Customer lied and gave 1 star review, need to respond in a professional matter

[Moser Brothers]

2nd customer in a row with water damage, neither informed my assistant that they had one. I knew this customer would be trouble. She told my assistant over the phone that the last cleaner had dirty hoses, dirty uniform and was sweating all over. I put booties on as requested, and customer informed me that the reason she had me come out to her apartment was that the toilet overflowed with feces last Friday. I told her I couldn’t legally clean the area, and the padding needs to come out. She was pissed and even more mad that I walked through the area with my booties on “area appeared dry” and tracked through her living room, on the way out. She lied and told me that she mentioned the flooded area over the phone.
My assistant told me that customer mentioned a couple spots, nothing about an overflown toilet or she would refered her to a water damage specialist. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that this was the 2nd job in a row that had water damage, that didn’t inform my assistant.

I feel like I’m going to have to ask every new customer if they had a toilet overflow or water migrate onto the carpeting via walls, doorway, roof etc.
My response to negative review, rough draft
“Sorry about the misunderstanding. My dispatcher was informed that there was a couple spots in the hall and entry that needed special attention, nothing about a water damage. We always recommend calling a water damage specialist immediately after a water damage from overflown toilet, broken pipe, leaky refrigerator, roof, walls, or any other method which results in wet carpet and padding. In California we are not legally allowed to clean carpets that has had a resent water damage. In this case the padding and carpeting, baseboards, tack strip, and any contaminated sheetrock has to be removed, and subfloor sanitized. The structure then has to be dried via, air movers, and dehumidifiers for a minimum of 2 to 3 days, before we can legally clean it. “

 

[hogjowl]

Sorry Karen
We try our best

 

[Desk Jockey]

Without getting smart with her I would explain these are two completely different services. Your company provides carpet cleaning services. Had your dispatcher heard it was water damage they would have referred them to someone that provides that service

As much as you would have liked to help, your company doesn't have the equipment, training, insurance to provide those services.

 

[Moser Brothers]

Without getting smart with her I would explain these are two completely different services. Your company provides carpet cleaning services. Had your dispatcher heard it was water damage they would have referred them to someone that provides that service

As much as you would have liked to help, your company doesn't have the equipment, training, insurance to provide those services.

She had the customer is always right attitude, her husband was more understanding. They swore that they told my dispatcher that the toilet overflowed. I told them, maybe there as a bad connection, they said they repeated twice.

 

[Hack Attack]

I apologise for any miscommunication and can understand your frustration.
State law dictates what we can or can't do for you and your familys health & safety sake in circumstances like yours. I suggest you contact your insurance and a professional remediation company not a carpet cleaning company.

 

[Desk Jockey]

She had the customer is always right attitude, her husband was more understanding. They swore that they told my dispatcher that the toilet overflowed. I told them, maybe there as a bad connection, they said they repeated twice.

Life is full of mistakes, they must be living pretty good if this bothered them so much.

 

[Moser Brothers]

Life is full of mistakes, they must be living pretty good if this bothered them so much.

They live in a shithole apartment down the street, she should’ve contacted her property manager first. Renters are crybabies that haven’t grown up yet, According to some real estate investing book that I read.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Life is full of mistakes, they must be living pretty good if this bothered them so much.

When I was about 10, I witnessed an argument between two women who lived in my neighborhood picking up something and throwing it at each other.

On closer inspection, I saw that they were throwing dog feces at one another.

Their screams told me that one's dog had supposedly taken a dump in the other's lawn. The other felt that there was no proof that the feces were her dog's, and thus the game of dog crap dodge ball ensued.

Horrified, I went home to my father and told him about these two women, who I (thought) I knew well and had once thought were sane.

Without even looking up from his newspaper, he simply said:

"Jim, it's a sad day when dog sh*t is the most important thing in someone's life on any given day"

I often ponder that event, and his counsel.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Your father is so wise. Unfortunately most of the rest of us are not.

People get so caught up in the minutiae of life, that they lose sight if what is important and is trivial.

Have these people never been late for anything? Has there never been a time they misunderstood a conversation? It must be nice to be so perfect in an imperfect world.

 

[hogjowl]

I found a HUGE pile of dog crap in the middle of my yard once. It was payback for my wife letting her rat dog poop in our neighbors yards.
I stuck a small hand held American flag into it and let my neighbors gaze at it as they drove by.

 

[Hack Attack]

how long were you and Jimmy neighbours?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I found a HUGE pile of dog crap in the middle of my yard once. It was payback for my wife letting her rat dog poop in our neighbors yards.
I stuck a small hand held American flag into it and let my neighbors gaze at it as they drove by.

lol

 

[FB7777]

I found a HUGE pile of dog crap in the middle of my yard once. It was payback for my wife letting her rat dog poop in our neighbors yards.
I stuck a small hand held CONFEDERATE flag into it and let my neighbors gaze at it as they drove by.

fixed it for you

 

[Old Coastie]

Your father is so wise. Unfortunately most of the rest of us are not.

People get so caught up in the minutiae of life, that they lose sight if what is important and is trivial.

Have these people never been late for anything? Has there never been a time they misunderstood a conversation? It must be nice to be so perfect in an imperfect world.

It is.

 

[Jimmy L]

Live d next door to a dipshit who would hold his leash to his dashound and allow it to shit mountains of crap in my yard. So knowing that he would be in denial I simply took a shovel and flicked all of those piles into his driveway. He figured it out.

It would be like living next to a A HOLE like Boil.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Live d next door to a dipshit who would hold his leash to his dashound and allow it to shit mountains of crap in my yard. So knowing that he would be in denial I simply took a shovel and flicked all of those piles into his driveway. He figured it out.

It would be like living next to a A HOLE like Boil.

Naww Fred would just take a dump in your yard himself.

 

[Mikey P]

I'll ask my wife to remove it....

 

[Cleanworks]

When I was about 10, I witnessed an argument between two women who lived in my neighborhood picking up something and thrown it at each other.

On closer inspection, I saw that they were throwing dog feces at one another.

Their screams told me that one's dog had supposedly taken a dump in the other's lawn. The other felt that there was no proof that the feces were her dog's, and thus the game of dog crap dodge ball ensued.

Horrified, I went home to my father and told him about these two women, who I (thought) I knew well and had once thought were sane.

Without even looking up from his newspaper, he simply said:

"Jim, it's a sad day when dog sh*t is the most important thing in someone's life on any given day"

I often ponder that event, and his counsel.

I guess he never met Jimmy.

 

[Joseph225]

Is it REALLY illegal to clean up after a WDR like that? That's pretty interesting, what's the reasoning behind that?

**Edit** Not that I doubt you. I just wasn't aware that could be an actual thing.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Is it REALLY illegal to clean up after a WDR like that? That's pretty interesting, what's the reasoning behind that?

**Edit** Not that I doubt you. I just wasn't aware that could be an actual thing.

#facepalm....

 

[FB7777]

Naww Fred would just take a dump in your yard himself.

Yes sir...


I‘d take a “Jimmy’ and then wipe my Marty

 

[Desk Jockey]

I always picture Jimmy as the kind of guy that would sneak onto your porch at night and take/leave a hefty one.

I figure you Fred as the kind of guy that would ring the door bell then pinch a loaf in broad daylight.

 

[Hack Attack]

Is it REALLY illegal to clean up after a WDR like that? That's pretty interesting, what's the reasoning behind that?

**Edit** Not that I doubt you. I just wasn't aware that could be an actual thing.

the "legality/liability" will change from place to place. Without looking at the extent (obviously) It's a Cat 3 loss (grossly unsanitary biohazard) removal of contaminated carpet and padding required not cleaning.

 

[sassyotto]

just another reason I dont clean apartments...

 

[Joseph225]

#facepalm....

So, I get how that might be funny, but I have seen how things vary from state to state. At my old job, before I started my gig, the owners of the company were pretty tight with some of the property managers of student housing, around here. I was on call one night, and had to go to a "cleanup". This was back before I understood things like professional liability.

This wasn't a toilet that overflowed. The contents of the bloody sewer had come into the whole damned apartment. The kitchen was sheet linoleum, the living room was carpet, and when I got there, you couldn't tell where the transition between the two floors occurred. I called one of the owners, and told him I was pretty sure he didn't pay me enough for this kind of thing. Tried to explain the scope. He didn't give a shit (pun intended), and told me that he'd been told by the head of property maintenance that it wasn't really that bad.

Over the years, I've wished a number of times that I had documentation of what happened, that night. I'd screw their nuts to the wall, quite gleefully, if I did.

 

[Papa John]

If she didn't hire you and was never a customer, you can request that the review be removed.

 

[Joseph225]

If she didn't hire you and was never a customer, you can request that the review be removed.

Not so much. I was on a Zoom one morning with my BNI group. Got a call which I sent to voicemail and replied by text to, asking if I could call them in a bit.

15 minutes later, I've got a 1 star review, and Google says "Nope. That was their experience with your company, and so it stands as is."

 

[hogjowl]

Welcome to our new reality.
It’s going to get worse.
The goods news is most people know there are Karen’s everywhere.

 

[Cleanworks]

Not so much. I was on a Zoom one morning with my BNI group. Got a call which I sent to voicemail and replied by text to, asking if I could call them in a bit.

15 minutes later, I've got a 1 star review, and Google says "Nope. That was their experience with your company, and so it stands as is."

Just do a professional response to it detailing why you couldn't do the job. Most people will get it.

 

[Hack Attack]

what suprised me recently was getting called to fix a competitors stuff up (looked like they presprayed extra heavy in traffic lanes but hadn't rinsed accordingly) the competitor wouldnt re-attend (any thing left is obviously permanent) custy was thrilled with results and bad mouthing the other company constantly... neither of us got a review