What really is the most costly event that can happen with a customer?
If you damage an individual piece of furniture through color bleeding, fading, or texture distortion, you will have a tangible cost that you will incur (a claim) and then it’s settled. But that’s not your biggest cost! The fact is that the damage claim is your smallest problem.
What happens if you consistently deliver poor results in the eyes of your customers? You could have dozens of unhappy customers who will never call you back, and never refer you to others, or more likely will trash your reputation at every opportunity!
Your Problem Is Communication.
If your customer understands cleaning limitations up front, they are more likely to make the decision to accept a less than perfect result, or they have the option of declining your service. In fact, this may be a situation where you, the professional, makes the decision to decline the job. Never lose sight of the fact that consumers will deceive themselves regarding acceptance of the finished service, then have a change of heart when questioned by another family member.
The Preinspection And Prequalification Step Is “Good Communication”
A good preinspection and prequalification step is NOT a list of good sounding excuses that is meant to talk the customer into accepting poor results.
On the contrary, if you understand the limitations of a specific fabric, such as the tendency of a rayon chenille to lose its texture from wear or denim to lose color, you can speak to the specific limitations imposed by the fabric and the use your customer has put it through when you explain what level of soil or stain removal that your customer might accept.
Learning to follow a consistent and well-thought preinspection and testing protocol on every job you clean will prevent this costly and frustrating problem, and will also enhance your image of professionalism in your customers eyes.
Jim Pemberton is testing and evaluating problems encountered when cleaning furniture upholstered with various microfiber fabric blends. He has prepared a report titled: Microfiber Tricks, Tips, and Tools. If you would like a copy of this report, please go to this download page: http://www.ecleanadvisor.com/public/828.cfm
