[COLOR=Black]We are doing a lake house tomorrow where we have to move a bunch of furniture and every table has numerous things on it. We usually take a picture with a dig. camera to remember where everything goes, but this lady is not cooperative about photos. I was wondering what you do. Where do you set the things, on the floor, couch, another table? And, how do you remember where everything went? Thanks![/COLOR]
Draw a diagram? Graph paper maybe…If she wasn’t cooperative with the photo I would probably just ask her to move it herself.
[COLOR=Black]I might use my phone camera, come to think of it - she didn’t say no, just “not really comfortable.” My phone would be a whole lot less conspicuous [/COLOR]
Don’t take photo’s without asking permission - they could think you are casing the joint, or showing someone else what goodies they have! I know the film people do this when they ‘borrow’ a house.
I usually just take the sharp pointy stuff away or stuff that will not be possible to cover with a new scrim or a larger cloth of choice. Its usually easy to remember where one or two objects go back.
If you ask the client to remove them, they get the hump.
Yeah - if there are a billion, they’d be silly to expect a perfect replacement location. Approximate the locations, that’s all I do.
I would just say that I am not comfortable and not going to take responsibility for moving all the “junk”. I hate moving peoples little collectible stuff. If I had people working in my home I would move things [B]I care about[/B] myself. But thats just me. I don’t get people sometimes.
What kind of crap is it??? Is it collectibles and stuff or just old crap she has no place for??? I always tell customers that we can move stuff out of the way but we are not interior decorators and things may not be put back exactly where they were. I also tell them that if they have things near windows that are precious, valuable etc. that they should move them before we get there. I suggest you tell the lady you’ll put the stuff on the floor and put it back the best you can. If she doesn’t like it tell her she can shove it up her Arse…after you have the check in hand of course!!
[COLOR=Black]No it’s not exactly junk. It’s some very expensive items like tiffany lamps, crystal candlesticks, china vases, stuff like that. It’s an 8,000 sqft house on the lake with a great room that we have to get the 32’ ladder in to do the high windows.[/COLOR]
Before we enter a house the blinds are up and all windows are clear of anything that would get in my way. I will do pole work for large desk or something that cannot be moved easily. I have to many customers and do not need to deal with moving their stuff. When I give the estimate, I also include another sheet “what to do before we arrive”.
It’s better for me not having to deal with dust from the blinds and worrying about knocking things off. And it lets me concentrate on the window itself.
Hey Steve-o,
Hope you added some of those “frustration Charges” to the initial quote. Better be careful if some of them little Knick knacks are Hummel figurines. Those bad boys are some serious dough if you break one. Good luck. If its worth alot of $$, she should move them for you before you arrive.
I have to many customers and do not need to deal with moving their stuff.
In my case, I think the opposite is true.
My customers are too busy, and need to know that someones gonna move all their stuff for them! They would rather we do everything.
Same here. In fact when someone asks what they need to do to prepare for us, I tell them to just be there to open the door. We’ll take care of the rest.
If you’re expected to move these items, certainly a PITA charge would apply. However, if you’re talking about true Tiffany lamps, etc., the client should move these items to prepare the home for cleaning. Sans that, I would have a release in hand regarding moving of multiple items.
Right along the same linies as Alex – I really don’t get people sometimes.
As a general rule, when I am confirming an appointment, I will remind people to remove items from in front of their windows so we can access them. We will either cover or move things like couches, beds, dressers, etc. Televisions stay right where they are.
We politley tell the customers to please remove anything that is within two feet of a window that cannot be easily replace. If they have a 8,000 sqft home than they probably have a house keeper or maid that can move the stuff.
If either of those situations do not apply which in some cases they will not put a bed sheet on the floor away from your work area and setup the items in the exact location they are sitting currently … When you are done put them back in the same configuration.
We politely tell the customers to please remove anything that is within two feet of a window that cannot be easily replace. If they have a 8,000 sqft home than they probably have a house keeper or maid that can move the stuff.
If either of those situations do not apply which in some cases they will not put a bed sheet on the floor away from your work area and setup the items in the exact location they are sitting currently … When you are done put them back in the same configuration.
Amen, if she’s not OK with pictures(great idea by the way) , what i do is tell them after I have finished " Sorry about the onramental arrangement, but I tried my best. I guess I would feel a little uncomfortable with people taking pictures of my stuff for fear they were casing the joint.
Hoosier Howard
[COLOR=Black]Yes Jeff, this is some expensive stuff. For example there is a porcelain rooster that once was Oprah’s, (yes, the Oprah) worth about $2,500. Stuff like that.
We were fortunate this time, as she had some people there tinting her windows and they had already moved everything to set up scaffolding. Of course that meant not cleaning the inside of those windows, but I didn’t really care.[/COLOR]
I have never asked a customer to move things for me. I feel that it is in my job title. I tell them that we will move just about anything except for pianos and curio cabinets.
I have this client that collects very expen$ive glass pieces and odd looking sculptures. She insists on moving them before we show up. Thats the stuff that I would insist on having the homeowner move.
I once cleaned a home that a previous window cleaner had broken an expensive sculpture. The client told me that it cost the guy $150.00 just in special shipping to return it to the original artist in New York. The final bill was a few grand when the dust settled. She sued him because he wasnt insured.
Some customers are just clueless while others are just a PITA.
When I was working in the blind industry we were installing motorized blinds on windows 18ft high. There was a baby grand piano in the way for ladder placement. We told the customer it had to be moved in order to place our ladders. She told us we couldn’t move it because it would need to be tuned after (true, but they could definitely afford it). She continued to tells us that since we are so called experts in blinds, we should have ways to work around this. 
In the end we moved the piano when she left the room and installed the blinds.
On the other end of the spectrum, last week I did a condo for a 90 year old lady who kept running to the rooms I was about to clean and try to move the furniture. Of course I stepped in and told her to go relax and that I’d take care of everything.
I feel my job is to clean the window. Not to move all of their stuff, risk having to claim something on my insurance. It is simply not worth the hassle or risk for me, plenty of other people who do not mind moving things.
