Those horrible endings to a good week

WillS

Supportive Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
1,258
Location
Las Vegas NV
Name
Will
We have been having some pretty great weeks lately with business levels, no call back problems, great reviews etc. Until Thursday...

One of our employees texted me at 5am the day he was supposed to work at 8am saying him and friends were having a bonfire the night before out on public land and military police stopped him and blah blah blah and couldn't work today. He texted me again later that day that someone was following him and to look outside to see if there was a helicopter. Instead of drug testing him, we fired him Friday. My business partner gave him his last paycheck and said goodbye, he asked why? He has only been with us a month, did a good job, a little slow, but nothing crazy like this had occurred. Why the hell would you text your boss this? Yes, we are a small business, we are friendly with our employees, but wtf?

Now that we were short an employee, and other employee's days off, I can't stay in the office. I'm having to clean and we are missing around 25 phone calls a day because I'm against answering a phone in a customer's home. I try calling back after we finish or a quick break, but sometimes no answer, already booked with another company, etc.

And then...

Today, I did jobs today by myself since we had 2 people off and had just fired the one. Vacuum went haywire during my 9am appointment. The 11am appointment I was going to run late to due to having to drive back to the office and grab another back-up vac. Called to let her know, she tells me "That is unacceptable, you need to be here by 11am or else." Blah Blah Blah. I grab a vac from one of our other trucks that was closer to me then the office was. Got to her house by 11am. While cleaning, she tells me I knicked her wall. I did not. Her house was full of wholes in the walls, chips on the stair case baseboards, etc. (I took pictures). She wanted to talk to my supervisor. Ok, I'm the owner, but don't feel like dealing with this BS so have our other owner call her. She says I was upstairs saying F this, F that, and that I asked if she was going to pay because she was black. Again, WTF? Of course none of this happened. I could hear her talking to him. I finished cleaning, put everything away, and said, "It's Free" and left. Of course we get the text saying, I'm contacting the BBB etc. The worst part, we booked this job because it was in a zip code near another home we were cleaning at Noon. We even booked it under our minimum at $80 for 2 rooms. I should have cancelled her as soon as she berated me on the phone about having to come late.

Sometimes you get sick with people, but can't go crazy on them for the very fact it could easily hurt your business. Instead I'll just vent my frustrations on here in hopes that I'm not the only one with these situations.

Please tell me yours so I feel better about this week. TGIF, we are off Sundays.

#smallbizproblems
 
Last edited:

Mikey P

Administrator
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
114,121
Location
The High Chapperal
And I put pics up of my guys.

Booked two jobs
Spent an hour with The FCC
Talked some industry rockstars
Fixed a bent bathroom cart
Worked the board
Dealt with the charcoal bricketes
And..
 

Shane Deubell

Supportive Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Messages
4,052
Yeah, that sounds drug related. He must be weak minded...

Did have tech once go through a nervous breakdown and become a little weird.
It was just stress tho, new house, wife, etc all at once.
 

jcooper

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
3,232
Location
IL
Name
Jerry Cooper
I'm having to clean and we are missing around 25 phone calls a day because I'm against answering a phone in a customer's home.

Cha-ching! Good for you guys, Will.

I agree about answering the phone while working(in the home). You guys have any close family that can help w/phones? Even if only for a few days, the stress relief would be worth it.



I finished cleaning, put everything away, and said, "It's Free" and left.

Done that before! Sometimes it's best to just get the flook out.

Had a fellow(middle east) years ago. Well, apparently his ENTIRE family though spending 400 bucks on carpet cleaning meant they were getting NEW carpet. Large house, lots of work, permanent spots all over, stinky curry smell and so on...

Packing up and out comes "the mom" from her upstairs bedroom, she sees the area if front of couch and starts going nuts in 10 different languages. Now the rest of the family comes outta their rooms... Like six of them all yelling down at me, "shes not happy, were not satisfied, etc, etc".......

So I finish packing up.

Then the husband gets home, same thing all over again. Told him I didn't want his money and tried to leave... Guy stood in the doorway for like five minutes, wouldn't let me leave. He tried to pay(less), I wasn't taken it......
 
  • Like
Reactions: Desk Jockey

smastio

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2010
Messages
414
Location
St. Charles IL
Name
Steve Mastio
Hey Will - If this helps... I can still remember the 24 hour period that I decided to leave my 14 yr. marriage and then found out I had just lost a $500,000 account we had for the last couple years. Yep... that was a bad day! You feel any better? Lol
 

EDS

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2013
Messages
1,237
Location
Canada
Name
Ed
I paid too much for my insurance when I could have went with Gieco...
 

clean image

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
970
Location
Orlando
Name
Carl Maddock
yea, Being a manager of people can really test you at times.

Hang in there. Its the ups and downs of life.

For 18 years I answered and worked in the field... helpers required
 

steve_64

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
13,371
shoulda made her pay. you admitted fault by not charging. but i understand the frustration, just wish i had enough work to get that frustrated.
 

EDS

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2013
Messages
1,237
Location
Canada
Name
Ed
Strangely enough Jan and Feb have been problem free. Each month set sales records...3 times normal sales compared to last feb...

Did have a poop stain call back but that was expected and was "priced in" to come back.

Knock on wood...
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom