John Watson
Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Messages
- 2,885
A previous client, Hasn't used us since 95, Called about cat damage to one of her 8 plex apt. units. Her husband is listening on a different phone and also has a couple of questions he might ask.
Our conversations goes something like this:
What can I sell her so she can fix the problem??? The client also said "I swept and vacuumed and it still stinks"
I explain a few variables and a couple of different scenarios.
1. Foo Foo sprays.
2.Topical treatments and their benefits and drawbacks.
3.Guaranteed pet odor restoration and what it entailed.
Husband: Well the floor should be ok, it is concrete.
Sir, is it concrete or gypecrete??
Why?
Well they both are very porous, gypecrete tends to be more so and we porous have to scrub and seal if needed so the urine doesn't come back and contaminate the new pad and carpets.
Oh!! It's the lightweight stuff.
Ok she says, come right over and tell me what I need and give me an estimate on it.
No problem, I can schedule a time in the next couple of days, but first you need to know there is a $75.00 refundable inspection fee, to be pre paid, to be credited and refunded to the job invoice if we do the said job as scoped.
Helen and I stop between our scheduled jobs (Cut our lunch shorter than usual).
We found a 15-20 yr old low level loop olefin about a 30-35 ounces installed over pad in a 450 sqft Living room, hall and 2 bedroom areas.
Carpet looked in great shape for it's age, Normal paths showing, every thing looked and smelt OK to me. Helen, my nose, said it hit her hard as she entered and it appeared to be stronger in the smaller of the bedrooms. About a 6 on a 1-10 scale.
They had already removed all the drapes for cleaning and the small UV light I bought at connections didn't locate any problem areas, it just wasn't dark enough for any thing to glow. So we hooked up our old $450 plus space gun, let it warm up and By Golly we finds all these here pi$$ markings around the perimeter of the rooms. Very few hits in center or away from the walls areas. I explained our topical process, I explained about the necessity of sealing the raw wood on the back of the affected baseboards, I also told her that the walls in my opinion would not need sealing since they had many layers of enamel paint on them, a though cleaning should take care of the walls problem areas. I told her we would reuse the light to mark the heavy deposit areas and heavily apply the deodorizer to those affected areas so we could attempt to topically reproduce the urine paths to the back of the carpet and the tackless strip.
I was all excited, I was going to try some more of Judson's Quat a Lot, for a topical application.
$.45 for cleaning the carpet, .25 for the Quat a Lot, Remove and clean the affected baseboards, wipe down the affected walls to have it ready for their painter to paint and also seal the back side of the affected base boards before he or some one else reinstalled them... about a 3 hour job for a bit better than $500.
I gave her the quoted figure of a minimum of $500 but no to exceed 700 for the work I described we would do for her, but from what I saw at this time was less than $525. After she handed me my $75 check She said she and her husband would discuss it and get back.
2 days later she calls and said she wanted to accept our proposal, when could we schedule it in??
Sure thing, let me get the book.
Oh, By the way she said, This unit hasn't had a good make over in almost
20 years, so we decided to go ahead and replace the carpets, vinyl and do a total repaint. We removed the carpets day before yesterday and they really looked and smelt bad. there was stains all over the back of them.
OK, What did you have in mind for me to do??
Well, I met with the new carpet people and they advised me to seal the walls and floors. They also said that the base boards need to be higher to fit the higher nap of the new style carpet that will be installed. So we thought since you don't need to clean and treat the carpets any more you could clean and seal the walls, floors, back of the baseboards for 1/2 of what you were going to do the other for..We have already done the hard work.. "I also swept and vacuumed it again and it still stinks"
Excuse me, I think you have really changed the scope of our previous Bid. Before I can say what we can do to help you is to make a new inspection.
Really??? Your not going to charge me $75 again are you???
Well, What do you think I should do, you have changed every thing we talked about and the way we had decided how to do it. It is a whole new ball game..
I know,but it still stinks!!!!
We were hoping that just removing it would take care of the problem and wouldn't need you. The carpet man, when he was here yesterday suggested to paint a sealer on everything because of the smell.
Well your painter can seal everything before he paints so we just need to clean and have everything all prepped ready to seal correct?
Not exactly, We checked with our painter and he does not and will not use that Kilz. It makes him sick. We need you to do the cleaning and sealing.
It makes me sick too, and I am a lot more expensive than your painter..You and your husband might want to do it..
No,, You do it, How much is it going to cost???
OK, Let me work up a new set of numbers based on what you have told me, and what I also know you might need due to my experience and worst case scenario. I should have the new scope ready in a day or two.
New Scope:
Remove and Reinstall baseboards, clean and seal backs only, Face might need to be repainted and old nail holes filled by your painter after reinstalled.
Remove all tackless strips and nails from gypecrete. Some floor prep and filling may be needed by your installers before they install new tackless.
Wash and seal all walls in carpeted areas 18 to 24 inches up from floor.
Wash and seal all gypecrete floors where carpet was previously installed, 18 t0 24 inches from walls.
This bid is for just the above services, any and all change orders by you will increase the total job invoice.
They signed it today when we picked up the key.
Change Order #1 Clean and seal all of the gypecrete Add $250.00
What would you charge for these services??? I will let you know what I charged in a few days after my part of the job is complete.
John
Our conversations goes something like this:
What can I sell her so she can fix the problem??? The client also said "I swept and vacuumed and it still stinks"
I explain a few variables and a couple of different scenarios.
1. Foo Foo sprays.
2.Topical treatments and their benefits and drawbacks.
3.Guaranteed pet odor restoration and what it entailed.
Husband: Well the floor should be ok, it is concrete.
Sir, is it concrete or gypecrete??
Why?
Well they both are very porous, gypecrete tends to be more so and we porous have to scrub and seal if needed so the urine doesn't come back and contaminate the new pad and carpets.
Oh!! It's the lightweight stuff.
Ok she says, come right over and tell me what I need and give me an estimate on it.
No problem, I can schedule a time in the next couple of days, but first you need to know there is a $75.00 refundable inspection fee, to be pre paid, to be credited and refunded to the job invoice if we do the said job as scoped.
Helen and I stop between our scheduled jobs (Cut our lunch shorter than usual).
We found a 15-20 yr old low level loop olefin about a 30-35 ounces installed over pad in a 450 sqft Living room, hall and 2 bedroom areas.
Carpet looked in great shape for it's age, Normal paths showing, every thing looked and smelt OK to me. Helen, my nose, said it hit her hard as she entered and it appeared to be stronger in the smaller of the bedrooms. About a 6 on a 1-10 scale.
They had already removed all the drapes for cleaning and the small UV light I bought at connections didn't locate any problem areas, it just wasn't dark enough for any thing to glow. So we hooked up our old $450 plus space gun, let it warm up and By Golly we finds all these here pi$$ markings around the perimeter of the rooms. Very few hits in center or away from the walls areas. I explained our topical process, I explained about the necessity of sealing the raw wood on the back of the affected baseboards, I also told her that the walls in my opinion would not need sealing since they had many layers of enamel paint on them, a though cleaning should take care of the walls problem areas. I told her we would reuse the light to mark the heavy deposit areas and heavily apply the deodorizer to those affected areas so we could attempt to topically reproduce the urine paths to the back of the carpet and the tackless strip.
I was all excited, I was going to try some more of Judson's Quat a Lot, for a topical application.
$.45 for cleaning the carpet, .25 for the Quat a Lot, Remove and clean the affected baseboards, wipe down the affected walls to have it ready for their painter to paint and also seal the back side of the affected base boards before he or some one else reinstalled them... about a 3 hour job for a bit better than $500.
I gave her the quoted figure of a minimum of $500 but no to exceed 700 for the work I described we would do for her, but from what I saw at this time was less than $525. After she handed me my $75 check She said she and her husband would discuss it and get back.
2 days later she calls and said she wanted to accept our proposal, when could we schedule it in??
Sure thing, let me get the book.
Oh, By the way she said, This unit hasn't had a good make over in almost
20 years, so we decided to go ahead and replace the carpets, vinyl and do a total repaint. We removed the carpets day before yesterday and they really looked and smelt bad. there was stains all over the back of them.
OK, What did you have in mind for me to do??
Well, I met with the new carpet people and they advised me to seal the walls and floors. They also said that the base boards need to be higher to fit the higher nap of the new style carpet that will be installed. So we thought since you don't need to clean and treat the carpets any more you could clean and seal the walls, floors, back of the baseboards for 1/2 of what you were going to do the other for..We have already done the hard work.. "I also swept and vacuumed it again and it still stinks"
Excuse me, I think you have really changed the scope of our previous Bid. Before I can say what we can do to help you is to make a new inspection.
Really??? Your not going to charge me $75 again are you???
Well, What do you think I should do, you have changed every thing we talked about and the way we had decided how to do it. It is a whole new ball game..
I know,but it still stinks!!!!
We were hoping that just removing it would take care of the problem and wouldn't need you. The carpet man, when he was here yesterday suggested to paint a sealer on everything because of the smell.
Well your painter can seal everything before he paints so we just need to clean and have everything all prepped ready to seal correct?
Not exactly, We checked with our painter and he does not and will not use that Kilz. It makes him sick. We need you to do the cleaning and sealing.
It makes me sick too, and I am a lot more expensive than your painter..You and your husband might want to do it..
No,, You do it, How much is it going to cost???
OK, Let me work up a new set of numbers based on what you have told me, and what I also know you might need due to my experience and worst case scenario. I should have the new scope ready in a day or two.
New Scope:
Remove and Reinstall baseboards, clean and seal backs only, Face might need to be repainted and old nail holes filled by your painter after reinstalled.
Remove all tackless strips and nails from gypecrete. Some floor prep and filling may be needed by your installers before they install new tackless.
Wash and seal all walls in carpeted areas 18 to 24 inches up from floor.
Wash and seal all gypecrete floors where carpet was previously installed, 18 t0 24 inches from walls.
This bid is for just the above services, any and all change orders by you will increase the total job invoice.
They signed it today when we picked up the key.
Change Order #1 Clean and seal all of the gypecrete Add $250.00
What would you charge for these services??? I will let you know what I charged in a few days after my part of the job is complete.
John
