Did The Cleaning Service Do It?

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

It happened yesterday.  Our Field Manager mentioned that we had a problem - we damaged a customer's glass candle holder.  It doesn't happen often.  It is a fact of the home cleaning trade that items are broken.  We take this seriously.  No cleaning person wants to cause damage; they often feel horrible when it happens.  Everyone tries to be extra careful, but I can recall the things I've accidentally broken in my own home over the years.

For what seems simple: "Just fix it", the reality can be much more complicated.

flickr credit:  Duke LeNoir

When We Know We Did It

The easiest situation is when we know our cleaning service caused the damage.  It could be a glass that fell off of a counter or a toothbrush holder in a bathroom.  Our policy is to leave a note, take the item and find a replacement.  The office calls as soon as possible to apologize and ask what the customer would like to have happen.  Fortunately most people are very understanding and we are able to replace the item or deduct its value from the price of the home cleaning.

Once in a great while it is an item of either sentimental or financial value. In the case of an expensive item, I'm glad we're insured.  We work with the customer to identify an acceptable way to correct the situation.  The worst situation is when it's an irreplaceable sentimental item.  I recall a beer stein from a vacation in Germany that one of our cleaning professionals bumped into.  Again, the best we can do is accept responsibility and work with the customer to find a satisfactory solution.

flickr credit:  clurr

When We're Unclear How the Damage Occurred

The most difficult situation is when we are notified by a customer that our cleaning teams damaged an item.  In our experience, there is a range of uncertainty in these cases.  We enter into the complaint assuming that the customer's perspective is correct and agree to fix it just as we do when we are sure that we caused the damage.  While I believe that most people are honest, there have been examples that when I've wondered if the damage was fairly attributed to us. 

• For instance, a customer could do an inspection after a cleaning and notice a defect/damage that existed long before the house cleaners arrived. We've all experienced times when I've sworn up and down that something occurred only to later receive proof that I got it wrong.
• Sometimes a customer waits a long time before raising a complaint. It can be challenging to correct a problem that occurred awhile ago, especially since time allows so many other causes to intervene. I much prefer to hear about damage immediately after it has been discovered.
• One area of complaints that I find doubtful is when the complaint is about damage caused by our cleaning products. Our daily cleaners are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, water based, biodegradable products that are used in thousands of homes every day. The cleaners and the cloths used to apply them have been tested by our franchise for their ability to minimize the risk of damage in a household. We attempt to resolve these situations to the customer's satisfaction. I have to admit that I still find it hard to believe that it was our products that caused the problem given their long history of use.

So...Did The Cleaners Break It?

We value our customers and work diligently to maintain them.   It's difficult and frustrating to lose a customer that we've worked very hard to keep.  This is first in our minds when a damage claim arises.

We strive to take the high road, accept responsibility, solve the problem to the customer's satisfaction and hopefully repair the relationship.  If we fall short it's usually because we're uncertain about the facts and are trying to strike a balance between customer happiness and just how much responsibility rests with us.