[House Buddies]

Hi
I thought I would share a problem with you, we clean alot of houses for sequence (W H Brown) and apart from the odd Landlord winging about a stain that would not come out or a smear on a mirror we have not had anyproblems until now.

We received a call from the agent at 5.20pm on Friday asking for a clean and carpets at a flat in the middle of the city but it had to be done by Monday! and the Landlord had not handed the key in! So In my usuall aim to please way I organise a team to go in at 11am + me for the carpets (been cleaning carpets for 12 years)
We get to the flat - Very poor access to it. only 1 bed and a tight squeeze. On first inspection it looks okay the carpets where not bad at all, So we set about cleaning, first looks where deceiving, alot of hidden grease dirty cooker built up scale etc but carpets ok if not cheap bedroom carpet everywhere with the pile crushed!

It took 10 hrs of cleaning and the carpets took about 21/2 hrs, we all stood back and said what a wonderful job, I had also dried the Carpets.

4pm the next day we receive a call from the agents to say the Landlords mum is not happy she said the carpets have not been touched and the mirror has a smear!! and there is a mark on the kitchen floor - so totally amazed I am going with a team at 7.30am this morning to rectify any problems ( Landladies choice of time)! Will update later.

The message to this story is TAKE DIGITAL PICTURES!!!! I whish I had read the post about this earlier, so I am going to smile nicely and do what she wants but god it makes me bloody mad! The agent where very understanding and said no one had seen the house before we went in? and that they are happy with us but it is their clients word against ours so she had to request we go back - which I understand, apart from pictures what else can we do?

With private jobs we meet clients and go through the job but with lettings we are not able to do this as there is not enough time.

Any further advice please would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

Carl 

[craigp]

your a bit stuffed, and just got to do all you can to please the difficult customer.

thats exactly why i dont do domestic cleaning, you could clean all day and night, and still be able to find dirt somewere,

i have one customer, letting agent whom i do c/c for and domestic cleaning, but only them as they pass alot of work my way,

i have had these problems, the letting agents normally say "we think you done a great job but you know what there like, fussy, expect to much"

i think you should do as i do, make sure you keep the agent happy, if they give you lots of work, PRIORITY, YOU MUST KEEP THEM HAPPY do what ever they tell you to do,
one disgruntled landlord not a problem. as long as the agents happy with you.

i got one the next time the agent ask me to go to his property im telling them im not working for that alkward man!

on 2 jobs hes made me go back, when i worked hard and done a good job.

[Steve Chapman]

You'll always going to get the odd one or two who will complain, it's all part of the job. - the trick is to not take it personally but just act professional about the whole thing.

If you go back and make them happy you've got a customer for life! (whether you want them or not is another matter :).

Some people are born complainers and that's a fact, but how you deal with it says alot about your business.

I've had a few jobs where i've had to clean an imaginary stain, could'nt even see it when i've got there, but just gone through the motions of re-cleaning it and the customer has been over the moon.

Nowt queer as folk as they say somehere in the north :
regards
steve

[terrymaloy]

Similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago...( Stitched Up ! April 8th Posting ) Carpets were spotlessly clean when I left and locked up. Later that day, landlord was on the phone "not happy...doesnt even look like they've been done" !!
To cut a long story short, I went back and and kept my professional head on and re-cleaned already clean carpets.

Like a fellow member says...better to get paid than not at all and we have to face the fact that every now and again you'll get a whinging B****stard.

Taking the digital camera with you is of course the best and obvious advice...did'nt have it that day but its there for next time !

Good Luck

[Mr Dvae]

Question...
not wishing to cause offence
When you go back and re clean problem areas, is the client then satisfied because they can now see the difference? if they're still disatisfied with the result you have done your job correctly but if there's a marked difference on the second try then you didn't do the original job properly.

regards

Dave

[Spot On cleaning]

Sometimes stains wick up from back of carpet when drying that he might of missed inadvertantly. Also i do a lot for the letting agents and some have real dingy lighting and low wattage bulbs that don't always help.

As he has said, put it down to experience, after all as they say, the customer is always right. We know differently but we don't need any adverse publicity.

Dave

[craigp]

what is it with them student places and lights, you switch em on and theres no difference, even when there is a bulb,

they must sit in the dark all night!

[House Buddies]

HI

Went back to the job.... I put my proffesional head on and told the staff member with me to smile etc

The problem with the job..... they had not seen it before we cleaned it, basically their daughter owns the apartment who now lives 2 hrs away, she let the flat 6 months ago through an agency (high profile one) before she let it she had decorated, put new carpet in etc so the flat was immaculate. This is the last time the parents had seen the flat.

Madly when the tennants left they never inspected the property just took the keys back in the office so never checked anything, they re advertise it using old pics they then use a sub contract agent to show the flat who just thinks yes the flat is a bit grubby so what we let lots of these to students, they cant let the flat because people are saying it is dirty and smelly, The agent rings the parents of the landlady to tell them they need it cleaned (Still without seeing the job?)
The parents are puzzled but said ok clean it if it really needs it - they think a quick dust will do.

The agent quickly gets us in, once the parents get the keys after us they see a couple of old stains on the carpet and as I dry the carpets wonder if they have been done as they think 6 months war wont be that bad, they then spot a mirror that was missed and some tiles that still had scale on them... not a big deal as the place was a state but you can see why they called the agent.

The agent panics and to save their skin asks me to go back at 7.30am, I speak with the parents, lovely people and explain what we did they apologised and were really nice people.

So who is at fault... the agent... what can I do .... nothing they give me 10-15 jobs a month. The agent had the cheek to ring me and thank me for saving her back. She told me the parents called her to say what a great company we are and how proffesional in our approach we are.

Just my time and an employees time wasted running around, can I live without letting agents, probably not!

[Steve Chapman]

Sounds a familiar story. esp with letting agents, just one of those you have to put down to experience i suppose, but see it as not a waste of time but a bit of PR, sometimes thats worth more than hundreds spent on advertising.
cheers
steve

[Geoff Jewkes]

PIPE, FUNNEL, DIRTY WASTE, LETTER BOX THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY !!!! HE HE

[andrew chrysler]

Is that the letting agent's letterbox ?