Do you have a favorite customer?

Mikey P

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Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
116,148
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The High Chapperal
As a lifelong carpet cleaner I've been blessed with some pretty special long-term relationships with my customers. When I was 21 I met a young couple in Los Gatos California, maybe two years older than me. Mom was pregnant and was kind and as delightful as could be.

On my second visit the baby was sound asleep in her crib and I cleaned the nursery without waking her. Over the preceding years the daughter was always there to greet me before I could even get out of my van and I collected a huge pile of refrigerator art, usually drawings of a man made from ovals pushing a wand with hoses going off to a distant vehicle.

Baby brother came along a few years later and he and I connected later on with reptiles, with me often bringing live samples much to the mom's duress.. The conversations we had either before or after I finished the work always took longer than the cleaning itself..

The daughter was eight when her father passed away while out running in a very much Jim Fix like catastrophe.

A few years later I was invited to the wedding where Mom was swooped up by her extremely kind and loving pediatric doctor. When guests asked if I was with the bride or groom, I took great pride in announcing that I was their carpet cleaner.

Over the years they moved houses and I cleaned for various friends and family.

Eventually my son Davis took over and continued to clean up until a couple years ago.

It's been at least 12 to 13 years since I saw them last and as I rode through the Los Gatos mountains today something told me to go find them. Not a single wrong turn or any guesswork as God led me to their front door, and the smile on her face brought tears to both our eyes.

The daughter is 37 now with a baby of her own, and hopefully a good carpet cleaner, and the son is a software engineer for Specialized bicycles living in Colorado.

Somehow, I manage the cram my 12 year story into an amazing hour long conversation. I hope she knows that her family was always my favorite.. It was a sigh of relief to see that their entire house was wood floors now so nobody was squeezing in on my act..

She sent this picture to the kids to which the daughter replied "no way that's the carpet guy!!!" I told her that I'm in need of some new refrigerator art. They were smitten with my yellow motorcycle, especially the Cross on the rear fender.

1749138653721.png



I got this text from her later in the day:


Mike. I was just planning on writing you. I didn't know you were 21 at the time.

But I just wanted to say you made my day, week and month for stopping by to say hi.
I am so happy to see you again! You look fantastic and so happy.

I so wish I took a picture of your bike. I was telling the kids about it and the color, your cross and grateful along with the vacuum on the front. You are amazing!!!! Have a safe trip home.
Let's not wait another 15 years till I see you again.

Love to Paula and the kids.
Will pray for your family!
 

Jim Pemberton

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Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,620
Name
Jim Pemberton
I have been thinking a lot about this.

It is hard to think of a favorite customer, but I'm pretty sure I have one. A great husband and wife team whose business grew but never lost their original personal touch.

I have some wonderful stories about some of my customers, and like your story, I'm enjoying being a part of their children's worlds now in many cases.

But no stories like this one.

I'm glad you chose to reconnect with them
 
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Mikey P

Administrator
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
116,148
Location
The High Chapperal
the daughter was abandoned by the father of her 9 month old child.

Mom and Dad are funding her stay home parenthood.

Her mom and I always joked about how Davis and her would get married some day...


I couldn't think of a better reality for him than to take on this
project...
 

SteamwayPro

Supportive Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Messages
245
Location
USA
Name
George
I have many favorites. I have 3 customers that have been with me for 33 years. The Mateens, Williams, Garbacks. They moved a few times but still called me to their new homes. They go back to when I first started cleaning carpets part time just on weekends using a portable. So they started with me when I was using a portable, were still with me when I switched to TM's, and still with me today using VLM.

I have many customers that have been with me for 15-20-25 years. So far this year 4 long time customers have passed. 2 in their 80's one was 90 and one was 60.

I call all of them customers but they are not just customers they are my friends

And two customers started as customers and turned into girl friends Dawn and Lisa

I love the Carpet Cleaning Business !!!
 

Kenny Hayes

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
9,313
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
Name
Kenny Hayes
Yes, the one that pays me between $15-20+k
every month for 30 plus yrs.😀 I invoice them on Mondays by email and have a check in my mailbox on Friday’s. They’re my favorite!
 
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Kenny Hayes

Member
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Apr 17, 2009
Messages
9,313
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
Name
Kenny Hayes
That's why I don't like commercial work..

It's a soulless endeavor.
I don’t understand. That one account is so diverse and has provided my immediate family with a blessed income. Jesus trained me before it came along so I would be ready when he dropped it in my lap. My business spread from there.
 

Kenny Hayes

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
9,313
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
Name
Kenny Hayes
“helpy helpersons”! No one picks up anything to help us including the ones who should. The former business manager would just say, please just do it and send me a bill.
 

hogjowl

Idiot™
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
49,493
Location
Prattville, Alabama
The janitorial staff still uses bleach to “disinfect “ the hard floors. I called in Dan Udy’s wife a few years back to dye several bleach spots. It cost them $3800. They still didn’t learn.
 

Mikey P

Administrator
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
116,148
Location
The High Chapperal
I don’t understand. That one account is so diverse and has provided my immediate family with a blessed income. Jesus trained me before it came along so I would be ready when he dropped it in my lap. My business spread from there.

I tell new cleaners to think about their first few years, as we unintentionally create our future client base, based on our early actions and reactions.

Typically we attract those just like us.


And a lot of us can't afford or enjoy working for ourselves.
 

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
27,898
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
I have a few favorites. One I acquired when I was working as a troubleshooter for a large department store. They had a cleaner who screwed up some wall to wall wool and sent me out to fix it. Wasn't really fixable as he had scrubbed an area with a stiff brush and damaged it. They ended up replacing it with a DuPont Luxura carpet and they liked my attitude so they hired me for many years to clean it. When they sold the house, the owner wrote a letter to the new owner about how I was the only carpet cleaner to use. I cleaned those carpets for about 20 years, watching the kids grow up, the husband pass away and finally the house was sold and demolished. Between the 2 owners, I have about 6-10 related customers, family and friends. Whenever one calls me, we always have some old times to talk about.
 

Nomad74

Boy Sprout
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
24,118
Location
Redding
On a serious note, They are all my favorite. Like when you buy and sell a boat. The best days of your life.
 
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Doug Cox

Supportive Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
4,898
Location
Delavan, WI
Name
Doug Cox
As a lifelong carpet cleaner I've been blessed with some pretty special long-term relationships with my customers. When I was 21 I met a young couple in Los Gatos California, maybe two years older than me. Mom was pregnant and was kind and as delightful as could be.

On my second visit the baby was sound asleep in her crib and I cleaned the nursery without waking her. Over the preceding years the daughter was always there to greet me before I could even get out of my van and I collected a huge pile of refrigerator art, usually drawings of a man made from ovals pushing a wand with hoses going off to a distant vehicle.

Baby brother came along a few years later and he and I connected later on with reptiles, with me often bringing live samples much to the mom's duress.. The conversations we had either before or after I finished the work always took longer than the cleaning itself..

The daughter was eight when her father passed away while out running in a very much Jim Fix like catastrophe.

A few years later I was invited to the wedding where Mom was swooped up by her extremely kind and loving pediatric doctor. When guests asked if I was with the bride or groom, I took great pride in announcing that I was their carpet cleaner.

Over the years they moved houses and I cleaned for various friends and family.

Eventually my son Davis took over and continued to clean up until a couple years ago.

It's been at least 12 to 13 years since I saw them last and as I rode through the Los Gatos mountains today something told me to go find them. Not a single wrong turn or any guesswork as God led me to their front door, and the smile on her face brought tears to both our eyes.

The daughter is 37 now with a baby of her own, and hopefully a good carpet cleaner, and the son is a software engineer for Specialized bicycles living in Colorado.

Somehow, I manage the cram my 12 year story into an amazing hour long conversation. I hope she knows that her family was always my favorite.. It was a sigh of relief to see that their entire house was wood floors now so nobody was squeezing in on my act..

She sent this picture to the kids to which the daughter replied "no way that's the carpet guy!!!" I told her that I'm in need of some new refrigerator art. They were smitten with my yellow motorcycle, especially the Cross on the rear fender.

View attachment 131207


I got this text from her later in the day:


Mike. I was just planning on writing you. I didn't know you were 21 at the time.

But I just wanted to say you made my day, week and month for stopping by to say hi.
I am so happy to see you again! You look fantastic and so happy.

I so wish I took a picture of your bike. I was telling the kids about it and the color, your cross and grateful along with the vacuum on the front. You are amazing!!!! Have a safe trip home.
Let's not wait another 15 years till I see you again.

Love to Paula and the kids.
Will pray for your family!
That was a great story! I have customers I did work for before I owned my business, coming up on 45 years. Lots of memories looking back.
 
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PrimaDonna

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Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
2,867
Location
NorthEast, USA
Name
MB
Mike…. You have always been an amazing story weaver.

I’m so happy you were guided toward this reunion.

My favorite customer didn’t start out as my customer. She was my boss/supervisor at the time.

Karen was my district manager. I was the director of a childcare center…At 26 years old.

I was way above my head but was overly confident and determined she had faith in me ….here I was at 26 years old, finding myself the manager of 50 staff and in charge of the well-being of over 250 children

I used to stay late every night to catch up on administrative duties that I couldn’t get to during the day-to-day operations when she forward me his money mailer coupon add

Karen and I had a unique relationship more like a mother daughter. We shared the same birthday we immediately clicked the day we met and we’re fast friends

I’ll never forget the day my Assistant forwarded her call to me saying Karen needs to speak with you right away, but I can’t understand what she’s saying as she’s so exited and giggling and I picked up the phone and she said in a whisper voice, I’m calling you from my pantry there’s a man in my house cleaning my carpet and you have to meet him. Can I set you up?

Seeing as she was a friend/mentor and I trusted her I said sure remember this is back in 1999. She sent me a link to his coupon mailer that used to come in the mail that had a picture of - bald man posing in front of his van/truck mount…so hot (not)

He was bald, but had an amazing smile and captivating blue eyes
He trusted her as one of his favorite clients, and I trusted her as my mentor. So why not!?!?

We arranged a blind date and he eventually became my husband

She remained a client for many years before they moved out of the area

While we are no longer married, she will forever be my favorite client as it resulted in my two amazing children who I couldn’t be more proud of
 
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