Hi could anyone help? Client withheld two payments and says they will not settle!

JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Hello,

i wonder if anyone could help?

Bit of background: We are a mid-sized domestic leaning company, regular client base of around 120, 15 staff, always growing. Our service is fully managed and is considered expensive by some of our clients who have paid half the price for a solo cleaner (but were dissatisfied so came to us and paid more).

This is good but we have had a weekly client for the past 18 months or so who has been complaining from the very start and always brings up we cost double the price of his last service (who he had complained were terrible cleaners and unreliable plus unprofessional and didn't handle his complaints). We have always 'jumped' to fully manage all of his many and frequent issues, including changing his cleaner but no matter who covers the cleans there or how well-liked they are at other homes, he always finds fault every so often, usually with a list.

We have made mistakes and done certain things a bit cheaper for him because he's so tight and was demanding these. i regret that now.

Anyway a few weeks ago he demanded to be taken off our Go Cardless payment facility because 'it wasn;t working for him' (it was) and he would make his own payments. We had no choice so he did.

Last month we managed two more cleaning issues at two separate visits (as usual). When we came to sign off the payments at the end of the month he had two missing. We sent the usual 'please settle these arrears' email and to our surprise he wrote that they were not going to pay for these clean sue to dissatisfaction.

This was decided unilaterally by them and no communication or request was made to us to authorise any kind of discount. He has helped himself to two full discounts without a word.

What would our best course of action be? We are going to withdraw services now as this is draining and we do not need the work but what about the payments? Do we write them off?
 

JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Thank you for replying Mark.

It is for £72 including VAT. I'm not sure it is worth the bad energy. I suppose I just feel so disappointed because we've put so much effort and customer service into managing this account and we are treated like this. Obviously i am aware that i am taking it too personally right now - the disappointment has just dropped. :)

I agree with your advice and thank you for helping me clear my head about it.
 
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G4ZZA

Free Member
Nov 9, 2016
13
2
Personally I would De-register him as a customer ( you are doing anyway) send him a letter saying that you will take it to small claims if he doesn't settle. but be willing to write if off and put it down to experience. he may pay after receiving the letter, if not write it Off.

He sounds more trouble than he's worth.

Good Luck
 
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Gecko001

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Apr 21, 2011
3,240
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By your own admission the service was less than what you normally provide for this particular client. Think up a plausible reason for this, apologise to the client and make a big fuss over the matter. Give them a gift token for M&S. Learn and move on and try not let your high standards fall even if the customer is a pain in the what's it.

PS the money you lost will probably be worth it if you can off load this customer onto a competitor.
 
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JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Geck, I do get you but I wouldn't say it was less than we usually offer other customers, it's more that he expects more than we can correct. Sorry bad wording, I mean when the cleaners try to correct the work he says it's still not right until he decides 'Oh yes it is right now' but you never know when he will decide it's ok.

We understand that cleaners are humans and we all miss a spot on occasion but it's not very rational in this case which causes such upset for the staff when they try and try to correct themselves. Even our office manager went for a year (when nobody else wanted to go) and she put up with it all then said 'I just can't do it any more!'

Cleaners get unhappy and we gall et frustrated but we've always jumped to apologise and try to offer solutions which he did love us doing.

It's because he now wants to control the payments he owes that we no longer want to play the whole game with him. If it were any other customer I would strongly agree with your advice, and it is very good advice in general but because he is far more high maintenance than other clients and far less satisfied than the average client, the cleaners get demotivated to work for him and prefer to go where they get more praise (as you would), and now he is withholding payments, it has to be said that it's more trouble than it's worth (and we usually take massive action to get a client happy and settled with us but he is costing us now).

I think we can't afford him. I will apologise to him again for the issues he had in our final farewell as i always would do in any situation, but we really went to town with apologies and support,that last time, and he declared himself happy again but now he won;t pay a penny for it.

it's the payment thing that is so wrong, he should have spoken to us about a discount and we may have offered say 25% off since a substantial amount of the service WAS provided each visit plus our full management so that would seem fairer, but he wants to pay a big fat zero and not even give this a mention! This is upsetting to us after everything we've done.
 
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JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Thank you Mr D. I agree with you. I once read about the 80/20 rule that 20% of your customers will cause 80% of your issues and the rest will be peaceful, but fortunately we only ever seem to have about five clients who are rather high maintenance so it's easier than that but how much bother can one client cause - wow it keeps you busy!

One less is a blessing right now and this one was the worst one.
 
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Mr D

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Feb 12, 2017
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Thank you Mr D. I agree with you. I once read about the 80/20 rule that 20% of your customers will cause 80% of your issues and the rest will be peaceful, but fortunately we only ever seem to have about five clients who are rather high maintenance so it's easier than that but how much bother can one client cause - wow it keeps you busy!

One less is a blessing right now and this one was the worst one.

Some high maintenance clients can be worth keeping. Some.

I've a friend with OCD, he needs things done a particular way and at particular times. Done properly he's happy. Done badly, at the wrong time, he's very frustrated.
The kindest, gentlest man you'd come across - well mannered, comes across mostly as a gentleman.
His cleaner rolls her eyes about his requests but works hard to keep them. He went through a half dozen cleaning companies in a month, he's been with her a couple of years and he pays her extra for meeting his requirements.
A relationship both are happy to keep going.
 
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JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
That guy sounds ok as a client tbh because he is clear about what he wants and how a cleaner can make him happy.

If she does what he wants then he is happy and there is the difference. Plus the fact he pays her well for making him happy. This is the ideal client in a lot of ways, she has made him her own.

This is what we try to do, by offering a premium service level we try to have clients fall in love with the service so they don't mind the price. It's just not working for this guy though, we've tried everything and now HE's costing US money! :confused:
 
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JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Hi The Byre,

I am thinking you are right you know. I've learned a lesson here. I've just had a conversation with the cleaner of this account and broke the news that the job will be going, but told her i'll have it replaced within a week so not to worry (cleaners don't like change usually so I thought she'd be a bit down).

She said that she was glad because she had started to feel a bit 'bullied' not because of complaints which nobody minds, but because there was only random chances of putting it right for him instead of it being corrected based upon the missed areas being focussed on it was just random as to whether it was good enough or not. The last regular cleaner on it was our manager, she lasted a year before she said 'that's it I'm through with it, it cannot be put right'.

I've told the cleaner that if she ever feels like that again to tell us and we'll act sooner. It's blooming hard to get good staff and this situation was upsetting them.

Oh it's great to speak with other business owners here! Thank you all!
 
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JulieFS

Free Member
Aug 4, 2018
11
5
Thank you MBE, we were so busy trying to excel at 'customer service' and win him over that I think we forgot the bigger picture,

We will be sending the email today to terminate services so imagine nuclear-like tremors and aftershocks can be felt around Great Britain today when he doesn't get his way!
 
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Awinner2

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Aug 4, 2017
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I agree that telling him that you will no longer be cleaning for him is the way to go. Do not apologise for anything and write off the money owed. Businesses do not need customers like this one and you will upset your own staff by continuing. They are more important to the long term business success than one awkward customer.
 
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Mitch3473

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Aug 25, 2011
1,210
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Take the high ground and tell them you cannot fulfill their requirements, ditch them, it's too time consuming for the amount. Bill them with time constraints followed by action, it might frighten then one way or the other.
We have a large client who is quite valuable to us, they use us because we are extremely reliable and offer an excellent service but they do find a complaint every so often. I show willing and they are happy. Another one is similar but smaller and I'm trying to get rid because I can be more cost effective somewhere else. We are more expensive than any of the competition and frequently take business off the competition. Without fail, good customers pay for good service.
 
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