Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: wayne zabel on August 16, 2014, 10:58:40 am
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Just been to do a job and walked out.
Carpets in 2 bedrooms weren't visible due to clothes all over the floors.In a third I could see the walkways but clothes were pilled up in 2corners.
Its not as though they'd forgot I was coming as I called them to make sure all was still OK
Do some people think we are skivvies and expect us to clean their crap up as well as clean the carpets.
I made an excuse of an emergency at home and left - should I have been blunt and told them they were filthy slobs?
Its a difficult one without upsetting people.
What do others do in such situations?
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How long would if have taken to grab it all and throw it onto the beds?
It's ok to have a I'm not a skivvy attitude but it cost you money,
I once read a great quote .......'would you rather be right or rich'
Although a quick word with the homeowner, "can you clear the room while I'm setting up the equipment" might have worked ;)
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Sorry Mike but you had too see the rooms to know what I mean.
It wasn't an odd item here and there.I honestly don't know how anyone would let someone into their house and see such a mess let alone expect them to clear it up and clean the carpets.
I'm not prepared to be used like this even if it has cost me.I'm not that desperate for money.
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I love woman using me in the bedroom.... The dirtier the better ;D
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Came across this a few times....proper tramps.
Thing is you've lost a sale.
Next time tell them they'll have to clear all the rooms before you can start any carpet cleaning
(whilst you're setting up you're machinery)
oh, and refuse the offer of a cuppa...cant be too careful ;D
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I once did a complete house like this . You move what you can often these people have problems i know we are not a Social Service .
Alternatively you could have said i will do what i can in say 3hrs?
I know you may not come out with £100 an hour or even £50
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I'd have been blunt and said, I'm here to clean the carpet where is it? The answer from them would probably be 'oh I'll move some stuff' then you follow up with your requirements of what is to be moved then say you'll fetch in your machinery also tell them which room you want emptying first and add that while you are cleaning the first room they can do the second etc for gods sake don't accept a cuppa or they'll wander off.
Shaun
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I'd have been blunt and said, I'm here to clean the carpet where is it? The answer from them would probably be 'oh I'll move some stuff' then you follow up with your requirements of what is to be moved then say you'll fetch in your machinery also tell them which room you want emptying first and add that while you are cleaning the first room they can do the second etc for gods sake don't accept a cuppa or they'll wander off.
Shaun
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I'm with you Wayne. I too would have walked & have done so a couple of times. Appears some are dependant on EVERY sale.
One of them was for an asian lady. Nice large property, pleanty of money etc etc. When quoting for the upholstery job she wanted doing I could hardly see the sofa's; covered if decorating stuff and other bits and pieces. "That'll all be gone when you come to clean it. We're having new carpets aswell so we need it doing before the carpets go down". Come the day, not only all the original stuff but a load more also. "Oh, not to worry" she says, "if we both get stuck in it'll only take us 15 mins to clear, and when you've done them you can help us move them into the other room so it's ready for the carpets fitters".
Leave you to guess my response to that suggestion ;D
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I'm with Mike, surely it can't take more that 10 mins to throw everything on the bed. Unless it was a mansion, and if it was you'd be getting paid good money therefore would have ask if they would move everything.
TBH when I quote I just make sure I state everything possible you can move must be moved, explain that the more things you move the more carpet you get cleaned therefore more bang for your buck and it usually works.
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I too would have walked and have done twice this year. When I quote I stipulate my terms with getting rooms ready for when we arrive.
When we turned up the places looked like a bomb had hit them. One property even had large food chunks all over the floor. Far too busy to be messed around. I don't mind moving the odd thing here and there, but I'm not spending a lot of time picking up food chunks, dirty clothes, dinner plates etc.
I’m there to clean their carpet not to give a maid service!
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I had this with a leather. When I turned up it was all seperated piled up in one corner. He said he needed it cleaning and repairing before he gave it too his mum. Tried explaining I needed to see it all before I could quote. Then I saw a picture of him on the wall holding a lottery cheque ;)
Asked myself why he was giving it to his mum. Went to do the job in his mum's house and she Said he bought the place for her but thoughtit was a waste of money throwing the sofa out ???
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Although a quick word with the homeowner, "can you clear the room while I'm setting up the equipment" might have worked ;)
yep, this is the profesionals way, why would you leave the job and money if that can help?
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Carpets in 2 bedrooms weren't visible due to clothes all over the floors.In a third I could see the walkways but clothes were pilled up in 2corners.
Do some people think we are skivvies and expect us to clean their crap up as well as clean the carpets.
This doesn't sound like a five minutes "clear the room" job to me. We've all seen them. Personally I even refuse to "clear" my teenage daughters bedroom (floordrobe) for her. They want to live like pigs, let them live in it. Perhaps having someone (Wayne) walk off the job might make them think about the filth they live in.
Re: Why would you leave the money?" Because, as Darran posts, we're there to clean carpets, not be their maid.
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Slightly off topic .... It always amazes me when we go and fit a carpet and the room is full of furniture and they say "We thought you could move everything up one end so fit half the room then move it all back and fit the other half " I have lost count of the times those immortal words have been said .
Regarding clothes etc before a clean ,yeah a few clothes etc ok and would agree with Shaun ,but I draw the line at dirty bl**dy skids and knickers and total filth .
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I get varying customers but if they want to pay my price and I can accommodate them I will try at least to help, if it's a mess I like to offer a solution which isn't going to stop me from earning and also make the customer happy, messy homes aren't the ideal scenario but a helpful bit of guidance for the chaotic minded means we all can get what we want but I have walked before but I try my best not to, many customers are repeats or referral bad news can echo round.
Shaun
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If you think you are there just to clean carpets then you were right to walk. Does that mean you will walk from the hard floors and other textiles? We are in the service industry to provide a 'cleaning' service, by walking you not only let your self down but the entire cleaning industry. You left the job because you wouldnt for one do anything extra or have the courage to charge them for it, didems for you. In your customers mind she will tar all carpet cleaners with the brush of when it wasnt quite how they want it they will toys out and walk away.
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Did a job for local social housing outfit, they warned me the tenant was "depressed" with learning difficulties, she, sitting on sofa, absolutely refused to move including lifting her feet off the carpet so I cleaned around the sofa, and her feet, it was a real minger too so the unclean area stood out a mile, I charged extra and explained why, received apologies & prompt payment.
At the end of the day we are earning our living cleaning up other peoples pooe, charge the right price and no job is too dirty
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If you think you are there just to clean carpets then you were right to walk. Does that mean you will walk from the hard floors and other textiles? We are in the service industry to provide a 'cleaning' service, by walking you not only let your self down but the entire cleaning industry. You left the job because you wouldnt for one do anything extra or have the courage to charge them for it, didems for you. In your customers mind she will tar all carpet cleaners with the brush of when it wasnt quite how they want it they will toys out and walk away.
I don't quite understand your first 2 sentences. ???
Is this post a wind up?
To make comments like this without seeing what I encountered is plain stupid.
I don't give a toss what the customer thinks - Why should I care about slobs like this.
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Your business, your choice, simple. :) What anyone else would have done does not come into it, from the above some would have and some wouldn't have. Personally i would have walked too, had a few of these and makes me mad that people are so lazy and inconsiderate, i do make allowances for elderly or people with learning difficulties however.
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Yeah I just toss everything on the beds/sofas and make it a point of building a tall tower of their stuff on the bed. Either that or tell them what i require moving while I bring in my stuff, just depends how busy i am that day.
I never really had any problems doing this. Never turn a job down for those reasons, gaining customers is too hard to turn down just for that reason.
Funnily enough I also turned down a job on Saturday. When I got there the lounge and hall way I was there to clean stank of cat pee, I mean really really stank! I don't know how the girl lived in that flat. Cream 80/20 covered in cat urine stains and there was also a moth infestation. Needless to say, she never told me any of this on the phone. >:(
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I walked off a job the other week when the customer complained about having to pay more than what I estimated over email... I simply don't tolerate rude people who stand there questioning and challenging my methods... Some people simply refuse to listen and have zero respect.
A lack of respect to expect the carpet cleaner to remove all the clothes from the floor...
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::)roll
I do have to laugh at some of the comments on here, comments such as " I don't give a toss what the customer thinks"
It really is a privilege for customers to have some of you turn up and honour them with your presence, they should be grateful that you chose them to use you. I mean some of you even make allowances for the elderly and disabled, which really should be applauded.
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Wayne
You should be sending out conformation letters that have a specifaction. This cleanly sets out what you will be doing and not. The customer knows what they need to do to prepare for your visit.
We get customers calling saying is it ok to leave sofa in the room, or can you go around the beds, the parking is not right outside the front door but its close.
Conformations are the terms and conditions for what your getting paid to do. if they dont read them then your just point it out. they then can sort it out or pay the extra for us to do it.
The reason we do this is because you get such a wide variety of customers ones that will do stuff before you arrive and those that dont. the question is will the ones that dont pay extra for the bits that your expected to do? What happens is this group when they get the letter will call and cancel the job. no problem I am a budget cleaner and its doubtful that they will get a more expensive cleaner in but find another budget cleaner that will. my point is why should that be you?
I learnt this from my maid service. people expectations will differ for what can be cleaned in any time period. so by cleaning by spec you both know what they are paying for. also the reward foe a fast good cleaner if paid by time is a larger work load. the slow clock watcher gets away with doing the minimum. People understand this, but with the maid service you have to keep reminding them as over time they forget. so we just had a check list that was the spec and left it each clean. this reminds them which periodical was getting done that week. and if anything was wrong the cleaner had signed and would be expected to return and put it right free of charge to us and the customer.
Contacts rule
Respects Ian
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::)roll
I do have to laugh at some of the comments on here, comments such " I don't give a toss what the customer thinks"
It really is a privilege for customers to have some of you turn up and honour them with your presence, they should be grateful that you chose them to use you. I mean some of you even make allowances for the elderly and disabled, which really should be applauded.
Why don't you write an article on it Paris.... :-*
;D
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I never walk , never turn down a job , there is always a charge for the work carried out.
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Smile nicely and simply increase your bill to reflect the extra work of picking everything up.
If they pay, fine.
if they object, then walk. you've lost nothing by trying to negotiate.
Obviously, how you achieve this will depend upon client to client and your diplomatic and haggling skills. But being paid cc rates (£50 p/h pro rata (or more)) for picking up clothes is not a bad return.
Just my thoughts and experience.
Rog
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My survey form clearly states' that I can charge for moving furniture' ...I never have had to charge yet.
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::)roll
I do have to laugh at some of the comments on here, comments such as " I don't give a toss what the customer thinks"
I do have to laugh at some of the comments on here. Seem's like some think they run everyone else's business as well as their own. The original post asked, "What do others do in these circumstances?". Not sure, apart from having ago at those of us who make our own choice, how your post answer's the question. "It really is a privilege for customers to have you". Sometimes yes, it is.
Your choice as to how you would respond to this situation. Your business after all ;D
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I would put the custard up against the wall and shoot them for wasting my time...
That would send a message out, and I would not have any more filthy time wasting scum to deal with...
;D ;D
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;D ;D 8)
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nice one hector haha bang ;D