Customer upset at price

This customer of mine has always praised the work we have done for him, both at his home and his business.
He has never questioned the window cleaning price. In fact he always tips a $100 for his residential service!
I noticed his gutters where very full and offered to clean them for our standard price of $2 a linear foot for his 2 1/2 story home. He agreed and I said I would measure and charge for only what needed cleaning. Total gutters came to 250 ft. Amount cleaned and charged for were 225 ft. Gutters were scooped out from on the roof and sprayed out as well.
However after the service today, this is what he emails me. His wife was the one at home and who wrote the check after the service was complete. $105 tip as well.

"Wow. Window look great. $450 on gutters is very unexpected however.
$2 a linear foot is much more than I’ve paid in the past after discussing with my wife. We had a great guy work in them, clean, caulk and screw in broken areas for $35 an hour and all that came to less than $400 and he was here for a day and a half.
How can you justify three hours of work and charge $450. Like I said I like you guys a lot but that is not great at all. "

I’m so perplexed. He obviously sees the value in our window cleaning but not in this aspect of service. The gutters had not actually been cleaned out the previous year, that was obvious. Response?

2 Likes

Windows are something you can see. People don’t see the value in gutters because they cannot see them. Mind you they’d notice the value if they failed.

5 Likes

True. Also the fact that it may seem like more of a grunt job… no fancy pure water system. No skill. Something a laborer could do. I should always confirm the final price before starting is the main idea to take from this.

5 Likes

So you only sent one guy for three hours?

I don’t understand how he could be so bothered about $50 with the last gutter cleaner because he gave you $105 tip.

Edit: besides the time took to do it.

I believe their point is you charged them $450 and were only there for 3 hours. You have to admit that is a very good hourly wage especially to clean gutters. That’s what he’s seeing plus he paid you for Windows what did he pay you $1,000 for the day?

How much were the windows? How long did they take you?

Sticker shock more than anything comma would be best to set that price up front rather than $2 per foot way out the price may be helpful next time.

You do need to respond to his email.

2 Likes

We dumped gutter cleaning cause in my market handymen and lawn guys will do $150 jobs for $40 all day.

7 Likes

Random thoughts…

  • Curious why “the other guy” didn’t get called back?
  • His wife paid $105 OVER the quoted price of $345, which is ALSO less than $400 that he paid before? This is some how your fault?
    (She is essentially saying the job was worth 47¢ more per foot).
  • You show up with all needed equipment
  • You carry insurance
  • You carry all risk
  • You flushed downspouts

Correct me if I have left anything out.

6 Likes

I only clean windows but have come into very similar situations.
I can bypass that problem when I confirm the price before I do any work.
So in this case I would have at least given him a ballpark figure whereby he
can say go ahead or fuggedaboudit.

4 Likes

I just tell them that the difference is that you’re trying to build/run a business - not just a job. If it was just a job and only a job, then yeah, 35 per hour isn’t bad. But to build a business you have to factor in insurance, overhead, costs and labor.

If they can have a guy do all of that for $35 per hour, then they got a great deal and should definitely keep him on call because other service businesses aren’t going to charge that.

4 Likes

I agree 100%. I never do the work without a least a nod on price.

I was going to say that I could never get $2 per foot, even at second floor level, then I see you are in Alaska. I guess you don’t have as many un-licensed, un-insured, un-documented “Dreamers” up there. Sure makes it a nightmare for us, trying to do it legal, down here in Texas.

3 Likes

Thanks guys. I was already there that day to clean windows. The window cleaning price was $465. The gutters added an additional 3 hours to the job during our busiest time of year with another large job scheduled after.
I should have thought the situation through more beforehand.
I wrote back, apologized for the misunderstanding (not for the finished product and results) and gave him a refund of a large portion of the gutter price. Something I never normally would do, but I want him to be happy. If he doesn’t see the value in the service, then we will never have a good relationship in the future.
Waiting to hear back from him.

2 Likes

Something similar happened to us, but with window cleaning. Customer had used us before, he was one of our first customers actually. Calls us 18 months later. Charge him what we’d originally quoted him 18 months ago, but this time we’re faster. Grumbled my price was “steep” for 2 hours of work.

As for gutter cleaning, we recently quoted a 300+ feet of gutters for $350 for just cleaning and bagging and leaving them by the curb, no rinsing or $475 for bagging, taking bags with us, and rinsing. Tile roof and with some high 2nd floor work. The “last guy” did it for $250. Whatever, next!

quite recently i had something similar happen a customer bitching that we couldnt have cleaned the rear gutter because theyd left a bedsheet hanging on a washing line nearby and we would have had to move it but on checking it was in exactly same place . they wanted to pay for the window cleaning but were asking for me to return to clean said gutter. this got my fire up - i replied WE DID CLEAN ALL YOUR GUTTERS , if you look in them youll see they are clean. i will not be returning to your house from now on and youve been removed from the round as of now

3 Likes

Just tell them double or nothing that it’s clean and you’ll be happy to go back out there.

8 Likes

Update:

Called and spoke with customer this morning. He was under the impression that the highest gutters were not cleaned, hence reason for his disappointment.
They were indeed cleaned by myself balancing on the edge of the roof after some parkour moves to reach the upper roof, scooping out by hand. Reason it went fast was the risk I took, rather than a 35-40 ft ladder being used for the cleaning.
We had a great conversation. He brought up expectations and value… does this guy listen to Joshua Latimer or what?! : )
Misunderstanding for sure, but with a good outcome and a valuable opportunity to learn without losing a customer or receiving a bad review. He declined my $300 PayPal gift. However I will be stopping by on Saturday with a $100 bill and a bottle of Glenmorangie for him, as a token of my appreciation for him as well as the stress that I initiated.

17 Likes

Now that’s customer service. Nice!

3 Likes

I stay 5 mins away from the glenmorangie distillery in Scotland. Never tried the stuff myself lol.

1 Like

Just looked and seen you were in Alaska. @HBM is in Alaska as well. Don’t think there are many of Alaskans on the forum. but then again I might be wrong.

2 Likes

Nicely done!