Don’t be so grouchy Damon!

Nomad74

Boy Sprout
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
24,043
Location
Redding
This thread was originally going to be a bitch fest. But its a lesson of transformation and love.

About a month ago I had an elderly lady call me and book. She kept referring to me as “The rug cleaner”. I had to clarify with her the difference but I wasn’t getting anywhere. The day before the appointment she canceled. She called back weeks later and booked again. Once again saying she needed her rugs cleaned, meaning carpet, but whatever. She said she rents rooms to boarders and the house is fully occupied. Lovely.

I arrived to the house this morning. She answers the door and says “The Rug guy is here”. I walked into her house and nothing was ready for me. The house was packed to the gills with classy old lady furniture and tufted wool rugs. Her boarders were still in bed and gave her attitude when she told them to clear out for the rug cleaner.

One of the tenants pulled the “can you start in that room,bla bla bla”. I replied “No” and explained I always start from the furthest point and work my way out as I clean. He shrugged and put on his pants then left for some gas station coffee.

I started feeling bad for the old lady because she had no help. The boarders weren't helping her at all. I started feeling sorry for her. My anger at her lack of preparednes turned into gratitude and I went to work stacking her rickety furniture in the kitchen and up onto her bed and couch.

She then went on telling me about her wool rugs and that she wanted them cleaned along with her wall-to-wall nailed down to tac strip rugs (aka carpet). I started going rug nerd on her explaining how it was not good to clean her big wool rug on the floor and she should let me take it to my shop. She stated that her old cleaner always just went over it with his wand. Inspecting the rug, it was all browned out in areas and all the fringe was brown. I explained to her why that happened and if she promised not to get mad at me for bleeding or damage I would clean it as she wished. The rug was also filled with little ankle biter dog urine.

I cleaned her furniture packed home and wool rugs. I felt so bad for her I ended up giving her a discount and only charged her $150. I ended up turning up the acid rinse on my TM and got the browning out. I didn’t do any urine work. She was on a budget.

She was thrilled with my results. She said I blew her other cleaner away and will be only using me from now on. I know who the other cleaner is and he’s a bit of a hack. Anyway, I’m fine if she calls him again because I don’t like working in old lady furniture packed houses with lazy boarders and pissy little dogs. But I do feel good to have helped her out. She turned out to be a very nice lady.
E148739F-2C97-446D-9119-8731DDA13B1B.jpeg9E30CEA8-F212-40ED-9354-C120C85B81D0.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Old Coastie

Supportive Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2015
Messages
7,504
Location
Heart of Dixie
Name
Stephen
Now you are stuck with her small rat dog and deadbeat renters.

i had a similar case where my heart won over common sense. The only way I could get rid of her was to finally do the job free. You would have to understand a Southerner’s pride, but when she asked if she could pay in a couple of days (SS check) I just forgave the debt.
She’ll never call back. (Laughs in Evil Old Coastie)
 

Jim Pemberton

MB Exclusive.
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,568
Name
Jim Pemberton
This thread was originally going to be a bitch fest. But its a lesson of transformation and love.

About a month ago I had an elderly lady call me and book. She kept referring to me as “The rug cleaner”. I had to clarify with her the difference but I wasn’t getting anywhere. The day before the appointment she canceled. She called back weeks later and booked again. Once again saying she needed her rugs cleaned, meaning carpet, but whatever. She said she rents rooms to boarders and the house is fully occupied. Lovely.

I arrived to the house this morning. She answers the door and says “The Rug guy is here”. I walked into her house and nothing was ready for me. The house was packed to the gills with classy old lady furniture and tufted wool rugs. Her boarders were still in bed and gave her attitude when she told them to clear out for the rug cleaner.

One of the tenants pulled the “can you start in that room,bla bla bla”. I replied “No” and explained I always start from the furthest point and work my way out as I clean. He shrugged and put on his pants then left for some gas station coffee.

I started feeling bad for the old lady because she had no help. The boarders weren't helping her at all. I started feeling sorry for her. My anger at her lack of preparednes turned into gratitude and I went to work stacking her rickety furniture in the kitchen and up onto her bed and couch.

She then went on telling me about her wool rugs and that she wanted them cleaned along with her wall-to-wall nailed down to tac strip rugs (aka carpet). I started going rug nerd on her explaining how it was not good to clean her big wool rug on the floor and she should let me take it to my shop. She stated that her old cleaner always just went over it with his wand. Inspecting the rug, it was all browned out in area and all the fringe was brown. I explained to her why that happened and if she promised not to get mad at me for bleeding or damage I would clean it as she wished. The rug was also filled with little ankle biter dog urine.

I cleaned her furniture packed home and wool rugs. I felt so bad for her I ended up giving her a discount and only charged her $150. I ended up turning up the acid rinse on my TM and got the browning out. I didn’t do any urine work. She was on a budget.

She was thrilled with my results. She said I blew her other cleaner away and will be only me from now on. I know who the other cleaner is and he’s a bit of a hack. Anyway, I’m fine if she calls him again because I don’t like working in old lady furniture packed houses with lazy boarders and pissy little dogs. But I do feel good to help her out. She turned out to be a very nice lady.
View attachment 99132View attachment 99133

You know...your story telling ability might be closing in on Mikey’s. Next time, say something horrible about a boarder on a deeply personal level, and get into an in depth conversation with the old lady and share with us that she had been a sex therapist for Richard Nixon once, or sang back up for Jackson Browne and ghost wrote “Running on Empty” for him...

THAT would be a Mikey story.

But it’s a good start...
 

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
27,863
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
You know...your story telling ability might be closing in on Mikey’s. Next time, say something horrible about a boarder on a deeply personal level, and get into an in depth conversation with the old lady and share with us that she had been a sex therapist for Richard Nixon once, or sang back up for Jackson Browne and ghost wrote “Running on Empty” for him...

THAT would be a Mikey story.

But it’s a good start...
the smoke hasn't cleared yet.
 

Nomad74

Boy Sprout
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
24,043
Location
Redding
You know...your story telling ability might be closing in on Mikey’s. Next time, say something horrible about a boarder on a deeply personal level, and get into an in depth conversation with the old lady and share with us that she had been a sex therapist for Richard Nixon once, or sang back up for Jackson Browne and ghost wrote “Running on Empty” for him...

THAT would be a Mikey story.

But it’s a good start...
At least I use punctuations.
 

BIG WOOD

The Timminator
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
14,091
Location
Georgia
Name
Matt w.
Wow, it must be sweet old lady with bum renters week, because I cleaned for the same type of person on the same day, only it was a concrete basement floor. Kids were running around the house filled with cigarette smoke that the renters were constantly sitting on the back porch lighting one up every 5 min. I had to walk through that nasty cloud to get to my truck. I wanted to take my sprayer and soak those people down with my prespray every time I saw their lazy ass sit down with their cigarettes
 

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