[absolutecleaning]

We have been going for about 6 mths and a lot of our domestic work is on a large housing development (2000+ homes).

Things are going well (taking on staff etc) but then last night I received this email from a customer

"
Hello Simon,

It is with regret that I mail to inform you that I will no longer require the services of Absolute Cleaning.

My husband and I have discussed this decision at length and decided that the standard of last Friday's clean was really not high enough to continue.  In particular was the kitchen and hallway floor, we all walk around the house bare foot and we were still finding that we were picking bits off our feet. Also whatever chemical was used to spread the dirt about gave both myself and my 1 year old itchy feet. On the Saturday morning Toby was still picking up dust bunnies from the floor as well.  There were other niggles but as I did say, the floor downstairs was my main area of concern.

I seriously believed that as that was the first clean and that there were 3 of you the standard would be top notch. Standards rarely go up so it is on that basis I have decided to terminate our working relationship.

I am sorry it has taken me this long to talk to you about this but my little boy has been off school all week with chicken pox.

I wish you much success in your business venture for the future.

Regards

Andree Cook
"

She was a bit of a strange one anyoway with various "quirks" as she put it.

The problem is she was recommended to us on a forum for the estate by someone else and  clearly a lot of people use this forum as we have had a large number of other clients from it

She has now posted this

Posted - 08/06/2007 :  23:16:50         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Hello, I can certainly relate to your frustration - I have been looking for ages for a decent and reliable cleaner.
First off don't bother with Absolute Cleaning - my husband arrived home the day they had been and asked why the hallway and kitchen floor had not been cleaned..?? They charge £12.50 an hour and use all their products, but whatever they did spray around the kitchen floor didn't clean it very well and game me and my 1 year old itchy feet !!

I now use Belle Casa - the are £9.25 an hour - fully insured and they call their staff 'Housekeepers' rather than just cleaners. So a more personalised service. They will do your ironing as well

http://www.bellecasa.co.uk/index_bellecasa.htm

Best of luck.
xx

Good luck
 

Should we

a: not react at all

b: respond to her privately

or c: reply to her email and post on the forum ourselves as some of the things she has stated on there simply are not true and I told her (as I do every client) that if anything is not right the first couple of times we would come and rectify them for free.

Thank you if you have taken the time to read this.

Your advice please

Simon

[Art]

Hi Simon,

 If you leave it and don't reply, then your as good as accepting what she's said.

If it were me, i'd post a tactful reply stating the fact that it's part of your service to customers to rectify any problems promptly and that your sorry she wasn't happy with your service, but as you weren't made aware of any problems then how could you rectify them.

Be proffesional and don't let it turn into a slagging match

Arthur

[Ian Gourlay]

Could be she thinks she has found a company that will give her a better service for less.

Looking at their Web Site I would imagine the Sales Presentation is very good thus convincing Customer to Switch.

Also they now have £87 .50 advance fee I wonder if this is refundable if she cancels.

What Art has told you to do in respose is good advise.

[absolutecleaning]

Thanks both of you - this has really got to me

This is the response I have just written and would like your thoughts if thats ok

"Hello there

We are making a response to the post from AJ24858.

Firstly we would like to make it clear that we are fully insured.

We did make it very clear to this customer (as we do to all) that if anything was not perfect, especially in the first couple of visits, then we would return absolutely free of charge to rectify any problems.  Unfortunately there was no feedback from the customer prior to an email stating that our services were no longer required.

We are a cleaning company rather than housekeepers but had offered to do other services for this particular customer.

There appears been some sort of problem with the products we used and a reaction from this customer.  All of our products are fully tested and from very reliable suppliers.  We will, however, look further into this but have not had any problems of the type mentioned before.

We are more expensive than bella casa.  We do not have a flashy website or sales people (we are not a franchise; we are independent).  However, as I understand it they charge an £87.50 initial fee and insist on a contract which we do not.

This is nothing personal we just felt, having read the post, that somethings needed to be put straight.

Any other users of this forum are more than welcome to contact us if they have any queries.

Regards

Simon and Cloud

01252 404689"

[Fox]

Hi Simon

What a crappy thing to do, she has already complained to you without giving you a chance to rectify it and then goes and puts that on a forum!  If she is a bit odd the neighbours will realise she is being petty and if you are doing a good job for everyone else then they won't change so try not to worry about this.

As for your reply in the most part it is fair - some grammar mistakes - the words 'to have' have been missed out of 4th from last paragraph and a comma is needed after this is nothing personal - I hope you don't mind me pointing this out but if this is going on a public forum it is important.

I would personally leave out the part about you being a cleaning company and not housekeepers - no particular reason just think it isn't needed.  I also would omit the whole paragraph about being more expensive that bella casa etc, you don't need to explain yourself on this point and it does look a bit like you are putting the other company down.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Fox

[absolutecleaning]

cheers you're right i think - just wanted to get the point across that we arent necessarily expensive

[DREAM CLEAN]

absolute,

Get down there knock on the door and talk to them head on.
I bet she's having the post natal depression or the old man is having an affair or they have no money.
I find when you deal with people head on you get a better Idea of what they are thinking

Nick

[John Kelly]

Unfortunately the world is full of tosspots like this. I know how you must feel. Personally I would have probably gone round and knocked her husbands block off just for the hell of it.
I would post a response. But don't let it grind away at you. If you do an excellent job and stick at it you will soon have plenty of loyal customers and this will be forgotten about.

[Prestige1]

I would post the following
Mrs x we have been trying to contact you urgently!!!!! we checked with the cleaning company who supply us with floor cleaner, it turns out its a faulty bach, the chemical contains a high amount of polyturneritus, when it contacts the the skin causes itching and then leads to penertration of the eperydermus laire, this then causes a similar effect as MRS and can cause limbs to drop off. you must contact the doctor as soon as possible, if your thinking about claiming forget it you have'nt got a leg to stand on, or should that be foot! regards

Phil

[absolutecleaning]

I posted as above and have now received a grovelling apolgy and the same on the forum.  However, damage may be done.

Looking at the time of her original post it was midnight on friday nightr.

Maybe a case of one too many and then regetting in the morning.

Done and dusted - though I may wait and go with John Kellys advice in a few months time

[GeoffDerby]

Hi Phil, there apears to be 3 issues, complaints proceedure, quality and price. I would surgest dealing with the 3 issues seperatly.
1. Complaints proceedure, in your response you should ensure that your customers are aware that you have process in place to ensure quality, regular visists, supervisors and confirmation of works before the job is compleated. Mrs X has not offered you the oppertunity to rectify, which you would have done Free of Charge if your people or materials were at Fault. Mrs X did not inform you of the fault for several days and has not yet discussed the issues she mentioned with you.
2.Quality, You are unable to substantiate the statement made by MRs X as you were not made aware of the issue for several days, however the site was inspected by your team leader befor compleation and there were no faults. You could say that you only use the best chemicals from the best manufacturers, having discussed Mrs X concerns there are no faults with the products and our application is as per the manufactuers instructions.
3. Price, offer a competative service, allowing customers the choice of a £87.50 registration charge and a discounted service to £9.25 or no upfront fee and a higher hourly charge. Use incentives, 10% off, free window cleaning if 6 hours or more per week housekeeping, Free carpet cleaning for customers with contracts.

Spend the time looking at your business, and how to increase your sales, everyone can read into the fact that Mrs X has found someone cheaper and you do not have a contract or service agreement in place to protect your business

Move on, don't dwell, but come out fighting and good luck
Geoff

[steve doyle]

come on,

post her response!

shes really been a bitch posting in the first place without allowing any opportunity to sort thing out.

steve

[gmcs]

Let us see her grovelling answer sounds like a cow with no milk..........

[steve doyle]

classic,

i posted the word for a female dog "bi*ch" and my above post now reads "pregnant dog" i love it, Quality!

[cleanimperial]

I would not give the sad moo the satisfaction

[Jan K]

sounds to me like the lazy cow couldn't be arsed to clean her own house, got you in to do it then complained in order to get a free clean!!  :

Yes I am cynical!!!