Scratched customers glass..

[matt1458]

Had a cancellation today from a long standing customer. A guy that works for me appears to have scratched the outer pane of a first floor window.

Customer insists it wasn’t there before the latest clean, obviously I have no way at all of proving or disproving it. From the photo it looks a bit like we’ve done it, but god knows how unless the brush has been left face down and there’s grit in it as a result. Which is a distinct possibility.. but that’s being dealt with separately.

What would you do? Is it worth trying something to polish it out?

Photo from customer attached which really isn’t the easiest to see

 

[ched999uk]

Probably cheaper and easier to get glazier to fin new sealed unit.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Had a cancellation today from a long standing customer. A guy that works for me appears to have scratched the outer pane of a first floor window.

Customer insists it wasn’t there before the latest clean, obviously I have no way at all of proving or disproving it. From the photo it looks a bit like we’ve done it, but god knows how unless the brush has been left face down and there’s grit in it as a result. Which is a distinct possibility.. but that’s being dealt with separately.

What would you do? Is it worth trying something to polish it out?

Photo from customer attached which really isn’t the easiest to see

Asking us to validate a photo is pointless. See these posts most months

It's your business your bread and butter and we can't prove or disprove the aforementioned damage

Have a contingency plan
Find out if you are responsible
Pay for a replacement

 

[matt1458]

Asking us to validate a photo is pointless. See these posts most months

It's your business your bread and butter and we can't prove or disprove the aforementioned damage

Have a contingency plan
Find out if you are responsible
Pay for a replacement

Ok, I mean I wasn’t asking for any of the above anyway i just asked “what would you do” but

 

[WindyinNorfolk]

This has happened a few times over the last 15 years - forget get about proof or the customer suddenly wanting a new window etc...
what is the probability that your employee did it - certainly if its 1st floor the answer is yes - its not like people are walking past it 10 foot up in the air !
Ground floor - how long after the clean have they contacted you ? that day - couple days ? then looking at it as a neutral most likely it was the cleaner.

On the above conditions we will pay for a replacement window - if I were a customer thats what I would expect ( not a lot of waffle about brushes etc..)

You can tell a lot on how good a company is by the way they deal with problems!

 

[Bell Pallisey]

generally its £100 to buy and have fitted a new double glazed pane in my area .Ring around

 

[tench0771]

If it was me i would just go through insurance

 

[Scrubsy]

@matt1458 I can't quite see the photo (my phone is old) but it looks like a few scratches and a little gouge in the glass?? I had a customer and as I went to clean a patio door once it had something that looked similar. We couldn't work out what had happened, but in the end she discovered a bird had flown into the window and it was the beak and claws that had done it. It was only a small bird and I couldn't believe the damage it had done. I'd seen big greasy pigeon imprints before, but never this. Do you think it's your colleague being clumsy/rushing the job? If you genuinely think it's your issue the see what size the glazed unit is and get it replaced (I'm sure it will be cheaper than your insurance excess). Hope it goes ok mate.

 

[Alan James]

Mmm
I look at it like this.
Never! admit liability it will cost you when maybe it shouldn't.
To scratch glass is not easy and in 16 years I have never been accused of it.

When cleaning any surface you may damage it , in fact after a few cleans it will be damaged but you just can't see it.
Think of a car, take a good look at the paint work and you will see scratches etc. This is due to cleaning. The point is, you can not help it, as it impossible not to.
If a customer acuses you of it then you have already lost them so just explain that it is sometimes inevitable but also unlikely that it was you. Let them go and move on, do not give them any insurance details who will not pay out anything anyway.
Over the years the damage that I have seen due to trad cleaning is unbelievable but customers never mention that do they.
I believe that they are trying it on and would not spend any time worrying about it.
Alan.