How often do your techs go back?

[Joe Appleby]

I'm putting together a performance bonus system for 2016. A 3rd of the bonus will be based
on quality.
If you have employees and are not on the truck, what % of your jobs must your
team go back for a correction (wicking, missed room, "still looks dirty" etc...). We shoot for 3% but rarely get that.

 

[Mikey P]

higher or lower?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We solicit complaints.

I figure a 5% re service rate, often due to things beyond our control. If that rate is much lower I fear legitimate needs aren't being voiced.

A return isn't always a bad thing. Do it with a smile.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Agree. For us a re-service is for any reason.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We ask to be kicked.

Still just one or two a month. Most of those probably wouldn't even call back if the tech's didn't tell the to call back.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Rico,

So what is that a % of or how many on-location carpet/upholstery jobs are you doing a month?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not many actually. I think is the key Joe, do less and you have fewer reservices.

Carpet cleaning will finish up being only around 8% of total sales this year.

 

[Beeks]

about 1%, techs know we follow up the next day with each and every customer, so they make sure to walk them through the home before they put tools on truck, and go over any area they might have a concern of. Runnin three trucks and say we do about 1-2 re-services a month if that...

 

[KevinD]

Proper preconditioning and post grooming drastically reduces call backs.
But I am talking about the customer and not the carpet.

 

[dealtimeman]

We don't do near the number of jobs most multi trucks do but we are nowhere near 5% on touch ups or redids.

Less than 1 percent but we heavily qualify and under promise and try to over deliver.

Speed drying the carpet with extra dry strokes really cut down on surprises.

Cll backs for us happens when we get anunreasonable customer that will just not be pleased or in the earlier days guys just being lazy or completely missing an area. It happens just not often enough to cause us concern at this point.

We get more call backs for more services like if they did the carpet now they want us to do the tile areas or furniture.

 

[Mikey P]

Very very few.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We don't do near the number of jobs most multi trucks do but we are nowhere near 5% on touch ups or redids.

Less than 1 percent but we heavily qualify and under promise and try to over deliver.

Speed drying the carpet with extra dry strokes really cut down on surprises.

Cll backs for us happens when we get anunreasonable customer that will just not be pleased or in the earlier days guys just being lazy or completely missing an area. It happens just not often enough to cause us concern at this point.

We get more call backs for more services like if they did the carpet now they want us to do the tile areas or furniture.

I included that as well.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Ours would be that low if we didn't actively SOLICIT "complaints".

 

[PrimaDonna]

Rarely...and usually when they get there it was a homeowner oversight...or the hubby/wife that was not there when the cleaning was done and we did the walk through and pointed it out and documented. We smile, produce the paperwork, gladly "touch it up" if needed and are on our way.

Most of the call backs lately have been because the guys have left something small behind and they are letting us know (corner guard, scraper etc) or forgot to leave the bottle of spot cleaner....oops!

 

[Mark Saiger]

Thankfully very little....... but had a wick back in an apartment a couple weeks ago...pretty easy stain zone spray and go fix....

Can't think of any prior to that off top of my head for this year....

But now after posting this....watch, I will get a rash of them

 

[GeneMiller]

If I run the tools almost never. I'm beyond anal, more than most any customer. I did have to return on a large blood removal which is rare with the technique I use. With the new guy probably every job if I don't watch him like a hawk. He completely misses areas. I always ask my customers to please call if they arent satisfied, we aren't perfect but try to be.

Gene.

 

[Spurlington]

Had a lady call 30 min after I left .. she admitted failing to follow instructions to wear booties and walked on the carpet with her dirty shoes. She didnt say she left dirt prints but she wanted me to come back and groom the carpet because she was afraid the impressions would be permanent. Sorry - were on the other side of town !!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'd go back!

Thank her for her call, spritz the footprints, and groom again.

You can't buy moments like that.

5%
Lee

 

[Brian H]

Every once in a while we get a customer call back that admits to having a spill/stain a week or so after our cleaning. We most times go back at no charge or at a very reduced charge.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

Thankfully I can say we very very rarely get a call back. I am super anal about everything and have OCD so I don't rush my jobs and try to address every possible issue.
The only call back I recall this year was a restaurant that we clean a few times a year, they have a sitting area and usually move all the furniture out before we get there. They had a new assistant manager and he did not move the furniture out. We addressed it with him and he said don't worry about it, just clean around it. We let him know it would be visibly different if any of the stuff got moved around later. He said don't worry about it. The next day the main manager called us, upset that the carpet had not been cleaned under everything, so of course I explained what happened and she understood, had us come back out and we added a service fee to our invoice.
Back when we had a few techs we would get more call backs, probably about 3-4 per month which is unacceptable to me.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I worked at Steemer and Coit back in the day and they had a 4% goal that covered all the techs.. with each techs redo percentage listed next to the add on average.

I think listing the redo percentage on the add on board was a way to self govern the quality. Nobody wants to be singled out with a high redo rate, so it's something that is always on their mind.. if not then they should probably find another job.