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window cleaning help

Marie cleanstart

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2
Location
Glamorgan South Wales
New first time post - My customer came home to a broken artificial topiary tree and is insisting we did it as we cleaned their gutters that day.   I have said all looked fine when we left and no damage by us.     I suggested she check with her neighbours to see if they saw other people calling (it’s a quiet cul de sac) during the day.  She has said they all work and nobody was in.  She can’t believe I will not take responsibility ....   but I didn’t cause the damage. Has anyone else had an experience like this?

 
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I've had something similar 4-5 years ago, were a client came out and blamed me for a crack in her front bay window it was a top opener with obscure glass, I told her it had been like that for around 4 months and since that time I had never cleaned it since, I am sure she still thought it was me as I lost the job not long after.

But in your case, it could have been anyone the postie a courier someone dropping leaflets, she can't expect you to accept responsibility for something you haven't done, if it was at the back of the house it could have been a neighbours cat knocking it over, or even someone looking to break into the house. 

 
New first time post - My customer came home to a broken artificial topiary tree and is insisting we did it as we cleaned their gutters that day.   I have said all looked fine when we left and no damage by us.     I suggested she check with her neighbours to see if they saw other people calling (it’s a quiet cul de sac) during the day.  She has said they all work and nobody was in.  She can’t believe I will not take responsibility ....   but I didn’t cause the damage. Has anyone else had an experience like this?


This is one of those 'who dun-it' situations.I agree with @Iron Giant. If you didn't do it then you didn't do it, period. You can stand your ground and challenge the customer to prove it was you who damaged it. They can only assume and that's not good enough.

But here's where goodwill could come into it. Goodwill is not accepting liability but offering an appeasement. If you think doing this will keep your customer for future business then I would consider it. But as @Iron Giant says you could throw good money after bad if your customer dumps you anyway. If it was a new customer then I would be less likely to go down the goodwill route though.

We have a customer who we have cleaned for many years. Its a £10 house and we hardly ever see her because she pays on the internet. On ocassion she forgets and we have to pop around a remind her. We had to do this about 6 weeks ago. I sat in the van and sent the lad in to remind her to pay on the internet as she always does. I also gave him a £10 note for change incase they gave son a £20 note from their pocket as they have done in the past. Still no payment was recieved online so we went back the following week.

He paid son but further down the road I get a phone call from her saying that she was almost certain (not 100% sure) that she paid son cash the first time we called to remind her. Now I know that son came back with the £10 note I gave him as change but no payment from her because I was managing the float in the van and he was the 'runner.'. We also balance the days takings every day.

Much to the upset of my son I said I would return the £10 even although I knew we weren't at fault. I told her I would rather take the 'hit' for any error, whether it be on our part or her part. My son believes that he looks like a thief when he is not. As I keep telling him, he knows the truth and just because a customer says something it doesn't mean the customer is right because they have said it.

I did the clean again last week free of charge. If we get dumped then my conscious is clear. If this had been a new customer I certainly wouldn't have agreed to doing that as easily.

Now this highlights another problem linked to this. We were recommended to this customer by a circle of her friends and we do a few of them and their parents windows. I'm not sure how this is going to reflect on our reputation with them, but we will just have to see what happens.

Unfortunately something like this is never easy to resolve.

Last week my son knocked over an ornamental cast iron lantern and broke it in half. he apologised to her and she put it out the front for the scrap man. I retrieved it and spent the morning yesterday repairing it. I will give it back to her this week. Its not perfect but its the best I could do.

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Unless there’s any hard evidence of you doing it (CCTV) then it’s a bit naughty they should accuse you of doing it. As mentioned above it could have been anything, the wind is usually responsible, but may have been a postie, a delivery driver, hell it could have been a fox Or a football flown over the fence and hit it. It doesn’t matter, if you know in your mind you didn’t do it then stand by your decision. If they want to take you to court to prove you wrong then so be it. 
We have broken a light or two and the odd plant pot. When i was doing a gutter clearance once i smashed a victorian outside lantern with the top end of the ladder as i was carrying it over my shoulder. We’re all human, accidents happen. I owned up offered to pay for it no problems etc. I had a case this week where a customer asked me a few days after i had been, “when you were here did anything hit the conservatory roof as the glass has shattered?” I said no, (i didnt clean the roof or notice any smashed glass i was just cleaning the back bedroom windows set behind it) the conservatory has been recently fitted so i think its either a manufacturing error or a fitting error, but at the same time it could be a roof tile has fallen off the house, a cricket ball could have hit it, who knows ?‍♂️ I explained this to the custy and they have been ok about it so far.
stand your ground and if theres hard evidence to prove you wrong then apologize and just say now that the evidence is there i will pay for it i honestly didnt realize id done it. Until that evidence arrives...assume it as your non-fault ?

 
New first time post - My customer came home to a broken artificial topiary tree and is insisting we did it as we cleaned their gutters that day.   I have said all looked fine when we left and no damage by us.     I suggested she check with her neighbours to see if they saw other people calling (it’s a quiet cul de sac) during the day.  She has said they all work and nobody was in.  She can’t believe I will not take responsibility ....   but I didn’t cause the damage. Has anyone else had an experience like this?
How have you damaged it, thought they were plastic. If it's fell over and the pot has broken then they're a few quid to replace. Just ask her for proof. 

 
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