I'd rather be angry..

[Mardie]

Unfortunately, in the recent years, a great many of our customers have shifted to using "what they were told by phone" as means to get what they want at the price they want.

So much so that I added phone monitoring into my system. When the customer takes that approach, what we call the EAD - extorted additional discount, the tech immediately responds, we will honor whatever you were told by phone ma'am/sir.

The techs text the office, office pulls the call in about a minute and emails it to the customer. The tech tells the custy to check their email the booking call was just emailed to them.

We haven't had a single situation where the customer was misinformed, over 3 years.

One of 2 things happens, the customer changes their disposition, let's work as need be happen (happy ending) - or - customer gets po'd and continues trying to find reason to get discount, you were 30 seconds late, I'm a realtor, are you connecting to my water, etc etc (no service list ending).

We have gotten to the point of identifying the trouble makers prior to booking and referring them to Sani-Bright (lol) - just kidding Tom.

The only time I give a rough price on the phone is if they are a referral and i let them know that and I also make it a very strong point that I will have to see it first to give them an exact price. Seeing is that they are a referral I never have a problem with these types. Every one else that calls must set up an appointment for an onsite quote before I give them a price or before I will do the job. I never go into a job without knowing everything first. Sure I loose my fair share of people that do not want to do this BUT they are the price shoppers and the I want to get it done now people. The high quality caring client will take the time to set up an appointment for a proper evaluation and quote. These are my kind of people and what makes my job so rewarding.

 

[truckmount girl]

This is how I see it...

The guy felt that you were being deceptive/dishonest in giving a different price on the job than was quoted over the phone.

Even when you later said that you would do the job at the phone price or free that did not change his initial perception that you were a less than ethical...he just felt you were attempting to cover your ass after you were caught. My guess is he chose not to allow someone he perceives as unethical work on his home....even if it's free. He chose not to compromise his principles despite the monetary gain.

You never know if you may have also made a comment during the tour/chat session that bothered him and he just decided he really didn't want you there.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[bob vawter]

You never know if you may have also made a comment during the tour/chat session that bothered him

Mikey???? noooooo way!

 

[Steve Toburen]

You never know if you may have also made a comment during the tour/chat session that bothered him and he just decided he really didn't want you there...

Say it ain't so, Lisa! Tactless? Not our Mikey!

Steve

PS The root of the problem here (besides the guy possibly being a MORON!) is Mike not "pre-inspecting" the job ahead of time. We did not usually pre-inspect previous clients, same-day work, jobs located a long way away, property manager referrals, rental move-outs and water losses. Everything else (which in later years worked out to about 20% of our work due to a large pre-existing client base) we tried to pre-inspect before our first cleaning.

 

[hogjowl]

That phone service he's always trying to get a discount from is another part of the problem.

 

[Mikey P]

Lisa is probably dead on in her assessment, I only wish I had been able to say, "Sir I totally understand where youre coming from and I would be upset too, but the fact is, my answering service should not be quoting firm prices or processes BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU, THAT WE DID NOT BECOME THE MOST RESPECTED COMPANY IN TOWN, BOTH WITH FLOORING RETAILERS, INTERIOR DECORATORS AND ONLINE REVIEWERS BY BEING A BAIT AND SWITCH TYPE RACKET"...


the dude was wiggity wiggity whacked.

 

[Mikey P]

That phone service he's always trying to get a discount from is another part of the problem.

correct, I can't assume to have a new employee(which she was) to be able to read the signs of a difficult customer (which he was) over the phone..

 

[Mikey P]

oh, and Marty, I don't have to "try" and get a discount...

 

[Royal Man]

The client just had chin envy. I would suggest having your phone person go on a few jobs to see how it is.( If you haven't allready) That is what we alwaly did with the office help and supervisors.

 

[FB7777]

Based on the " we " you used Brokum, you must be referring to your heyday of 16 employees that you so efficiently whittled down to just your 50 + year old carcass and a helper

I may have toned it down a bit here lately , but if yore going to poke your head out from behind your wand and weinee mount and play systems guru it's gonna get shot off everytime

 

[Desk Jockey]

I may have toned it down a bit here lately , but if yore going to poke your head out from behind your wand and weinee mount and play systems guru it's gonna get shot off everytime

LOL
Deep breaths Fred take deep breaths!

 

[Derek]

maybe i missed it, but tell us was the guy right and your girl in the office told him that, or did he lie/embellish to get a price he wanted?

 

[Ron K]

Steve were you doing Water Damage work when you got off the truck.

 

[Mikey P]

maybe i missed it, but tell us was the guy right and your girl in the office told him that, or did he lie/embellish to get a price he wanted?

I don't think he was lying.

But I only spoke to a manager at FC about the issue

I was assured it won't happen again

 

[rwcarpet]

View attachment 2965

I gotta go with this quote! They are not always right......and in most cases, wrong.

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

Perhaps your boat was already loaded when you walked in. The fact he had such a specific price I'd guess that was the case. Kind of a cranky guy huh?, that doesn't make it any easier. We could second guess much and come up with a bunch of different questions you could have asked but I bet he was cocked/ready for any level of deviation from what he was expecting. Full Circle give the price?, I tried them for awhile and found them pretty cool. Perhaps I'll get back with them in the future. For now I continue to give folks a wide range and measure right when I get there, for all my services. Feels good not to have a price waiting for me.

 

[Mikey P]

Nice to have you back Scott, how was your summer?



Steve Toob, we should talk....call me when you get off the phone with Tre.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Steve were you doing Water Damage work when you got off the truck.

When needed, sure. (Just like any "git-er-done entrepreneur.) But normally my guys would handle all the "simple" water losses using this Water Loss Work Sheet/Script.

Steve

PS Once again, it gets down to where is your "highest and best use' to your business and family's financial success. For the vast majority of cleaners out there it is not being "chained to a scrub wand" and yet the majority secretly refuse to lease their "comfort zone" to become managers of other people. Works for me even though I feel sorry for them.

 

[-JB-]

I had a similar situation last week, Custy had a sectional and a love seat, through our conversation, she told me the sect was 4 pc, so I figured, 3+3+3+5+5=19 ln ft would be a safe bet. I was WRONG, needed up being 24.5! Total was over 22% higher than my phone estimate, OOOPS! That was a HUUUUUUUGE sectional.
Ultimately we just changed the scope of the job, they had no pets and no kids, so we did seats and surface areas only, and charged them a predetermined price for that service all in all they ended up saving $25, they were quite happy, and so was I.
When we were leaving the custy suggested that she could have/ should have sent a pic text of the piece, which is a GREAT idea and will be utilized at some time in the near future for sure!

 

[Mikey P]

I'll do the same when they don't have it in their budget to go for our full detail job ($150 to $210) for a 3 seater.

For $80 to $120 we will clean all the "contact" areas on a Chesterport.

 

[-JB-]

Did you not think to offer that too him to save face or was it just "too late"?

And yeah, when they give me a "prompt time" fr arrival, I almost always put my guard up too...

 

[Mikey P]

please read the 1st post again, this dude cut me off to all offers immediately.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Sounds like you handled it the best you could, who really knows what is going on in people's lives on any given day. Plus half the country is on some anti- depressant anyway.

Also thank God i don't have a job working at a corner store or gas station, i stop by couple times day for coffee/water and can't believe the wacky $hit i see customers do/say. Feel bad for those poor girls.

 

[hogjowl]

I don't know why Mikey hasn't told you guys this yet, but he got into all this trouble because he talked to me that morning, prior to that job.

I have a way of irritating people.

 

[Mikey P]

Coming off a August which was our second best month ever with me handcuffed to the scrub wand for only 7.6 days and this damn $225 loss has me crying like a baby.


it must be Merty's fault.



too bad all the other boards suck so bad. Otherwise I wouldn't feel so bad banning him.

 

[Goomer]

Or it is very possible that he just got stung to many times when trying to get this type of work done

Permanent wheelchair.......freshly divorced......I think it may be more likely due to the fact that he feels he has been stung too many times by "life" itself.

Any small battle he can "win" probably helps him forget....for at least a moment.....how far lost he is in his war.

Probably best you cut your potential loses in dealing with such a seemingly bitter personality.

 

[Willy P]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrHmcpRAZNs

 

[Able 1]

I never had a problem giving an exact quote over the phone... Your market is a little different though, not sure I could do it there(big a$$ houses and all). You can't give a price over the phone for a sectional? No wonder he thought you were a B&S'er.. Where did she get the $225 number from?

I do agree with Goomer though he had to win this, and send you away.. Probably a stubborn old f'er.

 

[Becker]

Always a ball park. I'm often well protected. But have eaten a few bucks now and then.

 

[The Great Oz]

First, kudos for posting this for discussion. Second, you already know where you went wrong and it's obvious it doesn't make you feel great.

- If you give a phone quote stick to it, and let the customer know what the price will be next time. Nothing but good vibes and the loss gets chalked up to marketing.

- If you have to give a phone quote make it a not-to-exceed price and let them know it will probably be lower. If you quote $250 to $300 and charge $260 you're a money gouging pig, because customers always remember the low end of the quote and hope they'll get it. If you quote a not-to-exceed $300 and charge $290 you saved them $10 and you're a hero.

- If they want an exact price the job gets pre-inspected. For all the reasons Steve talks about.

Monday Morning QB says that at the point the customer challenged you about the phone quote a better response might have been, "They quoted an exact price on the phone without asking for more details? Looks like I have some coaching to do. (cuz you do) The price for cleaning this should be xxxxx, but since we quoted a price I'll stick to that price for this cleaning." You come out looking like a great boss, an honorable businessman, and have a customer that may never again ask about price because they trust you. You can always decide after the fact to decline working with them again if they've lied to you.

And you know you have to put some system in place to prevent having that kind of moment again.

At this point it might be worth dropping the guy a note to tell him you've thought about the conversation and that he was right. You needed to do some work with your staff and apologize for handling the situation with less than your usual grace. Wish him all the best and let it go. Even if no business comes of it, you'll feel better and he will likely feel better about your company.

EDIT: PS: This is one advantage to not being the tech. It's not personal, it's business, and the separation from being the guy doing the work can help give you that perspective.