[john aitken]

quick question  satisfaction guaranteed or money back  how dose this work
only asking coz in yellow pages theres a few saying just that.
i mean how do you safeguard your self from someone saying   not happy.
then you just cleaned said carpet for nowt.
even if you were to do a test patch and they said no not good enough you still couldn't walk away coz there would be a clean bit where you cleaned
 and im pretty sure they would not be happy with that.
maybe im wrong or maybe its just Geordie's but i think you'd be letting your self in for a good hiding .
theres some weird and wonderfull foke out there scanning papers for people to rip off saying false advertising and all that guff

[Robert Watson]

Hi John. I`v never had one problem in the years I have offered a full guarantee.
Tempting fate now.  :
Rab

[john aitken]

so if they weren't happy after job you'd give full refund??

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

At the end of the day it's simply a marketing tool designed to instil an element of trust with your prospective client - BUT, if you offer it, you have to be prepared to honour it.

[garry22]

John,

It's called risk reversal.

The idea is that you take the risk away from the purchase and as a result, more people are happier to buy.

When I buy something it's the first thing I look for when I buy something. I recently had a £ 3k refund from a company under their terms, with no argument whatsoever and would deal with and recommend them in the future.

In my experience (and that of some other self employed friends) you will get far more sales than complaints so it is a valuable selling tool.

Most CCs offer to re clean the "offending" areas a couple of times before handing back the money. In some cases giving the money back is the quickest way of getting rid of a real pain in the **** client. As Steve says, if you offer it, you have to honour it.

Incidentally, there is a very successful Pest Control guy in the USA who features it heavily in his advertising. He even shows photo's of the refund cheque and gets the customer to give him a testimonial about handing back the money!

Apparently it has been a major (tested) factor in rapidly expanding sales figures.

[Robert Watson]

Absolutely John. On a few occasions when the carpets are that bad, and just not going to clean up.
I`ll ask if they want me to carry on, or pack up. No charge.
They have always said, just carry on.
Rab.

[absolutecleaning]

Someone told me that some of the guys who use this will reclean the "offending" area and then if client still not happy they just refund the cost of that area rather than the whole clean.

Is this something people actually use or was it a dig at fast trackers from said person.

Simon

[garry22]

Simon,

From my point of view "offending area" would mean the whole room that contains that bit.

You have however, got me thinking now about what would happen if it was a small part of a large open plan office.

Thankfully it has never happened to me but I wonder if it has happened to someone else and if so, how did they deal with it?

Garry

[john aitken]

im not hearing that anyone has been ripped off using this
must just be my dought in human nature.
ill seek professional help tomorrow
anyway thanks for the response   [good crack once again]

[julianb]

When I do a job most have good results any that I HAVE DOUBTS about I ask the customer to see if they are happy for me to continue. This nips the problem in the bud. 

[james roffey]

I have this offer and like you my family said "your have loads of people taking advantage" But it does not work like that the work you get from offering this far outweighs the miniscule amount of people that would take advantage, i have never had one yet but only been going about 18 months but others going much longer are saying the same.

In fact with some customers who have been unsure about booking i say "if your not happy dont pay me" and its the clincher when they see what you do, they pay, because they realise you work hard and are not ripping them off, i did once have a couple who i thought were planning to scam me recently by trying to get it for free, but i was wrong they paid fine, dont worry about this its good marketing exploit it

[Dave_Lee]

Ive offered this for years and never had a real problem, although Ive had two who were so obviously trying it on, after I had done an outstanding job for them, that I just left them to it with the money in my pocket. They weren't going to complain later, they knew I had done a good job, but were perhaps a bit peeved that their con didn't work.
I have not charged a couple of times when I wasn't happy with a result, but these cases are so seldom.
I don't emphasise the guarantee verbally when quoting, but I know someone who does when potential customer hesitates at his high prices, and it is often enough, to have them book the job.
Dave.

[james roffey]

I have re done a carpet not because she was not happy but i thought the result was poor so did it again using something else. bless the old dear she said. "i cant afford to pay again"

[paul wallace]

I#m another who offer this and haven't had this problem 

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

A few years ago I did two linen suites both badly marked especially with children's crayons. Despite heavily qualifying the results before starting (and giving the client the option to not use me at all) I undertook the clean.

I was called back subsequently as she was disappointed with the result on one of the sofas.

I don't publish any of these promises but I offered her a further clean of the sofa she was disappointed in or 50% refund of her bill (to reflect she was only unhappy with one of the two sofas.).

She asked me which she should go for. I recommended the 50% refund as firstly I fully believed that I had done aas good a job as could be done and she would see no improvement and secondly it was just "easier" to do the refund rather than setting up to do a further clean.

The money i refunded in the grand scheme of things was neither here nor there (about £50). She was amazed that i had gone for that option (thinking I was desperate for the money) but to me I got the best deeal. the client I guess was also pleaased as they were given an option and presumably felt in control of the situation.

Satisfactory result for all-easier for me to give the money back and earn the same money in less time doing a carpet rather than de-do the suite in a longish time for a slightly unhappy customer who may still be dissatisfied.

Rog

[Simon Gerrard]

You have to look at this from the prospective customers perspective and remember that a lot of them have either had an iffy job done before, or know of someone who has and that makes them apprehensive. If you put them in their comfort zone where they cannot be wasting their money this time around, they are either happy with the job and pay for it, or keep their money if not, either way they aren't risking being disappointed, which is really what they are worried about.
The most important thing with this technique is to realise that when people call us for a quote they are looking at that dirty carpet and in their minds eye they see that perfect unblemished carpet as it was the day it was new and think it will look like that when it has been cleaned. With that in mind and when we get to the job and look at the carpet and realities of what state it is in, then we have to start to manage that minds eye expectation. Perhaps a like new finish is not unrealistic. But what if there are stains and heavy traffic lanes that with the best will in the world aren't going to look like new again. If you qualify the customer and explain the likely outcome and adjust that minds eye view of what the carpet will look like when cleaned and have them accept that then your problems will be few.
To me this just makes really good business sense and should be something any professional carpet cleaner should be happy to offer. I don't want a customers money unless or until they are totally satisfied. If you take their money and they aren't satisfied then you will never get the repeats and referrals and instead will get someone telling all her friends what a naff carpet cleaner you are. Every job is an advert - I guess it's just a case of how good or bad an advert you want it to be.

Simon

[james roffey]

Its good marketing :)when you consider how much other marketing costs a fortune, well this marketing may one day cost you something, but some on here have been going years and its cost them nothing so its very cost affective marketing.

And if you qualify the results you reduce the risk, and at the same time often surprise the customer because they are not expecting the result, what happened to Rog may one day happen to any of us, difficult to understand though what that customer expected as she was made aware of potential problems before work commenced

[Joe H]

Whilst I can see the benefits to the custy of offering "dont pay unless you happy", but that would surely mean you have to pre qualify the custys expectations before you start.

We all know some stains just wont move, or only become paler. If the custy not happy the stain thats been there for 5 years has not shifted - do you give the money back for the whole clean - even tho the rest of the carpet has come up well?

Or do you discuss the situation with the custy BEFORE you start, saying there is a chance some stains may not completely remove - are you happy for me to proceed on that basis.??

So the question is - do you pre qualify the job with the customer before you start?

[james roffey]

Joe, Yes always but as i am sure you get them you know you get a feeling for customers who may be a problem later, most say "of course i dont expect ..... ......"

[Joe H]

Right, going to have a go at it then.

I had shyed away cause I thought custs would take for a ride, but if thats not the experience - in for a penny....