ruff
Member
So I show up at a client’s place. White wool carpet with heavy wear in all high traffic area, haven’t been cleaned a while. I also happen to know who the previous cleaner was (retired) and they used to clean with pretty harsh stuff.
I tell the client in no uncertain terms and a few times that these areas will show wear even when clean. However, the client’s repetitious questions (will it look like new when clean?) seem to indicate, call me perceptive (
) failure in communication.
In the background the husband, daughter and wife (will it look like new when you’re done?) are giving me strange vibes and it isn’t my accent. Major weirdness. I mean far out. You’ve been there, the ones that ring, ding, ding, all your alarm bells and then some. By now I am desperate to avoid this job. But how do you do it without getting a major Yelp flaming. As by now I suspect that my usual excuse (I do not clean houses in odd street numbers) won’t work.
So I start unpacking, get the brush & wand out. Usually at the end of a job, I suck out what’s left on the brush. I forgot. It’s filthy. By the time I start getting the vac hose rolled out, I see that the client is checking the brush. Call me a mind reader, but she’s clearly neither impressed nor happy.
I’ve been trained for this and pounce like an eagle-“Mrs. Jones” I ask in my sweetest voice. -"It seems like you don’t find the tools to be clean enough, would you feel more comfortable employing another company?"
Yes. She’s relieved, I am dancing with hidden joy.
I may never clean my brushes again. It’s the best client screening tool ever.
I tell the client in no uncertain terms and a few times that these areas will show wear even when clean. However, the client’s repetitious questions (will it look like new when clean?) seem to indicate, call me perceptive (
) failure in communication.In the background the husband, daughter and wife (will it look like new when you’re done?) are giving me strange vibes and it isn’t my accent. Major weirdness. I mean far out. You’ve been there, the ones that ring, ding, ding, all your alarm bells and then some. By now I am desperate to avoid this job. But how do you do it without getting a major Yelp flaming. As by now I suspect that my usual excuse (I do not clean houses in odd street numbers) won’t work.
So I start unpacking, get the brush & wand out. Usually at the end of a job, I suck out what’s left on the brush. I forgot. It’s filthy. By the time I start getting the vac hose rolled out, I see that the client is checking the brush. Call me a mind reader, but she’s clearly neither impressed nor happy.
I’ve been trained for this and pounce like an eagle-“Mrs. Jones” I ask in my sweetest voice. -"It seems like you don’t find the tools to be clean enough, would you feel more comfortable employing another company?"
Yes. She’s relieved, I am dancing with hidden joy.
I may never clean my brushes again. It’s the best client screening tool ever.
