What's to be gained dumping a customer who you clean 11 times a year rather than 12. Will you miss the tenner over the year?
Because if every customer did this, it would be a cut in income of 8 and one third per cent (one twelfth).
If something like this happens and the customer has very good history, I will probably let it go - unless it's for a reason that's likely to be repeated. I was once sent away in case I upset the new dog (it was a rescue job). That was likely to be a repeat send away due to the reason. In spite of the customer's good record, I dropped the job. Now if it had been (for example) "My neighbour is in hospital for a couple of weeks and I'm looking after their aggressive dog, but it will be gone soon, I would probably take that on the chin.
But every customer doesn't do this, I also said if becomes a habit then get rid. But the odd customer skipping the odd clean doesn't do any harm. "Can't unlock the gate" on one occasion doesn't equal a dump.
I'm more than happy to dump genuine Messer's. I had one custy which was a backpack to the rear job, I text for rear gate gets all way round and it locked. Did I dump them on the spot? No I explained that it would need leaving open in future. It happened again a couple of cleans later so I just did the front and got paid. I then stopped texting a just cleaned the front for about 6 months. Then the wife said why don't you do the back anymore, so told her why. Next clean comes round still locked! So never went back.
I also dumped one a few weeks ago, she recently got a three legged dog, small yappy thing. Had been a great custy up until then, always home to pay cash..cleaned a few times and the dog goes nuts jumping all over the house (quite why she lets it rather than sticking the boot in it I don't know). Anyway she started saying things like "oh your here to upset my dog again" and could tell she didn't like me turning up anymore. Until one day I turned up and she said, not today can you only come when we are out as the dog hurt itself last time. Of course I never went back to that one.