Carpet Cleaning Mayhem

Beef and I decided to have our carpets professionally cleaned today. We had received several good coupons in the past to have the carpets cleaned for less than $100. The last coupon was 5 rooms for $55. It seemed a little fishy to me, so we called around to several places for quotes to see what the average price was. For 3 rooms, the prices ranged from $130 to $275.

After talking with the "couponed" place again, we decided to go ahead with them. Hey, if they really did a poor job, we could still afford to have someone else come out. So, they arrive today (actually just one person). We have moved most the furniture out of the way ourselves. I dismiss myself to the upstairs and can hear the guy laboring away downstairs. After about 5 minutes he calls me down to show me what he has done. He's cleaned 2 squares in each room. One square is obviously white and dirt free (which was the super-duper scrub) while I can't even see the difference with the other square, known as the maintenance scrub. Of course he recommends the super-dee-duper one.

I ask, "What's the price difference?" He quotes me a $500 price, and my jaw hits the floor. He says he could do it for $300 if he doesn't add the Teflon preventive measure since I flat out refuse to pay the $500. I call Beef at work and am obviously upset. "Don't let him bully you around," he says. "I know, but he left these big huge sparkling clean squares in every room, " I say, obviously wanting my carpets to look that good.

I return back to the waiting technician and say "Just do what you quoted us over the phone. I already received quotes from other companies who only charged $150, and we decided to go with you because of your quoted price." I really just wanted to kick him out of the house since I felt pressured and coerced.

He asks to use our phone as I head back upstairs only to call me back down with his boss on the line. My supervisor says he'll lower the price if you recommend our services to others. "It depends on the price," I say, thinking I'm only going to accept if he charges less than $150 for everything. He quoted the price at $274 only to receive another refusal. "OK. We will knock off the deep scrub and do an extra conditioning for $150." I almost accepted but thought if another company can get my carpets just as clean for the same price (even though I'm going to have to pay these deceivers and a new company, too), then I'm going with someone else. I don't like to be pressured in my own home. I wanted to cry.

Our carpets are clean even though they didn't remove any of the stains. He left a 2x2 clean square in the middle 0of ev0ery floor. realize that's how this company and this guy makes a living, but next time I'm going with a place that has integrity. Don't quote me a price then try to pressure me into "the better service" for ten(yes, ten) times the price.

What would you have done? Would you have kicked the guy out? Would you have paid a larger price?