Little old women

[TimP]

I did a rental this morning.....no power so I couldn't vacuum. It wasn't too bad so I used my hole glide knowing some stuff wouldn't come up.

Gave this old lady a deal cause there are about 8 homes that I may be able to do throughout the years....


Anyways she drives up as I'm about to leave....I tell her it turned out good and the only thing I couldn't do was vacuum cause there was no power and there are some large particles on the floor.....then BOOM

What do you mean you didn't vacuum.....that's the most important part......I saw on some show that you had to vacuum to clean carpet......(keep in mind she didn't even look at the carpet which looks like almost new except for a few pieces of dibris)

Caught me off guard for sure cause most people around have never seen a vacuum taken to their carpet before cleaning. Well I take her in the home and try to show her the carpet. She just had her tile moped by some cleaning people. And after walking off her carpet with wet feet it left some foot prints on her super white carpet. So then she goes on to tell me you're going to have to do something about this tile because I can't get anyone to come and clean it and I paid a lot of money to get it all clean. I was like alright.....(knowing she wants me to clean it for free cause we gave her a price on doing the tile) I pull out a towel and wipe up the water on the tile with my foot (showing that she could of done it) to clean it. Then she goes back to saying I told (my wife) Karen that there was no power and she said it was fine. At this point I'm pissed and the only thing that would come out of my mouth would just make things worse. So I tell her, you talk with karen I've got to get going. And I left.....


Anyways unless I get some huge apology she wont get any more work done....I don't work for people who believe the know more about cleaning than I do. I was going to do a room in her house this week but forget that. Plus keep in mind I was doing the place for right at the same as Stanley Steamer would do it just to get the work. 3 rooms hall, a good size closet, and 2 regular closets, and stairs for 128. I sure as hell know Stanley aint gonna vacuum.....


Just wanting to vent some....I'm sure I didn't handle it the best way possible. But I don't care if I get any more work from her!!! I'm just that way I don't feel I need it all and I sure as hell am not going to do work for people who piss me off.


Although it does remind me of the story I believe Gary had where the old lady wanted a price cheap as possible then made him move everything......OLD WOMEN!!!

 

[John Watson]

I have learned over the years to charge them all the same.....

I then decide whom gets the better deal. "I ask who brings the cookies??"

We also carry a Turbo vac we bought from Gary Heacock for those rare occasions where we have no power.

 

[packfancjh]

How did she expect you to vac with no power?

 

[The Preacher]

yore a no vacuuming hack, and now we all know it!!!

 

[TimP]

My wife talked with her on the phone and now the woman said I couldn't suck the water out because I didn't have power. My wife also asked how the carpet turned out and she said terrible....and she asked if she went upstairs and looked at it.....she said well no. Anyways my wife assured her I'd never tell her I couldn't suck the water out....and she said the bottom step was sopping wet. My wife went out there and called her back and said it was damp and she walked up bare foot and came down and the carpet just felt cool and her foot wasn't wet when she got back down to the slick tile.


They are going to look at it at 6 today to prove that it's dry to her and that it's clean.....and to make sure she pays!!!

Oh and it the show that she learned how to clean carpet from was 20-20......I wish I could watch 20-20 and be an expert. :roll:

 

[TimP]

When I have no power I sure as hell am a no vacuum hack. But there wasn't much dibris on the carpet to be honest. I would of vacuumed if I did have power. I didn't feel the need of a slot glide as it wasn't dirt mainly just strings....a leaf or two. Some cat food :roll: Hell I didn't get a single clog in my hole glide.... :shock:

 

[Dolly Llama]

I tell her it turned out good and the only thing I couldn't do was vacuum cause there was no power and there are some large particles on the floor

..I'm sure I didn't handle it the best way possible.

sure didn't.
I'm not being critical, Tim, but this might help you in the future.

First, I'd of never said a thing about not vaccing.
next, I'd never said it "turned out good". I'd let her decide.

I would of said something like this,

"We did the best we could ma'am.
I hope everything is up to your expectations"

I say that even when i know the carpets came out perfect and I'm sure they'll be thrilled

It's "kind of" similar to the "under promise, over deliver" thingie, only in reverse

It can make a potentially bad situation come out grand

oh yea, if she doesn't pay you, go back and give her all her dirt and water back










right on the living room floor


..L.T.A.

 

[bob vawter]

RED BANNER DAY!!!

For once i agree wit Larry......you gave TOO much info!

 

[Jim Pemberton]

A cleaner I know once told me why he no longer gives "Senior Discounts"

He had recently done a cleaning job for a "sweet little old lady", and as he chatted with her, she just reminded him of his mother. She was concerned that his price was more than she could really afford, and couldn't he help her out a little on the price?

"Knowing" the desperate straights that some seniors are in, he felt guilty and took off a more than reasonable sum as a "Senior Discount" and it made him feel good about himself for days afterward.

Early the next week, he was called to clean a property for a young single mom. She was moving out and had to have the carpet cleaned. He saw that it looked perfectly clean, and asked her about it. She mentioned that she kept it clean with her own machine, and had even showed the land lady how nice it looked.

Her land lady was unmoved. She had to show a receipt for the cleaning to get her deposit back. The young woman mentioned that this "old lady" was really tough, and owned many of the homes in the neighborhood.

Guess who the land lady was?

Of course, the same "sweet little old lady" to whom he had given the massive discount out of pity.

Many of those seniors are "the millionaires next door".

 

[lesterj2]

should have vac'd it with your wand, LOL...

 

[Able 1]

I had an old lady call last friday she had three bedrooms and living room... She said I see you chage extra for moving more then a sofa and loveseat I said "yes what are you looking to have moved?" (Sometimes I will move a little more the old people) She said "Well the beds and all the dressers" :shock: I said there would be a extra charge of 10.00 per room and 15.00 for protectant. Then she said well we are old do you give a senior disc. I said if you have all the rooms protected I will throw in one for free!

She has to talk to her husband.

Hope she dosen't call back!

Keith

 

[Farenheit251]

Tim, Why didn't you take the vac hose off and vac up the large debris? Is she supposed to show the unit like that or do you expect her to go around after you and pick them up? $128 isn't high but it is above average for vacants in your area. If you are going to do a job do your best.
Sorry for being critical but a real friend tells you the truth.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Every so often I am reminded not to be a pushover with the old ladies.

Off topic, but here's a good rule of thumb:

The more important a person tries to tell you they are, the least valuable they are to you. If somebody starts talking about how much pull they have in an organization, they are a piss-ant manager that nobody likes and that's why they get stuck with job of meeting with the carpet cleaning salesman.

If somebody starts telling you about all the properties or clients properties they have control over, they just want something for free and have no influence at all whatsoever.

You will never know up-front how valuable a truly valuable referral source is. They will just look like a normal customer, maybe a slightly picky customer, but they won't tell you up front who they are or how much they mean to you and your business.

 

[Walt]

Perhaps there was a BIG misunderstanding.

Did she think that you didn't Vac up the water???? I bet she doesn't care a rip about whether you pre vac'd or not. That would explain why she was upset. Maybe you should ask her.

For me I always ask them what they think. If they ask me, I always tell them I did my best and I think it looks great.

 

[bob vawter]

walt nailed it...i betcha!

 

[TimP]

Yes Walt did nail it. Anyways it was my wife that talked with them and the one she was complaining about because she told her there was no power......keep in mind the area has been dominated by Bane Clene machines.....

The thing is she came there with a chip on her shoulder and jumped down my throat without wanting to listening to an explination. She didn't even look at the carpet....I do agree this case was a case of too much information. But I always point out things that don't come up and let them know why it doesn't. I prefer to be up front with my customers rather than let them find the problems later and assume that I didn't try.

I did use my hose cuff to get some of the stuff but keep in mind this is a rental and she got what she paid for. Full price for me for this job is 184....regular rental price is 150. So at 128 she was getting a bargain and it's not high for what I was doing.

She did end up paying but she was trying to get something for nothing. The carpet is clean and she's one of these old women that tries to hoodwink people that she thinks she can. She's on my list of people not to work for.....I suppose Stanley Steeamer will get her. Oh and get this she asked my wife about protector when she paid......like we were supposed to put it on. She said yeah I offered it to you for 50 bucks but you never said to do it.....all I can say is she wants something for nothing. Just like she was working on conning me to clean her tile floor.


Anyways it's in the past and I'm taking it as a learning experience. Thanks all for the comments.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Anyways it's in the past and I'm taking it as a learning experience. .

AND...you got paid

hurry up and cash the check :wink:

..L.T.A.

 

[TimP]

I just found out that a customer that we have had in our floor covering business was renting from her. I cleaned the tile...and they put a lot of money into the place, is no longer renting from her. And that has only been a few months since. Something ain't right with her if you ask me.

We will cash it tomorrow for sure!!

 

[bob vawter]

HOW....do you "cash"....a check tomorrow....Tim?

 

[TimP]

HOW....do you "cash"....a check tomorrow....Tim?

Throw it in the bank???? What do you mean bob???

 

[bob vawter]

Yes Tim...that's what i meant...... :wink:

 

[Rex Tyus]

Tim, Why didn't you take the vac hose off and vac up the large debris? Is she supposed to show the unit like that or do you expect her to go around after you and pick them up? $128 isn't high but it is above average for vacants in your area. If you are going to do a job do your best.
Sorry for being critical but a real friend tells you the truth.

No it isn't. It was a pretty good deal. But too much info for sure. When they say "how did it turn out?" I ALWAYS say " come take a look and YOU tell me "

 

[ronbeatty]

I put a power inverter on the Vortex's, and carry 100ft extention cord. My wife tells the customers that if we have to vacuum we will charge them for it.

 

[boazcan]

I got had last week by a little, not old, woman. She did not give me the proper sq ft when quoting the job and then blew up at my tech when he priced it out. She had the "convenient memory" of total price and did not remember the sq ft or sq ft price that I quoted her.

It sucks that work is a little slow around here because I would have walked. It was a referral from my insurance agent who had to buy her a $5 subway card because her closing got moved by 2 days so her insurance date was 2 days prior. A difference of $5 in premium.

I should have got the story before I went to the job. Oh well, got paid and moved on.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Just did a phone quote today. She lives about 30 miles out of our service area and said she can't find anybody who is willing to go out there to clean 2 rooms of carpet, sofa/love chair otto and wingback chair.

I checked the call time when I hung up, 17 minutes just BSing with the lady and helping her guestimate the size of things and the material they were made out of over the phone. I told her I normally don't do phone quotes because I don't like giving in-accurate prices and to bear with me. In the end I told her that no matter what it was going to cost $550 at the lowest, and all I was guaranteeing her was that I wouldn't charge her less than $550.00. I told her if she wanted to spend more on a more intense cleaning and wanted fabric protection applied the bill could easily top a grand. I also prepared her that her seven year old green sofa (Now brown) that the Golden Retriever had been laying on might not look brand new even though she had the fabric coating put on at the store. I also told her she was the customer, and the customer was right, if she is not prepared to pay the bill she can refuse the work and send me home for $65.00. At the end of the call she was practically begging me to charge her more. "If it comes out to more I understand, I just need to get it done quickly."

 

[Al]

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