Some times is does not pay to pick up the phone

Just about an hour ago I got the call

Dog had an accident on the carpet ( dog ate some food it should not have )

They ask if I can come out SOON more like right now to clean up the mess guests are coming and want it cleaned up quick

So I guess I can just take my truck over clean it up and then be at my friends house for dinner make some money and be better off.

So I say well I guess I can come out but being a holiday and I was not planning on working so I am going to have to charge a service call.

I figured may take me an hour so I say 175 bucks. She says ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE FREAKING DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP A LITTLE DOG POO!!!!

I said yes it's a holiday and for me to come out I have to readjust my plans.

YOU HAVE TO BE FOOKING KIDDING RIGHT THAT MUCH I can come tomorrow and it will be less.

She says what about our thanksgiving dinner I said what about mine?

I told her lowes is still open and she can rent a machine all the chems and do it yourself then. 

You are having quite the run of luck lately, but you made the correct call. I would have charged extra as well and if that was their response, then it worked out for the best. No reason to throw away your holiday for pennies.

The only downside would be that the caller will be dragging your name through the mud to all of her guests when they talk about the spot left by fido. The story will say that you were a jerk and wanted to charge them $300...hopefully, the guest list is going to be short.

what I find funny they would not question if they had to call the plumber or the hvac guy to come out.

OK I'm out of here

I would have been $200 for an hour today...just sayin

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

I would have said the same thing. I probably wouldn't have answered.

I would have said "thank you for calling me, but I think Stanley might be able to make you happier, happy Thanksgiving..." click

 

ODIN wrote:what I find funny they would not question if they had to call the plumber or the hvac guy to come out.

OK I'm out of here

I do hate this reality, but the public does not see the carpet industry as being full of skilled people. To many, we do a simple job and don't deserve near the money that we charge since they can rent a rug doctor or just find a cheaper guy. To most, there is nothing different between one carpet cleaner to the next, so there is no reason to pay more than the lowest price (we all know what that magic price is where people lose interest).

Most people can't do there own plumbing or fix the A/C when it is 105 degrees in the shade, but they "believe" that they can clean their own carpets since the store is full of canned sprays and rental machines. Having the industry full of hacks doesn't help either. That is why educating the public is so important as is doing the most professional job that we can in the field. Show off those tools (anyone see a rotary being rented in a store) and brag about your truckmount's power. Explain to them how you have a prespray that is DFE safe and no smell. Explain what you are doing when you remove those stains and why that red remover works the way it does. Bottom line: You are the professor and they are the student, don't waste the opportunity. 

Well said Milspec6
Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

We don't work for nothing.
After hours, public holidays, or weekend why shouldn't we charge a call out fee!

l love the people who ask for a price then ask me if l can do it Sunday. l tell them it will be double on Sunday, they quickly ask if l can do it for them Monday.

That is exactly the reason why I absolutely do not pick up the phone on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm not going to let some a-ho ruining my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner :-)
I got a similar email late last night about one throw up spot and she wanted me to come today for $ 50 for one spot, I told her politely that it costs me more than $ 50 to make one stop and ask her to let me know if she has any other questions and never heard back from her.

I will get calls like that from time to time. Thankfully it doesn't happen that often.

First, until we all decide collectively to be treated as any other service business, we will continue to be devalued. No pro plumber, HVAC company, or repair business is coming out for NOTHING. Nor are they coming out for beer money. They are in the business to make money, like we are. They charge extra for after hours and holidays. Why shouldn't WE also do so?

Next, until we all expose this junk they sell and rent at the stores for the consumer garbage that it is, we should expect to compete with this garbage. All that stuff is consumer garbage designed solely to make the manufacture money. It isn't pro strength, nor is it well designed stuff. It is made for anyone to use. Not people with any sort of skills. Look how much Resolve is sold and used. Look at all the problems it has caused us. That stuff is the cleaners bane.

Lastly, you just have to understand that everyone wants something NOW. There problems are the ONLY thing important to them. They don't care about you and your life. Most people are also a little short in the common sense department. You have to learn to treat folks with kid gloves. YOU set stage of what work you will do, when your willing to do it, and how much you will charge. If you don't want to work a holiday, don't answer the phone, texts, or e-mails. If you charge a higher rate for the holiday, simply tell your customer the charge for a call out in those circumstances is X and for the reason of Y. I would not argue with them or be sarcastic. The only thing I might say if it didn't lead to a fire fight was "If you call anyone else in the service industry such as a plumber, you will be charged higher fees for after Hours. We too must charge this to cover the substantially higher costs of business on holidays and weekends."