[g.brookes]

Had a real twat of a customer today.  I did a first clean and gutter clean for her on thursday.  Get an email on thursday night saying happy with job.  Then she emails me sunday night saying theres a big smear on one of the bay windows and can i come sort it out.  I decided I would as theres £110 quid in it for me, but of course turns out today the smear was nothing to do with me but I clear it off anyway.  I send her an email to confirm (she's a high flying business woman) and she emails back half an hour later sayin the cleaner has found a big smear on one of the top windows, and the estate agents are comin round to take photos so can i come back and sort it!  Im really ped off at this point and tell her this in a less abusive way in an email.  She messages back saying i've paid for a full clean and thats what you owe me etc etc saying she'll refuse payment.  At this point im considering just sacking it in anyway.  In my eyes i've taken time out of my day to come and sort out a problem that it turns out wasent even me, and then she wants me to come back again!  Anyway, i did return, i got rid of this new found stain, took a god damn photo to show her and she's finally paid me.
personally, i felt she was really taking the p (out of the hundreds of windows I cleaned I think one smear is pretty good) and I only went back because of the amount of money owed.
Would would you chaps do?

[Andy Prittchard]

Well, first off I wouldn't go near the woman ever again.

[Terry_Burrows]

Thats what I hated about window cleaning petty people!   now you got paid I would chuck a sticky egg! LOL

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

Seconded - definitely never go near her again and I'd e-mail her and tell her why! These high flying types think they can treat 'the window cleaner' like dirt. If she starts off like that it will only get worse

[Ian101]

Maybe she was trying to get out of paying hoping u would refuse to go back ??

[g.brookes]

yeah, thats what i thought Ian.  it was either treat her a lesson and dont go back-dont get paid, or, treat her a lesson and sort her petty problems out so she cant get out of paying

[the bfg]

so if the smears were down to you why shouldn't you go back and put it right ?

as she said she paid for a full clean so why shouldn't she get for what she's paid for ?


just go back when you know shes or someone else is in and put the job right.


if you got a plumber round to do a job and told him afterwards well done and then discovered a leak you would want them to come back and put it right,    so whats so different about window cleaners ?

[james51174]

the first smear was someone else....you did the same as i would...i would clean it but make sure she knew it wasnt you...

the second smears were your fault? yes/no? im not sure i understand if they were or not

if they were...then yes i would put it right

if not...i would again...corrrect the problem...let her know that AGAIN they were not your fault...then i would seriously NOT consider returning

[Frankybadboy]

do the job right in the first place and you will not have a problem.

[the bfg]

do the job right in the first place and you will not have a problem.

spot on

[Ian101]

do the job right in the first place and you will not have a problem.

spot on

thought they were smears 

[richard jagger]

The lady is going to sell her house so you will not have a customer for long anyway. Mate.

[Dave66]

egg it

[H2GoKent]

I agree with other guy, you have to give people what they pay for.

Sometimes people will try and boss you about, you have to decide whether you consider it worth putting up with, and whether they can get knotted!

Perhaps you should ask her for extra money for the mess that wasn't your mistake, tough to prove though.
Or maybe when you went back first time you should have inspected the job so you didn't have to go back twice.

[H2GoKent]

egg it

So would you think it fair if you complained at a car garage about the quality of the job and they smeared grease on your car.

If you sense someone is a pain charge more or don't do it, but if you mess it up go and sort it.
Honestly, I think people should grow up.

[dave f]

do what i do walk the custy round the job  ask if every thing is ok collect the doe then legg it   lol

[g.brookes]

the reason i was so ped off was cos the original reason she got me back was nothing to do with me.  sorted that and was on my way, but she then emails me half an hour later saying can i come back again (this was what ped me off).  She had forgotten to tell me about them at the same time, and the second smear (not created by me) was on the top floor so not as obvious.  the problem was exacerbated by the fact she works full time so i cant walk her round the finished job saying 'please miss, can i go now miss'

[windiewasher]

How were they not your smears?did they get another wc round after you had done then?

the reason i was so ped off was cos the original reason she got me back was nothing to do with me.  sorted that and was on my way, but she then emails me half an hour later saying can i come back again (this was what ped me off).  She had forgotten to tell me about them at the same time, and the second smear (not created by me) was on the top floor so not as obvious.  the problem was exacerbated by the fact she works full time so i cant walk her round the finished job saying 'please miss, can i go now miss'

[G Griffin]

It sounds like a smear campaign.
I think you did the right thing, btw.

[Tom White]

What would I have done?

I'd have gotten really cross and uptight about it all; maybe posted about it here for a good ole whinge-fest.  Then after a while, I'd calm down.  After a good while longer I'd forget about it.

I also may've posted her e-mail address in various places on the interweb so she'd get a lot of spam from Nigerians.

But that's about it really; I try not to be too vindictive these days.