Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: james roffey on December 04, 2012, 06:36:33 pm
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I have just returned from delivering two rugs that i collected to be cleaned last week, when i arrived to collect them they were rolled up in a garage, i broke a golden rule by not unrolling them, Stupid i know. When i got these two shag pile pure wool rugs back home they were disgusting, Mould damage to the backing where they must have stood in the garage for who knows how long, the rugs were covered in spots and stains one of which looked like an engine oil leak. they both looked very grubby.
They took me a long time to get them looking to what i thought was a transformation, even the oil i managed to get out, not every stain came out but 99% were improved to the point that they were hardly visible.
After i dropped them off i got a call from the customer to say how disappointed she was with the results, they were so dirty she would not be able to even lay them on the floor, i was gobsmacked, i consider myself a hard taskmaster but these rugs were a massive improvement and looked fine, i asked he if she had seen them while they were in her garage to which she replied yes, she added that she thought they would have looked better, i have made very little cleaning these rugs which were a pain to do due to the level of spotting required, plus they were very heavy too. It has been left that she will look at them in the light in the morning and give me a call.
I have yet to have a customer unhappy with my work and it looks like i will not be cashing her cheque as i offer a guarantee, but what really gets me is i thought i had done a good job. i dont mind well not too much giving her a refund but i spent a long time on those rugs and believed i had cleaned them thoroughly.
To top it off my first job was a no show, tenant didn't bother phoning me to tell me she wasn't coming to let me in, and i have not been able to get hold of her since
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I always try to be the one that rolls the rugs, so I know what to expect when cleaning ........ if they arrive rolled up/folded, I always take photos of the problems and call the client (easy to email photos as well) .......... I get their permission to continue, even if I play down the results and give them the option of not going ahead.
Always make them fear the worst and then they may be pleasantly surprised but they still pay either way, as they confirmed it ;)
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Chris that has always been my approach too, downplaying results is something i have always done and i always write clean to best advantag on my survey forms that i give customers.
I think it was a combination of things on this particular job i was rushed off my feet when i went to collect them, they were already rolled up and space was limited in the garage so unrolling them would have been awkward and my sixth sense told me it would be ok she lived in an affluent area, i know that's not always a guarantee and she seemed friendly and pleasant.
What does irritate me is the fact that you have to treat every customer as though they are idiots explaining that the "iron burn" in the middle of the room wont come out because one customer i had thought it would, or that the traffic lane is worn and cleaning wont bring it back, now i am going to have to insist every customer unrolls every rug.
Your idea of phoning the customer is a good one it pre empts them coming back at you with spurious claims
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I have just returned from delivering two rugs that i collected to be cleaned last week, when i arrived to collect them they were rolled up in a garage, i broke a golden rule by not unrolling them, Stupid i know. When i got these two shag pile pure wool rugs back home they were disgusting, Mould damage to the backing where they must have stood in the garage for who knows how long, the rugs were covered in spots and stains one of which looked like an engine oil leak. they both looked very grubby.
They took me a long time to get them looking to what i thought was a transformation, even the oil i managed to get out, not every stain came out but 99% were improved to the point that they were hardly visible.
After i dropped them off i got a call from the customer to say how disappointed she was with the results, they were so dirty she would not be able to even lay them on the floor, i was gobsmacked, i consider myself a hard taskmaster but these rugs were a massive improvement and looked fine, i asked he if she had seen them while they were in her garage to which she replied yes, she added that she thought they would have looked better, i have made very little cleaning these rugs which were a pain to do due to the level of spotting required, plus they were very heavy too. It has been left that she will look at them in the light in the morning and give me a call.
I have yet to have a customer unhappy with my work and it looks like i will not be cashing her cheque as i offer a guarantee, but what really gets me is i thought i had done a good job. i dont mind well not too much giving her a refund but i spent a long time on those rugs and believed i had cleaned them thoroughly.
To top it off my first job was a no show, tenant didn't bother phoning me to tell me she wasn't coming to let me in, and i have not been able to get hold of her since
You've said it yourself, you set yourself up for a fall, she's not interested in the fact you sweated you nuts off and they are 100x better.
You had lots of choices even after your first dropped bollock. You could have took them back and say not interested, you could have rang up and explained, you could have took pictures you could show her of how they looked before you started cleaning. But instead you took a chance and you lost.
Bet you don't do it again ;D
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If i thought that they could not be cleaned like a urine stain that i know wont come out then i would have phoned her but cleaning them was like a Zebra pattern i actually had my wife comment how much better they looked half way through cleaning the bloody things, i wished i had returned one of them uncleaned then she would have no argument.
You are right though but i enjoy having the trust of my customers and i trust them to be fair too, shame some people are like this once bitten though, how do you politely say i have to unroll your rug because i don't trust you, because that what some will be thinking.
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James, call her and offer to redo them. Collect them and then rub some old engine oil and other delights back onto them. Take them back and say "Sorry couldn't get the stains out, no charge."
Some customers just take the p.ss and this sounds like one of them, so let her have them back in the same state.
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James
Even the transporter (which you were) has rules you broke them ??? ;)
How about I need to inspect your rug politely off course 8) ;)
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If i thought that they could not be cleaned like a urine stain that i know wont come out then i would have phoned her but cleaning them was like a Zebra pattern i actually had my wife comment how much better they looked half way through cleaning the bloody things, i wished i had returned one of them uncleaned then she would have no argument.
You are right though but i enjoy having the trust of my customers and i trust them to be fair too, shame some people are like this once bitten though, how do you politely say i have to unroll your rug because i don't trust you, because that what some will be thinking.
james, surely you would say, "theyve been in the garage so i'll have to check they haven't got mould growth, only takes a few days and once mold has got in its uncleanable" simple really mate. ive checked a few rugs that have been in garages and nearly everyone has had mould growth, i then eplain limitations and give them there choice.
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The mould growth was only on the backing on one rug, none of it was visible on the pile. i agree though i should have inspected them and explained limitations, but the point that irritates me is i did a good job they looked so much better i was astounded when she phoned me.
I did a carpet once and the customer commented that it had dark marks on it, i reached up and swung the light, amazingly the dark marks moved. i am hoping this is the case here
Neil
I would dearly love to give her the rugs back in the condition i collected them in, that would shut her up >:(
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James, call her and offer to redo them. Collect them and then rub some old engine oil and other delights back onto them. Take them back and say "Sorry couldn't get the stains out, no charge."
Some customers just take the p.ss and this sounds like one of them, so let her have them back in the same state.
If only ;D if i were retiring it might be an option.
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James
I've done something similar in the past and sometimes you feel a bit railroaded being presented wth rolled up rugs and shoved out the door.
I remember once being given this massive rug on the doorstep that supposedly 'was just dirty' and told to be on my way.
He was a bit put out when I told him I needed to inspect it and take pictures in situ. He was huffing and puffing and then I pointed out candle wax, falling apart fringes, pile distortion, dye bleed.... Anyway this not only covered my backside but I came away with additional work at additional cost. Inspecting rugs pays well and keeps your insurance premiums low. ;)
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What are people using to TAG rugs, am finding that as I do more and more each week am Running out of space, So whats the best way to TAG rugs so you can log customer details and it not come off during cleaning or Drying?
Barry
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Actually that's a good point Barry, tag them there and then at custies before you throw them in the van. I have some plastic squares with an eyelet and either attach with string or wire. Then write details with indelible pen. Don't take it off till in custies house again.
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....you have to treat every customer as though they are idiots explaining that the "iron burn" in the middle of the room wont come out because one customer i had thought it would, or that the traffic lane is worn and cleaning wont bring it back...
Exactly Jim, no matter how nice they are or how 'knowledgeable' you think they might be, its the only way to cover your back. Explain, explain, explain. Its like telling a 5yr old something over and over again, but its gotta be done.
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Its quite simple,
On you're collection note, you mark it unchecked, both the customer and you sign it, she gets a copy...
On your delivery note, you list all the problem areas and whether they have been rectified, hand that and the rug back, collect your cash....
No come backs...ever
On a separate issue, I would be concerned You are offering 'guarantees' on rug cleaning, you can not guarantee anything other than you did your best and as you have found out that not acceptable.....you are leaving yourself open to all kinds of issues, I would remove that from your marketing literature.
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That just reminded me of a specific line in my T&C's .............
"(d) It does not accept responsibility for items removed prior to inspection. Curtains, blinds, rugs & loose covers must be removed by STRAKER ECO personnel or no guarantees can be offered."
May have mae things a little easier for invoicing time :-\
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Hilton i have always offered a satisfaction guarantee on all my work and from feedback i have had from customers the last few years i still believe that the benefits far far outweigh the people that may take advantage, on quotes i always point out that i will do my best and this or that may not come out even explaining were is wear, not dirt. If this customer rings me today that will be the first time i have had to return a customer their money, i think that proves the statistics do work in my favour, but you do have to be careful, and i put my hands up and admit i was less that prudent on this one and it came back to bite me. But i have learnt and i thought that sharing it on here may help others who have not come across this, seems most have though.. :-[
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I think James has got the point about unrolling the rug! lol
Has the client asked for a refund? Unless she asks directly for a refund I would offer to reclean or leave it at that.
I offer to re-clean before a refund is mentioned. You should try the same. If your not stacked out with work, might be worth going round there and cleaning it on-site to show her whats involved (alot of hassle though, depends what your charging and if its worth it) then she'll she for herself the effort your putting in atleast.
Obviously a re-cean sometimes still wont do anything to the apperance.
p.s. take it back and do what Neil said! ;D
Tony
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Hi Guys
James it's all part of the learning curve which turns you into a cynical old git like me.
As you put your prices up these types of people don't book!
Cheers
Doug
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I don't like the idea of a re-clean. It suggests to the customer you didn't do your absolute best and could have done better.
I also don't think you had a 'bad' customer, you just made a big mistake right at the start. If you had rolled it out she may have been totally shocked by the state they were in and when you brought it back be over the moon.
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Wynne i agree i did make a mistake but think it was a sort of "perfect storm" situation the main reason for saying this is she knew it had what looked like engine oil on a pure white wool rug, any reasonable person and by reasonable i mean like all my customers prior to this one, would have said do your best i am not expecting miracles she acknowledged herself that she expected it to look like it did when it was new, if she had said this when i collected them i would have walked there and then.
Bottom line is i made several mistakes, she did phone me this morning she has agreed to pay for one rug which she agreed looked like it has been cleaned, the other we both agreed to settle as a refund not forgetting to doff my cap ::)
I did not consider it worth returning to clean them as i did a thorough professional job the first time, actually taking a lot more time than i would normally due to the level of spotting required much of it with solvents etc prior cleaning it. in my mind she had an unreasonable expectation from the start, so what would be the point.
On the way out of her house i noticed her house carpet, it was a "Crucial Trading" job i pity the guy she phones to clean that it certainly wont be me, every cloud ehh ;D
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James, if your confident that no one can do any better then i would say to her, "that is the best result anyone can get, if you can get someone to clean it and its visually better (after taking photos) you will pay whoever does it as long as the price is within reason"
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Tell her to get someone else to clean it for that price and if better, you will pay ....... if no improvement, she pays and you keep your money !!!
Will she take the risk ;)
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Hi James, the customer just sounds like a nasty individual, I think what you've done has been totally professional in every way, best thing to do, IMO, is not waste any more of your time/energy thinking about the job, and concentrate on all the happy, contented customers who value your service.
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Do you take pics?? I have a camera with me all the time with an 8 gig memory stick.
Any damage, stains and grotty areas get before and afters, I rarely even show these to the customers but they are there just in case of scenarios like this where you could clearly show the difference you have made.
Simons right though, right this one off, can't please them all
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hi mate
read some of threads and i agree with guy that i take pictures in situ i then also take pictures in situ where im cleaning it (as i take away also) because light can be different.
i also take pic half way through and always manage to show a real clear difference between before and after.
a couple of rugs in past when i laid them back down in custies house didnt look overely refeshed or bright despite the several dots of oil that had been removed.
how ever when i showed them the before - during and after photos they could see the transformation (guess what, despite being on thier living room floor, they had even forgot that it had oil stains on it) some people
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Andy, you liar, you keep that Camera to take pictures of your customers knicker draws or pants draws, whichever takes your fancy! pmsl
;D ;D
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James, if your confident that no one can do any better then i would say to her, "that is the best result anyone can get, if you can get someone to clean it and its visually better (after taking photos) you will pay whoever does it as long as the price is within reason"
Derek,Could anyone do any better ? i dont honestly know all i know is i turned it face down vacced it to death, treated the spots and stains, presprayed agitated let it dwell for 30 min and HWE and it looked great. i will do as Simon says ;D and move on>
Thanks to everyone for the great advice though :)
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.........you have to move on ........ coz Simon says ;)
Not worth spending longer worrying about it, than the job actually took :-\