While you are here, or will that be extra?

[Becker]

I was going a small L-D-H today.

I was about 75% done, and the toothless bastard asked if I could do a couple of entry type carpets.
He came into the room with 2 2x3 rugs..
I went ahead and cleaned the quickly. Did not even say anything about an additional fee.
After those were do.

Oh since you are here, do ya mind taking a once over on the futon? Or would that be extra.
I looked over at the crusty thing.
Yes it would be extra, and time consuming.
I did not even want to touch the thing, or even high ball him on the cleaning of it.

I suggested he unzip the cover and clean it himself in the washer.
Gave him quick instructions on how to do it.

Question, how often do you get the while you are here can you......................?
I get it a lot, but it is often started with... How much extra would...................?

 

[TimP]

I had one like that on Tuesday. I was doing it for real estate guy. I was to clean 2 rooms while the home changed hands or something. Anyway the guy wanted me to clean a sectional. I was like it's more to clean the sectional than it is to clean your carpet...

I think he was trying to pull a fast one on me. He just had no idea what he was asking for. Needless to say I didn't do it.


Oh and I love the people that call and ask for a price to do a sofa and you get there and it's a freaking sectional.

 

[Mr.V]

I've always gotten the "while your here,,,,How much extra????" on many,many jobs

but if I haven't wrapped up yet,,,,,,,,it's no biggy

something like them lil area rugs I wouldn't even charge for to be honest ,,,,,,,,,,heck if I saw them while cleaning I would ask if they want me to go over them quickly

but it's funny cuz just last week I was asked to go over a futon when finishing a job


I talked her out of it as well


I would never let a customer hold me to the price of a couch when it's a sectional :x

 

[dealtimeman]

i like it when it happnes to me. i just charge more for all additional items. when they say oh while your here can you do the sofas i respond by saying so you would like us to clean the sofas in addition to the carpet? they say yes, how much will it be? bam! automatic upsell.

 

[The Asian Sensation]

Yeah I get the "While you are here...." B.S all the time. And when I tell them that there'll be a charge...They start to act surprise. I hate that.

I dont mind going over one or two small runners. but when they pull out a crapload and expect it for free. Then itll start to annoy me.

 

[diamond brian]

The toothless bastards I clean for have enough class to wear dentures.

 

[Jim Williams]

The one I like is "Can you just spot clean around the bed in this room while you're here?"

 

[Louis]

Sure I can clean the dirty spots in that room. Then they have clean spots and ask if you can do the whole room.

I have a job in the morning and the guy is talking about spot cleaning a room. After he sees how dirty his carpet is I'm sure the wife is going to take over and tell him just move the furniture so the guy can clean. They had one of the $65.00 hacks last time.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

It happens a few times a week, Usually I am the one that asks if they want protector, uph or area rug cleaning. Dont ask, dont sell.

 

[lancehollister]

Wow, That "toothless bastard" called your company and will be giving you money for what im guessing was'nt the best clean possible.

Nice.

 

[FLYERMAN]

My standard response is this...

"sure, I could use the extra money"

They either ask how much extra or leave me alone. I do it pretty cheap if I am already there but not free.

 

[dealtimeman]

just like flyerman said come up with a one line zinger that will trigger the response that you want, whether that is to charge more or not to do it all.

 

[Walt]

Oh and I love the people that call and ask for a price to do a sofa and you get there and it's a freaking sectional.

Got to love it. They keep saying, "sofa" and I keep saying, "sectional"

 

[Becker]

Wow, That "toothless bastard" called your company and will be giving you money for what im guessing was'nt the best clean possible.

Nice.

That is what his old lady called him when she told him to move the sofa into the kitchen. ( thought that was his name )

I thought her name was "old lady" because that is what "toothless bastard" kept referring to her as.

I'm just glad I did not have to address her by name, until I was leaving and by then I had her name on my invoice.

 

[Hoody]

One of the last biggest annoying customer I had was a wealthy fellow. He swore up and down to me that he never cleaned the carpet himself, as did his wife. They saw me cleaning next door and wanted an estimate. I had time so I said sure, but the gentleman only wanted half his hall way cleaned, and half the bedroom, and other miscellaneous areas of the house cleaned. Not one single full room, and not even traffic patterns really.

So then he tells me, well can you come look at my basement, some how I moved my chair and the varnish leaked onto the carpet. So immediately I'm thinking something spilt near it. I get down there and no spill, only to smell it musty. I get a moisture probe, and it goes off like crazy. I grab the non-penetrating and hit the drywall same thing. Start investigating and his air conditioner dehumidifer leaked.

So I ask him how long this spot has been here he said a week. Explain what we can do, the drywall is toast, and already signs of "mold" although it needed be tested to be sure. He then says no I dont want to make a claim, I'll put a fan on the carpet and it'll be okay. :roll:

Next back up to the living room and into the dining room. He explains to me that he wants this rug cleaned, and it cost them over $4000, and tells me its silk. I'm no randy hyde but I knew he was BS'in me. So I take it to clean at the shop, as I roll it up theres several price tags on it "$299.99" and it ended up being rayon. The back left corner of the rug was very matted and soiled as when they walk in from the outside patio they would walk across it. It was also 6 years old and never cleaned, same with the carpet. I take it back and clean it with no bleeding or issues, and the matted/heavily soiled part came out very well.

We come back to clean his carpet, and then I unroll the rug. He first complains how the corner is still matted. I explain wear to him, and he somehow expected me to magically put back fibers that wore off ?? End of the story is we ended up not charging him a single thing for the rug and or carpet losin more than $500.

Long post sorry. I would assume that he "saw me coming" and knew what was going to be the outcome of his rug. I hate to say it but he can live in his mold infested basement and be happy. Between his basement inspection, the estimate for the house, cleaning the rug, and cleanin the carpet there were easily 7 man hours invested.

Oh P.S.

I cleaned a walk in closet that has a Bissel, and a rug doctor along with a shelf full of product. The carpet had indefinite evidence of even resoiling, even in areas "they didn't walk".

 

[Ron Werner]

it'll always happen.
I don't get it with my repeat clients. They just tell me up front what they want done.
New clients haven't been trained yet.
Perhaps if we start asking "is there anything else you want cleaned?" before beginning we can save ourselves some hassle. Just have to remember

 

[steve frasier]

was doing a small house today when the neighbor came over with a while you are in the neighborhood

Drew pulled out another hose and cleaned the 10X12 living room(only carpet he had) while I finished the other house

Guy says he always tries to get some one to clean it while they are in the neighborhood because no one except for the $9.95 per room guy will come out for that small of a room without charging him $100. Guy says please call anytime you are in the neighboorhood even it is only a couple of months since the last cleaning.

I always find the people that ask you to clean the mats from the car kind of funny. I tell them to take them out and hose them until no more dirt comes out then I will extract all the water out of them. Had a few customer hose on the mat for over an hour and the dirt is still coming out of the mat.

 

[Chris A]

Next back up to the living room and into the dining room. He explains to me that he wants this rug cleaned, and it cost them over $4000, and tells me its silk. I'm no randy hyde but I knew he was BS'in me. So I take it to clean at the shop, as I roll it up theres several price tags on it "$299.99" and it ended up being rayon. The back left corner of the rug was very matted and soiled as when they walk in from the outside patio they would walk across it. It was also 6 years old and never cleaned, same with the carpet. I take it back and clean it with no bleeding or issues, and the matted/heavily soiled part came out very well.

That's funny, was in a guys house last week, did an estimate on 2 Egyptian Rugs, guy sat there for 10 minutes talking about how he paid over 5k for these rugs, shopped all over the country, blah blah blah, then about had a heart attack about his $355 cleaning estimate for them, including protector and delivery!

 

[Al]

yup "while your here's" are common. We do some free charge for some but it does get my goat!!
Try it next time you get a burger at McDonalds , "hey I was wondering, while your here and the fries are here....... 8)

 

[bob vawter]

was doing a small house today when the neighbor came over with a while you are in the neighborhood

Drew pulled out another hose and cleaned the 10X12 living room(only carpet he had) while I finished the other house

Guy says he always tries to get some one to clean it while they are in the neighborhood because no one except for the $9.95 per room guy will come out for that small of a room without charging him $100. Guy says please call anytime you are in the neighboorhood even it is only a couple of months since the last cleaning.

I always find the people that ask you to clean the mats from the car kind of funny. I tell them to take them out and hose them until no more dirt comes out then I will extract all the water out of them. Had a few customer hose on the mat for over an hour and the dirt is still coming out of the mat.

that's good when they're parked close together lik that....!