Fixing up couch after another company cleaned it

[Mark Saiger]

I have apparently cleaned this couch back in 2010.

My prices are higher than everyone else in the area, so they went with someone else 2 weeks ago to clean this couch.

I charge at least $100 for a 7 foot 3 cushion couch (which is still too cheap!) but everyone else is cleaning them around here for $60 (idiots!)

On Monday, my wife takes this work order for clean up of a couch another company had just cleaned (don't know why they didn't call the other company back to fix it...well, I guess I do)

They need it done this week! We are a bit short handed this week as my wife had some pretty major surgery on Wednesday, so we were trying to schedule light on Wednesday and needed Thursday off as a family.

I am at the hospital 2 hours away, waiting in the prep room with my wife to be wheeled into surgery and my son in law who is on site to do the cleaning calls....they guy wants a discount! It's just been cleaned....

My son in law sends me pics (we think it is partial cotton) and it has been browned.

Told my son in law...."PUT HIM ON THE PHONE!"

"Sir, this couch should regularly cost about $150 to clean...we are now going to ATTEMPT to fix the situation from your last cleaning. YOU ARE GETTING A DISCOUNT AT OUR RATE OF $100!"

(I am pissed if I have to deal with this guy and they wheel my wife away!)

"WE ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS SITUATION AND BRING YOUR COUCH BACK....AND WE ARE SLIPPING IT IN TO OUR ALREADY BUSY SCHEDULE"

Then he asks "What if we don't clean the back?"

"SIR, THE BACK IS YELLOW TOO, AND WE NEED TO FIX ALL OF THIS IF WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ON THIS PROJECT"

(I am at this point going to tell my son in law to move on to the next job)

Finally: "SIR, THEY ARE ABOUT WHEEL MY WIFE INTO SURGERY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO WISH HER WELL AND TELL HER I WILL BE WAITING FOR HER", MY SON IN LAW IS VERY BUSY TODAY AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS, WE WILL DO SO WITH NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS, BUT AT THIS TIME, WE WILL EITHER ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS OR MOVE ON".

"Do you accept checks?"

"YES SIR, CHECKS, VISA, MC....CASH!"

"Ok, that would be great if he could try and fix this....we have company coming over tomorrow"

Couch is now fixed....

My wife is doing best as can be right now after the surgery....and we are waiting for some more test results/news hopefully Monday from the hospital. She had a bad moment yesterday and had to go to the emergency room (while I was stuck in meetings) and had to get one more medication to go with the other 5 meds. (Sucks!)

If this couch comes back to haunt me....I think I will pay for it and personally burn it in the yard! Or buy it just for the dogs to have!!!

He proceeded to tell my son in law after all this and before he started that they paid $3000 for it (and you want another discount....KMA!!!)

No couch is worth me missing my wife and wishing her well in surgery!!!

BEFORE WE STARTED....BIT YELLOWING IN LOWER LEFT CORNER....BAD LIGHTING IN PICS TO SEE EVERYTHING



AFTER AND DURING CLEANING PICS....WAS GROOMED OUT BETTER THAN THESE PICS ARE SHOWING





CLOSE UP OF FIBER AND INSIDE CUSHION UNZIPPED TO SEE...SON IN LAW SENT PICS WHILE WE WERE ANALYSING

 

[ronbeatty]

Mark, it is usually better not to get involved with someone else's drama!!

 

[Mark Saiger]

Mark, it is usually better not to get involved with someone else's drama!!

So True...

 

[jcooper]

So Mark,

How did he fix it? Did he reclean first? Mist on some browning treatment? Peroxide?


Hope the wife's better soon.

 

[Mark Saiger]

We actually were lucky enough to use an encap as a prespray we have been using for awhile (Harvard Bone Dry).....
http://hcronline.com/carpet.html
http://hcronline.com/assets/bone-dry-.pdf
http://hcronline.com/assets/bone-dry-msds.pdf




Used the Upholstery mit Scott Warrington had at MF 10 after misting on the Bone dry to agitate in the prespray...this is a different piece of upholstery in this pic....







and then did a reclean using an acid side rinse through the system (in this case Butler Upholstery Detergent)

http://www.butlersystem.com/store/u....html?osCsid=5920178c56f47d51e5d30184dc9fe12e

http://www.butlersystem.com/msds-sh...msds_sheets/UPHOLSTERY PROTECTOR C2.5BMUP.PDF

We also used the Sapphire Scientific upholstery tool which worked great and helped to make sure no over wetting and dried fast.

This is not a pic of the actual material, but a pic we took the day before on some other upholstery....and I am sure you have seen this tool....but....just showing it....

 

[Mark Saiger]

So Mark,

How did he fix it? Did he reclean first? Mist on some browning treatment? Peroxide?


Hope the wife's better soon.

Forgot to quote in response above so you knew I had opportunity to reply....sorry...

Also, my son in law let me know it was 80% cotton and 20% poly

And thank you for wife's concern. She is doing pretty well.

We are waiting for continued good news on the biopsy's and hope she continues to get better.

 

[ruff]

Burn the sofa, surely it will correct the browning.

Best wishes for your wife & family.

 

[KevinD]

Saiger" data-source="post: 4302787" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Also, my son in law let me know it was 80% cotton and 20% poly

Did that info come from the customer?
Sounds like he was reading the info off the filling tag as most manuf.
do not label the covering contents.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Did that info come from the customer?
Sounds like he was reading the info off the filling tag as most manuf.
do not label the covering contents.

Actually both places in this case.

We never trust the tag as you are indicating for anything,....

Always ask where they bought it from and do they have the material content....and not the stuffing, ect....

We were able to call the local business they had the couch ordered from and confirm the fiber content.

We had a couch about a month ago that looked suspect of potential problems.

We didn't clean it at the time and were able to call who they ordered it from and get info about it a few days later. That one turned out to be 50% acrylic, 29% cotton, and 21% polyester. We haven't cleaned it yet, but are looking possibly in the next couple months to clean that one. Thankfully, it is not very soiled.

 

[Royal Man]

Those cotton blends can look very deceiving and can brown very easily.

 

[Nate The Great]

You're too nice... I would have charged more, just to fix the situation... We once in a while get the phone shopper who doesn't like our price... They use someone else, then calling us to see if we can fix it... If they ask for a discount, they can take a long walk off a short pier...

 

[Mark Saiger]

You're too nice... I would have charged more, just to fix the situation... We once in a while get the phone shopper who doesn't like our price... They use someone else, then calling us to see if we can fix it... If they ask for a discount, they can take a long walk off a short pier...

My wife in her codeine and Oxytocin state just told me late yesterday that she had told them $125 to $150 at least to fix that.

That guy was really putting some swindle on my son in law (and me).

I didn't know this or I would have charged him that day the $150 at least.

Making a note on their file right now.....

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Mark, you shouldn't have to worry about the outcome on a job like this. IMO it should only be taken on with a written understanding that there are no guarantees and no free re-dos agreement signed by both co. and customer. Don't make their problem your problem.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Mark, you shouldn't have to worry about the outcome on a job like this. IMO it should only be taken on with a written understanding that there are no guarantees and no free re-dos agreement signed by both co. and customer. Don't make their problem your problem.

Exactly what I told them too....

This is the 6th job we have fixed up after every other cleaning company in town this past 30 days (3rd time for this particular company)

Sure wish I could advertise that but we all know better than to even mention our competition and give them "Free Advertising and Name recognition" ......as well as it's just best to move on and smile.....

Always liked the saying: "At what price is poor quality a good deal?!"

 

[Desk Jockey]

You are a much kinder man than I.

I'm really am not interested in fixing the other guys screw up's. The customer called someone else, let that guy fix his work.
I don't mind fixing it if they client tried to clean it and messed it up but like Steve mentioned I don't want to be responsible if the outcome isn't perfect. Its a salvage situation and I didn't cause the issue to begin with.

 

[GeneMiller]

You must of taken one of your wife's pills. The picture you uploaded of the sofa is microfiber. The arm cover is definitely a blend

gene

 

[Mark Saiger]

You must of taken one of your wife's pills. The picture you uploaded of the sofa is microfiber. The arm cover is definitely a blend

gene

LOL....yep, the dark brown is an entirely different piece and the couch we are talking about is the first one posted.... and the arm cover is another entirely different piece as well....


Think I listed that in that post....but.....