War stories from the trenches

[SamIam]

We've all heard and experienced war stories, things gone wrong mishaps from competition.

Or your own mishaps chipped tile from a wand while cleaning over a tile landing down to a step down carpet surface.

Ganking a piece of furniture accidentally.

I had a guy with a mirrored wall, he was using a company and the kid they sent was cleaning.

He was having trouble with the wand, pushing it, and it skipped and cracked a $1000 mirror.

Always had me more nervous about putting a wand in the new guys hands.

 

[hogjowl]

I have ptsd from a phone call by jimmy once when I was on a job.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Don’t always have to be a wand. It can be a vacuum, or the truck, you name it. You know what they say! If you send em, better have insurance

 

[Jimmy L]

I will be watching you from now on Marty

 

[sassyotto]

Last year I backed into the driveway and set up through the garage and back door to the house. I like to put the garage door down resting on the vac hose after I get set up. Evidently I did not park far enough away from the garage door and the winds picked up while working and I had the van back doors open.

So when I was finished I tried to open the garage door. It opened about a foot and stopped. Did that a couple times and then went out the front door to see what was going on. The back doors of the van were now sitting on the garage door.

Customer got a new garage door.

 

[Cleanworks]

Years ago I used to make my own rust remover. 1 part hydrochloric acid to 2 parts water. I was on a job and didn't have any mixed up so I thought I would just pour a little acid on the 3 little rust marks then flush immediately with an upholstery tool. As I poured, smoke came up immediately and I was looking a 3 smoking holes in the carpet. Everytime that manager introduced me to someone else, he would tell them, "Ron really knows how to get the rust out of carpets".

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

A few years back, I was in the basement of a retired doctors home.
As I was cleaning in front of the sectional sofa, I backed up, and my elbow hit something behind me.
I turned around just in time to see a VERY old, ornate bottle weeble and wobbled on a sort of shrine thing on the wall…

As I finished up, and the lady of the house was paying, I asked her about it.

Her reply almost made me sick….

As it turns out, her husband was working in the Middle East for some Sultan as his personal physician. When the doctor decided to come back to Canada, As a parting gift, the Sultan gave this doctor this bottle of rum/sherry/ whatever, was around 400 years old, and priceless. It was out of his personal collection.

How it didn’t fall off and break is beyond me!!!!

 

[Papa John]

I was moving a $300 porcelain figurine out of harm's way and in the process I broke it.
I've broken mirrors and damaged wood tables with my wand and several picture frames with my elbows.
Damaged nearly every van roof and doors while parking and hitting tree limbs.
I'd list more mishaps-- But I don't want to "dethrone" @Nomad74 .

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Yep, the difference in a vas, and a vase! When it’s broken

 

[SamIam]

A few years back, I was in the basement of a retired doctors home.
As I was cleaning in front of the sectional sofa, I backed up, and my elbow hit something behind me.
I turned around just in time to see a VERY old, ornate bottle weeble and wobbled on a sort of shrine thing on the wall…

As I finished up, and the lady of the house was paying, I asked her about it.

Her reply almost made me sick….

As it turns out, her husband was working in the Middle East for some Sultan as his personal physician. When the doctor decided to come back to Canada, As a parting gift, the Sultan gave this doctor this bottle of rum/sherry/ whatever, was around 400 years old, and priceless. It was out of his personal collection.

How it didn’t fall off and break is beyond me!!!!

Lucky

 

[SamIam]

Customer had me clean this year's ago middle eastern tea spot would come out,

His maid whose a certified love folex person, obviously know way more about fabric care then me.

Leave three giant brown stain.


Well he tries fixing it with more and more peroxide.


This is where I screwed up I touched it and it fell apart.

I got the three giant water chemical burns out.

Told him no charge have it reupholstered.

He loves me.

 

[Nomad74]

I was moving a $300 porcelain figurine out of harm's way and in the process I broke it.
I've broken mirrors and damaged wood tables with my wand and several picture frames with my elbows.
Damaged nearly every van roof and doors while parking and hitting tree limbs.
I'd list more mishaps-- But I don't want to "dethrone" @Nomad74 .

I think you’re safe

 

[Mikey P]

I forgot to tab a cherry wood table.

 

[hogjowl]

But you padded so it didn’t matter.

 

[hogjowl]

I’m just getting ahead to his sales efforts faster.

 

[Mikey P]

But you padded so it didn’t matter.

Coit didn't have vlm

 

[SamIam]

Coit didn't have vlm

I'm sure sending your guys no matter how well trained they're, can make your heart beat a little faster on some properties.

Usually I'm backing up and bump something.

Pictures clocks ect,ect.

 

[ImperialCC]

I’m just getting ahead to his sales efforts faster.

Oh is he selling cherry tables now or tabs?

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Yes

 

[hogjowl]

Oh is he selling cherry tables now or tabs?

Try to do a better job of keeping up

 

[Mikey P]

Try to do a better job of keeping up

Im Marty's mind, VLM dries so fast that tabbing wood furniture is unnecessary.

and GreenGlide equipped wands too...

 

[hogjowl]

Untrue

 

[Mikey P]

Untrue

Then shut up.

 

[Numero Uno]

Why make your own rust remover.
When whink is readily available.
An cheap ?...
Guys common sense an safety checks avoid this junk.
Before you move a table.
Check for weak legs etc.
Takes a second...
An always tab,egos make hackers.
Stay humble stay aware...
An Marty good one on the ptsd ...lol

 

[hogjowl]

Then shut up.

Rude

 

[Mikey P]

Rude

TOPSSPOT also removes cherry stain if it makes you feel better

 

[AlienAgent]

My son once Cimex’d an entire hallway with the solution valve turned off. Between that and his “lackluster” attitude that day, I could’ve punched him right in the face… After a stern, yet quick, lecture on how that could’ve turned out and how much he could’ve been paying the client to fix that, it never happened again.

He even makes sure the valve on my machine is on before I start at the beginning of a job. Must’ve been something in the tone of my voice…lol

 

[icleancarpetz]

We've all heard and experienced war stories, things gone wrong mishaps from competition.

Or your own mishaps chipped tile from a wand while cleaning over a tile landing down to a step down carpet surface.

Ganking a piece of furniture accidentally.

I had a guy with a mirrored wall, he was using a company and the kid they sent was cleaning.

He was having trouble with the wand, pushing it, and it skipped and cracked a $1000 mirror.

Always had me more nervous about putting a wand in the new guys hands.

View attachment 123184 View attachment 123185

That’s a nice looking carpet. Appears blush and well maintained.

 

[icleancarpetz]

Opened up a seam wand’ing over the transition. House going up for sell and photos next day. Me knowing nothing about carpet repair. At the time, just grabbed it and gently fluffed it together.

when i first started years ago when Bill Yeadon was teaching, now heard he somewhere wrapped like a mummy in some pyramid somewhere, I cleaned this guys condo with my Stinger portable by Mytee, I miss that thing, great portable…anyway after cleaning, the guy calls me hours later and says carpet has buckled everywhere. Me not knowing what happen or how it happened, didn’t return the call nor listened to his voices mails over a three day period. I was a bit nervous on how to handle this situation. Well after the third day I gathered up enough bolas to listen to his voice mails, he left his final message on the third day….”Tried to call you to let you know all the bubbles on the carpet are gone, carpet is back to normal”

apparently I must have over wet the carpet with my portable. Loose carpet can do this. I didn’t know at the time. I did call him back to apologize blah blah blah…he was cool with it. Never heard from him again.

 

[Cleanworks]

Opened up a seam wand’ing over the transition. House going up for sell and photos next day. Me knowing nothing about carpet repair. At the time, just grabbed it and gently fluffed it together.

when i first started years ago when Bill Yeadon was teaching, now heard he somewhere wrapped like a mummy in some pyramid somewhere, I cleaned this guys condo with my Stinger portable by Mytee, I miss that thing, great portable…anyway after cleaning, the guy calls me hours later and says carpet has buckled everywhere. Me not knowing what happen or how it happened, didn’t return the call nor listened to his voices mails over a three day period. I was a bit nervous on how to handle this situation. Well after the third day I gathered up enough bolas to listen to his voice mails, he left his final message on the third day….”Tried to call you to let you know all the bubbles on the carpet are gone, carpet is back to normal”

apparently I must have over wet the carpet with my portable. Loose carpet can do this. I didn’t know at the time. I did call him back to apologize blah blah blah…he was cool with it. Never heard from him again.

Not from over wetting. From not being power stretched in the first place, usually.