New customer yesterday wanted a 2 bedroom suite cleaned. VERY VERY filthy. I spent 4 and a half friggin' hours getting the crud out, removing stains, even fixed a couple of cig burns no charge. He started phoning me 2 hours in, asking what was taking so long. I finally finished, packed up and went to drop the keys at his house on the way home. Now I knew this wasn't going to make me a wealthy man, as I had spoken to his adult son and given him a quote of around $200. I wrote out the bill, a little pissed at myself for not charging more. I handed the bill over and the guy just ripped into me about how he had NEVER paid more than $80 for the same job before and all kinds of $hit about what a ripoff I was and on and on. I simply said to him that at about $40 an hour was really CHEAP and would barely cover expenses. "Cleaner boys aren't worth that much money- you're just a janitor. You're NOTHING". I walked out to my truck, gathered up my insurance and Workers Comp paperwork, a bunch of receipts for work on the van, a new pump, and other assorted expenses and said to him that all these costs come out of the "rip off" (ME- not him. I didn't make squat off this job). He told me to FO and would never call me again, badmouth me to all his friends and blah, blah blah. I got the money, cash thankfully, politely thanked him and walked away really confused and more than just a little PO'ed. He was about 30 seconds away from a mouthful of bloody chicklets. I NEVER lose my cool with customers except this guy just deserved a good pop in the skull.
Funny thing was that I did another 2 bedroom unit earlier in the day, not trashed, charged the same , was done in under 2 hours and the customer asked why that was all and I should charge more. Go figure.
Funny thing was that I did another 2 bedroom unit earlier in the day, not trashed, charged the same , was done in under 2 hours and the customer asked why that was all and I should charge more. Go figure.
