Month later complaint

I did a hard water removal a month ago. I explained the usuals over the phone and in writing about the process and stated that there was no guarantee it would all come out. Saturday night we get an email

Have yet to respond. How would you handle this?

When the customer says, “It looks like the top window was never touched at all” do they mean it wasn’t cleaned or they are talking about a stain on the top window and it looks like the stain wasn’t hardly removed.

How much stain were you able to remove? Did you take before and after pics?

I would set up a time to meet them out there and go over what you did with them. Maybe even give them a demonstration that the stain won’t come off and explain why.

What process did you use to try and remove the stain? What type of stain was it?

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I wonder if there was a source of hard water in the first place that caused the issue if a month was a long enough time to restain, especially if it wasn’t sealed. I’m not sure of the scope of the job, but I would go back to try to fix it I think, and further explain that if the cause is not fixed, the hard water spots will keep coming back. (Which isn’t your fault) what did you use to remove them?

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What the other guys have said, so far.

Unless they are very heavy, or very old stains, I am successful at removing them. That’s not to say you aren’t or that those weren’t pretty bad. Unless something is redepositing those stains, you probably should have taken photos and emailed the client and told them what the results were.

If they have a situation where the stains are being put back on the glass, (and I hope you sealed after you removed stains) I would clean it one more time and tell them if they don’t fix the situation, you won’t be coming back for free, and no one else is going to keep them off either.

I used JFlint products. Always seal it.

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Did you show these to the customer?

That should be proof enough that you clearly did the work and did it well. Ask the if they took a picture? I would go back out there and takes some pics to document the condition today. That way you can show all the pics in the different stages and you have something to back up wha5byoubare are telling them and then address it with them using the pics to show what happened if anything.

With some sealants water spots still come back but they adhere to the sealant and are easily removed with another cleaning. That may have been what happend. They need tonpay for regular maintenance if they want it to stay perfectly clear of spots or remove the source of the problem.

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Here is the thing with J Flint stuff… In the training, he says it will show a “haze” in direct sun light. So the complaint about the upper part of the window may be that haze he was talking about.

Maybe you should try the one restore instead. It chemically strips the HW stain off, rather than using a media like J Flint does (that can cause hazy scratching). Even in the after photo, I can still see remnants.

But it boils down to this, If this guy is complaining about it as you have shown it, you already set expectations and met them IMO. No refund. I would go back to make him happy, but no way I would give a refund, You got 99% of it.

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With restoration work it’s important to document the expectation in writting. You need to communicate that the window is already damaged and needs replacement. Anything you do to remove the stain is an attempt to restore it which has risks. With chemical reactive products there is a risk of hazing the glass and with polishes there is a risk of swirl marks. Either way the risk is not yours to assume but the customers.

It sound like you communicated this to the customer. I would always get it in writting if you didn’t. It’s hard to say what they are talking about without going back to look at the job and see if it looks different.

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We set expectations in the written estimate, even including pictures of a recent job that was MUCH better but stains were not removed completely. Also advised in estimate that the sprinklers needed to be adjusted.

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The pictures were attached to the review invitation he got at the same time he got the invoice.

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Thanks everyone, I’ve followed up with him. I’ve offered to stop by but only if he’s on the property to point out his dissatisfaction. I thought of offering a 50% refund but didn’t mention that. I’d rather not deal with this guy but we do have a reputation to maintain so the least I can do is show up.

Do you just apply it and wipe it off or do you still have to buff it like with jflint?

I dilute mine 50/50 in a sprayer bottle. Wet the window, mist it on (being careful not to get it all over the frames). Wait a few seconds, flood the window with a squirt bottle, squeegee off, and make sure I flushed the frame and anything below that has come in contact with the water/one restore liquid.

Simple as that.

I do have a few other products, but one restore works great, works fast, and it’s easy to apply/use.
Like with mentioned, there is a risk of chemical haze (burning) the glass. Just don’t let it dry on the window and use good judgment when applying it.

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The more I think about this, the more it makes me upset. I HATE dealing with people like this…

This was done a month ago. The guy probably did absolutely nothing to correct the problem. Then he calls you, after you have already done an excellent job for him, bi**hing and complaining because of something he failed to do…
I do not like dealing with unreasonable people. It’s nobodies fault but their own. And the request for a refund, makes me think of them as scammers…

This is akin to:
I hired a maid service a month ago to clean my house. It’s dirty now, a month later, and I want them to come back and clean for free, or give me a refund… DERP!

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It’s my fault for accepting this job to begin with. He even told me someone passed on it before he contacted me. These crappy style windows from the mid 2000’s here in Florida are the worst. Glued on panes, which I know from experience are terrible to attempt to remove hard water from to begin with. I love removing hard water stains on shower glass because every single job I’ve done people are almost ecstatic at the end result. But I’ve always had my apprehension to doing so with these kind of windows.

I do explain that total removal isn’t guaranteed but that it will look much better and they’ve always been understanding and accepting of the final result. Also, I shouldn’t do this kind of work when I’m not dealing directly with the landlord on the site.

Complaints have been few and very far between for us in 3 years. Even if at a loss to us, we’ve done what we can to rectify a valid complaint. Heck, even the time the customer was totally wrong I went back to the job to make them happy.

We get in a tizzy initially when someone gets like this with us but we have a good reputation and should this guy go all yelp on us, it is what it is.

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This dude knows what he’s talking about ^^^.

Okay after I read the entire thread, I’m just sorry for ya man. The 1% you can never please…

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Bump…What happened with this? Were you able to make customer happy?

I went back, touched it up and never heard from him again.

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When doing jobs for people that are not able to see the immediate results for themselves I always take before and after pics and include these with my invoice with written recommendations regarding the moving of sprinklers or look into what is causing the staining to prevent it.

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