What would Mickey's Board have done?

[Mountain View Carpet Care]

I get a call from a lady that I talked to last week and she asked where are you? I said you never called back to confirm the date. She said she did. So I risk it and drive out there to save peace. ( Snowing here ) I pull up and meet her and she show's me the areas that she wants cleaned. I said no problem and asked if she had a water faucet in the front yard. She said that last guy had it on board and I explain that my old van had a tank and this one was not fitted with one yet.


She says. " I have to pay for the carpets to get cleaned and the water? " I said no. I'm just going to pass on this one all together. She said you are leaving? Yep! walking down the hallway, I could hear her start to sniffle like a child not getting her way.

Fraiser, I gave her your number

 

[steve r]

got to a job a couple weeks ago and asked how she found out about me. she says the other guy she called was too busy and said she should call me.i have no idea who it was but now i feel i was set up lol.at least she paid.

 

[Chads]

I guess you just make so much money you can just walk away from money, it sounds like she needed a hug and was just a little confused what has been going on in her life. Come on its Christmas be nice people. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to spill it onto everyone you come in contact with first whether not they spill it back is all up to them.

 

[TimP]

I have yet to have a customer concerned about water cost. If you're going to pay 100 bucks or so to have your carpet cleaned why would you worry about a buck in water???? I just don't get it.

I run a water tank and when the spigot is close I hook up. If it's not I wait till I'm out and go hook up. I don't ask because it doesn't matter....you have to have water to clean.


I probably would of walked too cause if they are that picky and worried about things you can only wonder what they would do if one yarn was laying a different direction. :roll: And god forbid you couldn't get a spot to come out.

 

[bob vawter]

YES...I used to be that way too.......but now the thought of sleeping on a wet mattress under the viadoc skeerrs the beJesus right outta me.......

 

[Larry B]

My thought is she called someone else and thinks it was you Clean the carpets then fight about the price because some other guy gave her a quote

















p.s Next time they have a problem just run the water hose to the next house

 

[Sticky]

My thought is she called someone else and thinks it was you Clean the carpets then fight about the price because some other guy gave her a quote

You guys don't do pre-inspection walk through and have them sign some sort of release before you clean? In this day and age I'd never clean before having a signed invoice before I start. People are too grimmy these days...

 

[Larry B]

My thought is she called someone else and thinks it was you Clean the carpets then fight about the price because some other guy gave her a quote

You guys don't do pre-inspection walk through and have them sign some sort of release before you clean? In this day and age I'd never clean before having a signed invoice before I start. People are too grimmy these days...

Hell no!

We do per room pricing and prices are listed on everything we advertise. We have way too much stuff going on to run around and get people to sign an estimate.

Commercial is pre-bidded

Residential knows our prices before we get their and I have never had to argue price with a customer after service.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

I walked on a $200 job this morning. I got a bad vibe from the homeowner and he was trying to beat me down on the price to $150. I told him I couldn't do it and walked out the door. Even if he agreed to my prce I still would have walked. There is more to the story but I believe he would have come back to haunt me.

I've learned a lesson or two about listening to your gut instinct. Sometimes, it costs you more to do the job and have unhappy clients than to walk away from the job in the first place.

And no, i can't afford to walk away from paying costomers. I can afford even less to do the job and having unhappy clients that want a re-do or their money back. It could happen.

 

[TimP]

I've never argued after quoting my price. I have had to chase down money before but I've always been paid. Now I did have a customer sign a work order one time but that was cause the total for work was over 2,000 dollars. But if it's under 500 you aren't legally required to, that I know of anyway, have something signed and most of the time people aren't gonna fight you over such a small bill.

 

[Brian H]

Wow!! I am glad you aren't working for me!!!

Actually, if you did that you wouldn't be working for me. We do upwards of 200 customers a day and there is NO WAY I would loose even a single one over the cost of some water.

I can't believe that you couldn't have worked it out with her. You were already there for goodnes sake!!! Not every job is going to go exactly the way you want it to go. Like the others have said must be nice to not need the money!!

 

[steve frasier]

Fraiser, I gave her your number

LMAO, she ain't called me yet but that is to funny

I got a call like that a coupe of weeks ago, guy says I talked to you the other day. I tell him no you didn't.

in a round about way he was just trying to get the carpet cleaned at his price, I gave him a take it or leave it price and he took it

I walked on a lady about a year ago. First she says you must be a reputable cleaner to be in this area. Then she says I am getting divorced so can I get it cheaper. Then I show up and she isn't home. I wait a half hour she doesn't show. I look inside the door window and she hasn't picked anything up, house is a mess. I drive off and she calls me on my cell 10 minutes later.

I go back to the house and she starts in on price and wants to clean the pergo floor to at no additional price. At that point I walked away.

Knowing Rich, I am sure there is a little more to the story.

 

[hogjowl]

I am assuming you are an owner-op and have low overhead. If that is the case, then I can see how you may feel like throwing a brick at an occasional customer. Being here and owning a job can sometimes give you a personal feel for the situation. Multi-truck, employee operated businesses just can't function the same way.

I can think of only one customer that I have walked away from in the 20 years I have been doing this, but I do, on occasion, run a few off over the phone. You just get a feel for them, and when the words "can you beat Stanley Steemers price" come out of their mouth, I just let em go with no reservations.

 

[bob vawter]

better watch it merdy...you'll be sleepin' unner a viadoc......!

 

[TimP]

You know I'm one to say that I need all the money and I need and every job I can get.


The point is that the woman is crazy to worry about water!!!!! If she's worried about something that trivial I certainly wouldn't want to do a job for a fanatic like that. Also keep in mind that she swore she scheduled an appointment and didn't. And that's the point, she's crazy....now I run a water tank and probably would of been fine myself. But I try to make it a point not to work for people who aren't mentally sound!


I had one woman last time that wanted me to move every piece of furniture in her home and put it back and then come back after it was dry and remove all the blocks and tabs. Not to mention that she looked at me as though I was crazy for suggesting to not move the stuff. Anyways I gave her a huge price because she rubbed me the wrong way and Rex ended up doing it. Sometimes it's best just to not do a job unless your compensated enough in this case.


I believe I also mentioned that I did a rental and a woman flipped out on me because I told her I didn't pre-vacuum. And swore that I didn't extract the water because she was wanting a fight and skewed everything with a chip on her shoulder. I have later found out that's she's a bit crazy and can't keep tennants. I wont ever do another job for her again because it's not worth fighting over payment with someone who is psychotic. I did get paid still....but it wasn't worth it.

 

[Ken Snow]

Alright Brian, I couldn't have said it better. We couldn't get rid of someone with that thought proccess fast enough. Somebody needs SFS real bad. I was just talking about someone here who screwed something up and "bragged" about it. My response (in my head only) was not only did you screw up you are so clueless you even talked about it thinking you did right!!! It is okay to screw up and then go oh my gosh, I'm sorry and do whatver you can to make it better, but to brag about it is absurd.

Ken

 

[steve frasier]

you live and you learn but sometimes today isn't your day and things just don't go right

that is the benefit of being an O/O, I would expect that response from Ken and Brian

as an employer you see it that way as you should as I am sure you have policies and procedures in place that probably had your employee call back and get some one of higher authority to speak to the lady in question so it would never have to fall on one of your employees to have to make that determination in the field

cut Rich some slack and get out from behind your desks

 

[XTREME1]

I had a woman who called for an appointment quick and I said how about friday 2:00 and she said she would get back to me. Friday came and she called at 1:30 and asked if I could do 2:00 still I said sorry all booked but I will comeout Sunday morning. I knew she was going to be a pain. She told me she would leave a spot for me to park, she didn't.
When I was knocking I thought I had the wrong house because no one was answering, she was on the phone and couldn't be bother to answer until I was driving away. She said she had a little urine small, I almost puked it smelled so bad. It took me 3 hours to so 4 rooms and a hall because she stood over me asking question after question and pointing to spots I may have missed with the spotter. She went in my spotting bag and grabbed a spotter and put it on a rug I wasn't cleaning. I sucked it up and did everything I could to make this woman happy.

It was the worst job I ever had. Atleast 5 times I was going to just walk. I got through it and she referred me to several people since Sunday and is having me back to pull the pad and replace it. I don't want to go back but sure as shit I will be there with a smile and charm the hell out of her

 

[Larry B]

I was just talking about someone here who screwed something up and "bragged" about it. My response (in my head only) was not only did you screw up you are so clueless you even talked about it thinking you did right!!! It is okay to screw up and then go oh my gosh, I'm sorry and do whatver you can to make it better, but to brag about it is absurd.

Was this a carpet rip by chance?






:?:

 

[Jimmy L]

LOOSE

or


LOSE?


You make the choice.

 

[Mountain View Carpet Care]

[/quote] Knowing Rich, I am sure there is a little more to the story.[/quote]


She is having some remodeling done and you should have seen all the stuff she was picking apart on that job. It would have turned out to be a baby sitting job.

 

[TimP]

Knowing Rich, I am sure there is a little more to the story.[/quote]


She is having some remodeling done and you should have seen all the stuff she was picking apart on that job. It would have turned out to be a baby sitting job.[/quote]


I 100% agree with you.....best to walk.

Leave the multi truck employees to handle the BS job......

 

[Ken Snow]

They never would have needed to call and both Brian and I have been there done that. I cleaned in approximately 10,000 homes during the beginning of my career.

That said, I did respond in a way I wish I had not. What I would offer is another possible way to handle this in the future that may create a different result ($) and a potential cheerleader.

"Oh Mrs Jones, I am sorry I didn't realize you had actually scheduled I thought I was waiting to hear back on the day, how about if I come over right after I finish this other job? " (this keeps the illusion of control in the custome's hands without sacrificing anything imo.

When dealing with the water. "yes Mrs Jones, I do need to use your water, about 25 gallons. Water here in pondunksville costs about 5 cents a gallon so how about I round up and take an even $2.00 off your cleaning total?" Again this puts her in control, and I would bet that if done every time a customer asks it will only be taken up on 50% of the time, costing about $1.00 average. I believe it should be part of the process anyways as other trades do not ask to use homeowners wrenchs, plier, paint trays etc.

Ken
Ps sorry for my original crass comments- hit me on a bad day.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Actually, if you did that you wouldn't be working for me. We do upwards of 200 customers a day

200 customers per day? Who the heck are you? The Ronald McDonald of carpet cleaning.... How many trucks u running, 40?

One good reason to be an O/O is you don't have to take crap from anyone or do anything you don't want to do.

But, 200 customers per day? I didn't think anyone in the country did that much volume. Is that a typo?

 

[The Great Oz]

If you run into this again I'd suggest you allay the customer's fears by letting her know you use less water than than a load of laundry, and you would be happy to pay for the water used. When you give her the quarter you can let her know, in a good natured way, that she made the best profit ever on the deal.

Check on the real cost of water in your area and you might be surprised how little it costs. Be sure you factor in those municipal "cheater taxes" like charging three times the cost of the water for waste disposal.

I'd have offered to take the cost of 50 gallons of water off her invoice.

50*.0047 = .235

I'd be willing to lose a quarter...........

That's some mighty expensive water. In the NW water is sold in fractions of cents per ton, so cleaning a large house uses less than a dime's worth.

 

[Doug D]

I probably would knock off 5% off of the job to pay for the water. Better to make a "customer cheerleader" to lose out. :wink:

 

[steve frasier]

Ken
Ps sorry for my original crass comments- hit me on a bad day.

I know exactually where you are coming from

No reason to be sorry but I am sure Rich was feeling about the same. I am sure we all learn a little by each encounter.

Depends on where you are but you might have to put sewer fees on top of that water which will cost you more then the water

I can easily use a 100 gallons of water on a typical ranch house

 

[Greenie]

"you need to use my water?"

no mam, I can run the wand with no water, it just won't look as clean

I must say some customers come off as stupid, you are wonderin' if you shoudl remind them to breathe.

 

[rotovacguy]

[quote="Brian H":k3hj4020]

Actually, if you did that you wouldn't be working for me. We do upwards of 200 customers a day

200 customers per day? Who the heck are you? The Ronald McDonald of carpet cleaning.... How many trucks u running, 40?

One good reason to be an O/O is you don't have to take crap from anyone or do anything you don't want to do.

But, 200 customers per day? I didn't think anyone in the country did that much volume. Is that a typo?[/quote:k3hj4020]



That's exactly what I was thinking! 200 per day??? All out of ONE location?


How many trucks are they running?

How far do they travel for these jobs? They must be right on top of each other to crank out that many, even if it's a 24 hour operation.


To do that many jobs, you must have an absurd amount of overhead.

 

[Mikey P]

The Coit in me would have told her that to cover the cost of the water she gets$80 in ScotchGord at not cost..

See that 3rd jet right there mam?


Seriously Brian. that's the kind of crap that she will tell her co workers and neighbors about a lot more likely than if you did a great job.


You blew it funny boy.