What do you do?

[SamIam]

Wife got a call Saturday from a repeat customer whose used us for 5-6 years in 2 different homes.

He says and its true we cleaned his carpet about 6 months ago! While moving his couches for Xmas which are on wood floors He says theres a scratch. My techs are the only ones who move this couch and if they're honest they'll admit to scratching his wood floor!

My son says its wood around carpet and they dont recall.

He insist I come look tomorrow! I havent actually talked to him my wife set up an inspection.

I'm sure the wood is scratched and its possible my guys moving his couch caused it.

What would you all do?????

I for one just dropped furniture moving if it were at all possible! JK.

 

[SamIam]

My only complaint is everything our fault just cause we stepped foot into the house and what's the limit to liability?

 

[Mikey P]

Bring some lemon oil and a brown sharpie.

 

[Desk Jockey]

It could be anyone that moved it. Its too hard to say how it was caused and that it was your guys that did it.

However since he is a good client and you don't want to brush him off offer to pay half for the scratch repair.

 

[Total_Rookie]

I usually rub my nuts on it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I usually rub my nuts on it.

So you re stain it?

 

[Mikey P]

I think he meant walnuts

 

[Total_Rookie]

Haha, I keep daily goodies from the local produce market. I've actually really done this and works like a charm.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah... so was I.

 

[SamIam]

Interesting

 

[Mikey P]

lol....lookit the dog...

 

[Mikey P]

"Sir I feel real bad about this and If I knew for sure that my guys caused this I'd feel inclined to pay to have these boards replaced, but seeing how six months have gone by and the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, that idiot son in law of your's and your wife's gigolo have all been fvcking around in here since we last cleaned, how about I rub my magic nut on the scratches and here is coupon for 2% off your next cleaning?"

 

[BIG WOOD]

That dog was licking her nuts, LOL


ON a serious note: Could we put something like a coat of some finish over the walnut to keep it that way after we "rubbed our nuts" over it?

 

[Old Coastie]

Tibet Almond Stick.
Those wood tone magic markers (or crayons) that Lowes sells. Start light and darken as you go. Explain that any particle of grit will cause this.

 

[Brian H]

First thing I would do is to go to the customer's home and lean the sofa onto it's back.

I've had a few like this and have found a nail or something sharp stuck in the bottom of the leg. It might have been from a long gone leg tab who knows what. Every time someone sits on the sofa though, the leg gouges the floor. I have still fixed the area, along with the sofa leg, but the customer isn't anywhere near as particular about the end results.

 

[Mikey P]

Agree with Brian, if their sofa has damaged feet/legs the burden is off you to some extent.

 

[Cleanworks]

I have some scratches in front of my favorite chair. I used to have a lazy boy with a round base. scratches occurred from moving the chair to vacuum. There was debris caught under the round base and every time I moved it, I would scratch the floor. I'm going to go out and buy some waluts. And a dog.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

This is why we never move heavy furniture onto nearby vinyl. We also roll couches.

 

[Johnny]

In situations like this, I often find it helpful to ask myself, WWJD?

What Would Jimmy Do?

 

[hogjowl]

He'd light a BOS on fire and ring their doorbell.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Like Mikes idea with the sharpie... I keep a box of crayons to use for .... likely not MB approved so- This is a similar idea at Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathan...roup-10-Fill-Stick-Case-of-6-215371/202436306 They also have a soft crayon type sticks in the paint stain department.

 

[Jimmy L]

I guess one has to figure out what his value as a life time client is first. Then do as others and get the markers and pens. And as far as that video I would have kicked that dog in the head ( I've done just this thing in people's homes when they weren't looking) ONLY IDIOTS ALLOW FILTHY MONGREL DOGS TO LIVE IN A HOUSE!

 

[Cleanworks]

"Jimmy the dog kicker, all dressed in red
so that the blood doesn't show, when he kicks in his head."

 

[Spurlington]

I knew a cleaner who opened the door on his way out and this heavy metal star that was hanging on the door dropped down and stabbed a hole to the nice hardwood floor. The star was actually still standing in the hole. The customer asked what the cleaner was going to do about it and the cleaner replied you didnt have it secured properly otherwise it wouldnt have fallen. that was the end of that.

So if the sofa leg is damaged with a nail sticking out, I feel its mostly the customers responsibility or at least warn the tech of the damaged leg.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Even if you don't LIKE dogs, you should be grateful for their help in your business.

 

[Jimmy L]

Actually I have a hard time convincing them when I leave fido is going to piss all over everything I just did. I tell them this so I don't get call backs about the odor coming back. And I'm sure this is a very common issue with every carpet cleaner. DOGS SUCK!

 

[Desk Jockey]

...and they lick their own balls. Impressive animal if I must say so myself.

 

[steve_64]

Actually I have a hard time convincing them when I leave fido is going to piss all over everything I just did. I tell them this so I don't get call backs about the odor coming back. And I'm sure this is a very common issue with every carpet cleaner. DOGS SUCK!

Dogs increase the job ticket and frequency of cleaning.

Every carpet should have a dog on it.

 

[Nate The Great]

...and they lick their own balls. Impressive animal if I must say so myself.

It's because they don't have thumbs... My friends dog (ishityounot) uses his elbow to rub one out... FOOKING classic...

I'm like, is he........Yes Nate, he's doing just that...

Back on track here.. I'd check if there's anything on the bottom of the leg.. When we move furniture, we use sliders under it and (if at all possible) keep the furniture on the carpet...

We touched up wood flooring with the dye pens.. A local moving company has a sheeeeet load of damage done on a daily basis... My gf's aunty was incharge of the claims department... Get it fixed, no questions asked...

 

[Shorty]

A few years back, I had to drive a bit over a hundred miles to clean a leather lounge that had supposedly got wet during a cyclone.

The sofa was also on a timber floor.

Soon as I got there, the owner let me in & simply said, "I'll be in the shed".

Went to the lounge which was sitting on a blanket & thought, "Hmm".

Laid the sofa on it's back, removed the blanket and saw a multitude of scratches in the timber.

One timber foot was missing & a few nails had been hammered in.

I took a stack of photos, completed the job, put the sofa back on the blanket and bid the owner farewell, without mentioning the scratches.

Two day later, I got a call from the loss adjuster telling me that the owner is blaming me for scratching his floor & wants the whole house sanded & re-finished.

Told him the story, sent him the pics.

He then played with the owner for a while before telling him that he had proof that I did not do the damage.

Owners reaction??

"Must have been my bloody Son that did it".

It always pays to have photographic evidence before & after each job where you think there could be a court case.

Sorry Marty,