Customer Inquisition

[markco]

I had a potential customer call me today for an estimate for 12 hallways in a condo building, I told him I would come out and give him a free est, He then started asking about my process and equipment, I told him I would most likely be using a low moisture process for commercial carpet. He wanted to know what that was and I explained it to him, all pretty standard stuff, but then he kept going further and wanted to know what kind of machine I had ect, ect,, that's when some flags came up for me. I asked what method of cleaning he was looking for and he said that the carpets should be replaced but there just trying to get a little more time out of them and that previous cleaners did not do a good job.
I acted like I thought he wasn't sure about my low moisture process and that he should contact S.S. for a steam cleaning "as nice and helpful as I could to keep it positive"
I know I could have gone out and done a 100sf free demo and kept explaining myself to him and most likely
get the job but my instincts told me to bail.
I'm pretty slow next week and wondering if I made the right call or am I to sensitive to customers like that??

 

[Cleanworks]

I had a potential customer call me today for an estimate for 12 hallways in a condo building, I told him I would come out and give him a free est, He then started asking about my process and equipment, I told him I would most likely be using a low moisture process for commercial carpet. He wanted to know what that was and I explained it to him, all pretty standard stuff, but then he kept going further and wanted to know what kind of machine I had ect, ect,, that's when some flags came up for me. I asked what method of cleaning he was looking for and he said that the carpets should be replaced but there just trying to get a little more time out of them and that previous cleaners did not do a good job.
I acted like I thought he wasn't sure about my low moisture process and that he should contact S.S. for a steam cleaning "as nice and helpful as I could to keep it positive"
I know I could have gone out and done a 100sf free demo and kept explaining myself to him and most likely
get the job but my instincts told me to bail.
I'm pretty slow next week and wondering if I made the right call or am I to sensitive to customers like that??

You are too sensitive. I get calls like that all the time. You need to have confidence in your process and radiate that to the customer. Just did a $2000 encap job in 4 hours. President of the strata did a walk through me and loved it. Especially the Saigercide eucalyptus scent u added. I do many of these types of jobs and have no problem selling them.

 

[Mikey P]

"unlike most cleaning companies in town, I've mastered and offer all processes and will pick the best method, or a possible combination of methods, once I see the carpet and assess the situation"

 

[DAT]

Only job I turn down is urine jobs. I would have gone out there and done it.

 

[steve_64]

Like Mike without the bragging I tell them I would need to see it before I can give you a price or method.
I've lost jobs because they didn't want me to see it first. That's dodging a bullet.

 

[Cleanworks]

Like Mike without the bragging I tell them I would need to see it before I can give you a price or method.
I've lost jobs because they didn't want me to see it first. That's dodging a bullet.

Just booked another one today for June 22. $1600 for about 4 hours work with the Phoenix. Regular customer but council had some concerns. Dropped and chatted with a couple of council members as well as their maintenance person. Arranged to have then vacuum the day before I arrive, post notices for all residents to remove their door mats and shoes. Discussed the benefits of encap over hwe. Sometimes you have to hold their hands. I've been doing this building for about 10 years. Switched from portable hwe to encap a couple of years ago. Carpets look better now than when I started.

 

[steve_64]

Just booked another one today for June 22. $1600 for about 4 hours work with the Phoenix. Regular customer but council had some concerns. Dropped and chatted with a couple of council members as well as their maintenance person. Arranged to have then vacuum the day before I arrive, post notices for all residents to remove their door mats and shoes. Discussed the benefits of encap over hwe. Sometimes you have to hold their hands. I've been doing this building for about 10 years. Switched from portable hwe to encap a couple of years ago. Carpets look better now than when I started.

I was speaking about a new customer calling complaining about the results of the last guy.

I want to see their concerns before giving a price.
If they won't let me look at they are wasting my time. Maybe looking for a price then try to hold you to it when there are other problems.

But way to go booking the repeat.
Just got a call to pay my $3700 invoice for opening the wedding barn. They never asked how much.

 

[Cleanworks]

I was speaking about a new customer calling complaining about the results of the last guy.

I want to see their concerns before giving a price.
If they won't let me look at they are wasting my time. Maybe looking for a price then try to hold you to it when there are other problems.

But way to go booking the repeat.
Just got a call to pay my $3700 invoice for opening the wedding barn. They never asked how much.

If they don't want you to come and look at it, they're not very serious. Probably just looking for a price that they can compare to someone else.

 

[Nomad74]

I had a potential customer call me today for an estimate for 12 hallways in a condo building, I told him I would come out and give him a free est, He then started asking about my process and equipment, I told him I would most likely be using a low moisture process for commercial carpet. He wanted to know what that was and I explained it to him, all pretty standard stuff, but then he kept going further and wanted to know what kind of machine I had ect, ect,, that's when some flags came up for me. I asked what method of cleaning he was looking for and he said that the carpets should be replaced but there just trying to get a little more time out of them and that previous cleaners did not do a good job.
I acted like I thought he wasn't sure about my low moisture process and that he should contact S.S. for a steam cleaning "as nice and helpful as I could to keep it positive"
I know I could have gone out and done a 100sf free demo and kept explaining myself to him and most likely
get the job but my instincts told me to bail.
I'm pretty slow next week and wondering if I made the right call or am I to sensitive to customers like that??

Screw him. Don’t do any demo for his cheap ass. Just move on to better customers. Price-shoppers suck.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I'm pretty slow next week and wondering if I made the right call

you're slow the first week of June and questioning whether you should of went and looked at the job?
Because the dude was skeptical of you and/or your methods?
(that's why he asked a ton of questions imHo)

If I was slower than I wanted to be in June, I'd go look at it, answer his questions, tell him what I could do for him and try to sell him a CCing at my price.

..L.T.A.

 

[The Great Oz]

I'm going to be contrary, just for the sake of taking another perspective. I see a guy that didn't ask price, but was concerned about good work, and had a 12 hallway condo complex full of potential residential customers I could add on.

I had a potential customer call me today for an estimate for 12 hallways in a condo building, I told him I would come out and give him a free est, He then started asking about my process and equipment, I told him I would most likely be using a low moisture process for commercial carpet. Why? At this point you haven't seen the carpet, and he hasn't mentioned the condition, so knowing the optimal cleaning method is impossible.

He wanted to know what that was and I explained it to him, all pretty standard stuff, < to you but then he kept going further and wanted to know what kind of machine I had ect, ect,, that's when some flags came up for me. I asked what method of cleaning he was looking for and he said that the carpets should be replaced but there just trying to get a little more time out of them and that previous cleaners did not do a good job. The last guy didn't do a good job. Great opportunity to find out about what the last guy did or what he charged. This is someone that has been burned before and doesn't know who to trust.

I acted like I thought he wasn't sure about my low moisture process and that he should contact S.S. for a steam cleaning "as nice and helpful as I could to keep it positive"

The condition of the carpet might have been due to a hack that screwed up the carpet to the point no one could fix it, making his hesitancy about your method perfectly valid. If you don't do extraction cleaning, recommending another company was probably the right thing to do. There's nothing negative about this conversation though.

I know I could have gone out and done a 100sf free demo and kept explaining myself to him and most likely get the job but my instincts told me to bail.

As far as I can see, he just wanted an estimate and had valid concerns about method. He probably wouldn't be inclined toward having his mind changed by a demo of a method he didn't want.

I'm pretty slow next week and wondering if I made the right call or am I to sensitive to customers like that??

You probably made the right call on this one. In the future try thinking of everyone that asks questions, even if they're after pricing, as the best possible prospective customer. They all, really really really, just want to be able to trust someone.

 

[markco]

you're slow the first week of June and questioning whether you should of went and looked at the job?
Because the dude was skeptical of you and/or your methods?
(that's why he asked a ton of questions imHo)

If I was slower than I wanted to be in June, I'd go look at it, answer his questions, tell him what I could do for him and try to sell him a CCing at my price.

..L.T.A.

That sums it up perfectly, I let my Ego cost me a nice job.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I let my Ego cost me a nice job.

maybe, maybe not.
But you can't know if you don't go.

..L.T.A.

 

[SamIam]

If they don't want you to come and look at it, they're not very serious. Probably just looking for a price that they can compare to someone else.

Or they have an idea based on internet search or someone they respect.

They don't know what we know,

And that maybe they won the carpet cleaning lottery when they got you.


They just dont know.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

They all, really really really, just want to be able to trust someone.

Statement of the Day Bryan!!

One of the things that happens when we go through times of crisis and change is that we don't see what is happening right around us.

If we watched this pandemic and how it has changed society in movie or documentary, we'd see it all the more clearly:

People have shrunken their "trust circles" tightly around them. It is one of the reasons pets are not just family members, but nearly deities in the home. It why you see apps for artificial intelligence "friends" you can download on your phone.

Once you find a way to earn your way inside of that circle, you have a customer for life. The secret is recognizing the opportunity when it arises, and earning that right.

 

[Mikey P]

Had you shown up to look, you're automatically in the top 3% of our lazy ass, shittybusinessperson filled industry.

 

[Nomad74]

Had you shown up to look, you're automatically in the top 3% of our lazy ass, shittybusinessperson filled industry.

You just like to talk to strangers

 

[Mikey P]

You just like to talk to strangers

True

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Had you shown up to look, you're automatically in the top 3% of our lazy ass, shittybusinessperson filled industry.

A chatty, bright, people person customer of mine says he is getting more tips than ever in his nearly 40 year career.

He thought for a while it was his lady killer charm.

He’s finding out it is mostly because he showed up....

 

[Jim Pemberton]

You just like to talk to strangers

I don’t even like talking to people I know....

I’d never make in in your business

 

[Cleanworks]

You just like to talk to strangers

The stranger, the better.

 

[DAT]

He’s finding out it is mostly because he showed up....

I've been getting that alot. I didn't realize how bad no show no call was in this service.

 

[The Great Oz]

I've been getting that alot. I didn't realize how bad no show no call was in this service.

We're not the worst. A lot of new employees believe in this is a successful strategy.

 

[steve_64]

The stranger, the better.

Why do you think he talks to us,?