Slammed on Yelp :(

Newman

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Aug 1, 2008
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St. Charles, IL USA
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Chris Newman
Mrs Finkelgroover's 2 star yelp review:

Norm's came out last week to clean our carpets. While I was kept informed, the cleaning crew arrived almost an hour late. The on-site quote differed from the "experienced" quote - almost $100 higher. The reason, I was told, was due to furniture being moved during the cleaning process which I had requested when making the appointment.

The cleaning crew was OK but I felt like I was being taken advantage of by them and their company and I'm not sure they are as experienced as they said they were. It was unsettling that there was such a difference in my phone & on-site quote. Then I was told that they had cleaned under our beds as far as their equipment could reach which was not the case upon a later inspection I made. In addition, one piece of furniture - a buffet in our dining room - was not moved and it is generally a fairly easy piece to move.

While we have 2 dogs and one sheds quite a bit, I was shocked to be able to pull up a lot of her hair after Norm's cleaning process, especially on the stairs. And here several days later, I really see no discernable difference in the carpet pre and post cleaning. So I say Norm's is just an average carpet cleaning company and I think I could have done as good of a job with a Rug Doctor or my own Bissell cleaner.



This was my reply via email. Her response was FU - (add to the acronym list?) Should I post this verbatim as a reply on Yelp?

Hello Mrs. Finkelgroover,

Please allow me to apologize to you for the inconvenience you experienced during your carpet cleaning service. Your satisfaction is very important to me and I appreciate your feedback as it ensures that I not only become aware of, but am being proactive in addressing your concerns and consistently improving our level of service.

I did take a look at some of your other Yelp reviews. I see that you are as ready to give praise as criticism. I am truly sorry that we failed you on so many levels. Thank you for taking the time to review my little company.

Furry friend hair is at times most difficult remove. It entangles itself into the carpet fibers, holding on for dear life as our powerful vacuum passes over. We will gladly return to your home and re clean your stairway paying particular attention to fur removal, for no additional charge.

Moving of a customers personal possessions is a judgement call made on site by us as we clean your home. We strive to take the utmost care of your belongings. There are many reasons why we may opt to not move a particular piece as we are cleaning.

Over the phone I can only provide an estimate of your final cost. As I review my notes on our initial conversation, I find that I neglected to add in the $39.00 cost of cleaning your stairway to the estimate I gave you over the phone. I also did estimate your carpet cleaning without the additional cost of furniture moving. I strive to be through when providing estimates over the phone. I am usually very close, + or - 10%, I apologize for my mistake.

We did measure your home, assess your needs, and give you a final quote before starting any work. From that quote we did not waiver. We also gave you a discount and charged you only $0.45 per square foot, including moving your furniture. For this our normal charge $0.55 per square foot.

As I can accept your public questioning of my 9 years of experience, and the 5 years of experience my son has working with me, I take exception to your public statement of being taken advantage of by Norm's Carpet Cleaning. You had the opportunity to reject our pricing for your home before you approved us to start working. The price you were charged when we were done was the exact price you were quoted before we commenced any work in your home. Yet I do understand how you could feel that way. As my apology for us not meeting your expectations, I will gladly refund to you $73.00, the difference between your original phone estimate and the final price you paid. Please confirm if you wish for me to issue you a refund.

I truly appreciate your business and have taken under serious consideration all of your remarks and the shortfall that happened during your carpet cleaning. I do understand the importance of providing professional service. I hope that you will give us the chance to have your carpets cleaned with us again, so we may have the opportunity to better serve you in the future.

Have a great day!

Chris Newman

 
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Mikey P

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is it worth worrying about?, you come in on the second page with far less reviews than the co's on the 1st..


Top three 5 star companies get all the work, imo
 
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Benton KY USA
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Lee Stockwell
Never give them a "quote" on unseen work.

I tell them what my unit charge is, because it's too easy or "convenient" for some to leave off information and expect a 4 area price for 5 areas and a chair.
 
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Cleanworks

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New Westminster,BC
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Ron Marriott
It sounds more like a communication failure. She seems to have expected more than you were prepared to deliver. It is hard to meet some customers expectations. If she is noticing large amounts of animal hair remaining, did you pre vacuum? If there was excessive hair, did you qualify how much you could remove? I often quote over the phone, then revise on site. Most of the time, the customer understands but you get the odd one who insists "you said this much on the phone. I don't move any furniture unless we have discussed it. She can't remember how the carpet looked before hand because it all looks uniform now. I wouldn't post any justification of your service, just an apology, knowing that you can't please everybody and let it go.
 
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todg

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Michael Marcus
I like the part "rug doctor"

Here's what I learned about yelp: If someone says they found you on yelp, bring vaseline, knee pads, and some big black lips, topped off with powdered sugar...

These yelp reviewers can make your life miserable...

I know, I never met such miserable bastards in my life...The way these people are is the way there with everyone...

Somebody mentioned the Last Name (Finkelgroover)... That's a red flag...I'm Jewish and I have problems with the Jews...

I just finished reading your letter of sincerity...Wow, Imagine if Donald Trump Becomes President...
 

ruff

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Ofer Kolton
Your response to a complaint on Yelp is very important and a good reply will actually earn you both new clients and credibility.

Chris, your answer is very good, however if you can keep the same message and friendly tone yet shorten it, it will be even better. Your response is really not to her, as much as to the potential clients that will read it. Therefore, not every little detail is important, but the message is.

Disagree with Lee. I give estimates on unseen work on a daily basis, without much of a hitch. I also send an email confirming my approximation and tell them in advance when and under what circumstances it may differ, and if so, how it will be calculated. Good and clear communication on all points of contact with the clients (phone, email, in person etc.) is essential.
Will there be mistakes and misunderstanding? Yes. But they will be reduced to a minimum. Been doing it for the last 27 years. Worked for me so far.

Disagree with Michael about Yelp clients, I mostly have great experience with them. Yes, being careful with clients is always a good idea. However, starting an interaction with any client (including Yelp's) with such attitude is guaranteed to be reflected both in the way one deals with them and the end results.

There are bad apples and angry people everywhere, including Yelp. The majority however are good people that want a good cleaning, on time at a decent price and feel that you care. Treat them right and they can be a great source of clients for you.
 
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Mikey P

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I like the part "rug doctor"

Here's what I learned about yelp: If someone says they found you on yelp, bring vaseline, knee pads, and some big black lips, topped off with powdered sugar...

These yelp reviewers can make your life miserable...

I know, I never met such miserable bastards in my life...The way these people are is the way there with everyone...

Somebody mentioned the Last Name (Finkelgroover)... That's a red flag...I'm Jewish and I have problems with the Jews...

I just finished reading your letter of sincerity...Wow, Imagine if Donald Trump Becomes President...
My experience is 1000% different.

Yelp is the best thing that has ever has ever happened to Connoisseur, in either location.



Why is that?
 
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Newman

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St. Charles, IL USA
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Chris Newman
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Bob Pruitt

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earth
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Robert Pruitt
Yelp is the best thing that has ever has ever happened to Connoisseur, in either location.
So... Yelp is important then... will need to figure it out I guess. Probably late to the party for Fort Worth Dallas area? How about Angies List?
 

ruff

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Ofer Kolton
So... Yelp is important then... will need to figure it out I guess. Probably late to the party for Fort Worth Dallas area? ......
It is never too late Bob.
Some people like to go to smaller businesses. Some do not look just at the star but on the way the reviews were written. Some skip the first page of Yelp. Just keep at it.
 
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Newman

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St. Charles, IL USA
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Chris Newman
Yelp is weak in the Midwest for the service industry but it is picking up the pace. Moving forward I believe Yelp will dominate here.

Once very strong in the Midwest, Angie's List has transformed itself into Groupon. Angie's imminent demise has come.

My Public Response was pretty much the same as the email, just cut way down. I avoided direct responses to her statements:

9/1/2016 Please allow me to apologize to you for the inconvenience you experienced during your carpet cleaning service. Your satisfaction is very important to me and I appreciate your feedback as it ensures that I not only become aware of, but am being proactive in addressing your concerns and consistently improving our level of service. I am truly sorry that we failed you on so many levels. Thank you for taking the time to review my little company.

I do guarantee all of my work and we will gladly return to your home and re clean your stairway and any other areas you wish, paying particular attention to fur removal, for no additional charge.

As my apology for us not meeting your expectations, I will gladly refund to you $73.00, the difference between your original phone estimate and the actual cost of your carpet cleaning.

I truly appreciate your business and have taken under serious consideration all of your remarks and the shortfall that happened during your carpet cleaning. I do understand the importance of providing professional service. I hope that you will give us the chance to have your carpets cleaned with us again, so we may have the opportunity to better serve you in the future.

Chris Newman
 
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Ron K

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Jan 3, 2009
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Non existent in my areas
All areas have different favorites searches ,find what works and work it!
I too hate Yelp, but it's because they bury my reviews to "not recommended".
I ask people to review me if they would like, they usually are first time reviewers.
I'd almost say reviews are more important then SEO, IMO.
 

todg

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Las Vegas
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Michael Marcus
I like your website Norm! You definitely are a stand up guy as your website acts as a resume for work...Just sucks sometimes when we bend over backwards for people, and these people who "aren't satisfied" can ruin your on-line life...I would just take that review and improve on your next one, and next one, and next one...I have 2 bad reviews on mine...Oh well...People who meet me know where I come from...One other note: People don't hire me because I'm actually the greatest at anything, people hire me, because they just like me. I don't guarantee shit to no one. It is what it is. Make sure you explain yourself really good of the expectations, and avoid red flagerr's. Under-promise and over-achieve! Good Luck!

On the top of your website as a suggestion add this: "Chicago's Best Carpet Cleaning Service" Add a picture of a monument signifying "Chicago" People identify better with pics and words on the web...
 

LisaWagnerCRS

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Lisa Wagner
The bigger question is how to make a customer feel like they can contact you first with a complaint rather than posting up on a review site. Sometimes people set companies up in order to post poorly and get you to give them more. Sometimes they are fake posts. The fact is you cannot please everyone, so it helps to get as many positives as you can to help even that out... everyone knows there is always going to be a few bad ones. Heck, go on to Amazon and pull up any classic book and you will find people who gave it 1 star. In your case here though, I would have probably contacted her directly (if she was a real client), solved her issue off-line, and then had her update her review. Though if your message to her was private and not public, that is good too because apologizing for pricing publicly may plant a fear that you are misquoting to others.

This is a really hard game to play. People are always quick to post when upset (or a competitor trying to harm you), and not as quick when they are super happy. Hope this resolves itself!
 
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