Luke Moutray, has been working with Brent Chisholm Homes for many years, a Warrnambool–based residential builder specialising in high-end homes, premium townhouse developments and thoughtfully considered renovations.
Luke is a fully qualified carpenter with 16 years’ experience in tiling and replacing tiles. Careful by trade and proud of his work, he always takes steps to protect the surfaces around him on a job. But sometimes, no matter how careful you are, accidents happen on site.
The Moment Everything Changed
Luke was in the middle of a bathroom renovation — removing tiles, doing everything right. He had covered the bath as best he could. Sixteen years of experience and not a single incident like this.
“I covered the bath, best I could — 16 years on the tools, and no damage — and then suddenly a tile fell and damaged the bath.”
There it was. A chip in the bath. And with it, a familiar sinking feeling for anyone who’s been in the trades: what do I do now?
The Bath Chip Options
Like any experienced tradesperson, Luke started running through his options. None of them were particularly appealing.
The DIY route would mean sourcing some sort of fibreglass filler, sanding, and attempting to paint it in. It would be a patch job at best — and he knew it.
“The alternatives would have been the old fibreglass bog, sandpaper, and try and paint it in. Yeah, it would’ve been a bigger drama.”
And if that didn’t work? The last resort would be to replace the bath entirely. Luke ran the numbers quickly in his head: removing and disposing of the old bath, getting the plumber back in, then going back himself to re-seal everything. A full day lost — and a bill well over $1,000.
“Removing it, you’ve got to dispose of it — so there’s what, an hour and a half to get rid of it — and then get the plumber back in, and then I go back in and caulk it all up again. We’re probably losing a day. Cost? It’d be over a $1,000, easy.”
The Right Word from the Right Person
It was Luke’s boss, Brent, who pointed him in the right direction. Brent had a personal connection: he used to play football in Warrnambool with Matt Jellie, the FIX ‘N’ CHIPS Western Victoria franchisee.
“We were like, ‘Who do we call? Who do we get to fix this?’ And my boss goes, ‘I think Matt’s got into this business.’”
That was enough for Luke. He jumped on Google, found the FIX ‘N’ CHIPS website, and quickly had Matt’s number.
No Fuss, No Hold Music
Luke was half-expecting the usual hassle — a clunky website, a long wait on hold, the runaround. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised at every step.
“The website — you just click, you follow, and it leads you on the path instead of too much clutter. It’s quite simple and easy to navigate. You don’t get lost.”
He called within business hours, got straight through, and was connected to Matt and Shannon as his local chip repair experts almost immediately.
“I wasn’t on hold for two hours. From the get-go it was like, ‘Oh, this is no worries.’ There was not a question in my mind that something bad was going to happen.”
Photos, Trust, and a Quick Assessment
What impressed Luke next was how straightforward the assessment process was. He sent Matt and Shannon a few photos of the damage, and that was all they needed.
“He thought it was going to be worse than what it was. He said, ‘Yeah, no worries’ before you even had to go to the job to see it, you trusted the photo — and then just met Matt on site. No dramas.”
Matt came out, got to work, and that was that.
The Result
When the job was done, Luke had to look hard to find the repair. And so did his boss.
“I showed the photos to my boss and I’m like, ‘Where is it?’ And he goes, ‘I can’t even see it in the photo.’ And then even in person — you’ve really got to look for it.”
Luke, with 16 years of trained eyes and plenty of reason to inspect closely, put the repair through its paces.
“Even with glancing light, he struggled to see it. I can’t fault it.”
What Luke Would Say to Others
For anyone in the trades who finds themselves in a similar situation, Luke’s advice is simple and direct.
“Go for it. No questions about it. Matt’s an honest, genuine bloke. Professional. And no doubt in my mind that if there’s any other problems or anything I face, he could tackle it.”
What have others said about Matt and Shannon from FIX ‘N’ CHIPS Western Victoria
“Excellent friendly service. Highly recommend to fix your bench top chips” – Jeshua Ross
“Great experience with Matt and Shannon, we had annoying little chips in our stone bench that seemed to disappear after their very handy work. Very pleased with the outcome, don’t delay, get these 2 chippies in your home to make it look like new” – Peter Herbert
“A very friendly and professional team who have done a lovely job. Great attention to detail and wonderful service — I would definitely recommend them to others.” – Emma Els
“Really thrilled with the repair of the hairline crack in my shower tile. There is no discernible repair on the surface of the tile and the finish matches the colour of the tile perfectly. Matt left the whole area spotless, and I would highly recommend his work.” – Ann-Marie Moloney
“Matt did a fantastic job off repairing our stone bench top in our kitchen. He turned up on time well presented, very tidy. I would recommend Fix N Chips to anybody.” – Mike Alstin
“Great service. Quick and perfectly repaired chip in shower basin. Highly recommend. Thanks Matt.” – Leanne Mahney
Need a repair in Warrnambool, Hamilton, Colac, Portland, Port Fairy or anywhere nearby?
Get in touch with Matt and Shannon today.