An element in the success of a commercial carpet cleaning business is determined by the number of times staff is asked to “go back and redo” the cleaning. Think –Hair Salon- cut-color-treatment. Back in the chair correcting the style, expectation not always matches experience.
I would like to talk about what a go-back, call-back and redo really is – the difficulty of the work scheduled and the feelings of the people involved are not always considered.
These three terms mean the same and are used interchangeably in the cleaning industry.
This refers to all commercial carpet areas: hallways, offices, reception, boardrooms, cubicles and conference rooms.
One or more of the following scenarios are most likely encountered in a redo:
1. A contact may be hesitant to make the call.
2. Staff may feel their knowledge and experience is being questioned.
- When asked to make another pass or give the carpet another thorough cleaning, it might be the case of the fiber needing a second chance to release the soil to maintain its expected appearance.
- The expectation of appearance outcome may be unrealistic as the fibers, foot traffic and building limitations are greater than realized.
- Frequency of the cleaning program and inadequate cleaning systems are implemented without prior knowledge of outcomes.
- Scheduled areas were missed due to locked out access.
The technical and physical portion of the go-back and redo is the easy part. More difficult is the emotional effect that this has on the people involved.
We recently experienced a go-back and redo that was successful for everyone. Carpet in the hallways, reception area and boardroom was redone and the carpet responded beautifully to the second cleaning. The contact was thrilled to see the appearance results from this second cleaning. Our staff came away knowing the carpet had never looked so good since installation and the appearance management program going forward was reevaluated. Everyone maintained a high level of professionalism when interacting during the go-back process and the cleaning account continues to be a favorite.
A difficult and more stressful cleaning job turned into a nightmare for everyone. This occurred last year and has been a learning experience for sales and production staff alike.
Many false expectations from the get go led to unhappy client interaction and unrealistic outcomes. Angry words, demands and finger pointing did not advance to good closure and the interaction ended the professional relationship.
At the end of the day, professional relationships require maturity and empathy when events do not turn out the expected way. Its hard to read other people’s minds and know exactly what they are thinking, ….even they may not know what to expect from the perfect carpet cleaning job. This is an education process all around.
From our experience, a go-back, call-back, redo can lead to a terrific account. Client relationships are forged from working together and creating an extraordinary outcome.
Everyone comes away with a smile.
