Thread: Do you make your customers sign first?

Its always nice if you can get them to sign before starting work. It acknowledges they are aware of the price, and the "rules" of engagement" before you begin work. It gives you a leg to stand on if there is a problem getting paid too.

However, it is not always easy to get that signature! Often they are not home, ran out before you got a chance to write up the estimate, or just dont want to sign anything. It also doesnt help your image, coming across as someone who cares more about getting the money than doing a good job for them. I know, it's just business. But when you want your customer to get the impression you care about their property, or that you TRUST them, it's hard to stick a legal document under their nose and ask them to sign. If you give them the impression that you dont trust them, then they dont feel they should trust you either, and that bond has been broken.

I have always had trouble enforcing people to sign for these various reasons, but know that I should. I've always said if we have a significant amount of "issues" where a signature should have been obtained, then I would enforce it more, and overall, I havent had too many issues. In the past five years I have only had one person "skip country" and not pay, and it was only for about $80.00

However, there are other issues with customer service that arise from not getting a signature. Particularly with your company guarentees and warranty. This is when you get people coming back months and months later and nit-picking over little spots and want you to reclean for free. Or even better, when the carpet gets dirty three months later again, they expect you to come back and reclean it for no charge, claiming it wasnt cleaned well enough the first time.

I have a 2 section form 1. damage and liability / aware of complete job process and price 2. job completion satisfaction NO signature NO job. Customers are cool about signing It is very simple and easy to read.

Always have the sign first and again at the end saying the work was completed.

I laways had first time customers "approve" the work order. They showed their approval by signing, but I never asked for a "signature." Approval was less threatening.

We did a carpet exam (audit, estimate or whatever you call it) first to see what servies were required, ,ake suggestions for additional services and so forth.

For repeat customers, I would often do the work based on a phone call if they were not going to be home. They already knew the rules and I knew them.

For those that request signatures before work begins, do you also provide a 100% guaranteed satisfaction to the customer? If so doesnt this nullify any legal action in court? The customer could just stand in front of the judge and say "i'm not satisfied" and show the judge your gaurantee. Case closed.
Now a signature relieving you of any liability in case of damage of some sort ie: knock over an expensive vase ect.. makes a little more sense to me, but for payment of services of under 500$ is a waste of paper. The time you waste going to court, you could make double in other cleans *shrug*

Many times a customer would be undecided about which rooms to include, or which rooms were going to get protector or maybe including a sofa to be cleaned as well.

The work order form lists alll the work to be done. Approval by signature not only is to help approve payment to to assure that all parties agree on what is being done for what total price. It helps avoid misunderstandings.