I did a job today that included a large home and all of the concrete. Sidewalks, patio, concrete deck area and concrete under 2 carports. The sidewalks were about 200’ of 4’ concrete. These sidewalks have been there for YEARS…probably at least 30yrs and I am not sure they had ever been washed. I am not sure they had ever been edged nor had the grass and weeds been removed or sprayed in the expansion joints. Needless to say, it was a pain in the butt washing them well while contending with all of that grass…but I got them sparkling clean…amazed myself, actually. So, anyway, I get ready to roll up and I go bump on the door to asked the lady to come out and check to see if everything looks to her satisfaction. Well, she says she doesn’t want to come out, so I proceed to tell her about a couple of things that she might see about getting painted as the paint is beginning to flake off a little and I made mention of a snall area on the concrete that did not clean well because of the grass. She informed me that she thought that I would remove the grass on edges and in expansion joints before washing sidewalks. That really caught me off guard…might say that it stunned me. The grass had never been discussed…she hired me to wash the concrete…which I did…she did not hire me to do the yardman’s work of weeding the joints and edging the sidewalk. I have never had a customer suggest that was my job when washing their sidewalk. Anyway, I told her that was not part of the quote…the quote was for concrete wash, She was :PISSED…but she paid me and I left. I am not sure how she got the idea that I would weed and edge all of that sidewalk as part of the job…it would have taken a day to get all of that grass and weeds out of the joints.
If the customer is home I usually ask them, “so what’s your biggest area of concern that you are wanting us to clean for you?” When they tell me what it is I always make sure those areas are spotless. It also brings out any area of misunderstanding like that.
Recently had a customer say that her main concern was getting all the yellow off the shutters. I said “mam, that yellow is the paint color underneath the green paint that’s failing.” She couldn’t believe it until we looked at one of the 1st floor ones up close.
We postponed the job until she can have a painter come out and look at it and give her a quote. I can imagine I would have been in the same boat as you at the end of the job if she hadn’t mentioned it because I asked.
It happens some people sometimes have some weird not realistic expectations… I would have shut her off by saying “I don’t have any of the tools required to do that type of work” we specialize in washing only…
Done
I did tell her that I didn’t have the tools to do it.
But I know great Gardening Company!!! 
Deflecting is the best thing to do in that situation… glad you got paid
Me too. And, I was not sure that she would pay me. Honestly, I think part of the problem was the fact that I finished the job in 4hrs and she expected it to take me about all day.She had already been in the yard…and there was nothing with the cleaning to find fault with…so, the grass got the honors of being the focal point.
If I know I’m doing the drive I always tell them I’ll be able to do a better job for them if it’s edged prior, just like telling them about removing screens. About 30% will that don’t already have a yard service. If they don’t I usually blast the edges back when I’m pre-treating best I can. Got to have my channels for runoff, lol
