I need to vent...

[Camelot 68]

I just finished a 6800 sf home that came out PERFECT...The north side was covered in mold, and the gutters were black. I walked the homeowner around the house twice when I was finished. I pointed out the squeaky clean vinyl, the glaringly white gutters and the overall cleanliness of the house. He had very little reaction, which is OK, some people aren't as excitable as me...I get that. I asked him if he was satisfied with the job, and he said "yeah, looks great". He shook my hand, handed me a check and off I went.

He calls about an hour later and leaves me a voicemail saying that he wants me to come back because one of his windows is streaky!!! This is a 6800 sf home that was nasty when I started and spotless when I finished. Where would someone get off calling me to come back for ONE streaky window? Is that a little absurd, or do I just need to suck it up and deal with it? It's almost as if he needs to justify his purchase by coming up with SOMETHING to complain about...What do you guys and gals think?

:lgangry:

[Mike Williamson 198]

Where would someone get off calling me to come back for ONE streaky window? Is that a little absurd, or do I just need to suck it up and deal with it? It's almost as if he needs to justify his purchase by coming up with SOMETHING to complain about...What do you guys and gals think?

:lgangry:

He paid you to do a job, and that includes no streaking up his windows. Doesn't matter how dirty it WAS, our job is to get it CLEAN! That includes at making the windows at least reasonably clean. Sure, he COULD go clean it himself, but hey, he paid you to do it! That's where he gets off.

True, he walked it with you, but then again it is hard to see a streaked window from the outside sometimes.

Now, if he was nasty about it on the voicemail, there's no reason for that.

I doubt it had anything to do with justifying the purchase, but rather getting what he paid for.

If you haven't already, call him back, apologize for missing the window, and go by and clean it for him! That's what I would do.

[Captain 14]

The integrity of you, and your business, says that you will go clean the window because you have bargained to do so. You sold the owner a cleaning job and he has already paid you. I just ate a lift rental fee because I didn't include it in the estimate and couldn't shoot 40' plus with an x-jet. Know what, I paid for the rental and cleaned it because thats what I bargained for. Them to pay and me to clean. They have already sent me 2 referrals this week because of my INTEGRITY. Go make it right because its the right thing to do.

[squirtgun 122]

Suck it up!

Get on the phone ASAP to set up a time to clean the window.It is what it is...a dirty window that takes away from the rest of the job you did.

Do you want referrals from this guy because you had great customer service..or...do you want negative word of mouth to spread about the dirty window you left?

[Mark Williamson 14]

For every one like that you get 10 good ones. (I hope) It's all part of the business.

[plainpainter 217]

I'd say suck it up - but I do agree he is a jerk. My folks would never call back over one stinking window in light of everything else. But I'd certainly charge him extra for any additional work you do for him in the future.

-Dan

[PressurePros 249]

Perhaps he tried cleaning it himself already and there is more to it than what he describes as streaking. Chemical could have dried on that window and it may need to be polished. If you were using emulsifier plus I am willing to bet that is what happened.

Don't let one window sour a man's opinion of the job he received. He will refer you all the more and forget all about that window when he tells his friends not only what a good job you did, but how decent your post-sale follow up was. Which by the way is a true test of a company's integrity.

Customers are getting more conscientous. I had a guy call me back for a 1/2" spot of sealer that was burried behind a down spout completely out of view. I had to put a rag on a paint stirring stick to even get to it. It was fifteen minutes out of my way and I was soaked with bleach when I had to go there but do you think I was going to let his $2800 seal job be remembered because I couldn't keep my word of "no sealer on the home"

[Camelot 68]

Ok, I'm more cooled down now...I know what the right thing to do is. Now I just have to do it. Thanks everyone.

[plainpainter 217]

I guess this is a good example why you should never come down on your price. It's one thing to stay professional and put up with the pickiness of customers - but imagine if they had talked you down say 10%-20% your normal price - and then popped on you the pickiness at the end! This has happened to me before. I envision every customer being ultra picky before I write an estimate - and then price it accordingly.

-Dan

-Dan

[RCBill 14]

You are lucky he complained. Many people will not complain to you but tell everyone else. And make it worse than it really was.

[Mike Williamson 198]

I guess this is a good example why you should never come down on your price. It's one thing to stay professional and put up with the pickiness of customers - but imagine if they had talked you down say 10%-20% your normal price - and then popped on you the pickiness at the end! This has happened to me before. I envision every customer being ultra picky before I write an estimate - and then price it accordingly.

-Dan

-Dan

I'm sorry, but I just don't get this. Why is it "pickiness" for a homeowner to expect his windows to be clean? Yes, it was one window. So?? He paid for a service, he deserves for it to be done completely, and properly. You're a painter. Say you missed a small section of trim? You gonna just tell the customer "oh don't be so dang picky!".

I'd rather be a picky contractor, and make it a point to do the job right the first time, and if I don't, I won't gripe and moan when I have to go back and fix MY mistake!!!

[James 625]

Your going to have a window or two that stuff leaks onto. Go fix it . A 6800 sqft house has friends with house's as big or bigger.

When doing a house that big I worry more about the glass than the mold. I brush the glass twice and rinse. The stuff blows all over or offer window cleaning ?

[zapp 72]

Are you guys washing houses or windows ????

I always explain to customers when I hand them the proposal that I use a rinse aid in my mix that will leave the windows almost totaly spotless but I am not responsible for leaky storm windows that I cannot control , If they have any known leaks or problem areas (usually entry doors) to please let me know first, I also explain that powerwashing isn't the proper way to clean their windows. A window washer is , then hand them my buddies card..If you didn't explain this or have it in writing , suck it up and wash the window (it's only one) it's good PR (and learing experience)

Wait till you get the customer that holds the payment 30 days to make sure you didn't kill her flowers those are real fun.....

[Jeff 232]

Rock & window , no more streak LOL

Just swing by and clean it quick, he'll remember you and tell others.

[Camelot 68]

Doing a drive by today...to clean the window, that is, not a "real" drive by...LOL...you live and you learn. Next time, I'll make sure the windows aren't streaked.

[Mike Williamson 198]

Wait till you get the customer that holds the payment 30 days to make sure you didn't kill her flowers those are real fun.....

Oh yeah, and then you get the check, after sending them a late notice three weeks out, and it is back dated to a day or two after you did the work! I've gotten more of those this year. Irritating. In prior years, the vast majority paid within a week. This year, I'd say more pay 2-3 weeks out than pay on time.

[PressurePros 249]

Doing a drive by today...to clean the window, that is, not a "real" drive by...LOL...you live and you learn. Next time, I'll make sure the windows aren't streaked.

Exactly John, he did you a favor by giving you a heads up about windows. I could do a fairly large house with siding in about 45 minutes if there were no windows. I find that 50% of my time is spent rinsing windows and landscaping.

[Palmetto Home and Deck 167]

Camelot,

I can understand where your feelings come from. I cleaned a white vinyl sided home the other week that had one side completely green with mold and the rest of the house looked almost gray from just dirt and pollen. The gutters were all but black. Anyway, when I was through with the home you needed to have your shades on to look at it. This home was snow white and gutters looked new. I went around and looked the house over and was proud of the work I had done and just knew the homeowner would be to.

This was a home located on Lake Hartwell and the homeowner only spent time there on weekends so I left the invoice stuck in the storm door. About a week later I got a check in the mail with a note saying I left a dirty place on one end of the house without any mention of how the rest of the house looked. I was surprised to find out I had actually missed something and was actually a little upset that he didn't say anything about how good the rest of the house looked.

I have always heard that it only take one "ah s#**t " to cancel out a whole bunch of "atta boys" and that usually turns out to be true. When you leave a streaked window or a dirty place on the house the customer will only focus on that point and not care about anything else.

No matter how I felt about the complaint I called the homeowner right away and appologized and assured him I would take care of the problem the very next day. Turns out when I got there it had rained between the time I washed the house and when the homeowner saw it and red mud had splattered up onto the vinyl siding near the gutter down spout. I just got out a little of my cleaning solution and a brush and took care of it. I reset the concrete pad in front of the downspout and tried to push up some leaves to cover this area so more mud wouldn't splatter up on the siding before the homeowner could see it again.

I called the homeowner back and told him I had taken care of the problem and that if he finds anything else to please let me know. I know I fixed something that wasn't my fault (how many of us have been there, done that), but to him I am a good guy again and hopefully I have gotten an " atta boy" back.

[Mike Williamson 198]

I called the homeowner back and told him I had taken care of the problem and that if he finds anything else to please let me know. I know I fixed something that wasn't my fault (how many of us have been there, done that), but to him I am a good guy again and hopefully I have gotten an " atta boy" back.

Yep, had one a couple weeks ago...lady caught me as I was working down the street a couple days after doing her house. She said we missed a wasp nest. I went to look, and there's a brand new mud dauber nest on her front porch ceiling. The same front porch ceiling that was filthy and covered with nests and cobwebs before we cleaned it. There was no way that nest survived our cleaning and still looked fresh, so clearly Mr. Wasp came be AFTER we cleaned. I didn't even argue, I just went by when we got done with the other house and re-did the porch area. She was happy, and I only wasted about 10 minutes.

[PLD 14]

This summer has been THE summer for complaints. Most ultra-anal in nature.

I've had one call and complain that the house was FILTHY after we left. I sent the crew back, and they called to find out what they were there to re-clean. Miffed, I drove out there to school them on clean vs. half-a**ed. Found NOTHING. Called the homeowner and set a meeting. In the meantime, I had a friend of mine close by goand look TRYING to find stuff tthat needed work. None found. At the meeting with the homeowner, she was point out phantom spots. I was taking my sunglasses off, squinting, looking from angles, etc. She saw a FILTHY house. I saw spotless vinyl. I still think she was a bit loopy.

I got another call this year that was complaining that the mildew gre back too fast. Obviously we did something wrong, or it would not have grown back so fast.

[Jeff 232]

This summer has been THE summer for complaints. Most ultra-anal in nature.

I've had one call and complain that the house was FILTHY after we left. I sent the crew back, and they called to find out what they were there to re-clean. Miffed, I drove out there to school them on clean vs. half-a**ed. Found NOTHING. Called the homeowner and set a meeting. In the meantime, I had a friend of mine close by goand look TRYING to find stuff tthat needed work. None found. At the meeting with the homeowner, she was point out phantom spots. I was taking my sunglasses off, squinting, looking from angles, etc. She saw a FILTHY house. I saw spotless vinyl. I still think she was a bit loopy.

I dealt with Phantom spots last year , the lady actually said they move in different light. I went out there and could see nothing, but I figured it out and met with her . It was different shadows from trees at different times of day. She felt stupid she said and I wanted to say you are, but I didnt

[zapp 72]

Oh yeah, and then you get the check, after sending them a late notice three weeks out, and it is back dated to a day or two after you did the work! I've gotten more of those this year. Irritating. In prior years, the vast majority paid within a week. This year, I'd say more pay 2-3 weeks out than pay on time.

Just sent out two late notices this morning both over 30 days both for residential house washes.