Remain composed when customers threaten quality defects

For example, corporate contract legal protection from ROLAND Legal Protection can help defend against unjustified claims – for example, due to alleged quality defects.

Unfortunately, disputes with customers or suppliers can always arise. The most common conflicts facing craft businesses stem from the very nature of their business operations. Legal expenses insurance for business contracts, such as that offered by ROLAND Legal Protection, helps defend against unjustified claims – for example, regarding alleged quality defects. 

Six months ago, tile setter Manfred S. had painstakingly tiled a customer's bathroom. master tiler was very surprised when the customer contacted him after several months regarding alleged quality defects. The silicone had not been applied symmetrically. A friend of his, himself an expert in the field, had taken measurements during a visit. "Such disputes can very quickly end up in court," says Kai Becker, responsible for corporate customer products at [company name]. ROLAND Legal ProtectionAnd further: "In this case, it's one person's word against another's. Since it needs to be clarified whether the work was carried out professionally, an expert opinion is always required if the parties cannot reach an out-of-court settlement." First, it must be determined whether there is a quality defect. If so, the extent of the damage must also be assessed.

Expert opinions significantly increase the cost of any legal dispute. 

If the dissatisfied customer wants a Repair service to demand, he needs a Appraise. There are two options here. He can commission an expert himself. "Such private expert opinions are very rarely accepted by the opposing party. There's always an underlying suspicion that such documents are biased reports," says Becker. A so-called independent expert assessment is usually much more sensible. In this case, the court appoints a neutral expert. Should discrepancies be found, Manfred S. will have the opportunity to correct the original report. Third-party repair services He would only have to pay – in the case of identified defects – if he refused to rectify them. "In legal proceedings, expert opinions often cost four- to five-figure sums, which the losing party ultimately has to pay. Sometimes the damages are also apportioned. That's why it's always worthwhile for tradespeople to have an expert opinion." Corporate contract legal protection"Even with just one claim per year, you're in the black," says Becker. And of course, the insurance helps to reject unjustified claims.

Out-of-court settlements are much faster than court settlements. 

Many craft workshops However, they do not want to deal with elaborate Court proceedings to deal with. Because time is money. "We're noticing an increasing demand for out-of-court solutions among our corporate clients – for example, in the trades. Court proceedings can take years. Out-of-court procedures are often significantly faster and more effective," Becker summarizes. These alternative solutions are also frequently used in the Legal expenses insurance included. 

Business mediation: faster, more discreet and gentler on the business relationship

How did the case of Manfred S. end? During the ongoing legal proceedings The parties reached a settlement. "Business mediation would have achieved a similar result here – only much faster," said Becker. Besides saving time, mediation offers further advantages: it takes place confidentially, unlike a public court trial. Furthermore, mediation allows the parties involved to... business relationship to preserve or even improve the situation, instead of further burdening it with years of litigation. "Instead of 15 months, the same solution could have been reached in about three months. Unfortunately, business mediation is still far less well-known than litigation. However, clients who have already participated in business mediation are thrilled with the results," Becker emphasizes. 

 

Background: ROLAND Legal Protection Background ROLAND Rechtsschutz-Versicherungs-AG is a premium provider of legal protection insurance and has been operating for more than 65 years. With a market share of approximately ten percent, ROLAND Rechtsschutz is one of the leading legal protection insurers in Germany. Thanks to its modular product structure, private, corporate, and industrial clients can tailor their insurance coverage to their specific needs. As a reliable partner, the company not only provides advice in traditional legal cases but also actively supports sustainable conflict resolution. ROLAND Rechtsschutz, headquartered in Cologne, has branches in Austria and Italy. The ROLAND Group's service portfolio is complemented by its subsidiaries ROLAND Schutzbrief, ROLAND Assistance, ROLAND AssistancePartner, Assistance Partner Services, and Jurpartner Services. In 2024, the ROLAND Group generated gross written premiums and revenues of €710 million across all its companies and employed a total of 1.396 people.
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