Don't you just love customers who think they know more than you do when it comes to carpet cleaning!

Had a regular customer schedule an appointment with me. On the phone, she said it wasn't much that she wanted done and said it should only take me a couple of hours at most. I have been there many times in the past and it always takes a good part of a day, which I politely reminded her of that fact.

She has two little dogs that pee all over the place so there is always alot of sub-floor flushing with OSR, which we all know is time consuming. The cleaning area square footage was 1000sq.ft. The house is quite large at 7000sq.ft all single level, and the areas needing the work were at the two opposite ends of the house.

Once I vacuumed, set up, probbed around to find all the pee, pour OSR and let dwell for 30min. on all the contaminated areas... almost two hours had gone bye (I work alone). She starts to get upset because her "two" hour expectation was almost up and there was still alot of work to do.  She again says that this should only have taken two hours! I think to myself, "What is she basing this two hour time limit on?" So I ask her point blank, "So, how long have you been cleaning carpets?" (I mean, how else would she know how long it will take, right?) After my question, she stares at me knowing I'm being a smarta**. Before the silence goes too long, I give it a chuckle and again remind her that this is pretty much what I do every time and it takes the better part of a day. She calms down and apologizes and says to take how ever long it takes to do the job.

You guys (gals) ever have customer know-it-alls?

Yep one. I got it to where she quit calling us. Started quoting double to compensate for her.

We get maybe a dozen a year. Pain in the azz. I (my tech) explain our experience, process, and 100% no charge guarantee if we can't make them happy... If that does not calm them down, I (or my tech) pack up. Then politely explain to them that it is evident that we won't be able to make them happy and that it would be best for them to call another company. About half of them call back within a week to apologize and reschedule. I would guess that they were told -not so politely - where to go and how to get there by another company...

I love it when I get finished, and present them with the bill. they say "your done already!!?? "It takes me all day when I do it myself" lol

that's when I ask them if their do it your self machine makes the same sound as mine. I need not say any more, cause that gets the point across.

Haven't had one like that in a looong time. Maybe cuz 80% of my work is rentals. One mans head ache is another's blessing. And visversa .
-(Spell checker suggestions for -visversa; was viagra) that would have totally changed the message.

"So, how long have you been cleaning carpets?" That's a good one Mark gonna have to use that one.

I recall cleaning for a former carpet sales person of 13 years. She claimed that her carpet was cotton.