How to tell your customers about stains remaining after soft washing – and keep them as customers

October 15, 2019

How can you (the soft washing contractor) tell your customers about the possibility of not being able to remove all the staining after giving their property a softwash treatment?

Learning the secret of how to do this effectively can make the difference between having a happy customer and a disgruntled and suspicious customer – who will likely blame you for not doing a proper job.

What causes a stain to remain after soft washing?

Sometimes staining remains because of long-term exposure to damp conditions caused by water leaks, etc.

This type of staining often occurs around leaking gutters, downpipes, overflows, roofs, and so on. These stains can fade over time to much reduced levels but never quite dissipate altogether.

Another cause can be the incorrect type or thickness of render applied to a brick or block wall, allowing the "ghost" outline of the blocks to be seen through the render. This effect will often be unnoticeable when the surface is heavily colonised and becomes apparent only after being treated.

When should you tell customers about residual staining?

If you tell a customer why some staining remains after having soft washed their property, the strong likelihood is they will think you are just making excuses for doing a poor quality job.

So look out for this type of staining when pricing a contract and let your customer know in advance what to expect.

Telling a customer in advance that there may be residual staining left after soft washing is an infinitely superior approach than telling them afterwards.

When the situation is clearly and accurately explained to them in advance, if there's any staining left they will be prepared for it. They will realise that it's simply the nature of the situation and that you did your best. And if you manage to clear all or most of the staining they will be well pleased.

They will be happy customers and will want to be put on your Clean & Maintain ongoing maintenance programme.

A win-win situation for both contractor and customer.

We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business,

Ben, Leo, Fiona, Stevie & Anthony

Click here to explore the full range of Benz softwash cleaning products

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up. Please revisit to read our response.

Also in Benz Trade Tips