I won't work for her again!

[Becker]

Phone rings a few minutes ago.

I looked at the number, and then my appointment book. It is my 9:am job.

So i answer it.

I have worked for this lady about 2-3 times in the past.

She sez.. Yeah you were gunna be here tomorrow at 9:00am.. I just wanted to let you know I found someone that could come out sooner and the carpets are already cleaned.
Maybe it will work out next time.

I said to her. That she is my 1st job Monday. and with notice at this hour (7pm) it will be unlikey I will be able to fill that time slot.

She did not say a word.

I then said, I want to ask you to not call me for services in the future, as this has really disrupted planed day with such short notice.

She stared to talk, I then said. Thank you good bye.

Happy Mothers Day to her!


She could have atleast lied to me. Said someone was sick.
But to have another cleaner come out and not call me ASAP...

I don't need clients like that.

This s a 1st!

 

[adamh]

I have had too many of those.
We lose money and they don't care. I guess you get to sleep in.

 

[hogjowl]

The real reason she dumped you was because you live in BB world.

If you ran a $99 special and worked on Sunday you wouldn't have lost her.

And, you would be too rich to come hang out here with the rest of us losers.

 

[Blue Monarch]

I showed up for a tile job once that screwed me. I show up and she says "we already had them done". Didn't even cancel our appointment. Should have offed her.

 

[Becker]

I had 3 jobs on the books for tomorrow.

One is a vacant office space. About 1200 sq ft.

I'll do it at 9:am instead, I take Alex to school @ 8:30 so I might aswell get the vacant out of the way.

Might fill the day by the end of the day.

No worries.

I don't need clients like that. Who does?

This is the shortest notice I ever got, Other than illness. Or the deer in the headlights look after knocking on the door.

This is the 1st time I had a client admit they called another cleaner.

Amazing.

Hope she liked his work.

That sucks Dirk...

I hope she forgets and calls me one day... I'll book it and not show up.. LOL!!! Then when she calls, I'll say.. Oh I had a better client with a larger house and more money call and want your time spot.

 

[Steve in Omaha]

I usually rejoice when I get a cancellation! Always have a million things on the to do list. Plus the opportunity to make some other customer happy on very short notice. That said, calling in w/your customers excuse, hopefully I would have handled it exactly the same way...then rejoiced.

 

[GRHeacock]

I gotta agree with Steve. Rejoice!!

Less pressure on time for other customers, and catch up on other stuff.

Next time she calls- if there is a next time, raise your price to her.

Then do the job at the higher price, because it cost more to fix other guys screwups.

Gary

 

[Becker]

I agree, I'm not upset that she canceled. I'll get some stuff done and there is a good chance something will come up.

I've had people call book, and then call back the next day or later that day and say they found someone that could come earlier.

I guess it could be worse. I could have been on my way to the house. Or have gotten there.

 

[Guest]

Maybe she just did not like your work, or a relative got in the biz . Better price who knows. Call her back next week and see how the other guys did.

You can only learn from this. I would think it is more than just a half hour early thing, maybe even go buy and see who the new sherrif in town is.

 

[Becker]

Slap slap.. Nick.. Wake up...

The job is already done.

I booked the job with her last week. Like Tuesday.

I don't know when she got it done could have been Wednesday for all I know.

Fact is she did not bother to call me till 7m Sunday night. She was on the books for 9:am Monday.

She liked my work. I know that. I checked the records. I had worked for her 3 times. I don;t think she would have called for a 4th cleaning if she did not like the work.

I'm sure it was just a timing thing, I was nearly a week out.

It just makes me mad she waited till the night before her am job was to be done.

 

[406]

that is just offensive, i agree with Becker, she could have just made something up....instead she chose to offend him. the gap in the day tomorrow isnt a big deal, he'll probably be able to move the 2nd or 3rd job to an earlier spot. the nerve of some folk.

 

[Bob Foster]

This is the same type of person that would use a lawnmower all season and return it to Wal-mart at the end of the season and say it was defective without batting an eye.

The same one that looks for the fine print to screw you because after all you're just a business and make lots of money so it really doesn't matter.

I have a friend who postponed on me last weekend. Called Sunday at 1PM and said tomorrow 9 wouldn't work and can they make it two weeks from now. I said that was lost revenue that I cannot reschedule for and it went right over their head.

Both are government employees that take every sick day they can and will be rewarded with a 100% pension indexed when they retire.

Some people don't have a clue and some people don't give a shit.

 

[adamh]

The worst one I ever had was when we were just starting out. We were poor and needed every job we could get. I got a call that morning and a lady had a nice home she wanted to get cleaned. She needed it done that morning. I had to turn the job down because we had a job booked for that morning. I drove 30 miles to the job and found a note on the door. "can't afford it this month"

I was pissed. If she would have called I could have booked the other job and at least made money and not lost it.

She had the nerve to call the next month for a cleaning. I told her to take a hike.

 

[Michael Ellis]

Write a letter to the editor!

Lecture the public about reality and sign it "if the shoe fits, where it!"

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

Becker

Don't let your emotions get involved with work. (time frame) She wanted it cleaned sooner than you could do it. She thought about it, called around, found someone and got them cleaned. At least she called you to cancel and not had you show up for nothing. She might have just not liked the other cleaning and was going to call you back the next time. The fact that she started to continue conversation tells me she felt bad for what she did but now after your reaction, she'll look for another to clean for her.
We have the same issues from time to time because we are booked out a few weeks. I let our clients know to schedule in ADVANCE as we stay busy. They call to book the app a few weeks ahead of time.


PS I always ask when they need it done by or if we are working with a time frame.

 

[Steve in Omaha]

This time of year especially, always ask, "are we working under any time restraints"? Always, always, always call before I show up. Went though a lot of quarters back before cell phones.

 

[Jimmy L]

It is indeed nerve wracking to get such calls.

I had one last week like that.

I sensed no loyalty in her call so I erased all memory of her and she is no longer on my customer.....OOPS! CLIENT list.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Don't schedule Monday morning jobs. They are historically more likely to be PITA or rescheduled.

 

[Jim Martin]

One of the best things about when your company finally gets a comfortable client base is that you can do a little gardening and weed out some of the PITA clients.................

IMO I think the smart thing to do was just to accept what she did and move on...At that point you could of removed her or red flagged her in your client base and been done with it..........

Just because she shot you in the foot does not mean you have to do the same thing to yourself.......

Who knows........you also may have lost a few referrals from it........

 

[XTREME1]

That sucks Jim,
I get a little happy when I get a cancellation at the beginning or end of the day, the ones in the middle suck.

 

[Jim Martin]

it does suck..we all get them sooner or later

I had one a few week back in the middle of the day way across the other side of town..and my next one was over in the same area so I was stuck over there doing nothing............

It just goes with the business..........what do you do.........

You have to deal with and accept all types of people in this business.........

the good
the bad
the inconsiderate
and the morons

just don't shoot yourself in the foot............

 

[-JB-]

I remember "back in the day" I showed up at a trailer park for a job. The teenage kids answered the door, they told me that their parents were around back. As they we talking I noticed when I looked in, fresh foam tabs under the furniture ... SON OF A B!@%&*!

I went around back to get the homeowners, they acted surprised to see me.
Wifey says, "Oh I called in and canceled that appointment a while ago."

Cough cough Bullsh!t!

I asked who she spoke with? "Someone in the office"

Cough cough Bullsh!t!

Oh, she must have called corporate! YEAH RIGHT!

I was PISSED! I didn't say a word, I didn't have to, I just shook my head and walked away.

IMO-

I think some of the WORST advice I've ever been give is "Fire your bad clients"
From experience, yes I've fired a few; I will say for everyone PITA you "fire" you get two in return, or worse, one that's twice as bad.

Here's what we do now, Remove them from all mailing lists, leave no paperwork or cards outside of the bill, mark their file with a a PIA (that's our PITA) so when they call in they get an automatic +20% PIA charge, as well as an appointment, when we damn well please.
Still doesn't make it worth dealing with them, but at least we have a policy in place, and given the Two for one rule, seems to work out better for us.


PS- about 2 years later the trailer burnt to the ground. Karma?

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't have been happy with the call either but at least she called, Becker. Stuff happens, why get so bent if this is the first time? Maybe she genuinely needed it done sooner and honestly forgot to call. The fact she called suggests she values your service, possibly more than your competitor's.

Sometimes there's value in counting to ten.

 

[Rex Tyus]

Sometimes there's value in counting to ten.

Those are very wise words. I however struggle after three. :shock:
I keep waiting for the "mellowing" that comes with age to kick in.

 

[KevinD]

Don't schedule Monday morning jobs. They are historically more likely to be PITA or rescheduled.

We have never had a problem with Monday morning customers.
It is our biggest day of the week.
If one were to listen to this they would loose 15-20 K of work time per truck per week.

 

[Blue Monarch]

15-20 K of work time per truck per week.

I don't get that statement.

 

[Guest]

Dirk I think Kevin meant they would lose that amount in a year per truck. I think. I dont know the more I think.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I doubt he loses (or makes) that kind of money for the Monday morning slot.

We just don't schedule any "on call" or occupied residential in that slot. That's where the bulk of the problems occur. Monday mornings allow us breathing room, company meetings, and planning sessions. We make up for it with better organization throughout the week. We do a few restaurants as well early Monday morning. They are always pre-scheduled and we usually have the keys and codes.

 

[XTREME1]

I am with you Lee I think people are hungrier to have their carpets done on Thur or friday. I never get a cancellation on the end of the week.Sometimes on saturdays

 

[Rex Tyus]

I am more inclined to cancel Monday morning than anyone else. If I cancel the 1st time slot you can be pretty sure the other slots will follow. I am not even going to get into Friday afternoon :roll: .