Our company provided cleaning and property services for Tina and Ron's LuxeMod BNB, a luxury vacation rental in Lake Havasu City, for approximately a year. I'm sharing our experience because I believe other small businesses and service providers should know what our experience working with them was like.
When we originally quoted the home, Tina and Ron told us that a casita would eventually be built. At that time, the casita did not exist and was not part of the home we were cleaning. Approximately a year later, once construction was completed, we cleaned the newly added casita. This required additional work and an extra trip, and we charged $125 for that service.
Tina disputed the charge because they believed that mentioning the future casita when we originally quoted the existing home meant the new building would automatically be included in the original cleaning price once it was completed nearly a year later.
Unfortunately, this was not the only issue we experienced regarding additional services.
Throughout the time we serviced LuxeMod BNB, we were frequently asked to handle things outside of a normal turnover, including picking up and disposing of trash/items left outside the property and washing/laundering rugs. These additional services require additional time, labor, supplies, and sometimes additional trips. We repeatedly experienced pushback when additional charges were involved.
In the past, Tina and Ron preferred discussing these types of things by phone. We found that those conversations often resulted in us agreeing to additional tasks without additional compensation. Because of those previous experiences, when the casita situation arose, I chose to communicate our pricing and expectations in writing rather than discuss them over the phone. I wanted there to be a clear record of what was included and what would be considered an additional service going forward.
Our pricing also worked both ways. When LuxeMod BNB had mid-term stays that required less work, we lowered our cleaning price accordingly. There was never an issue when our price went down. However, when the workload increased or additional services were requested and required an additional charge, our pricing repeatedly became a point of contention.
After the continued disputes regarding our prices and additional services, I made the decision to end our business relationship with Tina and Ron and informed them that we would no longer service LuxeMod BNB.
The $125 charge for the casita cleaning we had already completed remained unpaid. Tina told me that because there was no contract and they believed the future casita was included in our original price, they did not have to pay the additional charge.
I disagree with that way of doing business.
If you add additional work for your cleaner, landscaper, pool company, maintenance provider, or any other service business, you should expect that the price may change. Mentioning that you intend to add something to a property in the future does not mean a service provider has agreed to service that additional space indefinitely at no additional charge.
If you disagree with a service provider's price, you are absolutely free to decline the service or hire another company. What I will not accept as a small business owner is performing additional work and then having a client decide afterward what they believe should have been included.
Ultimately, I chose to stop servicing LuxeMod BNB because I will not continue a business relationship where our pricing, time, and additional labor are repeatedly argued over.
This review is not simply about $125. It reflects our overall experience doing business with Tina and Ron and why I ultimately chose to end the relationship. Small businesses deserve the same professional respect as any other business, including being compensated for the additional work they perform. read more
