Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: robertphil on August 31, 2012, 07:41:20 pm
-
got an email , cancelling,her reason is saying i had caught my ladder on her fascia and snapped a bit off ,which was left in her garden + claiming one of my workers broke a garden gnome on the previous clean and she saw her do it
this has got me riled ,im sure its all false ,should i just let it go?
-
yes
-
As Spruce said.
Is she trying to claim any damages, and does she owe you anything - if the answer to both is 'No' then just forget.
Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to try to save face when they cancel.
-
.......just my humble newbie opinion but given what sounds like minimal expense i would insist on paying for the damage to the sophet and definitely replace the gnome, the charm offensive is the only way to stop this crone spreading the word on you, albeit a false one. Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
-
Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
Or cost you a fortune for new sofits and a gnome..
Walk away.. say nowt.... get 2 more to replace. ;D
-
yes customers try it in,i give a customer a old squeege and pad 2 months later he packed in saying you can do the tops and ill do the bottoms myself.yes right go fook yourself
-
....oh i don't know Hector......compared to the potential damage to his business reputation it could be quite eco"gnome"ical..... ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
Or cost you a fortune for new sofits and a gnome..
Walk away.. say nowt.... get 2 more to replace. ;D
^^^^^^^^^^ what he said
-
.......just my humble newbie opinion but given what sounds like minimal expense i would insist on paying for the damage to the sophet and definitely replace the gnome, the charm offensive is the only way to stop this crone spreading the word on you, albeit a false one. Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
Lol I'm new myself but you won't be in business long with that way of thinking.
-
....very sorry you feel that way Magic but completely respect your opinion. Just to validate my point, the charm offensive is THE most underused strategy in business and is markedly absent from any response to any issue on this forum.
(Imo) a customer who has a bad experience will typically tell between ten to fifteen people about that experience......and there it is, the seeds of a bad reputation......and when we all spend so much of our time and money canvassing our businesses, making sure our work is up to scratch and trying to build why impede that for the sake of some mastic and a three quid gnome?
p.s. The value of gnomes can go up as well as down.
-
....very sorry you feel that way Magic but completely respect your opinion. Just to validate my point, the charm offensive is THE most underused strategy in business and is markedly absent from any response to any issue on this forum.
(Imo) a customer who has a bad experience will typically tell between ten to fifteen people about that experience......and there it is, the seeds of a bad reputation......and when we all spend so much of our time and money canvassing our businesses, making sure our work is up to scratch and trying to build why impede that for the sake of some mastic and a three quid gnome?
p.s. The value of gnomes can go up as well as down.
whilst that is true and if I genuinely broke something of course I would put it right, in almost every case in this game it is an excuse to cancel rather than tell you they can't afford it
once had a customer who happened to owe me three cleans tell me I broke some roof tiles, when I explained I had WFP and never went on the roof a cheque arrived but three cleans later a complaint about a scratch on a window that had always been scratched, again they owed me three cleans, I just walked away after the second time as I knew they were trying to get out of paying and had probably done the same with the countless other window cleaners in the area
I have also had complaints about my lads, kind of scuppers their lies when I explain I don't employ anyone though ;D
-
I also remember one complaint that I hadn't done the back as it was impossible to open the gate from my side, I said I will meet you round the back, I hurried round and opened the gate and was in her garden before she could get out her kitchen door, but trying to be all business like I still redid the back but thought sod it and never returned as I was slowly learning
-
she has canceled and not asked for them to be replaced. sounds like she is just trying to get rid of you.
leave her and move on
-
just remembered one windy day time as she handed over her cheque it blew from her hand and almost got away on the wind
i then noticed she hadnt signed it,so i spose the signs were there
dont think i will tell my worker, whose a careful girl
-
she has canceled and not asked for them to be replaced. sounds like she is just trying to get rid of you.
leave her and move on
totally agree
-
.....kinda missing my point chaps, here goes..
...offering to pay for the damage; sophet plus exhibit gnome a isnt what the customer wants, because as we know the customer is lying about the damage and wants to save face in cancelling the service, so....two possible solutions to get the customer to admit why she no longer wants the service...
1) Massive slanging match.
Result; her position is essentially re-enforced whilst you lose your rag and get frustrated, nothing is achieved.
2) I'm so sorry about the gnome and the sophet Nora, to my knowlede that damage was not due to either me or my employees but I'm happy to rectify that damage regardless of cost to myself if it means we can stay friends and I keep you as a customer.....
Result: she still has a window cleaner she cannot afford and will be forced to tell you so. If she keeps you on you can cancel at your leisure, no harm done.
-
.....kinda missing my point chaps, here goes..
...offering to pay for the damage; sophet plus exhibit gnome a isnt what the customer wants, because as we know the customer is lying about the damage and wants to save face in cancelling the service, so....two possible solutions to get the customer to admit why she no longer wants the service...
1) Massive slanging match.
Result; her position is essentially re-enforced whilst you lose your rag and get frustrated, nothing is achieved.
2) I'm so sorry about the gnome and the sophet Nora, to my knowlede that damage was not due to either me or my employees but I'm happy to rectify that damage regardless of cost to myself if it means we can stay friends and I keep you as a customer.....
Result: she still has a window cleaner she cannot afford and will be forced to tell you so. If she keeps you on you can cancel at your leisure, no harm done.
[/color]
yes I know but at what cost, you replace things and she cancels anyway a month later, she is the winner, better to just walk away
-
I get what your saying Pete, thing is some custies are just awkward no charm offensive will alter that. I know what they say about bad customer experience and that but chances are her neighbours think she's a pain too. If I damage something I offer to pay straight away but if I hadnt then no way.
-
......you make a good point, financially speaking my method is totally flawed. It will cost you money to call her bluff but on a personal level its a price I'd be willing to pay.
On a related issue I had to postpone a customer two by weeks recently, they called up with five days to go, old lady and was really vying for an argument....just too long to wait....my son and son-in-law will do it etc. When i initially took her on she said her son did it but she wanted to relieve him of the job. Obviously now I'd cleaned it all and the frames were spotless the son had decided to take it back on. She was lying and so her insecurity about this lie made her aggressive, and had attempted to provoke an argument and blur the issue.
I simply apologized and agreed profusely offering apology after apology and said i completely understood...it really threw her off course. I then said if she ever needed a window cleaner again to call me and I'd be glad to see her back....which obviously I wouldn't. I basically refused to offer any resistance....and hence cause an argument which would allow her to condemn me as unreasonable, next time your wife has a go at you simply agree and apologize....argument over, it is completely disarming.
-
......you make a good point, financially speaking my method is totally flawed. It will cost you money to call her bluff but on a personal level its a price I'd be willing to pay.
On a related issue I had to postpone a customer two by weeks recently, they called up with five days to go, old lady and was really vying for an argument....just too long to wait....my son and son-in-law will do it etc. When i initially took her on she said her son did it but she wanted to relieve him of the job. Obviously now I'd cleaned it all and the frames were spotless the son had decided to take it back on. She was lying and so her insecurity about this lie made her aggressive, and had attempted to provoke an argument and blur the issue.
I simply apologized and agreed profusely offering apology after apology and said i completely understood...it really threw her off course. I then said if she ever needed a window cleaner again to call me and I'd be glad to see her back....which obviously I wouldn't. I basically refused to offer any resistance....and hence cause an argument which would allow her to condemn me as unreasonable, next time your wife has a go at you simply agree and apologize....argument over, it is completely disarming.
NO, never ever agree and apologise to your wife like that, she will store it up and use it against you when you least expect it.
Have you not learnt anything about women in your time? ;D
-
I had a customer who was trouble from the word go. The day after the second clean she phoned me and demanded that I go round because I hadn't cleaned any of the windows and there were finger prints and smears everywhere. The language she used on the phone was of a seriously threatening nature, so I told her I would be straight round to have a look and rectify any problems with my work.
I went there and apologized for the problems, and asked if she would show me the offending windows. She simply said all of them. It's a fair sized house, and I thought the only way out of this was to clean them all again.
As soon as I started she got in her car and drove off. I re-cleaned all the windows and went home, expecting a phone call later. Nothing....
... Until a few weeks ago when her son asked me to give him a price to clean them. I duly gave him the price, which he tried to haggle. I told him that I wouldn't touch them for less. He then said I hadn't cleaned them last time, but I had been paid. I reminded him that I had cleaned them twice. He then said I had damaged some of them, and threatened to call the police. I told him I wouldn't try to stop him, before getting in my van and driving off. I had already binned them after the last performance.
I was polite as I could be (I was livid) and realized that this was just another example that all you can do is be as reasonable as possible, but you can't necessarily expect the same from some people.
If I genuinely caused damage, I would expect to pay, but not when the accusation is patently false.#
John
-
......you make a good point, financially speaking my method is totally flawed. It will cost you money to call her bluff but on a personal level its a price I'd be willing to pay.
On a related issue I had to postpone a customer two by weeks recently, they called up with five days to go, old lady and was really vying for an argument....just too long to wait....my son and son-in-law will do it etc. When i initially took her on she said her son did it but she wanted to relieve him of the job. Obviously now I'd cleaned it all and the frames were spotless the son had decided to take it back on. She was lying and so her insecurity about this lie made her aggressive, and had attempted to provoke an argument and blur the issue.
I simply apologized and agreed profusely offering apology after apology and said i completely understood...it really threw her off course. I then said if she ever needed a window cleaner again to call me and I'd be glad to see her back....which obviously I wouldn't. I basically refused to offer any resistance....and hence cause an argument which would allow her to condemn me as unreasonable, next time your wife has a go at you simply agree and apologize....argument over, it is completely disarming.
Your theory is sound,wise and laudable but fails to take into consideration the fact that some customers are lying, cheating weasels.
You grovel, fix, repair and generally waste your time in an effort to be cordial and protect your reputation.
These sorts of people are already one step up from plankton and once you've given 110% there is then nothing stopping them from complaining about your poor attitude, your crummy service, your sideline as a drug dealer, how your unkind to animals etc.....
Your logic only works on honest and reasonable people and if they are, they then won't generally get to this point in the first place.
All depends on your level of cynicism - and mine is very high due to vast experience with people like this.
-
.......just my humble newbie opinion but given what sounds like minimal expense i would insist on paying for the damage to the sophet and definitely replace the gnome, the charm offensive is the only way to stop this crone spreading the word on you, albeit a false one. Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
perfect answer right here, others think different but this is spot on, great reply
-
.......just my humble newbie opinion but given what sounds like minimal expense i would insist on paying for the damage to the sophet and definitely replace the gnome, the charm offensive is the only way to stop this crone spreading the word on you, albeit a false one. Your humility in this respect is likely to shame her into revealing the real reason she is cancelling.
perfect answer right here, others think different but this is spot on, great reply
i think there are people who will spread a bad word about you, but people like this, who find things to complain about and argue with you... everyone they know will know what type of person they are. they will be having run ins with everyone they do business with, complaining and refusing to pay in shops, restaurants etc etc. people just wont listen to them.
in my experience, after starting out offerring money back to customers who weren;t happy, or taking people on face value when they wanted money for something that was 'broken' when my cleaners swore it wasnt them... they are looking for an excuse to cancel. when you pay up and replace the item they will be back on the phone again and cancel anyhow.
-
In my opinion 99% of all customer complaints are justified
I used to shrug them off, thinking moaning bugger, but with staff ignore complaints at your peril
-
Service workers take a lot of unjust abuse ,its wrong,in a former life as a car mechanic i used to double up anybodys bill who gave me abuse
-but they still kept on comin! and in the end id had enough of that career, i believe i quit partly due to miserable customers
-
In my opinion 99% of all customer complaints are justified
I used to shrug them off, thinking moaning bugger, but with staff ignore complaints at your peril
I agree that all complaints should be looked into. If that means that the complaint is found to be legitimate, then corrective action should be taken immediately. The flip side is that there are occasions when customers try it on and therefore a decision should be made whether to continue the business relationship or not, as the issue of trust will have been compromised.
John