How long is too long?

[Desk Jockey]

We had a call to look at a returning spot today, pulled the file and we spot cleaned that spot just one month short of 3-years ago.

Sent someone out to take a look and see if we thought the spot would come out, well at least that's what I thought we were doing. Instead we found out it was what she thought should be a re-service. THREE years later?

The spot might come out and I thought about telling them to tell her we could touch it up but then I thought about coming back every couple of years to remove the spot if we did.

She asked "don't you guarantee your work?" My supervisor told her yes we do but it's a 10-day guarantee and this was three years ago. She said"It's not been three years!" He told her next month will be three years. He told her there would be a spotting charge and she wasn't willing to pay anything.

It would have been fast and easy to spot the spot but I don't think she would have appreciated it. You'd owned it from then on, as it is she thinks you should own it now.

Did I handle it wrong? What would you have done?

Brian what would Hagopian have done?

Bryan what would Burn's have done?

Thanks

 

[Jimmy L]

I tell them 24 hours because water should evaporate and wick back before that.

I had a lady with a huge house that had two dogs and as we black lighted the whole house to discover every room was polka dotted with pee stains.
And I explained to her that after I cleaned that the dogs would remark every spot that I cleaned as they walked in that area.
She said what if the spots come back with that BLANK in denial stare. I told her when I leave they will be gone and after 24 hours they will be NEW ones!

She didn't believe me and I lost the bid.

She and her husband own a large plumbing business and I have used them several times. Now I will be price shopping OTHER plumbers from now on!

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

3 years ? How is that spot your problem ? I say you did that right thing.

Jimmy - I love the Blank in denial stare , nothing good ever comes out of it.

 

[Jim Martin]

after almost 3 years..........should of never sent anyone out there in the first place...........

should of told her over the phone there would of been a charge....

still cost you time and money paying someone to go take a look..........

 

[Jimmy L]

I'm afraid that it's that ole' "My husband thinks I'm stupid and now you think I am too?" ..........LOOK.

"And NOW I'm in control and I have the POWER!"

"Because you are a MAN!"

 

[Shane Deubell]

30 days but that is just marketing, people should know in a couple days at most.

I try to take into account some people have exciting lives and don't think about carpet cleaning all the time.

 

[harryhides]

My how time flies when you are as old as Jimmy.

 

[hogjowl]

I think it's just the time of year for weirdoes to be calling. I had one yesterday.

However, unlike our Nebraskan version, I will not be rude and try to hijack your thread!!!

 

[Jimmy L]

I answered the question...................24 hours.

Unlike you Marty I am NO ASS SNIFFER!

Harry? Harry? I thought you were making the big bucks and retirement fund with that corrupt IICRC gig.

 

[Brian H]

"the spot came back and it moved!!"

30 days to set up a reservice without getting a manager involved. After that, it is reviewed on a case by case basis. I am pretty liberal about going back unless there is a history of call backs after a long time.

The one that sticks out for me for going back at no charge is a year and a half to reclean the traffic areas in a bedroom. When I told her that there would be a charge, she let me know she had a $10,000 purchase pending in one of our showrooms. Once I confirmed that, back we went to reclean...

Richard, to answer your question: I would not have gone back for free. We would have charged her as if it was a new job.

 

[ruff]

So Richard, will you keep her on your reminder mailing list?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes I entered her in my Outlook to remind me every three years to call and see if she needs the spot removed. Its set for reoccurring.

 

[Askal]

perfect response Richard. definitely on the no list for mailings

 

[BLewis]

What Jim Martin said. I am so service oriented it kills me, however this would definitely be a charge. I look at it like this, when I pick up a new client I am very careful how I calculate rooms etc because once you set the price you will need to duplicate that every time. Like you said with the spot you would be going back every 3 years to clean it. One thought though, I had a recent experience where I had a showroom that was around a $800 job wanted me to come and spot 5 spots. I explained to them that I didn't care much to spot since they would then have 5 clean spots and the rest would look dirty. He told me to come and do the spotting and when we were finished he came to inspect and said will these dry? (I held back my response that no they will always be wet stupid) and said yes they will be dry in 1 hour and you will have 5 clean spots of carpet like I explained to you. I am waiting on the call to do the whole job.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

(I held back my response that no they will always be wet stupid)

LMAO the things you really want to say , love it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I really wanted to hit the spots, I'd rather please the client than leave them unhappy. However in the back of my mind I kept thinking I'd own that spot for ever. She already blamed us for the spot yet we were not the ones that caused it, just the ones that tried to remove it. I think it a little encap solution and OP with the Orbot would have taken care of it.

You know how this will end, she's going to tell all her friends that we would take a spot out that care back after we cleaned. Omitting it was three years ago.

 

[Zee]

I am very careful how I calculate rooms etc because once you set the price you will need to duplicate that every time. .

That is a problem right there....


As a whole, this industry somehow believes we need to work with 1970s 1980s prices.

Why would you always need to match that price you give? Things change, economies change, your situation changes, you buy a new van and tm and now your overhead changed...etc etc.

We need to learn that everthing in this country has a price adjusted to the current economy. Except maybe a hot dog and soda at Costco. It's been $1.50 for at least 15 years.

 

[ruff]

Yes I entered her in my Outlook to remind me every three years to call and see if she needs the spot removed. Its set for reoccurring.

As with some clients you may find that indeed the spot had come back. Actually it moved to another location or possibly a different room
However, no doubt it is the same damn traveling spot.
Cleaned by that proud damn fine company from Topeka.

Now, people here want to know- "Don't you guarantee your work?"

 

[Desk Jockey]

"Don't you guarantee your work?"

Yes its a 2-year Guarantee. She missed it by a year!

 

[ruff]

You could give her the Chavez Restoration catch 22 guarantee- it expires the moment she needs it.

It's the best.



And just remember, as always, whenever you need good marketing, P.R., raising live stock and or personal advice. Your friends at Expert Clean & Green will always be there for you.

 

[tmdry]

3 years that is hilarious, some people...

I had a call back similar to Jimmy's...I go into the home...the client than goes into the room and the dog follows...the dog quietly goes over the carpet (as we are watching him), and starts to pee on the carpet like we are not there....and than the client jumps and says "You see! I thought you guys were specialists in pet odor removal!"...I just starred at her w/ the BLANK look...

 

[Zee]

A property manager played this game to call for all kinds of spots in the places they manage.

I got tired of the deal and told her from now on they need to take pictures of the spots with a tape measure from two 90degree walls showing how far the center of the spot is....

Just so they can prove to their residents that all those spots are not returning- they are new!

 

[BLewis]

That is a problem right there....
Why would you always need to match that price you give? Things change, economies change, your situation changes, you buy a new van and tm and now your overhead changed...etc etc.

Zee, my statement wasn't clear. I didn't mean your price has to remain the same but how you calculate a room size. We usually count a small hallway and a larger walk in closet as one area...etc etc etc. We have gone up a little on our package pricing of our whole house cleaning every year but have remain consistent on our 3 area special.

A restaurant chain that I worked for went up every 6months on price and if it was a large % jump (usually once per year) they would always add something to justify the increase and the value offered and that's the same philosophy I try to use.

 

[Brian H]

3 years that is hilarious, some people...

I had a call back similar to Jimmy's...I go into the home...the client than goes into the room and the dog follows...the dog quietly goes over the carpet (as we are watching him), and starts to pee on the carpet like we are not there....and than the client jumps and says "You see! I thought you guys were specialists in pet odor removal!"...I just starred at her w/ the BLANK look...

I have had similar calls. The customer's impression is that we must not have removed 100% of the odor and her dog smells the old urine and assumes it's okay to go there again. Then I ask "why did the dog go there in the first place?"

 

[glenboy]

i had a regular customer call me after 3 mos and say there were spots everywhere and it looked as if i never cleaned it.this is a 4 year customer that has left me nice reviews and tipped me.so i asked to speak with wife o.and i asked her if she had been using the spot cleaning methods i shared with her??? SHE REPLIED BY SAYING,NO! I HAVE BEEN USING "SCRUBBING BUBBLES".