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"Your Appearance & Actions Have Ruined My Furniture"!
This is a story of the feelings of an unhappy customer,
caused because of a technicians
appearance and thoughtless behaviors!
You've likely met your share of customers who said things like this that didn't make sense to you, but while this title quotation was never actually spoken in exactly these words, it is exactly how a customer really felt, and exactly why a cleaner like yourself paid an expensive damage claim!
Several years ago I was asked to inspect an article of furniture that the customer claimed had lost color after cleaning. The fabric was a deep blue velvet, and the arms and cushions looked a bit lighter because of obvious texture change and normal color loss to be expected in heavy usage areas over time.
As I usually do when conducting a cleaning related inspection, I first asked the customer to tell me what happened. Her initial comments at first confused me, although by the time she was done, I understood the true nature of the problem.
Following is her sincere, straight forward answer to the best of my recollection:
“The cleaner was over an hour late. I kept looking out the window for him, and finally I saw an unmarked pick up truck pull up in front of my house. The guy who got out of it had on a black leather jacket and jeans. He was smoking, and flicked his cigarette butt into my yard.
I wasn't sure who he was, but I felt a little scared when he started up my sidewalk.
Then he started banging on the door, I first looked through the window on the door, I saw he was wearing a baseball cap that said something about police. I immediately thought my son had been hurt in an accident!
When I opened the door, he said he was with (the expected cleaning service). At that point I noticed that the cap was for some sort of policeman's club, but by then I had been so scared I was just shaking.
When I started to ask him some questions, he interrupted me and just told me he knew what he was doing, and just to show him where to go to begin his work.
I showed him, and he just started hauling in all sorts of stuff, and he didn't even wipe his feet.
After he cleaned my sofa, he said it needed protected. I didn't know if I wanted that done, but he insisted, and he was just so big and intimidating I said OK.
He charged me as much to put that protector on as he did to clean it! Then, when he put it on, he was using a little sprayer like I mist my plants with!”
By then, she stopped to catch her breath. I'm sure you can tell by now that any further explanation I could offer about the nature of texture change and normal color loss of dark fabrics over time and use fell on deaf ears. This cleaner, as well as I could tell, did nothing technically “wrong” in the cleaning process (with the exception of a pre-inspection communication). Even though he should have used a more appropriate sprayer, my tests showed that the protector was working.
But, of course, he had zero credibility with this woman at this point, and to keep the peace and what was left of his reputation, he arranged to have the furniture reupholstered.
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Let's review what went wrong with this job:
1. Late Arrival:
While circumstances beyond our control can make anyone late, there is no excuse for your customer not to receive a call to let them know when they should expect you.
2. Unmarked Vehicle/No Uniform:
Having your company name on your van might be expensive, but its inexcusable not to have it. At best, people think you are new or unsuccessful if you don't have a sign. The same thing applies to not being uniformed. At worst, it frightens them that you might not be who you say you are. People will have a difficult time forgiving you for frightening them, or even making them feel uneasy. Littering a customer's yard with a cigarette butt is, of course, inexcusable as well.
3. Discourtesy:
When the customer asked him questions, he brushed them off and just wanted to start his work. Treating a person dismissively in their home is beyond rude. In addition, he missed an opportunity to communicate with his customer, to build rapport, and definitely to point out the issues with texture and color that ended up costing him dearly.
4. Upselling By Intimidation:
Most males don't realize it, but just by being alone in a home with a woman, they are often feeling intimidated. While I know it wasn't this man's intention, his conduct up till that time was such that she was actually afraid to say “no”. At that point, seeing what appeared to be “cheap and unprofessional” tools in use caused even more concern.
When she looked over the furniture after the cleaner left, and saw what she felt to be cleaning related color loss, there was nothing he could say, or even I could say, to change her mind. When a customer feels something has been damaged by cleaning, no amount of facts or even impartial evidence will change her feelings; one's mind can be changed, but feelings are much harder to change.
In the end, the cleaner was forced to pay for re-upholstering fabric he didn't ruin. What he had ruined, before he started, was his reputation.
Avoiding such first impression mistakes is just as important, if not more important as getting the first impression routine down. People tend to remember things they didn't like about you more readily than the positive things they might have!
Coming Soon . . .
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Jim Pemberton's
Fabric Pro Upholstery Specialist Workshop
"Specialist" Course With Extensive "Hands On" Training
Class size is very limited for personal attention purposes, so register today.
New Date Announced!
August 14 - 15, 2026
Attleboro, MA
New Class Coming to Florida later this year!
How Can You Benefit From This?
Click here for complete class details
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