ever have a customer die?

[Warren Wallace]

Had one die yesterday, her husband died last week and she feel and bleed on a couch
and some carpet got a call from her niece crying saying they had to postpone the cleaning.

 

[Bill G. Martin]

Arrived at a home I had been to many times over the years. On this particular day, as I pulled in the driveway, the wife ran out the front door asking me to come quick, said her husband was having a sizure.....I went in and he was on the kitchen floor....already turning blue around the lips....I told her to call 911. I started CPR until medics arrived. Even did mouth to mouth, all to no avail. He just died in my arms. I worked for the wife for a number of years after that incident. She passed away about three years later. Now I do work for their son who lives in the home. I still get a funny feeling every time I drive by that house. Was definitly a life changing experience.

Bill in Central Florida

 

[GeneMiller]

I live in south florida, so yes, more then once. The last time the guy called to cancel while I was at the gate checking in and told me his daughter just died and would have to reschedule. Funny what goes through someones mind when something like that happens.

Gene

 

[Steve Toburen]

Ya- shortly after I sold my company one of my adjusters called and asked us to do a "suicide clean up" (that was what we called them before the term 'bio-hazard" and the attendant rules and regulations came into vogue) out in an apartment complex we had worked in for many years. It seems that the resident manager (who I knew well and had worked with for a long time) had quite a few demons from his experiences in Vietnam that had caught up with him. So he stuck a 30-06 elk rifle in his mouth, pulled the trigger and we spent several hours using 16" drywall scrapers removing his brains and assorted skull fragments from the walls and ceilings of three rooms. It still stays with me after almost 20 years...

Steve

 

[Able 1]

I had one this week... Her husband died also, they have been custys of mine since I started my biz..

 

[Mountain View Carpet Care]

Had one die about a month ago and I'm cleaning the house this Tuesday. The wife is still a mess.

 

[steve frasier]

had to clean a couple of rental carpets where the guy died but there wasn't really a mess, they just wanted the carpet cleaned for "peace of mind"

one lady put off cleaning for several months because her husband was in the hospital waiting to die, he is still alive today but in a coma

we cleaned for a gay teacher one day and he went out that night, picked up a guy at the gay bar, took him home and raped him that night, put that check in the bank real fast

 

[bob vawter]

i had some old bitty die right while i was cleaning the carpet....
pissed me right off....

i DIDN'T EVEN GET PAID!!!!!

 

[TimP]

I had one also. She had cancer and was in bad shape the first time I cleaned for them. I've only cleaned one other time for him but he says that she really liked me and he couldn't call anyone else. I also do the rest of their family. Which is at least 2 of ther kids homes. I expect he won't live many more years himself.

 

[Bjorn]

yep

I walk in tv set on guy in his Lazy boy remote on the floor can of beer in the cup holder from the night before

I called the cops they asked me you sure he's dead I said yes they still sent the paramedics

 

[truckmount girl]

Yes, many, unfortunately working and living in a retirement community it goes with the territory.

I also had to do like Steve T describes above and did suicide/murder/crime scene/drug lab cleans before there was any special designation for them....cleaning repo's was depressing at times.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[duckster]

Ya- shortly after I sold my company one of my adjusters called and asked us to do a "suicide clean up" (that was what we called them before the term 'bio-hazard" and the attendant rules and regulations came into vogue) out in an apartment complex we had worked in for many years. It seems that the resident manager (who I knew well and had worked with for a long time) had quite a few demons from his experiences in Vietnam that had caught up with him. So he stuck a 30-06 elk rifle in his mouth, pulled the trigger and we spent several hours using 16" drywall scrapers removing his brains and assorted skull fragments from the walls and ceilings of three rooms. It still stays with me after almost 20 years...

Steve

I was part of a team that did one in 72, still fresh in my mind today. In fact, I can remember the sunlight coming into the apartment through the drapes, he did it in the living room and the light yellow color of paint and heavily worn light red sculptured making it difficult to spot what needed to be removed. Nothing strange about the smell, pretty much the same as any other empty apartment needing a cleaning where someone smoked alot. Like Steve said, it was a suicide we cleaned up after, not some yoodoo voodoo bio badboy requiring some radioactive the devil gonna getcha suits.

No, I didn't loose my lunch although I did go out for some afterwards and never gave the whole skull, scalp and brains thing a second thought that day. Work is work. It would have been different if I knew the guy.

 

[cu]

none this week......but im hoping for a better week next week

 

[Askal]

I'm with Cu. This recession has been a boost to business.