Customer complaints

[johnny bravo]

i sold rounds A chap could not believe it when i told him . I said i keep my best customers . i told him a £1000 for a £200 round . He was gobsmacked . he didnt know it happened he just thought you stopped cleaning them for any reason

 

[Yogi1872]

When I worked for someone I chapped for the money at night to be told she wasn't paying as the same mark has been on the window the last 3 times. She told me to come in so she could show me, after she showed me the mark, I wiped it off with my sleave of my jumper. I looked at her and said, well this is a bit awkward lol. Said they haven't brought out stuff that cleans the marks off the insides aswell while we clean the outsides.

 

[Part Timer]

When I worked for someone I chapped for the money at night to be told she wasn't paying as the same mark has been on the window the last 3 times. She told me to come in so she could show me, after she showed me the mark, I wiped it off with my sleave of my jumper. I looked at her and said, well this is a bit awkward lol. Said they haven't brought out stuff that cleans the marks off the insides aswell while we clean the outsides.

We did a first clean on a big office block about 7 yrars ago. They rang me, about an hour after we pulled off site, saying we had done a poor job and they wanted us to come back. I asked her to get a cloth and wipe the inside of the window and if there was still a problem I'd call back. She rang me back about 10 minutes later asking how much would we charge to do the internal windows ?

 

[Yogi1872]

We did a first clean on a big office block about 7 yrars ago. They rang me, about an hour after we pulled off site, saying we had done a poor job and they wanted us to come back. I asked her to get a cloth and wipe the inside of the window and if there was still a problem I'd call back. She rang me back about 10 minutes later asking how much would we charge to do the internal windows ?

Maybe it's because we clean windows but if I didn't surley I'm checking it's not the inside before saying anything.

 

[Clean zero]

You would think so but no I’ve had this gone back and i said show me the problem they do and I say look my finger is on it rubbing you try the Same inside they do and the reaction on their face is preciless oh I thought it was on the outside

 

[Mx19]

Just got back from one of my first complaints. Customer had accused me of "Destroying all the pointing" In their patio after a pressure wash. Luckily I was able to zoom in on some before and after photos on the laptop which I took with me and show them that the damage was there beforehand. They were quite sheepish about that!! Lesson learnt though, take better before pictures, walk customers through the job to point out pre existing damage and manage expectations with regards to mortar etc!

 

[Part Timer]

We turned up to a 6 monthly job in the middle of nowhere on Wednesday afternoon and just after I started had a very irate Scottish women telling me not to do her windows as she'd just paid a trad guy £10 to do her ground floor windows and she didn't want me leaving water marks all over her windows. I explained that as she was ground floor then I couldn't stop gravity and her windows would get wet, this didn't go down to well. When I asked her to look at the flat windows beside hers showing her there were no marks on the glass, just dust etc on the sill, she said that's because there had been lots of rain since we'd done them. I then explained our water is purer than rain water so that couldn't be the reason she went back inside cursing and swearing I did just rinse her windows though.

 

[Iron Giant]

Just got back from one of my first complaints. Customer had accused me of "Destroying all the pointing" In their patio after a pressure wash. Luckily I was able to zoom in on some before and after photos on the laptop which I took with me and show them that the damage was there beforehand. They were quite sheepish about that!! Lesson learnt though, take better before pictures, walk customers through the job to point out pre existing damage and manage expectations with regards to mortar etc!

I don't know how people can miss some things like degraded mortar, maybe they were trying to pull a fast one.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't know how people can miss some things like degraded mortar, maybe they were trying to pull a fast one.

Jobs like that one has to do a test patch and show the customer the result. Folk will try anything now to get away without paying. My mate owns a Funeral Parlour and he told me he has to get the money up front after he got bumped for the bill. If they will bump a funeral bill then they will bump anything.

 

[Yogi1872]

Jobs like that one has to do a test patch and show the customer the result. Folk will try anything now to get away without paying. My mate owns a Funeral Parlour and he told me he has to get the money up front after he got bumped for the bill. If they will bump a funeral bill then they will bump anything.

If they couldn't get payment off him before he died, what chance have they got when he's dead. More fool them in that scenario.

 

[Yogi1872]

When switching over to wfp one woman said it had scratched her window on the outside and smashed the same window on the inside. I went and had a look and told her it wasn't the water fed pole that's scratched the window but I'm not denying it was us either as the scratch was consistent with how an applicator would move over the window. Told her itl get sorted and not to worry, she then took me inside and said and what about this one. The inside of it was was broken, I said I don't mind paying for the damage we caused but how can we smash inside windows from the outside ?. She admitted she's never in there much and watches her grandaughters and they might have been in. Has anyone ever smashed an inside window from the outside without damaging the outside window while doing it?

 

[THL4KEL]

I always mention it in the quote regarding the pointing.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

When switching over to wfp one woman said it had scratched her window on the outside and smashed the same window on the inside. I went and had a look and told her it wasn't the water fed pole that's scratched the window but I'm not denying it was us either as the scratch was consistent with how an applicator would move over the window. Told her itl get sorted and not to worry, she then took me inside and said and what about this one. The inside of it was was broken, I said I don't mind paying for the damage we caused but how can we smash inside windows from the outside ?. She admitted she's never in there much and watches her grandaughters and they might have been in. Has anyone ever smashed an inside window from the outside without damaging the outside window while doing it?

She is a wind up merchant and you are the fool. ?

 

[Mad Andy]

Hi all, new to the forum. Have been window cleaning by pole system for about 2 years now. Started up a new business with my father in law. He bought a new van, hot water system, a couple of new rounds of other window cleaners. We have started a new round recently (in January) some customers have called and said they don’t want us to clean their windows anymore (no reason was given even after we asked why). Is this normal? The person we bought the round off of was their window cleaner for 20 years. I haven’t been rushing the jobs or cleaning any different to what I usually do, is this something to be wary of? I thought some customers would leave because people don’t like change usually which is understandable but my father in law is very precise and can have a bit of OCD so he wants everything to be 100% and not have any complaints ever. Any advice would be very appreciated thank you.

In my experience customers are different, some appreciate what you do, some make you a nice cup of tea with a slice of cake and a biscuit, most pay straight away but there are those who take the piss when it comes to collecting money as they pretend they are not in or rush out of the house when you are cleaning the back windows so they don’t have to pay you. Some of the monthly ones are a pain in the arse because they specifically say every month so it has to fall on the exact date and don’t realise monthly cleans are 4 weeks not 30 or 31 days. Some excuse you of not doing and ask what time you done and when you tell they we’ll I was in at that time. You get some proper arsehole customers who you just want to punch or lob a brick through their windows. Window cleaning requires a lot of patience as it does test your patience strength to the maximum. Things never go smoothly. Out of all the jobs I’ve done in the past window cleaning is definitely the hardest. It looks easy when you see other window cleaners doing it but don’t be fooled.

 

[Yogi1872]

She is a wind up merchant and you are the fool. ?

I didn't know if it could do that tbh. I tried to Google it when I got home that day incase it was me who done it but couldn't really find anything.

 

[ched999uk]

Has anyone ever smashed an inside window from the outside without damaging the outside window while doing it?

Strange that you should say that. Last week a good long standing customer came out and asked me not to do a certain window as the inside pane of the sealed unit had shattered! It was toughened safety glass as it was a low window, he didn't blame me . He said the person that came out to measure up for a replacement said it happens now and again and can be caused by cold wind hitting the outside when the inside is warm!

Not sure I believe that explanation.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Strange that you should say that. Last week a good long standing customer came out and asked me not to do a certain window as the inside pane of the sealed unit had shattered! It was toughened safety glass as it was a low window, he didn't blame me . He said the person that came out to measure up for a replacement said it happens now and again and can be caused by cold wind hitting the outside when the inside is warm!

Not sure I believe that explanation.

Plus 22 inside and minus 10 outside. Laws of physics says both must meet at some point and more than likely inside the unit so I think he is correct.

 

[ched999uk]

Plus 22 inside and minus 10 outside. Laws of physics says both must meet at some point and more than likely inside the unit so I think he is correct.

Apart from the Argon that's inert and supposed to be insulating!

While the 2 panes are bonded to the spacer I would have thought the bond would break before the glass would shatter. I could imagine big temp differentials causing the seal between the panes to fail but to actually break the glass?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Apart from the Argon that's inert and supposed to be insulating!

While the 2 panes are bonded to the spacer I would have thought the bond would break before the glass would shatter. I could imagine big temp differentials causing the seal between the panes to fail but to actually break the glass?

It's only 6mm thick so doesn't take much because it's brittle.

 

[CHWS]

It’s great when things are going good. Had a complaint today from a customer that the last couple of times the windows haven’t been great. Going to have to have a word my workers as they get this specific house!

 

[Yogi1872]

It’s great when things are going good. Had a complaint today from a customer that the last couple of times the windows haven’t been great. Going to have to have a word my workers as they get this specific house!

I'm not daft enough to think just because I don't get complaints means every windows perfect, I don't mind a complaint now and again, keeps whoever works for you on there toes a bit. Like every other worker on the planet they are going to have days they can't be arsed and if your not there might miss something. Its unrealistic to think it doesn't happen.