Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Alfa on May 29, 2008, 02:18:33 pm

Title: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Alfa on May 29, 2008, 02:18:33 pm
Hi Guys

I just wanted to know if any of you have had a cancellation of an appointment minutes before the cleaning was going to take place. It happened to me twice in the space of 24 hours. Today I had a booking in central London (Congestion charge £8) at 7. I woke up at 5 ready to begin my jurney only to get to destination and being told to go away. I was shocked because the lady even called me yesterday to tell me that she will need me instead of 8 - 7 because she had something to do. I was there promptly at 7 ready to begin and she said she had a bad day and closed the door. So now I am paying the charge for West End, petrol,time, nerves..................
Yestarday the same think. A booking at 15:30. Just on the road at 15:20  the lady called me to say that she remembered that she had an appointment at the hospital. That was again a long distance from the place where I am.
What will you do in that situation? Any advise? I know I can't do anything but.....

First time happened to me but it realy made me angry...

 
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: KLEEN-ZONE on May 29, 2008, 05:18:13 pm
I would charge them for the job, unless 24 hours notice was given

Steve
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Mike Halliday on May 29, 2008, 05:38:27 pm
she'd already had a bad day by 7 in the morning :o :o what had she done?.... pooed the bed!!

if I'd paid a congestion charge I would have banged on the door and at least got that money out of here .

mike
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Alfa on May 30, 2008, 12:16:59 pm
How will you charge them? Just send the invoice? I am sure she would lough only. I will have a glass of cold water instead.
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 30, 2008, 12:33:51 pm
I had a spate of these very annoying at the time.

Now I'm waiting for the electric man to carry out 'essential upgrades' to my electric meter. They said they would be here this morning. ::)
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: spindle on May 30, 2008, 03:56:33 pm
i would send the invoice regardless and explain the reason for invoice

and add the congestion charge.................

they may pay they may not.........if they do then you have had a result

no harm in trying ;)
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 30, 2008, 05:43:19 pm
Your more likely to get her heavily saturated sanitary towel in a jiffy bag.
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: PaulKing on May 30, 2008, 06:52:54 pm
great you have DNA and then you can claim for.... something that means cash .
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Karl Wildey on May 30, 2008, 08:57:45 pm
thats carpet cleaning life
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Neil Williams on May 30, 2008, 09:47:25 pm
i would send the invoice regardless and explain the reason for invoice
and add the congestion charge.................

I would go with this, along with a very short explanation letter.
It would cost you 10 minutes on the pc and a 2nd class stamp. You have nothing to lose at this point.
Not had any of these for ages, thankfully. The last time it happened I had to call the Police in when the husband got all threatening after I turned up to do a pre booked clean.
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: The Great One on May 30, 2008, 10:17:19 pm
Hi

Got to one today, paid parking, rang bell, no answer, waited 20 mins as I was 10 mins early.

No show

Came home

Found out I was a week early!

Doh! ::)

Regards

Martin 8)
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Spot On cleaning on May 30, 2008, 10:44:43 pm
Turned up at customers house at 9am as arranged. She came to the door in her nightie and said that i had made a mistake, and i must be at the wrong house. I went next door to speak to her neighbour who i knew had recommended me to her, to see if he could suggest where this customer might live as i thought i had made a mistake.

I tried 4 houses in the street before giving up and going off to my next job. The woman came on the phone in the afternoon saying that she could not have the work done as she was going off on holiday with her daughter. She tried to make out that the job was tomorrow morning and that it wasn't her who came to the door in the morning. She had obviously escaped from somewhere secure.
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 31, 2008, 02:51:41 pm
This is a continual problem that we all have had at one time or another - and it is exceedingly frustrating! I have been debating wether or not to send out letters but will probably will start now with all new customers.
Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 31, 2008, 03:17:45 pm
I do letters after this happens and then I think it's not going to happen again. ;D

My latest idea is to have appaintment cards made up, write out there and then and tell them to stick them on the notice board.

The key is to have printed on there cancellation terms. Dentists went through this loop years ago with no shows, now they charge for <48hrs notice and they tend to get a full diary.

Title: Re: Has this ever happened to you....
Post by: V_Purcell on June 01, 2008, 11:23:00 am
Just build it into your pricing, it is a cost of doing business.