: the pre-construction survey, the daily report and any vibration readings.
- Fix what is clearly yours today: dust, mud on the road, a machine idling at her fence, work outside permitted hours.
- Hold work that may be the cause, until your project manager gets the necessary engineering advice on resuming it.
- Report damage to your company that day, and give her a name, a number and a time for your next call.
At the gate
Common mistakes
- Telling her the crack was already there before you have checked.
- Promising to pay, or saying "we're insured, don't worry".
- Sending her to the office instead of handling it yourself.
What to say
Lines for the gate
Check your understanding
The survey shows the same crack before work started, the same length as today. Do you still call her back?
