Move your own furniture

[AGoodJob]

We own a small power washing company in Illinois. Majority of our work is deck staining and sealing. Many of our customers ask us to move furniture, nail in nail pops, etc. Got our first call that we moved a table and broke a leg (a very inexpensive table at that). Haven't resolved the situation and our contract does not state whether we move furniture or that we aren't responsible for stuff we move.


Anyone have comments on their estimate sheets as to these types of 'little' expectations from customers?
What other odd things have you been accused of? Last month, we were told we broke a flower off their plant!!!

 

[ron]

ron p

10% off their NEXT cleaning.
that customer has 10 friends and lots of family.
fix it or offer something for it, it will pay off later.
If i hire a carpet cleaner i dont exspect that i need to move all the furn.
and if he breaks something i exspect he should make good for it.
The plant thing is a little out of control.
As far as deck fixing, i put in the contract that sanding ,nail pops,and any other TIME work , other then what is in the contract will be charged at $50 per hour.

 

[MARK W.]

I always ask the customer to remove the things off of the deck before I come. I tell them I will help them if they need it. I have removed things when the customer forgot I was coming, but never damage anything. If I were you, for now on, I would not remove anything with out them being there. I try to leave their property the same way I found it. As for the flower, that is pushing it!! I'm going to have to put that down in writing from now on.

 

[johny]

Before i give a price i ask,are you gonna move the furniture?They always say yes,and its all moved.If they say no,i add few bucks to the est..If i forget to ask,the furniture is still there when i get to the job site.You just have to let them know you want it clear .You could say,sorry we cant move your stuff because it can get damaged.
I remember reading a thread where someone had on their contract that if they have to move any stuff ,they would charge $5 an item and not liable for the damage
Johny

 

[AGoodJob]

A solution

Spoke with the customer who's table leg we broke. They also complained that we sprayed in the sealer (we spray, never brush sealer), that we didn't spray or roll the UNDER SIDE of the deck, that we came back earlier than anticipated, that 2 different people worked on the deck and that the knots in the wood looked like a different color!!!! They wanted us to replace the table, re-do the sealer (and roll it on this time) and explain why the knots are in different color or re wash it. They wanted $75 off also! We went back and forth... they screamed law suit. We finally agreed to $75. off and we would never return to their home again. The woman swears she is going to call someone else to reseal it.

 

[ARC]

I have had customers like that - but I don't advertise to them anymore.

And I don't take them as clients unless they sign our contract!

 

[johnny]

Sounds like you were conned by a pro. You really need to go back and take pictures of the condition of the deck. Emphasize the knots and be ready touse the photos to show what a good job you did. The reason being that in 2 months, you will have forgotten what the deck looked like and she will try to get you to pay her for having the deck resealed. She is probably one of those people who cause accidents and sues everyone in sight! I bet she is well known at the courthouse as a litigious bitch. If she mentions lawsuit bring up "mechanics lien" which you can place on her property and effectively tie her up from a potential sale. Offer to replace the table if you can find one at the 2nd hand store, or try to glue it back together. In future I would emphasize what you will do in your proposal. If you move furniture or not, put it in writing- no undersides of decks- put it in writing. Most importantly get them to sign off on the proposal. In addition, get her to sign that you gave her a $75.00 "Good-Will" discount or that will come back and bite you. By doing what you said, you acknowledged she was right in everything she said-unless she signs otherwise. When you talk with her again stay cool, calm and aloof. Don't lose your temper.

 

[Jon Fife]

Agoodjob,


this boils my blood because i've been there, and it is not fun.

Guys, this in my opinion is the biggest reason to take money up front. On big jobs, I also take a progress payment. That way, if there are problems at the end, you can still walk away with 60-80% of your money.

Another tip---put in your contract that payment-in-full is due at the end of the job, before you leave. And by all means, block the driveway because people WILL try to leave and sneak out. Customers aggressively try and get you to do the best job possible, so there is nothing wrong with you aggressively trying to get your money at the end. When i start a job, this is what i say: "i need 30% today before i leave the house. Then when we come back to stain, i'll need the remainder before i leave. Will i have any problem getting the money??"

 

[ron]

ron p

You did the right thing about fixing the broken table.
Now you need to work on exsplaining "what you do" so the customer knows what they are getting.
Do you have contracts? What if anything do you give your customer to sign?
Im sure this person never tips the pizza guy either.
I hope she likes spit on her pizza.
You bit an apple and found 1/2 a worm. NEXT PLEASE.

 

[Deck Works]

A GOOD JOB.....Been there!

I placed a mechanics lien on a womens house 2 years ago for $190 she owed me. I did it out of principle. There are some people that are just NEVER happy.

I require 25% upfront, it may be smart to require 50% upfront that way you at least get paid for the p-washing and can walk away.

Gimme me a hollar if you need more advice.

 

[AGoodJob]

Deck Works,

See that your from Illinois (us too)... has business been slow for you recently? We have. Really busy til 4th of July... now we're dead. I spoke with a lawyer about mechanics lien, was told it was an expensive option, he suggested small claims court.
Do you wait 36-72 hours before you seal? Sometimes we'll go back the next day, depending on schedule. Never had a problem... unless it's humid or it rains.


QUESTION: If a person isn't going to be home when you start the job, when do you have them sign a contract? Also, do you have them leave a deposit somewhere for when you start the job?

 

[Greg Rentschler]

We all run into those types at some time or another.. they just like to make your day.

As far as moving things we have in our contract a flat fee of $35 to move the belongings off of a deck and $35 to put them back on if desired. This usually takes care of things but on occasion if an elderly couple is struggling with our bid I'll throw the ol' "we'll take care of the furniture" line at them. However... if you decide to move the stuff and something breaks I think you should at least offer to make it good.

Greg Rentschler
TimberSeal.com
866-230-2419