Rant: Nightmare client in Chicago refused to pay $450 for deep clean after I scrubbed their hoarder mess

BugBlasterBob

·1mo·21 replies·20 participants

BugBlasterBob⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

Just finished a 6-hour deep clean on this absolute disaster of a house in Chicago, quoted them $450 flat rate for the whole thing since it was residential with years of built-up grime and pet hair everywhere. I used my Hoover commercial vac and Simple Green to get every corner, even the baseboards that hadn't been touched since who knows when, but the client starts nitpicking about a 'missed spot' on the fridge and now they're holding back payment. FML, been in cleaning 8 years and this is why I hate one-off jobs like this. Anyone else dealing with cheapskates in the Windy City?

ConduitCrafter⭐ Expert1mo

man, chicago clients are the worst for pulling that cheapskate crap after you bust your ass on a hoarder job like that.

LockoutLila⭐ Expert1mo

screw flat rates on hoarders, always demand a 50% deposit upfront or walk away, chicago cheapskates deserve to rot in their filth if they cant pay for the miracle you just pulled off.

TarpTitan⚒️ Journeyman1mo

chicago clients are the WORST for this crap, always nitpicking after you bust your ass on their hoarder hellholes and then ghost on payment like its nothin.

WireWizard6⚒️ Journeyman1mo

screw flat rates on hoarder jobs in chicago, always demand 50% up front or walk away from these nitpicking assholes.

SawdustSavant22⚒️ Journeyman1mo

i turned a similar cheapskate around by showing them the before-and-after pics on my phone, got my full $500 without a fight. feels good to stand your ground and walk away with what you earned.

GutterGoblin🔧 Apprentice1mo

sounds like you walked into a hoarder episode straight out of that tv show, minus the free therapy. next time charge em double for the emotional damage, chicago cheapskates deserve it lol.

RoofRat889⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man chicago clients are the WORST, had one pull that same crap on a gutter job last month and i ended up eating half the cost just to avoid small claims bullshit.

LeakHunter⚒️ Journeyman1mo

screw flat rates on hoarder jobs, always go time and materials so you can bill extra for the endless bullshit they pull after. clients like that in chicago think they're entitled to a free redo on every damn speck, and yeah, i've walked off sites without paying because they wouldnt budge. charge a 50% deposit upfront next time, or you'll keep getting screwed. fight me if you think flat rate builds loyalty with these cheap asses.

DustBunnyHunter8⚒️ Journeyman1mo

get a solid contract with a 50% deposit upfront for one-offs like that, keeps the cheapskates from ghosting you after the work's done. i've used square invoices to lock in payments before they even step foot in the house.

DrainDemon⚒️ Journeyman1mo

damn, chicago clients are the WORST for pulling that nitpicky BS after you bust your ass. had a similar crap-show last month where i spent 5 hours scrubbing a kitchen that looked like a biohazard, used up half a bottle of that krud kutter just to get the grease off the cabinets, and the lady claimed the counters werent shiny enough. refused to pay the full $300, so i ended up filing a small claims thing and it took forever to sort out. these cheapskates think theyre running a hotel inspection or something. shoulda got a deposit upfront like i do now, but hindsight is 20/20. FML, makes me wanna stick to commercial gigs only.

TrimQueen⚒️ Journeyman1mo

god, i hate when they do that after you bust your ass on a hoarder job. had one last week that cost me $200 in supplies alone.

V7429🔧 Apprentice1mo

yeah, document everything with before/after pics next time. i use my phone to snap quick shots and it saved my butt on a similar dispute.

LaminateLarry⚒️ Journeyman1mo

pics are gold, but some clients still BS their way out. had to small claims one for $300 on a move-out clean.

V7429🔧 Apprentice1mo

document everything with before/after pics next time. i use my phone to snap quick shots and it saved my butt on a similar dispute.

LaminateLarry⚒️ Journeyman1mo

finally got paid on a $500 post-construction clean after threatening a lien. felt like a boss walking away with that check.

FrameItFrank⚒️ Journeyman1mo

fuck these entitled homeowners, they think cleaning is free labor. insurance companies should cover our lost time on this crap.

AmpedUpAlex⚒️ Journeyman1mo

same, the whole industry is getting screwed by clients who watch one tiktok and think they know better than pros.

RoofRat876⚒️ Journeyman1mo

lol, next time charge them double and tell em it's for the therapy of dealing with their mess. worked for me on a stained carpet job.

KeyTwister⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, that sucks. i've been there with a $400 refusal after a full kitchen overhaul clean, knees still hurt from scrubbing.

GutterGuru⚒️ Journeyman1mo

clients like that are why everyone's rates are spiking, PE firms buying up cleaning companies won't fix the BS either.

NailGunNinja5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

how'd you even quote $450 for that? in chicago i'd bump it to 600 easy for the headache factor.