I’m like 100% certain I already know the answer to this question but I want to ask it anyway. I finished up a house washing earlier today and I was expecting a pleasant phone call later today when the customer got home. I got the call saying that whatever I did caused cracks in the paint of the front porch. It’s white painted wood. I softwashed the house by DS SH & elemonator. I know I didn’t cause the cracks. I went back to the house to see it in person and noticed some blotchyness/drip marks on the Sherman Williams painted blue door. I can see that the door was damaged by me, probably due to ■■■■■■ paint but if it’s not like that when I arrive I have a policy to make it how it was prior. I’ve already arranged for a reputable painting company to put it on the schedule. Going on two years and this is a first. I’m willing to absorb the cost for reputation purposes.
Here’s the question. Did I cause this? Was anything done wrong that can be corrected next time? Lastly, am I being too nice or offering good customer service/satisfaction?
Agreed. They showed me pictures that was taken a few days ago and you can’t see the cracks, due to low resolution. At that point it got argumentative so I just asked what would it take to remedy the situation. I can tell that they genuinely think it wasn’t there prior to washing. There was no convincing. Oh well.
It does look like the door could have been damaged from the house wash mix. Any how I guess it’s there lucky day. Free paint job.
Looks like a crappy cheap paint to begin with, looks thin as well… I’d give them there money back and fix the door but not paint the entire house! I know we all have a reputation to protect but it’s also unfair to paint some ones house because they say so… there has to be a limit
It’s just the front. The rest of the house is vinyl. But I do agree. I do prepping for a painting company so they’re gonna cut me a deal. I’m charging them for the wash. The house is clean and after it’s said and done freshly painted. I want to be paid for that work. It’ll offset the expense. If it was the whole house… id probably be thinking differently.
The cracks were probably already there. When you sprayed it the water penetrated the crack and the wood behind the paint swelled up.
I’m sure you’ve washed houses with failing paint. It does the same thing but since the paint looks terrible beforehand you don’t notice the paint peeling up after the wood swells with the water in it.
Luckily for me 99.9% of our customers are reasonable. This will be an exception and a lesson. Look closer when taking pre damage pictures. I didn’t notice this and have a hard time understand how someone could think it’s caused from washing.
Paint the door. Just dealt with a PITA customer. Its hard to remember sometimes that most people dont have a clue how you are washing thier house. I would show/explain to her that you are barely using more pressure than a garden hose and tell her a small amount of bleach and a mild soap would not damage the paint like that. Good luck. Glad to see you are having the door paintes to make it right.
Well it honestly may have been your fault. But probably unavoidable. Elemonator is a surfactant which reduces the surface tension of the water. So the cracks were probably there but so thin that water by itself couldn’t penetrate it. Or since it’s covered it may never get wet.
This couple was ocd. There was a 3” piece hedge with mangled leaves from turbo tipping behind them and he thought is was chemicals that did it. I’m like no, that’s a few leaves missing because we did the good job in detail, behind shrubs. It’ll grow back in a few days. The wife was pointing out a black scratch on the vinyl saying it’s new. Husband says no I’m not worried about that. I’m sure it’s because he did it/or knows it’s there. Definitely a detail oriented couple. Maybe legit clinical ocd. I’m not name calling. He named himself ocd while looking at the 3” twig
