PLEASE communicate with your clients

[WearTheFoxHat]

ALERT

 

 

I'll leave you all to think what you will about her. The point of this post is to encourage clear communication , to look at your procedures in a residential install and get things in writing.

 

I had an irate caller today that started out asking about our process and what is "normal " for a security film install.

As I went over the process her temperment quickly devolved.

I did my best not to interrupt  during her rant as I tried to go over things and describe  how it should have gone.

 

At first she was angry that during her "internet research" she found that there are such things as film to frame attachment systems which

she was  absolutely PISSED that the company that did the work on her home did not mention or even offer to secure the film to her frames even if it was an upcharge.

She "wants to feel safe in her home " so finding about F 2 F caused her great fear " I live in a ...bad area ....politicians don't do anything about the....drug users....  "this that the other.

 

Why didn't they tell me?

 

At each touch point about our procedures The caller went off on how she was felt let  down and became more and more angry. She made points about :

 

Why did they have to measure from inside my home when all the glass was accessible from the outside ? Are they afraid of ladders?

They had dirty drop cloths that "probably brought fleas into my home " " what if the last home had dogs which I'm allergic to..."  "Why don't they use new or clean ones in each home?"

"That horrible smelling stuff they were spraying caused me respiratory distress for days even weeks" " Why didn't they tell me what that awful chemical was?

"The film was at least a sixteenth away from all my frames . How is it going to stay in place if they did not attach it to the frames?"(see above about the film to frame issue she discovered"

She also went on regarding there was no bill of sale or warranty info given.

 

 

Sorry for the novel .

 

Please be sure to communicate all things the client should expect and maybe have it all in writing so there are  no "surprises" . Especially with older clients.

 

 

[DynamicATL]

Agree 100%, but I would of hung up long time ago.

[no ma'am]

[Tintguy1980]

Could have directed her here?

 

It's not too late for an anchor system, in fact it's better; the film has set up nicely now.

 

Anchoring systems, as many of us FG'er's know, are best used on residential tempered glass (if you can find one to fit well). Annealed will bite into the frame enough to perform well. Then there's the fact that dual pane performs better than single because, the perp may get through layer one but, will struggle to give-up point on layer two (provided 6 mil or greater gets installed). Anchoring systems came about with commercial window framing in mind, not the plethora of frames found in residential settings.

 

She also has the burden of asking.

 

Can you imagine being there to estimate the job as she yack, yack, yacks your ear off. These types are the ones to simply follow through with an estimate, get out their house, and never look back. Run Forrest Run!

 

Edit: Let's not forget; too much (technical) info can leave a client's head spinning into confusion, especially when you have other bidders involved.

 

One story of mine to add: I once had a woman ask if I cleaned the outside of the glass before installing. My answer was 'no'. She then asked, 'Then, how do you know if it was installed well'? This was one I declined to do when called to be awarded the job. She asked why I wouldn't do the job, I said, 'I didn't think I could install to meet her standards'. She laughed her azz off in my ear, as I ended with, 'Good day ma'am'. This woman was a stone-faced, and greeted me with 'what a dreadful day it is' when I first arrive to give he an estimate. It was a rainy day. It was washing the windows.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Tintguy1980

[WearTheFoxHat]

I think she may have paid this site and others a visit AFTER her install and wanted to find out from another company what she should have prior to the install. I certainly did not expect the conversation to get her so riled up.

 

[Tintguy1980]

Yeah, people can easily blaze into something with expectations out of balance.

[legacywf]

This is a great post, i know some guys out there are either not educated enough or just simply "desperate" to land a job that they dont even bother running by the extras that customer may want. Taking the extra time may actually make you more money. Like "hey did you know i can offer you a nano ceramic for an additional cost?" , doesnt hurt to offer! The customer was right to keep asking all what she did, but it is sad that she coudnt that to her/his original installer and had to resort to a local competitor, that right there tells you how much work this business needs to work on to avoid situations like these, it avoids being referred, it encourages a bad review online, and perhaps if they know the film you use could go to your distributor and complain about what happened thus resulting that distributor not to sell to you. There are many things to look at here and we should all learn if we havent already to always go the extra step when you see you might be able to help, earn and maintain a customer for life, afterall, WORD OF MOUTH is the best advertising. People like your product/work the chain will keep on reacting!

 

Peace out!