“Just tentatively schedule me in”

F

FB7777

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Got a reschedule for Friday AM

next woman calls and we offer it to her

“not sure I will be done painting but it me in and if I’m not ready I’ll call”

how about you call when you are sure you will be ready

“what’s so difficult about penciling me in?”

In my head of course....”aah cuz I have a list of 5 A grade customers that want to be done earlier than we can fit them in for 1 thing

second thing is I hate working for pretentious jerks that think their time is more valuable”

Out loud I express that we can put her end of day but I have others that would really like that time slot

“well then why did you offer it to me ?”

I prefer not to make conditional appointments, especially when trying to set up a route based on job location...


I’m really enjoying getting to choose who we work for....

this had problem written all over it
 

Cleanworks

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Got a reschedule for Friday AM

next woman calls and we offer it to her

“not sure I will be done painting but it me in and if I’m not ready I’ll call”

how about you call when you are sure you will be ready

“what’s so difficult about penciling me in?”

In my head of course....”aah cuz I have a list of 5 A grade customers that want to be done earlier than we can fit them in for 1 thing

second thing is I hate working for pretentious jerks that think their time is more valuable”

Out loud I express that we can put her end of day but I have others that would really like that time slot

“well then why did you offer it to me ?”

I prefer not to make conditional appointments, especially when trying to set up a route based on job location...


I’m really enjoying getting to choose who we work for....

this had problem written all over it
It's like one I had yesterday. I show on time, ready to do the job. Portable access only and the power is out. The customer is not even in this province but asks me to wait until she can get it sorted out. I tell no, I have another job to go to. An hour later she calls me and says the power is back on, can I come back and do the job? I say yes but it will be an extra $50.00 She eventually agrees but puts up such a fuss, saying it's not her fault the power was off. I have to point out to her my wasted time driving to the job, not able to do it, paying for the parking, then having to come back and do it and pay for parking again. People don't value your time, they much imagine that we are out cruising their neighborhood just waiting for their call.
 

Jim Pemberton

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I’m really enjoying getting to choose who we work for....

this had problem written all over it

Since part of my job is helping cleaners with complaints related to cleaning (poor results and/or claims of damage from cleaning/spotting attempts) I can clearly tell you that most complaints are rooted in the customers' lack of respect for the cleaner as a company, as well as as a fellow human being.

Nearly every story begins with:

"I knew this lady was going to be a problem from the first time I talked to her. I should have NEVER done this job"

As far as positive resolutions to problem correction, the satisfactory outcomes are nearly always with understanding/respectful customers, and unresolved claims/refunds were with the disrespectful and self centered ones.
 

ruff

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Since part of my job is helping cleaners with complaints related to cleaning (poor results and/or claims of damage from cleaning/spotting attempts) I can clearly tell you that most complaints are rooted in the customers' lack of respect for the cleaner as a company, as well as as a fellow human being.

Nearly every story begins with:

"I knew this lady was going to be a problem from the first time I talked to her. I should have NEVER done this job"

As far as positive resolutions to problem correction, the satisfactory outcomes are nearly always with understanding/respectful customers, and unresolved claims/refunds were with the disrespectful and self centered ones.
What saint Jim must be trying to say is:
Don't ignore red flags and if your gut tells you to be careful, pay attention!
or.....................................
 

ruff

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1597243331569.png
 
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Jim Pemberton

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My summary of it is “Learn to listen to your inner voice, moron.”

I noticed you used "moron" in this comment, and not "idiot", your preferred nomenclature for those you disparage.

I thought you might find this reference material helpful:

Idiots.—Those so defective that the mental development never exceeds that or a normal child of about two years.
Imbeciles.—Those whose development is higher than that of an idiot, but whose intelligence does not exceed that of a normal child of about seven years.
Morons.—Those whose mental development is above that of an imbecile, but does not exceed that of a normal child of about twelve years.
— Edmund Burke Huey, Backward and Feeble-Minded Children, 1912

It also occured to me that my girlfriend has the unfortunate habit of calling people who she deems to be stupid, foolish, or misguided as "retards". This causes no end of irritation to her school teacher daughter, and my psychologist daughter.

I think I'll have her take a look at these levels so that she choose what level of insult is needed depending of the mental maturity shown by the author of the misdeed.
 
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BIG WOOD

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I’ve learned this week that those who want it done yesterday are able to wait over 3weeks

I’m currently on vacation at the beach and I’m 2weeks booked when I get home

I’m still getting calls that “need” to be done tomorrow. I tell them what I just typed above and if they can’t wait, I give them the local Servpro number who I network with. all of them are happy to wait so far.
 

The Great Oz

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I'm definitely on board with firing truly horrible customers. We're too afraid of them to do it as much as we should.

Right now we're seeing a whole lot more odd behavior and short tempers. Heat combined with COVID restrictions, politics and special interest group's demands have most everyone on edge.


Got a reschedule for Friday AM

next woman calls and we offer it to her

“not sure I will be done painting but it me in and if I’m not ready I’ll call”

how about you call when you are sure you will be ready

“what’s so difficult about penciling me in?”

In my head of course....”aah cuz I have a list of 5 A grade customers that want to be done earlier than we can fit them in for 1 thing
I get that you're just grumbling, so don't take my MMQ as being too critical.

First, that reschedule should have immediately been given to one of the 5 a-grade customers, not offered to a new customer that just called in.

"What's so difficult about penciling me in?" is just a question. Tell her you'd need a couple of days notice to be able to fit something else in if the time frame didn't work out for her, which is where we are right now. You wouldn't get the follow-up question; you just answered it.

You know the saying, no good deed goes unpunished.
 
F

FB7777

Guest
Great advice Bryan


after we hung up, I did call a wait list person that was in the same town as the next job and schedule them in that time slot

this woman started on the phone as a referral , but rapidly morphed into a self entitled brat once I was unwilling to bend to her request


we can all agree that it’s less enjoyable to work for unappreciative condescending individuals
 

Fat Mike

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I noticed you used "moron" in this comment, and not "idiot", your preferred nomenclature for those you disparage.

I thought you might find this reference material helpful:

Idiots.—Those so defective that the mental development never exceeds that or a normal child of about two years.
Imbeciles.—Those whose development is higher than that of an idiot, but whose intelligence does not exceed that of a normal child of about seven years.
Morons.—Those whose mental development is above that of an imbecile, but does not exceed that of a normal child of about twelve years.
— Edmund Burke Huey, Backward and Feeble-Minded Children, 1912

It also occured to me that my girlfriend has the unfortunate habit of calling people who she deems to be stupid, foolish, or misguided as "retards". This causes no end of irritation to her school teacher daughter, and my psychologist daughter.

I think I'll have her take a look at these levels so that she choose what level of insult is needed depending of the mental maturity shown by the author of the misdeed.

Simpleton!
 
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Lee Stockwell
Great advice Bryan


after we hung up, I did call a wait list person that was in the same town as the next job and schedule them in that time slot

this woman started on the phone as a referral , but rapidly morphed into a self entitled brat once I was unwilling to bend to her request


we can all agree that it’s less enjoyable to work for unappreciative condescending individuals
Listen to your Radar...
 
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ruff

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Ofer Kolton
I just had a client call because her air b@b guests smoked weed. Of course she needed it yesterday and was quite would “brisk” be the right word?

when I tried to find out if she can secure a parking space. I kid you not, 10 seconds, she said that: “this is too difficult” and that she’ll find someone else.

I thanked her and I meant it.
 

Cleanworks

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Location
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Ron Marriott
I just had a client call because her air b@b guests smoked weed. Of course she needed it yesterday and was quite would “brisk” be the right word?

when I tried to find out if she can secure a parking space. I kid you not, 10 seconds, she said that: “this is too difficult” and that she’ll find someone else.

I thanked her and I meant it.
Parking is at a real premium here sometimes. I've had customers tell me, "that's not my problem". It becomes their problem when I refuse the job. That's why I like my astro van. Gets into the underground parkades
 

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