Customer from hell?

Tint Eastwood · March 3, 2010

I bid and installed a job about two months ago. It was about 500 sq ft. Really nice house with nice glass and frames and built on the side of a cliff. Job went great and when I was wrapping up my tools the homeowner asked if I was going to go ahead and start cleaning the outside of the windows or if I would be back in the morning. I get that sometimes when people are trying to be funny, so I kind of chuckled and went on about my business. Then she said "No, I'm serious when will you be back to clean the outsides?" I think I had that deer in the headlight look and I said "Oh, no ma'am we don't clean the outside just the inside where we install the film." She proceeded to ask me how she would know if she liked the film and that I did a good job. (outsides of the windows were pretty filthy, they were finishing up renovations and just finished the brickwork on the outside.) I assured her that the insides were cleaned thoroughly and if they weren't it would stick out like a sore thumb when she had the windows cleaned. She got very irrate stating that the other company she got an estimate from said that they would "clean the windows." I assured her it was not standard practice (with our company atleast) that the outsides of the would be washed. I told her we didn't price for it and we don't do ext. cleanings at all anyway. She was pretty ticked by this point, so she threw (literally) the other est. at me and pointed out where it said "clean windows and install film." Of course in looking at the est. the price was significantly lower than our price, and I priced this one lower than I probably should have. I pointed out to her that it didn't say anything about ext. cleaning and at that price no one could possibly clean her windows inside and out and film them too. This house is on the side of a cliff basically and it would have taken every bit of a 40' ladder to reach atleast half the windows. She kept asking how she would know if I did a good job on these windows if she couldn't look through clean windows. So we played the little game of me getting back out the ladder and her pointing out just about every spot on the windows and me standing there saying "This spot? Yea thats on the outside. This spot? Yeah thats on the outside." So finally I told her I would clean one window on the outside to show her that the film was indeed installed correctly. I picked out one on the back deck and cleaned if for her which calmed her down a little, but I could still tell she felt like she was getting the shaft. Upon finishing I was walking the ladder back through the house and overheard her on the phone with the other tint company asking if they meant they would clean the outsides too. I can only imagine what they told her because she didn't bring that point back up. Before I left I told her that all my work is guranteed and that upon completing the ext. washing if she saw anything on the film to call me and I would be more than happy to come back and replace the film if necessary. She still wasn't happy but she let me leave with a check, finally.

Well to make a long story longer, last week guess who called? Thats right my favorite happy customer. She was irrate again saying that she had the windows cleaned and there were lines "on every window and all over them." I had an idea what it was but I told her I would be there later that day to look at it. So I get there and walk inside and she has her "contractor" friend there for support. I took one look at the windows and my suspision was confirmed. There were scratches on all the windows, every single one. She informed me she wanted her money back because I was dishonest to her about the films being installed correctly. I told her that those scratches were on the outside and the window washers must have done it because I know for a fact I didn't scratch them. That's when the contractor friend piped up and said that was not the case because he had HIS men do it. So I made them run their fingers on the windows on the inside over these scratches and they were smooth as a babies ass. Then we walked outside and I had them do the same, and sure enough this dishonest window tinter was right. Scratches on the outside. They both had blank expressions on their faces when I wished them a good day and told them to call us if they had any troubles with the film in the future. Ahh......the joys of being a dishonest window tinter. :lol

Moral of the story, tell snoody customers you don't wash the outside's before starting the job. I learned my lesson on that.

lostinbama · March 3, 2010

Sounds like you won this one! I wonder why she wants to pin all this on you?

Remember,

God is great, beer is good and PEOPLE ARE CRAZY! :lol

VIP tint + glass · March 3, 2010

WOW that lady must feel like a complete dumb ass. along with the contractor that had his guy scratch up all the windows. its now his problem, and she will likely have to have the windows retinted if they replace them. HAHA. doubt she will call u back though out of embarassment.

those 2 have now officially been shafted

Booms · March 3, 2010

Those 2 have now officially been shafted........

:gasp

Tint Eastwood · March 3, 2010

Sounds like you won this one! I wonder why she wants to pin all this on you?

I think she truly thought I had messed it up and was jerkin' her around. I look younger than I am so she probably thought I wasn't experienced and didn't know what I was doing. I don't think the contractor helped things at all either. Well, other than for the obvious reason.