I've got a 'situation' with a customer. What would you do in this situation?

[maddydog]

You must use a big bucket if you cleaned that guttering and didn't fill it! /emoticons/biggrin.png

You asked if there was something you could do to put it right and was told no so I'd tell her to keep the £15 and move on

 

[Dave B]

You lot are too diplomatic

Neil knows me well enough to know i would just tell her to do one and not go back

I built my whole round on reputation and recommendations but still won't take that :turd:

I would happily tell her to do one and then tell my other customers why..no big deal as they all know what i am like and know i work on trust and good quality work

 

[adamangler]

You lot are too diplomaticNeil knows me well enough to know i would just tell her to do one and not go back

I built my whole round on reputation and recommendations but still won't take that :turd:

I would happily tell her to do one and then tell my other customers why..no big deal as they all know what i am like and know i work on trust and good quality work

I get that. I'm diplomatic up to a point, if you can be diplomatic and make her see reason and apologise it can feel like a victory also. Obviously of they are blatantly insulting or cross a line they get told to go forth.

Ha. I rang a customer last night who had enquired about window cleaning. He answered the phone"not interested" and hung up!

Rang him back called him an ignorant c### and to f### off and hung up myself. Not always diplomatic depends on mood.

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Personally if it was me ..... if she's a good customer and long standing id offer to go sort the rest out.... if it takes u 20minutes one day £15 a clean for xyz amount of time repeat business plus keeping her on side for future add ons if required again but rest assured I wouldn't make the same mistake Twice.

But that's my opinion.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Dave B]

Personally if it was me ..... if she's a good customer and long standing id offer to go sort the rest out.... if it takes u 20minutes one day £15 a clean for xyz amount of time repeat business plus keeping her on side for future add ons if required again but rest assured I wouldn't make the same mistake Twice.
But that's my opinion.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

I couldn't do that

Once you question my integrity which i pride myself on then i am not interested

I have customers who will go out shopping etc while i am cleaning inside their house.. "just off out Dave..moneys on the table and you know where the kettle is"

That is how i work as it is all based on trust and integrity

Do what you like but that is not how i work

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Each to there own Daveyboy but its what works for me /emoticons/smile.png

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Adams0211]

I've just text her and forwarded the pics.

In summary:

I'm disappointed we find ourselves in this situation and wish she'd spoken to me about it sooner.

I've done a good job for her, at a fair price, for the last year and I'm upset that she thinks that I'd rip her off.

I gave her a price that she was happy with and she told me to go ahead.

It wasn't a long job but certainly took me more than the five minutes she claims. And I charge by the job, not by the minute.

My prices are competitive although I need to earn a decent living, run a business, etc.

She's correct that the gutters are relatively new although that doesn't change the fact that they were full.

I didn't count how many buckets of muck I took out but I charge by the job, not by the bucket.

I feel I can no longer continue to work for her. I want customers who trust me and aren't worried that I'll rip them off.

She can pay the outstanding balance by bank transfer.

I thanked her for her custom over the last year.

She's not replied yet.

 

[Guest]

I've just text her and forwarded the pics. In summary:

I'm disappointed we find ourselves in this situation and wish she'd spoken to me about it sooner.

I've done a good job for her, at a fair price, for the last year and I'm upset that she thinks that I'd rip her off.

I gave her a price that she was happy with and she told me to go ahead.

It wasn't a long job but certainly took me more than the five minutes she claims. And I charge by the job, not by the minute.

My prices are competitive although I need to earn a decent living, run a business, etc.

She's correct that the gutters are relatively new although that doesn't change the fact that they were full.

I didn't count how many buckets of muck I took out but I charge by the job, not by the bucket.

I feel I can no longer continue to work for her. I want customers who trust me and aren't worried that I'll rip them off.

She can pay the outstanding balance by bank transfer.

I thanked her for her custom over the last year.

She's not replied yet.

Good for you.

Is she too far away you can't do it face to face?

 

[Dave B]

I had 2 smokes and got you that job for the next door neighbour in the time it took you to do that Neil

That is not a 5 minute job..at least 7 minutes:rofl:

 

[Dave B]

If she gives me a call i will give it a swerve also

Another one for our unofficial blacklist /emoticons/wink.png

 

[THL4KEL]

I charge by the meter so if she asked me I'd measure it and give her a price then there's not much chance of her complaining..

 

[Part Timer]

As you say once the trust has gone it's time to move on. I would actually tell her that she is out of order in accusing you of overcharging her and that if her husband wasn't happy he should've been man enough to tell you himself, not hide behind his Wife.

 

[richb77]

I don't get this business of it only took five minutes. She paid you to do a job. Just because you did it fairly quickly shouldn't matter it should be the end result. Basically her husband is annoyed and she's saving face. At the end of the day the time it takes is irrelevant. If a locksmith charge £60 to get into a house does it matter if it takes five minutes or an hour. Just because the ones better at his job with the right tools and know what he's doing he shouldn't be penalised. Also if she thinks you're expensive take a screen shot of the gutterpro website and their basic is £79!! Agree with most awkward to drop but right thing to do if the integrity is questioned as will probably only lead to more issues in the future.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

 

[dmw]

I do have sympathy for her, it looks like hubby's leaning on her, but the trust is gone so replace.

Coincidentally, for the past few months some lead flashings on my roof have come adrift and sliding down the tiles kept thinking "I'll have to call a roofer out and get it fixed".

Two weeks ago there were two roofers working on next door and I asked them to sort mine out they did a good job and charged me £40 which I was very happy with, because I knew they would have charged me more if I had called them to come out and quote and maybe come back and done the job. To them my job was just a little bonus and everyone's happy.

What I'm saying is I think you would have charged more if you had to go out and quote her and then do the job, so she and hubby should have been pleased with the deal that they got.

Reminds me of customers who say "while you're up there can you......." And want free.

Sorry for the essay[emoji42]

 

[Chris Dall]

Let her know you're not interested. Then get daveyboy to "randomly" knock to see if she needs a window cleaner a week later.

He quotes £25 a clean and she'll come running back, or davey boy gets the job and slips you a tenner each month

 

[Tuffers]

£30 proper fair price.

Exactly! Would she risk her neck for 30 quid and get covered in :turd: for the privilege? No she wouldn't!

In fact @Adams0211, I'd keep the window clean money and dump her straight away. Tell her your mates on the forum think she's out of order /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Tuffers]

I get that. I'm diplomatic up to a point, if you can be diplomatic and make her see reason and apologise it can feel like a victory also. Obviously of they are blatantly insulting or cross a line they get told to go forth.
Ha. I rang a customer last night who had enquired about window cleaning. He answered the phone"not interested" and hung up!

Rang him back called him an ignorant c### and to f### off and hung up myself. Not always diplomatic depends on mood.

That was a lol /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Tuffers]

I've just text her and forwarded the pics.In summary:

I'm disappointed we find ourselves in this situation and wish she'd spoken to me about it sooner.

I've done a good job for her, at a fair price, for the last year and I'm upset that she thinks that I'd rip her off.

I gave her a price that she was happy with and she told me to go ahead.

It wasn't a long job but certainly took me more than the five minutes she claims. And I charge by the job, not by the minute.

My prices are competitive although I need to earn a decent living, run a business, etc.

She's correct that the gutters are relatively new although that doesn't change the fact that they were full.

I didn't count how many buckets of muck I took out but I charge by the job, not by the bucket.

I feel I can no longer continue to work for her. I want customers who trust me and aren't worried that I'll rip them off.

She can pay the outstanding balance by bank transfer.

I thanked her for her custom over the last year.

She's not replied yet.

She's either embarrassed or she don't give a flying fk. Either way DUMP her.

 

[Dave B]

Exactly! Would she risk her neck for 30 quid and get covered in :turd: for the privilege? No she wouldn't!
In fact @Adams0211, I'd keep the window clean money and dump her straight away. Tell her your mates on the forum think she's out of order /emoticons/biggrin.png

A few of the guys i know in this town have a bit of a blacklist of customers round here

Sometimes a name rings a bell and i will ask and someone will tell me why they were binned

Me and Neil do that a lot and know each others dropped custys pretty much

It really helps to not pick up these numptys

 

[Clisty1989]

A few of the guys i know in this town have a bit of a blacklist of customers round hereSometimes a name rings a bell and i will ask and someone will tell me why they were binned

Me and Neil do that a lot and know each others dropped custys pretty much

It really helps to not pick up these numptys

there's me, my brother in law and my father in law covering the same area. All with our own blacklists, and if on one we don't go near it, and then people wonder why no one will touch them. Had one ask why and I said, because you owe £15 to xxxxxx, one that bill is settled ill consider it at £xx (4x previous price). Debt was paid by tea time. Still not got a windy tho lol

 

[adamangler]

Its always funny when you see a window cleaner cleaning one you have dumped, drove past one today who never paid me thinking wonder how long he lasts.

Spoke to a young load the other week who said he was just starting out and was cleaning one of my ex custys. "good luck with that one mate she took 3 months to cough up last time i cleaned hers" should have seen his face, didnt help that i explained she was paying me 15 and he was doing it for 8 haha.