What would you do in this situation???
Printed From: Carpet Cleaning Forum
Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Carpet Cleaners Hangout
Forum Description: General discussion on anything related to carpet cleaning
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2976
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Topic: What would you do in this situation???
Posted By: chris12345
Subject: What would you do in this situation???
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 11:37am
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Hello everyone. I am new in business, about 9 months now basically running by myself, answering the phones etc. etc. I display a corporate image, uniforms, professional website, full page yellow page ad, even a PBX to route the calls and custom on hold messages. For commercial carpets I offer an encapsulated cleaning and steam cleaning for residential. Basically, I have my sh*t together. Since I've been in business I've had ZERO complaints or re-do's aside from the occasional "pet stain resurfaced". Actually I think this only happened about 3 times. I go out here, break my back for my customers and try to build a solid reputation for my company. I am not a fly by night or shyster company, I charge a moderate amount, I sell extras and I get the carpets CLEAN and SPOT FREE! Well, I am having a problem with one customer. Her original appointment was in August and she's called up back FOUR times since then for a free re-cleaning per out 30 day guarantee. She owns a small learning center and has twenty kids running around there everyday. I went out there the first time with a smile and cleaned an office she didn't tell me about originally (I did it for free, it was maybe 100 sq ft.). She calls us back out AFTER the 30 day guarantee and said we missed a spot, OK no problem, went back out there and fixed it. Well, that night she had a big event and suddenly all of the spots "came back" after the event so she wanted a re-cleaning. She is claiming that the shadows from the desks kept her from being able to see the spots but there are no spots anywhere other than the traffic areas. So I told her we are out of the 30 day guarantee and I can come back and take care of her for a minimal charge of $89. Well, she got pissed and is threatening to call the BBB and sew us etc. etc. etc. Well, I covered my ass on the invoice originally stating "we cannot guarantee 100% restoration" because we are dealing with grape juice, kool aid and things like that. But I swear when I got done the carpets were SPOTLESS (underpromise and over deliver). Furthermore the second and third time the carpets still LOOKED GREAT (according to her). So, what would you guys do? Just go out there and re-clean or tell her to screw off? (eliquently and professionally of course). To top it all off she told me that "the technicians attitude was piss poor and he was unqualified to do the service". She didn't know she was talking to me on the phone and I didn't let her know either but I know my customer service skills and I know my cleaning abilities and I DO NOT GET COMPLAINTS. Even when the carpets come out with permanent spots I still get compliments on my diligence and hard work. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks. PS She's demanding a steam cleaning but from my experience a steam cleaning can delaminate commercial carpet. any comments on this either? |
Replies:
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 11:52am
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If you are stupid enough to offer a 30 day guarantee on commerical then live with it. Steam cleaning will not delaminate commerical carpet. Where did you get your experience?? Well I guess you now have a complaint and are having a very hard time handleing it? Nobody is perfect. You need to fix your guarantee before it breaks you. Some people do read the fine print and will continue to call you back every 30 days. You originally went back for a missed spot did you not? You created this nightmare now you have to deal with it? ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 11:58am
I guess she thought you meant a lifetime guarantee. Unfortunaletly you will run into another person like that. There are some people that will try to take advantage of every thing they can. You might want to reconsider you 30 day guarantee even though it is a good marketing tool. Say good-bye to her and learn from it. Some people you do not want as a customer. Steam cleaning will not delaminate carpet if done properly,however there is a greater chance for wicking than encap or pad. I did all three systems for years on different contracts and never had a delamination problem from steam cleaning.IMO encap or pad is the best system for commercial carpet. ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: chris12345
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 12:08pm
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Doug I hear you but where I am from every single carpet cleaning company has a 30 day guarantee so no guarantee is not an option. PLus that is a major selling point and I really don't mind going back out for a missed spot or a resurfaced spot, it's another opportunity to sell more services. However in this particular case I feel like I am severly being taken advantage of but it's really hard with the internet to tell a customer to screw off without major reprocussions to the companies reputation. I have nothing but GReat reviews about my company online and I want to keep it that way. I've been in the industry for 5 years in the sales department, 5 years in another industry then the last 5 years working in the field. I know I still have a lot to learn and I use to work for the BIGGEST SHYSTERS in my area. These people were BAD, they have hundreds (literally) of bad reviews, complaints on ripoffreports.com and the BBB. These people do about 300 jobs a day in my city alone (and they have 4 other offices) and they are the BIGGEST BAIT AND SWITCH OPERATION here. So I took that experience and decided to do the opposite. I know I have a lot to learn and I'm still learning new things everyday. But unlike 99% of the techs at the company I worked for, I actually considered this a craft as opposed to a job, I'd buy my own chemicals because the stuff they gave us was so watered down it was not even funny, I did my own research, learned about the pH scale and really understood there is a science behind this. My guarantee says this "If you are unsatisfied for any reason we will return within 30 days to make it right, no questions asked". That doesn't seem unreasonable. I fulfilled this after going back the first time and I don't mind going the extra mile to make a customer happy. Now, the back of the invoice, the contract, goes into much more detail as to what we promise and what our obligation is and covers me 100% in the event of a chargeback or a lawsuit. But the back is only for those purposes, I really do mean we will come back to no charge within 30 days. Anyway, just wanted to get some opinions from other business owners. I called up my repair guy and asked him to go steam clean the 20x20 area and paid him $50. Eh, it was a $500 ticket so $50 is worth company reputation in my opninion. I'm sure any way it goes the customer is lost, but Ireally don't need customers like that anyway. |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 12:55pm
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Call social services and say she is abusing the kids................see how she likes to be harrassed................... Nightrider
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Posted By: Ninja-wand
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 1:04pm
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What i f she's a Dyke?? (Can I say that on here??). Then SOcial service knows your lyin ...Then youll end up in cuffs ------------- I'll make you TAP OUT!!! |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 1:07pm
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For your info testing done on water damaged carpets actually proved the exact opposite of what most people thought, once the carpet was properly dryer it was stronger than before the water damage so don't let anyone tell you that your service caused de-lamination, having said that your pre-inspection should have determined if delamination was pre-existing and that should have been properly noted to save any after cleaning claims. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: jackblack
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 2:14pm
| Tell her to go f**k off!!! |
Posted By: chris12345
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 3:58pm
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HOHOHOHOHAHAHA!!! Listen to this sh*t. My repair tech goes out there, sells her $300 worth of protectant! hahahaha! MAAAAAN This guy is GOOOOOOD!!! I didn't expect that to happen. |
Posted By: dennis_is_ok
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 5:40pm
| lol right on |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 5:51pm
| did he come back with a smile on his face? |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 06/October/2006 at 6:21pm
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Best thing to do...if this ever happens again is...just give her back her money...
GIVE HER BACK HER MONEY! 9 out 0f 10 times they won't take it, and they will let you get out with just one reservice.
I had one like that...I told the bastard that I clean from the heart, and I do my job with love passion and conviction...and handed him is money cash..
he didn't take it...I recleaned the area...and I red flaged him on my computer...end of story ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: Mr. Slide
Date Posted: 07/October/2006 at 12:31am
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Tell her you have done the best you can do
(Are the best the cleaning industry is able to do)
And OFFER some money back , whatever amount
she thinks is fair !
Just get rid of HER
 ALL if you have to.Remenber the cost of 1 bad mouthing customer
 Hope this helps  AL ------------- http://qcsliders.com - http://qcsliders.com !!!Check this out!!! Put a Slide Not a Glide on your Wand, and do a better job! |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 07/October/2006 at 12:56am
| Excellent advise. |
Posted By: dennis_is_ok
Date Posted: 07/October/2006 at 8:57am
| Kill her and hide the (forensic) evidence! |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 07/October/2006 at 9:53am
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Glad my answer didn't end up after yours.
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Posted By: kanji
Date Posted: 07/October/2006 at 2:18pm
30 days guarantee for carpet cleaning is not always a good thing to begin with, not in every place - for example, have a look on this company in LA and see how they handle this out.
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Posted By: arielya
Date Posted: 30/October/2006 at 4:45pm
And what would you say about them? It looks like you have a good opinion on them. ------------- go get the http://www.cosmic1.net - wormer ! |
kanji wrote: