[AuRavelling79]

Classic today.

My little old custie says "I'm not happy with you, you were going to quote my friend in the next road and you haven't!"

Me: "Oh sorry who's that?"
LOC: "Joan, 3 doors up over there."
Me: " I did go there because her neighbour told me the same as you that she wanted a quote but when I turned up she said not to bother yet as she was having some work done so I left it."
LOC "Oh, right she didn't tell me that."
Me: "I'll pop along now if it's a good idea."

So I toddle on over, knock the door and no reply and I start writing a note. Before I finish "Joan" turns up and I introduce myself and explain I'm a bit confused because her neighbour said she was looking for a w/c but she said not yet and now LOC says the same.

Joan jerks her thumb at her next door neighbour's house and says "she wants to mind her own business - I asked LOC to get you to call not her ..."

I think "does it really matter who asked me to call?", and of course the alarm bells start to go off about this prospective custy.

I look at the front and ask what she has in the way of windows at the back and can I have a look? As I walk through the door her hubby is washing up (Orite mate? Yeh, wotcher etc)
and she continues ...


"I don't want this three price lark that you gave 'er mind?" (jerking her thumb towards the party wall with her neighbour - the one who needed to mind her own business remember? ... )

Me: "Sorry?"
Her: "You do hers and you said three different prices!"
Me: "No, what I said was the first clean is a certain price then if you go monthly it's X pounds and if you go two monthly it's XX pounds."
Her: "Well you charge her a tenner, I ain't paying that!"
Me: "I think we're not going to get on madam! Good-day!" (And I walk out of her house and back to the van)
Her: (Running down the path after me) "That was bl***y rude!"
Me: "Yes madam you were, now goodbye!"
Her: (I swear this is true) "I'm going to report you!"
Me: "Report me? ... Who to madam, the window police?"

And that was that with me explaining to the lady who recommended me that I had "fallen out" with her neighbour and she said with a rueful smile "it doesn't surprise me!"

[peter holley]

lol    there are some funny ones out there...I had one cancell tonight coz he owed me 2 months... and didnt appreciate me leaving a bill with an s.a.e... what a clown I was going to drop him once i recieved payment anyhow...

[weetot]

Yep sounds about right, you get them custys, though ive never been through that scenario.

Dont forget malc the custys always right.....................................................................NOT

[thewaterwizard]

ive not experienced any thing like that   yet!!
but id of walked to

[Clive McDonald]

That's a classic malc gold post. You read character very well.

My phone said"is that slumbuster this is... from... you left a card saying you cleaned my windows.Well you didn't they are all runs and streaks- a right mess!
Me "are you sure"
"Yes awfull, my friend came round and she pointed it out."
"I'll come back, see you in ten minutes."


Gets there and inspects the windows dreading the worst.Worker is quite smug because she mentioned the backs which i do.
Windows perfect.I can't find a fault.Worker can't find a fault (And believe me he'd like to)
Knocks at door.Young girl answers."is mr's... here?
"no she's at work."
"Ah, only she rang me about the windows and we can't find anything wrong with them would you like to show us whats wrong?"
After inspection she says"if you think they are okay"
"It's not what i think that matters."
"Well they were all wet it must have been raining and i thought you hadn't cleaned them."

To cut to the chase, the windows were perfect and the custie hadn't even seen them because she was at work but had rung up and given me both barrels.

[Clive McDonald]

This whole thing about the customer always being right versus your worst customers costing you money is a tough one.The best way i've found to think about it is like in dragons den, some opportunities are taken and some are not.

When they say ..... for those reasons i am out", pretty much covers it.Every customer is an opportunity, but bad access, poor payers, various messers, and rudeness detract from this.I hate losing customers, but sometimes even i have to see sence and give in.

[windowswashed]

I had one  (not a customer of mine), complain to their MP I wouldn't give them a quote that  same evening. I did give them a quote when I was next in their area.
A week later a letter turned up on my door from my local MP (all official, no joke), so I promptly replied by letter, answering all his questions. Naturally I refused to take on this high rated, complaining customer as a result of his actions.

[cozy]

Malc, do you work near FTP? He gets most of the funnies You've been in this game a long time, so have I,  but it still amazes me how bad some peoples attitudes are. I don't know if I had kept my cool as you seem to have done, but these are the stories that make you laugh after they have happened, just not so funny at the time lol

[matt]

Classic today.

My little old custie says "I'm not happy with you, you were going to quote my friend in the next road and you haven't!"

Me: "Oh sorry who's that?"
LOC: "Joan, 3 doors up over there."
Me: " I did go there because her neighbour told me the same as you that she wanted a quote but when I turned up she said not to bother yet as she was having some work done so I left it."
LOC "Oh, right she didn't tell me that."
Me: "I'll pop along now if it's a good idea."

So I toddle on over, knock the door and no reply and I start writing a note. Before I finish "Joan" turns up and I introduce myself and explain I'm a bit confused because her neighbour said she was looking for a w/c but she said not yet and now LOC says the same.

Joan jerks her thumb at her next door neighbour's house and says "she wants to mind her own business - I asked LOC to get you to call not her ..."

I think "does it really matter who asked me to call?", and of course the alarm bells start to go off about this prospective custy.

I look at the front and ask what she has in the way of windows at the back and can I have a look? As I walk through the door her hubby is washing up (Orite mate? Yeh, wotcher etc)
and she continues ...


"I don't want this three price lark that you gave 'er mind?" (jerking her thumb towards the party wall with her neighbour - the one who needed to mind her own business remember? ... )

Me: "Sorry?"
Her: "You do hers and you said three different prices!"
Me: "No, what I said was the first clean is a certain price then if you go monthly it's X pounds and if you go two monthly it's XX pounds."
Her: "Well you charge her a tenner, I ain't paying that!"
Me: "I think we're not going to get on madam! Good-day!" (And I walk out of her house and back to the van)
Her: (Running down the path after me) "That was bl***y rude!"
Me: "Yes madam you were, now goodbye!"
Her: (I swear this is true) "I'm going to report you!"
Me: "Report me? ... Who to madam, the window police?"

And that was that with me explaining to the lady who recommended me that I had "fallen out" with her neighbour and she said with a rueful smile "it doesn't surprise me!"

ftp, you really do get them dont you 

oh hang on ...........

[tomy jackson]

i new id be famus one day

[simon knight]

Her: (I swear this is true) "I'm going to report you!"

Watch next weeks "Rogue Traders - Window Cleaners from Hell - Special Report" 

A few months back I had an enquiry from a woman who wanted her ground floor flat windows cleaned. About 8 windows in all and I quoted £15 (cheap for the area/road).  It then turned out that it was her flat that she had been letting, and a one-off. No problem there but it's gonna be £25 says I.

She goes into one saying that I said £15 and that's what she wants to pay. I explain that £15 was on the basis of regular cleans and that one-offs start at £25.

Her: (I swear this also is true) "You've not heard the last of this." and slams the phone down :

[dai]

Some of the longest term customers are the worst. some have never had another window cleaner, in fact they don't appreciate the reliable reasonably priced service you provide. I take solace in the fact that most of the time they are in for a hell of a shock when they take on the next one.

[CCM]

No doubt the 'rogue trader' team are beating their way through the traffic right now to your door....lol

[simon knight]

No doubt the 'rogue trader' team are beating their way through the traffic right now to your door....lol

Nunno CCM, the rogue traders are the ones who quote a price then do the work and on completion charge something way above (usually to to OAPs) and these people are scum of the earth IMO.

I (as most ) quote the job and occassionally find we've under/overpriced ("under" being 99% of the time).  With the "unders" I tend to live with it because I've gone in with my eyes wide open and if I've screwed up then that's my problem.

If, after I've quoted the goalposts move then I feel perfectly entitled to readjust my pricing.

Nowt roguish about that!

[CCM]

well said, my comment was rather 'tongue in cheek' anyway...

[simon knight]

well said, my comment was rather 'tongue in cheek' anyway...

I know 

[CLEANGLASSUK]

How rude! - I would have kicked her in the crutch and then raised my middle finger and told her to sit on that and swivel. Then politely i would of said gooday 

[weetot]

I had a one last year, been going to her house for 9 years and she dragged me back to see the problem.
So i apologised and went, then when i pointed out that the marks were all on the insides to which she reluctantly agreed.  Considering i've never done the insides, i got no apology, just a smile and 'and see you next time then, thanks for coming round.

So not mentioning any names of certain 'newbies' on here who seem to have a vast amount of patience and knowledge about customer service; try doing the job for nearly 30 years and then preach about the customer always being right.

OK i think i need a lie down now.

[elite mike]

How rude! - I would have kicked her in the crutch and then raised my middle finger and told her to sit on that and swivel. Then politely i would of said gooday 

i vote that post of the week

lmao 

[CLEANGLASSUK]

Thankyou - i do have a way with words