[The Great One]

Hi

I was on a job 2 days ago which took 11 hours (EOT)

Met the landlord and while pleased overall he asked me 'when are you coming back'?

'For what' I replied

'Well, you missed the limescale under the tap heads! '

In over 800 cleans I have never been asked to take off the tap heads and clean underneath, might as well ask why I haven't cleaned inside the cistern?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... I feel better now.

Regards

Martin

[Art]

The joys of EOT Martin 

I've had a few moments myself, wher i could've happily commited murder 

[keen2clean]

Thats rediculous!!!

Do you not agree with the landlord exactly what will be done before you go in and do it martin.

Thats what we do and we have lost jobs before because things havn't been on the list clients would like but i take the view that we have decided we don't do those things for whatever reason and there is no pin tin waiting untill im trying to get moey out of the stingy sods for when they find out we have not cleaned a certain thing.

Only a suggestion guys i by far and away don't know as much as you guys.

Hows business anyways everyone enjoying the apparent boom time for the cleaning industry??

[Prestige1]

Well I am gob smacked!!! you mean to tell me you don't clean the lime scale from under the taps on every job?
next you will be telling us you dont take the bath pannels off and vacumm behind and under the tub! ohh standards are slipping well I will after go jenny is waiting for some replacement ladders for cleaning upstairs windows, regards Phil

[DREAM CLEAN]

well Martin,

I clean for the MOD and that is how petty they go and more .
so I now do that as standard with all my cleans.
We clean MOD style to the letting agents.
We have to hoover sheds,

If all he can pick on after all that is tap heads then I'd be happy with that

good luck Martin

Nick

[The Great One]

Hi

Just got another call from the landlord with another complaint...

Why haven't I cleaned inside the window shuts?

He now feels aggreived that I have not done this and won't go back and do it.

 Again never have I been asked or has it ever come up for these to be done in over 800 cleans with countless inventory clerks.

And yes we did go through what was to be done and these we not asked for, he assumed they would be and it was part of the clean, when I mentioned that maybe I should of cleaned inside the cistern, or taken the bath panel off, he wasn't too chuffed with that response

If I keep going back, I am going to be there for ever.

Had one a few months back who thought I should work for £10 an hour and be there until she was satisfied!

Regards

Martin 

[Art]

Hi

Just got another call from the landlord with another complaint...

Why haven't I cleaned inside the window shuts?

He now feels aggreived that I have not done this and won't go back and do it.

 Again never have I been asked or has it ever come up for these to be done in over 800 cleans with countless inventory clerks.

And yes we did go through what was to be done and these we not asked for, he assumed they would be and it was part of the clean, when I mentioned that maybe I should of cleaned inside the cistern, or taken the bath panel off, he wasn't too chuffed with that response

If I keep going back, I am going to be there for ever.

Had one a few months back who thought I should work for £10 an hour and be there until she was satisfied!

Regards

Martin 

Well if it were me, i'd take that as a client less as it looks like the start of things to come.

Not all business is good business

[DREAM CLEAN]

Martin ,

Again I would do that as standard on what I call a full clean.
I think your customer is ex-mod , he has all the hall marks.
have you been asked to clean all the black marks of the upvc doors?
clean the back or the overflow on the sink?
clean the plugs back to new?
clean the window hings to shine?
clean underside of the cooker?

be ahead of the game

if you need any heads up ideas let me know

Nick

[The Great One]

Hi

One of my main clients are Ex forces, one is ex RSM Army and his partner is an ex ships captain and I have no problems from them at all and I clean their office.

I also have another client who has 5 full time inventory clerk, again no issues, never been picked up, another client for 3 years, no call backs.

We all get them from time to time but I now feel from the phone call last night that he feels I earn to much per hour on his house and now these are just things to get me back in so my hourly rate is more acceptable to him (hours worked on the job came up in discussion)

Full clean + carpets and 3 piece suite £370 total time 13 hours, around £28.50 p/h.

Regards

Martin

[Liahona]

Martin, while I sympathise with you 100%, what is being asked for isnt that harsh. 

I am or was a military brat and moved every few months or so when I was very young.  Although I dont recall from memory the inspections my mum often spoke of them.  We have all heard of the white glove test and it is just that.

If your clean would pass the white glove test then there isnt a problem.  If it doesnt or wouldnt then your client can and should have you back.

Your prices I think are too low but thats just me.  Would charging more give you more time to do the job the client expected of you?  If so charge more, clean to the clients criteria and everyone should be happy.

Its a bit like saying I have cleaned your door not having cleaned the top of the door.  If I got "caught" out so to speak then I would expect to be called back to clean again.  Best, Dave.

[bodge]

Hi I have just started doing End of Tenancy cleans - does anyone have a check list or schedule you could share with me please?

[The Great One]

Hi

Dave/ Nick

I am ex army myself.

I have been through many and locker inspection and white glove test.

I did price the job higher but it was felt it was too high, also he didn't have criteria, just wanted it clean for the next tenants. For the forces then yes what you do/ have done is the norm.

In Civvy street you do not go that deep, might as well go in the cistern if it was the case. I can go into any clean and pick fault, that's easy.

Also the client wasn't ex forces, looks like he would have an asthma attack running to the shops never mind a BFT (Battle Fitness Test)

Regards

Martin

[Liahona]

Martin, ok fair comment.  The only thing I would comment on and I hope this helps.

You mentioned that there wasnt a criteria agreed on.  Does that not leave yourself in the position that you would have to go back.  Although it wasn't agreed for you to clean the taps the way the client wanted it also wasn't agreed not to. 

I know this is splitting hairs but surely if you didnt say you wouldnt clean something then you would indeed have to clean it?

Again, a bit of splitting hairs and a sweeping statement but I dont do what it is you do so wondered.

Best, Dave.

 

[The Great One]

Hi

Dave no problem at all, it is splitting hairs really (the client, not you)

You know, it really could go on for ever, e.g. take off the kicker boards in the kitchen and clean behind them. He didn't ask for that but then could come back and say ' hey, you didn't do this'.

At some point you have to say, it is up to standard (and above) to be re-let to another tenant.

Regards

Martin

[Ian Rochester]

We do a lot of "Military March out" cleans and the standard expected is EXTREMELY high, if they find one hair in the bathroom it will fail the inspection.  Taps are stripped down on all march out cleans and scrubbed and polished, door and window recesses are vacuumed out and wet cleaned, cookers are pulled out and cleaned, as is the floor and walls areas where the cooker has been sitting.

It will take two people going flat out a minimum of 4 hours to do a march out clean on an empty 3 bedrom property properly, and that does not include the deep clean of the cooker or deep clean of the carpets.

One of my pet hates, and the people who work for me know it, is limescale and scum build up on the underside of the tap and around the base.  So even on our daily office cleaning I ensure things like this are done weekly, they have a stock of small nylon and wire brushes for just these tasks.

My other pet hate is runs down the outside of the sink. 

Once you have your staff in the right mindset and they know the standards expected then it is plain sailing and the customer is always impressed with the level of clean, which in turn results in a happy customer who will recommend you to their friends.

If I was a landlord and there was traces of  limescale visible, I would expect it to be removed, especially if it was a high priced clean

[The Great One]

Hi

I agree totally

I too removed any visible signs of limescale. Back of the taps, underside, the spout, the base, around the taps itself, the drainer, inside the sink itself. But in my opinion under the actual taps heads (the bit you twist) is invisible limescale (unless you take them off) the same as the dust behind bath panels is invisible dust unless you take them off?

I even take out the washing machine tray and clean behind that, that gets really gunked up, behind cooker& fridge, yes there too.

Regards

Martin

[ollie]

slightly off topic..i was in the army and based in Germany and myself and my wife divorced..i moved into camp and she stayed in our house for two months until she left for the uk..when i went to clean for march out she had drawn smiley faces in super glue on the NEW carpets in every room and sprinkled glitter over them!! How we laugh about it 10 yrs later! (not)

[Ian Rochester]

There's nothing worse than a woman scorned!!

[Prestige1]

Went to price up a flat clean the other day and the guy who lived their met me outside, apparently he split up with his girlfriend and moved out, she stayed at the flat, it was empty and as we went into the bedroom area it was littered with empty sex toy boxes of all different types, he was close to tears so it hit the mark, poor lad.  :'(not sure if he was upset at what she had been getting up to or why didn't she do that stuff with him

[Ian Gourlay]

Have you been paid.

Could be an excuse not to pay.

Another solution could be get the Landlord to supply you with a full list of areas he is not happy with and go back and clean.


Your hourly rate has gone down , you have said it does not happen very often.

You could then incorporate these extras into your high spec cleaning schedule and you have a USP