Busted up a clients house.

[Becker]

Damn it..

Yesterday I was puling back the wand while chatting with a client.

A glass door on an older entertainment center opened just enough to have the want clip it.

Tempered glass everywhere!

Got it all cleaned up, told the client I'd get it fixed.
He said, oh no.. No problem, we can just remove both doors. ( old unit )
I replied. NO NO.. I will get it fixed, and if the glass can't be matched I'll get matching doors.
No, that would cost to much, don't worry.
I told him it was his choice, no charge for the cleaning, or I fix the door.
He said, NO, I will pay you and I'll hire you again.

Long story short, I insisted, took the unbroken door.
Will be able to match the bronze tint. Will be ready by next week. $44.00 opps.


I'll bet in a yard sale he'd not get $44.00 for the entertainment center with our without doors, but I'll sleep better at night knowing when he shit cans it at the dump it will have 2 working doors.

 

[dealtimeman]

The right move for sure.

 

[Able 1]

I would do the same, that "No,no it's fine" is just them feeling bad for you.. I knocked a glass surround for a candle holder off the wall about two years ago my helper caught it, but cut the shit out of himself.. I gave them $20of the bill(though it was probably worth $5). If you didn't do what you did, they would always remember the event negatively.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Last week I was an idiot and thru some very stupid moves (it's a long story and I prefer not to tell it to show how stupid I was) I broke part of the garage door opener at a customers house. I tried to fix it myself right then and there but couldn't so I called a garage door repair company and went back to cleaning the carpet while waiting for them to show up. they showed up, fixed the door and I paid them. $240 bill paid. The good news was the job was $360 so at least I didn't go in the hole. The customer was happy so it turned out okay!

Expensive lesson and I now have a new company policy. No parking in the customers garage.

 

[Becker]

Oh, I feel much better now Barry..

 

[Mark Saiger]

We had a lower shelf on a TV entertainment center explode last year. We didn't even touch it! We were about 6 inches away from the shelf at the time and BOOM!!!

It exploded and we thought someone was shooting at us. We hit the floor! (and I am serious about that comment!!)

There are videos on Youtube showing certain types of tempered glass just exploding in the middle of the night or day....take a look.

I became more aware of it and more nervous of this type of glass. Some of it made in China is being more of a problem.

There is something in the glass that over time breaks down and they will just explode.

Our clients were not home, but just a few blocks away, we had a very similar shelf on a entertainment center that my son in law was selling in a rummage sale.

I paid him and we threw the rest of that thing away so no one else would have that experience (or someone get injured)

I did call the clients to let them know what had happened (that stuff is a bugger to get out of the carpet too vacing with the wand hose) and also sent them links to the Youtube videos and info I had found at the time.

Clients were all good with it, but it shook us up pretty bad.

It was a really scary moment I have to say!

Doing your repairs as all you have and making it right is very proper in my opinion.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Good man Becker!

You're its probably not worth it but it wasn't broke before so he was due to be compensated.

Just think if you had listened to him. When company would come over and see it missing, they would ask what happened. "The carpet cleaner broke it" he might leave out that you tried to make it right. Worse they might ask who the carpet cleaner was. You did the right thing!

 

[Hoody]

Saiger" data-source="post: 4294422" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

We had a lower shelf on a TV entertainment center explode last year. We didn't even touch it! We were about 6 inches away from the shelf at the time and BOOM!!!

It exploded and we thought someone was shooting at us. We hit the floor! (and I am serious about that comment!!)

There are videos on Youtube showing certain types of tempered glass just exploding in the middle of the night or day....take a look.

I became more aware of it and more nervous of this type of glass. Some of it made in China is being more of a problem.

Had something similar happen to a customer's punch bowl. It was in a dining that had pergo flooring that we weren't even remotely close to, in fact we were in another room and no hoses running through the diving room. Next thing we know we hear this loud shattering sound so I go to investigate since she was an elderly client. The customer is standing at the kitchen entrance where she was preparing lunch and I entered the living room and stood in that entrance and we both looked at each other dumbfounded. We found similar information, but I had my assistant finish the other room we were cleaning and I cleaned up the mess for her.

Stupidest thing I did was during a water damage. You should always start your dehus first to drop the humidity as much as possible before turning on your air movers. Well I did the opposite. While I was measuring and sketching the layout out on graph paper I hear this cracking/breaking noise and next thing I know I see a crack appear about 1/4 of the way up this 14' wall and then all the way up to the ceiling. What happened was the vapor pressure significantly increased enough that it created secondary structural damage. I about crapped myself when I saw it happen. I'm glad we were a contracting company too, but at that point it was just myself and the owner most of the time on WDR work for mitigation. The next day we sat down and started writing our WDR policy and procedures manual and I made it mandatory that dehus were to be started at least 30 minutes prior to starting any air movers. In fact as soon as any bulk water was removed, the dehus were recommended them to be started.

 

[GCCLee]

Another Voodoo thread Huh?


Just had to didn ya! : (


LemonSqueezy is what we yell when we see a Banana colored car : )

 

[Barry-QDCC]

I once got sued in Small Claims Court for ruining a sofa that we didn't clean, didn't touch, didn't move and didn't even clean the room the sofa was in! We won the case not because of the facts I stated - from what I could understand what the judge said, we won because the sofa had solid metal legs NOT covered in fabric and the judge figured water would not migrate "upwards" into the sofa fabric from the carpet below.

Before the case both sides met with a mediator - who when I presented the facts STILL wanted me to pay the other party BECAUSE as the mediator said, "you make plenty of money, you should pay them."

That was the straw that broke the camels back as far as wanting to be in the carpet cleaning business and having employees. I felt if you can get sued for something you didn't touch or do anything to, I just wanted out! Within a year I was out of the carpet cleaning business.

Of course here it is a several years later and I'm BACK!! No employees this time however..NOT worth the headaches!

 

[Charlie Lyman]

My air mover blew a Jesus figurine off a mantle. His head fell off. I used my glue Gun to put it back on. So now hot glue is holding together the man that holds the world together.


....

 

[Desk Jockey]

My air mover blew a Jesus figurine off a mantle. His head fell off. I used my glue Gun to put it back on. So now hot glue is holding together the man that holds the world together.


....

I don't know.....sounds like it could have been a case of divine intervention????

 

[Mike Draper]

Good grief. Bunch if low ballers here when it comes to damaging clients furniture. I had a lady who just purchased a new Steinway piano for her daughter who just graduated with her PhD in music. Her daughter hadn't even seen the piano yet. She warned us 3x to stay away. I stayed away but the damn vac hose got out of control and holy shit balls did it nick the leg on that $39,000 piano. We repaired it, my retirement fund still hasn't recovered.

 

[Brian H]

Oh where do I start in a thread like this one....

I have been doing this for 30 plus years now and the stories I could tell. I have forgotten (repressed) most of them until I hear something similar happening..

I don't go out and clean much but in my younger years I was out cleaning by myself and shifted a glass top coffee table. It was one of those types that is basically a piece of thick glass sitting on a pedestal. I shifted it and hit the edge on a matching end table. The coffee table broke right in half just like that. Not a chip, not a chunk, it split right in half, CLUNK!!!!

Looking back I must have had a pretty funny look on my face!!!!

 

[Dmreed4311]

I had a customer who wanted here leather sofa cleaned and during pre inspection I noticed a small puncture hole on the top of a cushion. I showed it to the customer and she freaked and accused me of causing the hole with my pen.. I told that the hole has nothing to do with me and that my pen did not cause the damage, she got so angry and loud I just left. she called me on the phone and told me she was going to sue me. I told her have at it. She never did but we just can not win, find damage before we do anything and ya still get blamed.

 

[Art Kelley]

I had a customer who wanted here leather sofa cleaned and during pre inspection I noticed a small puncture hole on the top of a cushion. I showed it to the customer and she freaked and accused me of causing the hole with my pen.. I told that the hole has nothing to do with me and that my pen did not cause the damage, she got so angry and loud I just left. she called me on the phone and told me she was going to sue me. I told her have at it. She never did but we just can not win, find damage before we do anything and ya still get blamed.

LOL. I think you got off easy on that one! Imagine dealing with her as an actual customer.

 

[bob vawter]

i DID mention when i killit that old woman on my first job ...right?

 

[Barry-QDCC]

i DID mention when i killit that old woman on my first job ...right?

We've never killed anyone but we did have a electrician, who was working in the attic while we were at the job cleaning, electrocute himself and fall thru the ceiling onto the floor. Luckily for everyone at the house he missed hitting anyone. Well except for him, he died.

 

[Becker]

We've never killed anyone but we did have a electrician, who was working in the attic while we were at the job cleaning, electrocute himself and fall thru the ceiling onto the floor. Luckily for everyone at the house he missed hitting anyone. Well except for him, he died.

Was it the fall or the shock? I've gotten shocked more than a few times with 20amp 110v just woke me up.


We've got no room for boring.

 

[Becker]

Got a call from a house cleaner yesterday.

Wanted a coffee stain removed on a 15 year old white carpet. I offered her my next opening.

She wanted either after 5 or a sat. Sorry I have nothing.

She then goes into detail. She spilled on a clients carpet.

Now that home owner wants all the carpet replaced. Claiming he will go after her bond. Lol.

I mentioned to her unless attempts of removal caused additional damage a professional has a good chance of removing it.

I then mentioned the stain could be cut and replaced from a hidden closest.
She mentioned the homeowner said that won't do as the contrast would be seen.


I ended the call thinking. Wow. Some people are so unreasonable.
Never did ask how big the house was that the homeowner figured he was going to get completely replaced.

Then thought. This does not even sound like a place I want to be a hero, to afraid I might be held responsible.


We've got no room for boring.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Was it the fall or the shock? I've gotten shocked more than a few times with 20amp 110v just woke me up.


We've got no room for boring.

It was about 15 years ago or so... If I remember correctly he was dead when he fell thru the ceiling. We decided to get out of the way pretty quickly after it happened.

 

[Becker]

Hope someone at least jumped in and tried CPR.

That's horrible.

What a chain of events.


We've got no room for boring.

 

[jcooper]

we won because the sofa had solid metal legs NOT covered in fabric and the judge figured water would not migrate "upwards" into the sofa fabric from the carpet below.

So what happened!?! You cleaned an empty room and they put the couch back to soon? How do you "f" up a couch if you don't go in the room?

We've never killed anyone but we did have a electrician, who was working in the attic while we were at the job cleaning, electrocute himself and fall thru the ceiling onto the floor. Luckily for everyone at the house he missed hitting anyone. Well except for him, he died.

You win! Dead people trump everything.

 

[TomKing]

We are new at this so we have screwed up a few times.

3 years ago tech nicked a dinning table. Last thing the woman's father ever gave her. He was dead. Took my wife 4 months to get it professionally refinished. Had a glass finish.
$600 for the repairs and $600 worth of free cleaning.

4 weeks ago tech goes to leave a million dollar home the thumb handle on the door breaks off $1000.
The lady sent us a thank you note saying she had never had a company respond so well. She went on the internet left several reviews never mentioning the mishap and gave a glowing recommendation.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

So what happened!?! You cleaned an empty room and they put the couch back to soon? How do you "f" up a couch if you don't go in the room?

.

The customer had moved the sofa before we got there. We never touched it. We left the carpets almost dry anyway so even if we had moved it back on to the area cleaned there would have been no problem. We cleaned on a Thursday, they called late Friday complaining, I went over to check things out on Monday. The guy keep saying, "Can you smell that?" I couldn't smell anything and I pointed out that we hadn't touched the sofa anyway, so "sorry but there is nothing I can do for you". By the time we got to small claims court they wanted $1600 for this little piece of shit sofa. Actually more like a loveseat AND by that time they were now claiming we had ruined an area rug too.

It absolutely boggled my mind that the judge ruled for us solely because in his words he couldn't see how the water could migrate upwards into the sofa to ruin it. The fact that it wasn't near where we cleaned, and that we hadn't touched it seemed irrelevant.

 

[GCCLee]

Wow ! Thats Crazy


I bufferd a flur wit a toilet lid un timez

 

[PrimaDonna]

The lady sent us a thank you note saying she had never had a company respond so well. She went on the internet left several reviews never mentioning the mishap and gave a glowing recommendation.

That has probably paid you back 10 fold. You can't put a price on doing the right thing. Do it wrong....and in the long run it will cost you so much more.

Before facebook/internet etc , the stats were an unhappy person tells on average 10-20 people about their bad experience. Someone who is thrilled usually only tells 4-5 people. You do what you are supposed to do and things go as expected (nothing Wows them) the don't say anything. It takes so many more positive moments of truth to make up for the negative. I can only imagine what those numbers are and the reach now that we have social media/internet.

 

[The Great Oz]

The customer had moved the sofa before we got there. We never touched it. We left the carpets almost dry anyway so even if we had moved it back on to the area cleaned there would have been no problem. We cleaned on a Thursday, they called late Friday complaining, I went over to check things out on Monday. The guy keep saying, "Can you smell that?" I couldn't smell anything and I pointed out that we hadn't touched the sofa anyway, so "sorry but there is nothing I can do for you". By the time we got to small claims court they wanted $1600 for this little piece of shit sofa. Actually more like a loveseat AND by that time they were now claiming we had ruined an area rug too.

If we're guilty we do whatever it takes to fix the problem. If it's iffy, we pay. When I talk with a scammer I just say that I'd be happy to go to court and explain it to a judge. I let them know that they will end up looking foolish, and I'll countersue them for whatever my attorney thinks up. Sometimes you have to let them know you're not an easy mark.