[garry22]

This just came through from Google. It's a review from someone who had a Living Social (similar to Groupon) job done. they are obviously not too chuffed.

We bought this deal off of LIving Social and thankfully were able to get our money back from them.
This carpet cleaning company was the worst!
They were two hours late, without even a courtesy call.
Their website states a five step process including a pre-vacuum and stain treatment ... neither of which were done.  It was like they took the existing debris on the carpet and just ground it in with their machine, disgusting!
I wouldn't sign their guarantee and called to ask for the job to be re-done, at which point the gentleman on the other end hung up on me.  They must have caller id because I've continually tried to call back and it just goes to a machine.  Very frustrating since it was a big effort to move all of the furniture as well as have our 3 year old out of the house for that length of time in order to stay off the wet carpet.

[Ricky M]

That's great news
chuffen music in fact
PMSL
The cheap skates eh

[AshWhite]

Part of me wants to say "What do you expect?" But really, if they're going through the trouble of putting the deal on Living social, you'd assume that part of their plan was to increase their customer database - going and doing a crap job and upsetting a customer is basically doing all the bad stuff without getting any of the good stuff (more jobs down the line, referals etc).

What do you mean "this just came through from Google"?

[garry22]

Ash,

It was included in a Google Alert about carpet cleaning.

[Neil Williams]

Just what did these people expect
It looks like they played both sides of things, they wanted it dirt cheap through one of these schemes but also researched what the job normally entails. Of course 'normally' means what you get if you pay the proper price.

I'm not going to defend these deals but some customers really think they are going to get a Porche for the price of a Skoda

[garry22]

Yes Neil, more than a touch of irony there.

[AshWhite]

To be fair, regardless how much the customer is paying is irrelevant - If I take my car for a cheap service instead of the main dealer, and the mechanic forgets to tighten my sump plug and my engine goes pop from no oil, I wouldn't say "Oh well, I only paid X amount I can't complain".

I can't envisage myself ever offering one of these deals, but if you do it - you can't offer a great deal of 50% off your price, and then only give 50% of the service - you're only spiting the customers and in turn yourself.

If you're serious about building a customer base through satisfaction, you have to see it from their side too. Frankly, they don't care if youer only getting paid 30% of your normal rate - YOU DID THE OFFER, no-one twisted your arm.

I'm sure there will be differences of opinion, but this is how it seems to me.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Ash you are right, just because you may offer a discount it doesn't mean the customer is entitled to an inferior job.

Cheers

Doug

[robert meldrum]

But surely only a fool would expect the same result they would get at a much higher price.

[AshWhite]

If you buy apples from tesco on a buy one get one free, do you expect one to be rotten?

[robert meldrum]

If you buy reduced priced fruit from a supermarket you can be sure that they will not be perfect assuming a similar mark down to Groupon.

[AshWhite]

So if you buy something half price, you expect it to be half as good?

[robert meldrum]

Why don't you just check around retail stores with 65% to 70% reductions, be sure to look at cuffs and stitching and check that arms are the same length. Somw will carry a " slightly imperfect " label but other may not .

Maybe you don't have the pleasure of shopping in supermarkets otherwise you'd know about over / under ripe fruit, damaged bakery goods, etc, etc.

Anyone offering half price carpet cleaning MUST reduce the usual time spent or product used or number of tasks they carry out to make it worth while. Otherwise they will end up losing money. 

[derek west]

To be fair, regardless how much the customer is paying is irrelevant - If I take my car for a cheap service instead of the main dealer, and the mechanic forgets to tighten my sump plug and my engine goes pop from no oil, I wouldn't say "Oh well, I only paid X amount I can't complain".

I can't envisage myself ever offering one of these deals, but if you do it - you can't offer a great deal of 50% off your price, and then only give 50% of the service - you're only spiting the customers and in turn yourself.

If you're serious about building a customer base through satisfaction, you have to see it from their side too. Frankly, they don't care if youer only getting paid 30% of your normal rate - YOU DID THE OFFER, no-one twisted your arm.

I'm sure there will be differences of opinion, but this is how it seems to me.

like

[mike ross]

But then to me what ever price you do it for you have to have job satisfaction, or why get up in the morning. 

[Neil Williams]

Let's not compare goods with services.
If you buy a brand new cooker from curries for 70% off it still has to perform as it is meant to, and 70% off doesn't mean curries are losing 70%
If you buy a manual labour service at 70% off one thing is for sure, the person doing it can't work at that percentage below normal price unless (a) extra selling occurs on the job or (b) you'll get 70% less of a job compared to full price.

[AshWhite]

Then perhaps the cleaners should advertise 50% off price, 80% of service provided. If your advertising something, you have a duty to deliver it - regardless of how much you resent it.

[mike ross]

Like most of these deals your selling yourself short, I mean let's face it he thought he could get away with not doing the 5 pointes and getting out of there as quick as he could and on to the next one. If he looked at it from the start and was honest he knew he was selling a crap service I mean goods 

[Neil Williams]

If he looked at it from the start and was honest he knew he was selling a crap service I mean goods 

Of course he was but let's go back to basics.
On average I and many others work between £40-£50/hr
If I got involved in these schemes I/others would be getting about £10/hr

There's only going to be one outcome

[mike ross]

Agreed. Why go to work and earn nothing when you can stay in bed and earn the same! Muppets