[Byford Cleaning]

Hi all,

Id like some other peoples opinions on this matter as my mums had a complaint and i feel its been dealt with sufficiently but shes worrying.

I helped my mum set up herself as self employed and its all been going amazingly to the point where i am going to start taking on some of the work as shes ran out of hours in the day.

Today she did a first time clean for a domestic customer. The lady declined a one off deep clean before starting a weekly clean so my mum went there today and worked her butt off for 3 hours cleaning a house that we know needed at least 6 to get to a respectable level. The house was so dirty you could quite easily write your name on the windows and window sills.

The house was left spotless and my mother knackered, she left happy thinking she had supplied a clean beyond what she needed to. She got a call an hour after leaving asking for a full refund and got alot of abuse as the bathroom window sill was filthy and the sink full of toothpaste. I've seen the video of the house and neither are true and the woman was told we had a video and we do not agree a refund is sufficient or warranted. I emailed the lady  to confirm our stance insisting it was our professional opinion that shed received a full 3 hours of work and that her home was left spotless and video evidence backed this up and sadly on this occasion we shall not supply a refund and also informed her that we felt our relationship was damaged beyond repair and suggested she found a new cleaner.

Was my response to this right? or should i have handled it differently?

[Rob@Blast off]

Sounds like you handled it fine, some people just like to try it on.

[Matt.]

Very well put to the custard.

I would struggle to word it like that, especially if I had CCTV of the work and I had seen that the work was all done, in the manner explained above.

My reply would be along the lines of " look love I spoke with the cleaner and watched her clean your house to the standards that she did on the CCTV we provide for security reasons ( absolute brilliant ides mate, are these some kind of body cam, I would be interested in a link ) and I think ur talking sh??e........ Now f. Off and don't call back ya cheeky  

Well done mate. She prob tries it on with all the contractors she has used all her life.

[BDCS]

So she paid then said she wanted a refund ? Ring trading standards and tell them, they have been very good when I've had grief with customers

[Byford Cleaning]

( absolute brilliant ides mate, are these some kind of body cam, I would be interested in a link )

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Extreme-Sports-Action-Go-Micro-Mini-Camera-Headcam-Helmet-Body-Cam-Pro-Fixings-/400896067020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d574485cc
Cant find the exact one but something like this, My mum had a few old customers who would always accuse her of nicking stuff but it was just dementia and other mental issues so we got the camera to cover our butts.

We've heard no more from her so she was probably just trying it on.

[Kev Martin]

I wouldn't have bothered to even reply or waste a single breath on her.  Hopefully though something good has come out of this and you have both learned a valuable lesson and gained something you can't buy or learn  "Experience".  The next time you get a similar job charge double or tell them to do one

[Smurf]

Was it one of our haggler friends by any chance?

I've found that they will try anything to get away without paying if they can. As soon as I hear that accent now I say "sorry I'm very busy so try someone else".

[Byford Cleaning]

Was it one of our haggler friends by any chance?

I've found that they will try anything to get away without paying if they can. As soon as I hear that accent now I say "sorry I'm very busy so try someone else".

Nah was most certainly the village bike though!

[scott johns]

sounds like you had a awkward customer its best not to take on them bad jobs we all do when
we start out in my 10 years of cleaning you get to know of the problem people just by the way
they expect things that have been neglected for years to all of a sudden turn out like these stupid
adverts on tv you know the ones spray and wipe brigade and the dirt is all gone if only.
you handled the situation spot on well done all the best mate