Good day gone bad (Missing Diamond Ring and a Police Visit)

[Desk Jockey]

A couple of tech's come into my office a little shook up this afternoon.

We were drying at a retirement home and the elderly lady who rents this cottage was missing her diamond ring. Instead of calling our office, she first called the police and ambushed the crew.

They quizzed our guys took their personal info and informed them that the lady of the home told them that one of them had stole her ring.

Talk about a day going down the tubes...

As they finished their story she calls our office and is speaking with our ops manager. He informs me of the situation, and I told him I had just spoken with our tech's.

He said he told her to be calm, things like this happen from time to time and many times it's just misplaced and might actually show up. She told him she is certain one of our tech's took it and that he denied ever being there, when she was sure he had.

As we start our own investigation, 5- different tech's were there and she had two guys confused as the same person and thus thought he was guilty because he denied being there.

I truly didn't think it was us, but when this kind of thing happens it really makes you wonder about each tech. I hate second guessing people!

I told our ops manager to keep in touch with her and call her Monday if he had not heard from her.

4:30 arrives and the elderly lady calls almost in tears, apologizing for ever accusing our tech's, she found the ring!

I posted this to remind everyone to remain calm if this ever happens to you, people can sometimes be certain of something that just didn't happen.

Unfortunately if you're in this business for any length of time the odds are good that this will happen to you also.

This was not the first time and I wish it was the last but I doubt it!

 

[Doug D]

Told you not to send Dan out on a job!! Just kidding! Seriously though, sorry to have that happen to your techs. Great advice though! :wink:

 

[Kevin B]

I've had this happen to me twice. Both were personally me. One time, I was at a customers house ( when i was an employee) and they left for the morning. Came home and I was done. I was just getting ready to leave, when the older man came out and asked me if I had mistakenly taken his cell phone. Now, granted, this was in like 93 or 94 and cell phones were rather large. I showed him mine, and of course it looked just like his( almost all cell phones were the same back then) and he was like, let me call it. So, he called his phone and mine, and of course mine rang.

Before I could even get on the road, I got the call from the office. Police were on their way out, customer said I stole the phone. Investigation, blah blah blah...no phone is ever found, nor were there any minutes ever used up. Customer calls office about 3 months later, old man finds the phone in his tool box, dead as door nail.

2nd time, was right when I started my own business. Lady said I stole a diamond ring from here jewelery box. Wanted 1000.00 check to cover it.
I told her NO, and then I called the police and demanded an investigation. About a week later, she called and said that her husband had taken it in to get it resized for her....haha

No apology from either of them.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Re: Good day gone bad (Missing Diamond Ring and a Police Vis

4:30 arrives and the elderly lady calls almost in tears, apologizing for ever accusing our tech's, she found the ring!

good thing he put it back while the Ole Bird was napping

..L.T.A.

 

[John Watson]

But then there are the times its true!!!!!

Been there done that..

part of the reason we don't have employee's no mo!!!

 

[Jose Smith]

When I ran a 20+ truck company, this would happen every once in a while. The important thing is not to get too defensive with the client. But don't apologize either (this can come across as admitting guilt).

I would just tell the client that we are willing to cooperate with the authorities 100%.

Jose Smith

PS. The outcome was always the same as Richard's. The property was always found.

 

[Ken Snow]

Like Jose we have this happen periodically Richard and always are empathetic without apology. We ask them to make a police report and keep looking around the home and talk to family who may have borrowed the item or misplaced it. Only a couple times ever has the item not been found that I can recall and I certainly wouldn't consider going to owner op status because of that.

Ken
Ps Glad it was found Richard, its an awful feeling in the gut until that happens.

 

[bob vawter]

I had an old black lady swear up an' down that HoeKilla STOL her bag of Indian Turquoise Jewelry....POSITIVE 100%....SURE!

About two weeks later she calls up and says that she forgot that she hid it when some relatives were coming over.......SORRY!

Ever time i see Craig, i ask him why he stol that ladys Indian Jewelry....

 

[Art Kelley]

Only a couple times ever has the item not been found that I can recall and I certainly wouldn't consider going to owner op status because of that."

As the HAL 9000 would say'"I'm sorry Ken, but with 200 jobs a day, you would find that to be extremely difficult. I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over."

 

[Desk Jockey]

T
"You very bad man"
:roll:

 

[Jim Pemberton]

When we were mostly a restoration company in the 70's we had similar things happen.

More than once it was one of the kids who would steal money or valuables while our workers were there because they assumed we'd get blamed instead of them.

Each time the police (who told us how common it was) managed to sweat it out of them.

 

[Contemporary Carpet Clean]

Yeah having the feeling or being told by the customer that anything is missing is horrible. I once about 10 years ago when 16-17 years old went to one of our apartment complexes to clean an occupied unit. I met the complex super at the apt so he could open the door for me b/c the tenant wasn't home. The super and I walked around the apt and picked up a few knick knacks and other things that were supposed to be moved by the tenant. The super did not stay with me after we had picked up the place. To make a long story short I was finishing the apt steps the tenant comes home. She was enraged b/c I was there cleaning the carpets and how they weren't supposed to be cleaned until later(until she got home apparently). I just said the super made me do your apt last (i think there was 2 or 3 units to do that day) and it was a little past 4pm. The whole complex closes at 4pm. That was on a Friday and my parents(father is owner of this biz) had gone out of town. Monday comes around and I get a call from the the complex rental agent. She said RJ have you gotten a call yet from the local police dept. I gulped and said no, why should I be getting a call form the police. She said the tenant in the apt you cleaned Friday is claiming that 500 in cash was taken off of her dinning room table. I said well thats impossible b/c the maint. super and I were in the apt together initially and we would have seen that kind of money laying on the dining room table(the is carpet in the din rms so I did have to work around that table). I said I didn't even see any coinage on the ground near or on the table for that matter. The apt rental agent said RJ I believe you 100%, the tenant never called the office to report anything missing until later on Saturday. I don't know about you but all of the above stories people noticed and let the carpet guys know about the missing stuff right away. Later that day the cops called me and asked me a few questions. They told me within a few minutes that the tenants story was different amongst the hubby and wife and that they waited a long time to tell anyone. I said officer we have been working for this apt company since it was built which at the time was 5 years or so and all the other properties they own in the area for that matter and nothing has ever been reported missing. I also said I was the owners son and was there doing the work myself. The officer said well I think my work is done here if we need further questioning we will let you know. Over ten years later the "missing money" never showed up and we are still cleaning carpets for the same company. By the way no apologies from the tenant.

Another time an elderly lady called us to say that a ring had been missing. We of course knew nothing about the ring nor did we see a ring on the carpet or behind anything when we were cleaning. A few hours later she called back and said that her grand kids came over a day or 2 before the cleaning and were wearing it and put it somewhere that she did not thing to find it. Case solved and she apologized.

 

[Numero Uno]

2 situations like that,one in 1978.We had two trucks doing a home.Lady called an said her ring was missing. We all had to go talk to the police.Situation I assume was resolved.

Then about three years later,I was at a home with a deep shag.An heard a cling.There near the edge of the baseboard area. Near the window there was a diamond ring stuck inside the Banes wand.Just the stone protruding.Gave it to the customer who started crying.I guess her home was robbed,and the thieves dropped it on there way back out the window.
But it was missing about 8 yrs or so...

 

[Jose Smith]

Caesar,

I had something like that happen to me once. A man had me come out to pick up his drapes. When I took them back to the plant and was inspecting them, I felt something in the side hem. It turned out his wife passed away a few months before and must have kept her ring sewn in there. He cried when I returned it.

She had been on the sick bed for about 6 months and never revealed this to him. He is a good client who has since remarried, but I will never forget that.

Jose Smith

 

[R W]

Can you imagine the possibility of vacc'ing up small, loose diamonds that you can't see in the carpet, and tossing them out with the filter'Gunk"??

I'm sure it has happened a few times.....

 

[Guest]

I agree with Jose Smith, had this happen to me. An old lady in an upscale home. I did the job so I know it was not me. Still hated to be asked because someone thinks you may have done it. Very uncomfortable.

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

I WAS PRE VACCING A COMMERCIAL JOB AND FOUND A DIAMOND, GAVE IT TO THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS. HE CALLED ME A YEAR LATER AND SAID I COULD HAVE IT NO ONE CLAIMED IT. I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE PROFESSIONAL TO DO, SO I NEVER ACCEPTED IT. NEXT TIME WE CLEANED IT HE TOLD ME IT WAS A REAL DIAMOND HE HAT IT APPRAISED AT $9000. HE SOLD IT ON CONSIGNMENT FOR $4500. AT THE TIME IT WAS WORTH MORE THAN MY TM.