walked away from a job. Something didnt feel right...

[Landon]

So I recieved a call a few days ago from a lady requesting an estimate for some carpet cleaning on the top floor of her home. I happily answered all the questions she asked and proceed to tell her a little about my company, the services we provide, and cleaning methods we use ect.... We agree on a visual estimate later that evening. I arrive later that day clean shaven, wearing company jacket, daytimer in hand and in a clean company van. I look at the carpets which have been severly neglected and are loaded with stains and debris. Over the next 20 minutes I felt as if I was on the hot seat being bombarded with questions from both wife and husband. "Are you trust worthy" "how do we know you will do a good job" can you provide us with a detailed list of the exact services you will perform on our carpets" "can you provide references"....ect again i answer every question honestly and to the best of my knowledge. I show them pictures of previous work and my equipment ect....Finally after 20 minutes I say to them to think it over and get back to me, ad there is no obligation to use us but we are always here to help. They agree and I leave. The next day he texts me and agrees to use my company, he also requests a detailed estimate of exact steps and services performed prior to starting the job. Something just didnt feel right..I had a feeling in my gut something was...shal I say off. Usually customers like this are hard to please and things can go sideways fast. So relunctantly I call him back and tell him that Im sorry but iam unable to do his carpets for him. I provide him with the number and website of one of my competitors who i have a good relationship with. Did i make the right call? Or did i just flush 250 bucks down the drain? More experienced guys what do you usually do with potential customers like this? I just felt like it might be way more headache than its worth???

 

[Kipp]

Good call

 

[ebarnett]

Always, ALWAYS, follow your gut. Every time I have failed to do so I have gotten burned.

 

[Kipp]

So let me get this straight you get there and these people are slobs with trashed carpet and start drilling you?

Pffft, folks your lucky I'm even considering do this job

 

[MikeGaure]

Spot on, early on I made a few mistakes not listening to my gut.
I was needing money and figured I could make it work, yeah right worst problems always arise or close to worse problems from not recognizing the red flags.

This happened around November a Dr wanted a 4K of vct stripped and waxed. Floor had been neglected for years and a ton of medical equipment all over. Guy was a jerk and I decided he wasn't good customer material.

I passed it to a competitor I knew who was willing, so far has been a waste of time for her.

 

[Common janitor]

Always, ALWAYS, follow your gut. Every time I have failed to do so I have gotten burned.

You did the right thing . Eric said it right . Posted on here about the very same thing awhile back. Didn't like what I was hearing and walked from a job that was a grand or more .
All the Best, Ed

 

[crash1big]

When you get one of those feelings that says "I really don't feel like doing this job". Probably a good idea to pass. Sounds like a good call.

 

[MikeGaure]

What's cool is over time you'll get better at discerning people that will be difficult.

In my early twenties I managed 17l and I could tell who would be a bad renter. But paperwork checked out and owner wanted cash flow. Id end up doing tons of repairs sometimes only a month later

 

[longkenn]

I can tell you that you will never miss that $250. I know how it is to feel as if you passed up an opportunity to make some money, however, what you actually passed up is a headache! There are plenty of other carpets to clean!

 

[Landon]

Thanks guys! I feel much better about my desicion now knowing that you guys would have probably done the same thing. I did everything I could to make them feel comfortable and in feel as if they good hands but in the end I couldnt help but think this might be a screw job!They were making me feel like the bad guy! Being a younger guy (26) and still learning about business its hard to know what is the right call! Thanks again! It was a good learning experience that is for sure! Lol

 

[mendo83]

Sounds like these customers are by the book. There is nothing wrong with that but I would have not turned down the job. You have to ask questions as well. If they are asking questions so do you. Like what are your major concerns about the carpet, is there something I should know about the carpets you are not telling me. Also maybe they have gotten burned in the past by other cleaners.

 

[MikeGaure]

Customers who in your opinion are "by the book" usually don't have severely neglected carpets. It's always the customer this gent described is the one who wants everything for nothing in my experience.

 

[wandwizard]

Sounds like these customers are by the book. There is nothing wrong with that but I would have not turned down the job. You have to ask questions as well. If they are asking questions so do you. Like what are your major concerns about the carpet, is there something I should know about the carpets you are not telling me. Also maybe they have gotten burned in the past by other cleaners.

I tend to agree with you. I suspect these folks have been burned before, perhaps more than once. I would have inspected the place looking for possible problem areas or stains and ask them if there is anything specific they're concerned about. I also would have no problem telling them what equipment I use as well as my procedure. I know those things could make you a little nervous. I also stand behind my work unless the job is just so catastrophic that I consider it a restoration job. Then I make it clear I expect to be paid no matter what. I make no unusual guarantees on stain removal either and I make that clear.

Not all carpet cleaning problems are solvable. Not by me nor anyone in this industry. Not all stains can be removed nor all traffic lanes fully restored. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I try to set their expectations and then exceed them. I would likely have taken the job unless my answers were still inadequate to them. Then, I also would have walked.

Btw, some of my initially most questioning and demanding customers have been my best money makers and loyal clients.

 

[Prosteam-sonomacounty]

I call it 'spidey-senses'...
You always get a feeling when you'd be making a mistake , going forward....

 

[ColoradoCleaner]

Ya too many questions and too much hassle over $250. This is small ball... we're not talking about some $50k kitchen renovation or something. You're cleaning the carpets...

 

[goomer]

You have earned the right to fire a customer if you feel the need to.

Tricky part, which is often overlooked, is in how you can fire them without making them feel like, or know definitively, that they have been fired.

A scorned customer is never a good thing, especially in today's virtual world.

I find such situations call for a pinch of very creative bullsh*t to allow you to squirm away without incident or hard feelings, because it would be foolish to attempt to explain your decision in any way that they would comprehend, and not be butt-hurt afterwards.

Gently referring him to another provider like you did was a good call.

 

[Ken Raddon]

I've done it both ways and have had both results.

I know that when I do it and I do it a lot I always find ways to need that $250 for the next six months.

I would have left that house and put them on ignore and not even returned their call.

 

[Common janitor]

You have earned the right to fire a customer if you feel the need to.

Tricky part, which is often overlooked, is in how you can fire them without making them feel like, or know definitively, that they have been fired.

A scorned customer is never a good thing, especially in today's virtual world.

I find such situations call for a pinch of very creative bullsh*t to allow you to squirm away without incident or hard feelings, because it would be foolish to attempt to explain your decision in any way that they would comprehend, and not be butt-hurt afterwards.

Gently referring him to another provider like you did was a good call.

Exactly what I did . Used their words to make it seem I was not what they needed . Quite correct that you have to be tactful and not hurt feelings .
All the Best, Ed

 

[LookNGood]

So I recieved a call a few days ago from a lady requesting an estimate for some carpet cleaning on the top floor of her home. I happily answered all the questions she asked and proceed to tell her a little about my company, the services we provide, and cleaning methods we use ect.... We agree on a visual estimate later that evening. I arrive later that day clean shaven, wearing company jacket, daytimer in hand and in a clean company van. I look at the carpets which have been severly neglected and are loaded with stains and debris. Over the next 20 minutes I felt as if I was on the hot seat being bombarded with questions from both wife and husband. "Are you trust worthy" "how do we know you will do a good job" can you provide us with a detailed list of the exact services you will perform on our carpets" "can you provide references"....ect again i answer every question honestly and to the best of my knowledge. I show them pictures of previous work and my equipment ect....Finally after 20 minutes I say to them to think it over and get back to me, ad there is no obligation to use us but we are always here to help. They agree and I leave. The next day he texts me and agrees to use my company, he also requests a detailed estimate of exact steps and services performed prior to starting the job. Something just didnt feel right..I had a feeling in my gut something was...shal I say off. Usually customers like this are hard to please and things can go sideways fast. So relunctantly I call him back and tell him that Im sorry but iam unable to do his carpets for him. I provide him with the number and website of one of my competitors who i have a good relationship with. Did i make the right call? Or did i just flush 250 bucks down the drain? More experienced guys what do you usually do with potential customers like this? I just felt like it might be way more headache than its worth???

When I got the $250 part I started laughing.

A job over $1k I may stick around because that is money, they have a right to ask questions.

But at $250 no thank you.

I had a girl call yesterday asking about tape residue and she is a renter could I guarantee removal and what if my equipment ruins the carpet. I couldn't help it I laughed. I said "that's never happened nor would it, but yes I am fully insured" I did also apologize for laughing (well it was more of a chuckle and less of an lol)

It's just she found me online with all 5 star reviews, do you really think there is any chance my equipment just ruins carpet...

 

[MikeGaure]

Had a marine ask if I could get his carpets cleaned, I was sent by the base housing company. Lincoln is very strict about pet damage, dude I laughed his dog chewed up most of the carpet. You could see areas he tried to clean with a small machine, it had to be replaced