Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: nat on October 12, 2007, 05:26:30 pm
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this is a weird one for me as i've never had any complaints such as breaking something but i've just had a lady on the phone saying that we'd just been and cleaned her windows and have ripped off a load of trellis with tomatoe plants growing up them, i spoke to the guys that went round to clean them and they said they didn't even notice any such plant, but they gave a reason which they said that maybe a trailing hose that was being pulled out of the garden may of got caught, i belive the guys as no problems ever like this occurs, if there is a problem they'll tell me.
anyways rung the customer back up to tell her all the above...then she lost it!
saying things like this has been ripped from the wall, they would know if they done it, you sound like your calling me a liar?
it really threw me as i don't deal with this kind of thing, i couldn't really find it in myself to be overly sympathetic to her attitude and said what would you like me to do? she just said she will not be using my services again and slammed the phone down!
maybe i could of been a bit more nice but it did throw me off guard, What would of you guys done about it? i'm not going for and insurance claim for a tomato plant.
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What would of you guys done about it?
nothing once i was dumped.
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I'm sure it wasn't the tomato plant....but the garden length of trellising that came down with it ;D
Seriously, forget about it.
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Give her a packet of seeds ;D
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looks like i've said the right thing here then ::) ;D
seriously though, it did throw me as i've never had anyone say that we have wrecked or broken anything before. the lady in question also didn't notice that we had cleaned her windows for 3 months when we first took her on, so she owed £60, maybe she hasn't noticed her tomato plant down off the wall before today, who knows?
i'll send her some seeds in the post then ;) ;D
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I would be surprised if she has a tomato plant growing this time of year...
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tomoato plant eh!
i bet she saw red
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this is a weird one for me as i've never had any complaints such as breaking something but i've just had a lady on the phone saying that we'd just been and cleaned her windows and have ripped off a load of trellis with tomatoe plants growing up them, i spoke to the guys that went round to clean them and they said they didn't even notice any such plant, but they gave a reason which they said that maybe a trailing hose that was being pulled out of the garden may of got caught, i belive the guys as no problems ever like this occurs, if there is a problem they'll tell me.
anyways rung the customer back up to tell her all the above...then she lost it!
saying things like this has been ripped from the wall, they would know if they done it, you sound like your calling me a liar?
it really threw me as i don't deal with this kind of thing, i couldn't really find it in myself to be overly sympathetic to her attitude and said what would you like me to do? she just said she will not be using my services again and slammed the phone down!
maybe i could of been a bit more nice but it did throw me off guard, What would of you guys done about it? i'm not going for and insurance claim for a tomato plant.
I would have I can only say sorry, I will pop round and take alook, if it was one of my guys I will fix it for you, by the sounds of it though you are well shot sounds like a fruit loop to me
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Do a good Job and your customers will tell just a few people? Do a bad Job and they will tell everyone?
Just think about it. :)
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Do a good Job and your customers will tell just a few people? Do a bad Job and they will tell everyone?
Just think about it. :)
that is so so true Jeff
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I think i would be a bit piffed off of if a window cleaner had wrecked my tomato plant especially if they didnt come and check it out first before denying it, even more if nobody else had been in the garden.
I strive for 100% customer satisfaction and would go to the ends of the earth to protect my name.
If i got the call , i would of said a provisional apology (you can always take it back when you go round to investigate) then i would of drove there immediately to see what the problem was and tried to resolve it the best i could.
Dave
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I think i would be a bit piffed off of if a window cleaner had wrecked my tomato plant especially if they didnt come and check it out first before denying it, even more if nobody else had been in the garden.
I strive for 100% customer satisfaction and would go to the ends of the earth to protect my name.
If i got the call , i would of said a provisional apology (you can always take it back when you go round to investigate) then i would of drove there immediately to see what the problem was and tried to resolve it the best i could.
Dave
Exactly
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thanks for the replys, like i say first time its happened. I will ring her first thing in the morning to see if there is any resolve, and to emphasise my apologies...your right with your company name, and i have always tried to resolve any issues to the best of my ability...this just really threw me
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thanks for the replys, like i say first time its happened. I will ring her first thing in the morning to see if there is any resolve, and to emphasise my apologies...your right with your company name, and i have always tried to resolve any issues to the best of my ability...this just really threw me
Dave and Jeff are clearly in the tomato growers club :P
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thanks for the replys, like i say first time its happened. I will ring her first thing in the morning to see if there is any resolve, and to emphasise my apologies...your right with your company name, and i have always tried to resolve any issues to the best of my ability...this just really threw me
Dave and Jeff are clearly in the tomato growers club :P
;D ;D
I have the odd one or two customers I'd like to stab in the eye with my pen, but I conduct my business in a Professional manner? if they have a problem, I deal with it straight away.
I know the customer may have threw you, but after the initial phone call, I would have said, something like, can you leave it with me and I will return your call as soon as possible? this not only give's you time to gather your thoughts, but it gives you a chance to find out from your guy's what went on, I would have then done exactly the same as Dave does, I might have gone even further and fixed the trellis even if it wasn't mine or the guy's fault, I would have even bought her some tomatoe plans or seeds.
Kiss there backsides if you have too, there your bread and butter and they will Talk.
I have one customer who booked me for 8 others in the road, she took me around to see them all, so if this woman had a problem I would be around there like a cruise missile and sort the problem out, if I left her unhappy, I know I would loose the other 8 custy's.
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I know the customer may have threw you, but after the initial phone call, I would have said, something like, can you leave it with me and I will return your call as soon as possible?
I did Jeff, i said i would find out more then rang her back and said it may of been a trailing hose, but becuase she lost it and over reacted thats what really threw me at the time, then she slammed the phone down, it all happened a bit quick. but i will see if i can resolve it tomorrow. if she wants it replacing then i will do that. i'll just have to suss it out first
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I think i would be a bit piffed off of if a window cleaner had wrecked my tomato plant especially if they didnt come and check it out first before denying it, even more if nobody else had been in the garden.
I strive for 100% customer satisfaction and would go to the ends of the earth to protect my name.
If i got the call , i would of said a provisional apology (you can always take it back when you go round to investigate) then i would of drove there immediately to see what the problem was and tried to resolve it the best i could.
Dave
Spot on, you took the words right out of my mouth
Brett
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I know the customer may have threw you, but after the initial phone call, I would have said, something like, can you leave it with me and I will return your call as soon as possible?
I did Jeff, i said i would find out more then rang her back and said it may of been a trailing hose, but becuase she lost it and over reacted thats what really threw me at the time, then she slammed the phone down, it all happened a bit quick. but i will see if i can resolve it tomorrow. if she wants it replacing then i will do that. i'll just have to suss it out first
Good on you Nat ;)
I understand fully what your saying about the way they react, and a few years ago I would have just wrote her off, but like I say, You never know who they know (if anyone)
Even if you don't win her back, it won't be for the lack of trying, if you do the right thing?
If she gossips to other people in the area? at least you can say you did this and that to rectifiy the problem.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
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thanks Jeff i will let you know after tommorrow
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My Opinion:
Nat, I'm sure you are a decent chap and wouldn't want to harm anyone. This is not about business loss, it's about the fact that YOUR business is accused of damaging someones property? Now whether you lose the customer or not I'm sure you would like to sort the damage out for the lady. So to ring and pop round to see for yourself is a good honest thing to do.
I had a similar instance a few years ago when I employed a lad. The customer rang me accusing the lad of cracking a window. I went round and took a look. I saw the crack and I knew it had always been there (the custy's wife agreed too!). But the old guy was having none of it. He was going to tell everyone how bad I was and ruin my business in no time :o :o :o. But I had to stand my ground!. Some time later the old chaps daughter rang me and asked if I could do the windows. I explained what had gone on before. "Oh, he's fallen out with you as well? He's a bit funny at times, I do apologize" she said.
If there is any doubt that your chaps may have damaged the tomatoes then sort it out for her. If you definitely KNOW they didn't then stand your ground, calmly and politely!
David
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thank you David good wise words, i will take them into account
cheers
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There are a number of ways to resolve this issue in a responsible and satisfactory way, we are meant to be professionals and need to adhere to codes of conduct when dealing with customers/members of the public.
Sometimes this can seem like an uphill struggle, maybe even a pain in the arse and almost always an inconvenience, but try we must.
I think the thing to do is to make an appointment by phone to go round and inspect the damage that your guys are meant to have caused, on the way pop into the local garden centre and purchase a pack of grass seed. On arrival when the customer isn't looking generously sprinkle the grass seed into one of her hanging basket displays, this'll readily screw her display of top-notch petunias once she waters them again, which is likely to be shortly as we're currently experiencing a dry spell.
Next time you visit the road you'll be able to admire your handiwork as her hanging basket will now be displaying a most admirable lawn; and more importantly she wont have a bleedin' clue.
:o :o
Matt
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There are a number of ways to resolve this issue in a responsible and satisfactory way, we are meant to be professionals and need to adhere to codes of conduct when dealing with customers/members of the public.
Sometimes this can seem like an uphill struggle, maybe even a pain in the arse and almost always an inconvenience, but try we must.
I think the thing to do is to make an appointment by phone to go round and inspect the damage that your guys are meant to have caused, on the way pop into the local garden centre and purchase a pack of grass seed. On arrival when the customer isn't looking generously sprinkle the grass seed into one of her hanging basket displays, this'll readily screw her display of top-notch petunias once she waters them again, which is likely to be shortly as we're currently experiencing a dry spell.
Next time you visit the road you'll be able to admire your handiwork as her hanging basket will now be displaying a most admirable lawn; and more importantly she wont have a bleedin' clue.
:o :o
Matt
LOL
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Some good suggestions on here about attempting to resolve it. Makes a nice change as I expected someone to suggest tomatoing the window (makes a change from eggs).
I would go around there to attempt to resolve it and if the subject came up, stress that I wasn't doing so in an attempt to win back her custom. This is because I would not wish to be seen as a groveller.
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well what can i say, you guys were right so i owe you a big thanks!
Rang the customer and appologised, explained that the situation threw me a little as we have never had this situation before, asked her how we could rectify the situation? would she like us to replace the damaged items? she said no it was fine and that she appreciated the phone call, it sounded like she'd cooled off, so i asked her wether she would like to still use our services and she said she would be happy to. i explained that we had made a mistake and we will learn from it in the future. She seemed fine.
so from now on i can learn from this if the situation that if it arises again i know how to handle it.
thanks guys, you saved me a customer plus the cost of any damage...one grateful fellow Window Cleaner! ;D
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well what can i say, you guys were right so i owe you a big thanks!
Rang the customer and appologised, explained that the situation threw me a little as we have never had this situation before, asked her how we could rectify the situation? would she like us to replace the damaged items? she said no it was fine and that she appreciated the phone call, it sounded like she'd cooled off, so i asked her wether she would like to still use our services and she said she would be happy to. i explained that we had made a mistake and we will learn from it in the future. She seemed fine.
so from now on i can learn from this if the situation that if it arises again i know how to handle it.
thanks guys, you saved me a customer plus the cost of any damage...one grateful fellow Window Cleaner! ;D
Great to here, and no payout is a bonus
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I had a great one yesterday.
Cleaned the back door of a regular customer but forgot that normally it do it by hand as it has no lip on the bottom of the door and the water just pours in.
So when I colected the money she rightly had a moan at me. So to make amends I decided to ge a couple of scrims and clean up the mess. All was going well until I decided to ring out the scrim. I was chatting to her and rang out the scrim behind not looking what I was doing....the water went straight into her wellies!! Put it this way she didn't see the funny side!!