The Scenario:
A homeowner buys a solar geyser for US$500.
He then hires a plumber who charges US$200 for labour to install it on the roof.
The plumber comes with his team, and while working on the roof, they mistakenly mishandle the geyser. It falls to the ground and breaks completely.
We asked: What do you think should happen?
Total votes: 147
Poll Results:
The plumber should buy another geyser, and the owner pays the full labour → 135 votes (91.8%)
The owner should buy another geyser and pay the full labour → 4 votes (2.7%)
The owner should buy another geyser, and the plumber should install it for free → 3 votes (2.0%)
The owner and plumber should share the cost of buying another geyser, and the owner pays full labour → 3 votes (2.0%)
The owner and plumber should share the cost of buying another geyser, and owner does not pay labour → 2 votes (1.4%)
Follow-up Context:
There were 3 workers on the roof, but the geyser was mistakenly mishandled by 1 employee, resulting in it falling and breaking completely.
Follow-up question: What do you think should happen?
Total votes: 132
Follow-up Poll Results:
The plumber, as the business owner, should bear the full cost on his own → 104 votes (78.8%)
Deduct the geyser cost from the responsible employee’s salary in installments → 18 votes (13.6%)
All employees who were on the roof should contribute toward the cost → 10 votes (7.6%)
Key Findings:
Overwhelming Plumber Liability: 91.8% believe the plumber should replace the broken geyser while the homeowner still pays the full US$200 labour fee, showing near-universal agreement that contractors bear responsibility for damage caused during their work.
Minimal Homeowner Liability: Only 2.7% believe the homeowner should absorb both the replacement cost and labour, while various cost-sharing options receive less than 5% combined support.
Business Owner Responsibility: When asked who within the plumber’s team should bear the cost, 78.8% say the plumber as business owner should absorb it entirely, while only 13.6% support deducting from the responsible employee’s salary and 7.6% favor shared employee contribution.
What This Means:
The 91.8% consensus that plumbers must replace damaged geysers reflects fundamental principles of professional accountability and business risk. When contractors accept payment to perform services, they assume responsibility for work quality and equipment safety during the job. The homeowner paid US$500 for a functioning geyser and US$200 for professional installation – the contract implies delivery of both, not a broken geyser and wasted labour fee.
This overwhelming support for contractor liability protects homeowners from bearing double costs (replacement geyser plus labour) due to contractor negligence. If homeowners had to absorb contractor mistakes, it would make hiring professionals financially risky and encourage DIY approaches that create more problems.
The 78.8% saying the plumber as business owner should bear the full cost, rather than punishing the employee who made the mistake (13.6%) or splitting among all workers (7.6%), reflects understanding of business ownership. Plumbers charge professional rates, earn profits, and build reputations – with these benefits come risks including employee errors. Employers are responsible for hiring competent workers, providing adequate supervision, ensuring proper safety protocols, and absorbing costs when employees make mistakes on client jobs.
The 13.6% supporting salary deductions from the responsible employee represents a minority view that individual accountability should extend to financial consequences. However, most recognize that employees working under supervision should not personally bear costs of mistakes, especially when one error could wipe out months of salary. The 7.6% favoring shared employee contribution reflects collective responsibility since all three workers were on the roof, though this approach punishes innocent workers for one person’s mistake.
Key Takeaway:
Zimbabweans overwhelmingly believe contractors must replace equipment they damage during jobs, with 91.8% saying the plumber should buy a new geyser while the homeowner still pays the agreed US$200 labour. When asked who within the plumber’s business should bear the cost, 78.8% say the plumber as business owner should absorb it entirely, while only 13.6% support deducting from the responsible employee’s salary and 7.6% favor spreading costs across all workers present. This reflects strong consensus that professional service providers assume full responsibility for work-related damage, protecting clients from double costs due to contractor negligence, and that business owners rather than employees should bear financial consequences of on-the-job mistakes.
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