How do you deal with damage to your client's property?

I can totally understand going through a situation like this. Mistakes and accidents happen but its all about how you handle it in the moment.

Last year, one of my cleaners was filling a mop bucket and walked away, completely forgetting about it. She called me in a panic once she realized what had happened. The damage was extensive and she felt absolutely terrible. 

I reassured her, told her to start doing what she could to manage the mess and I headed there right away. On the way, I called the client to let them know what had happened and that id give them a proper update once I arrived. 

When I got there, I took detailed photos and notes and immediately filed an insurance claim. I took full responsibility and kept communication open with the client throughout the process.

They were understandably upset, but because of the way it was handled - with honesty, fast action, and accountability - they were surprisingly understanding. We still clean for them to this day.

This is exactly why we carry insurance, and why staying calm and problem solving right away is key. Things can and will go wrong but how you show up in those moments is what really builds trust

Acknowledge and apologize for the damage. Fix the damage or offer to pay for the damage.  Hopefully it is not too expensive, and you will not have to submit it to your insurance company for a claim.  

We handle any damage to a client's property with clear communication, accountability, and integrity guide throughout the process. For more extensive issues, we partner with our business insurer to ensure any damage is addressed properly and professionally.

Just be honest and own to whatever it is!!!

Speak with your customer immediately, preferably in person. Offer to have professional come out to fix whatever damage was caused. Give them some service for free for their inconvenience.

Completely agree with "mowtownedmonton". Honesty is the best policy in those situations. Be upfront, apologize, and resolve the issue swiftly. Customers always appreciate that more than finding out about it later on their own. 

If it’s a replaceable item (window, mailbox, etc) - “You break it, you bought it” is how I handle it. If my crew damaged it, I pay for it.

If it’s damages within the scope of work (removing a tree and get a few ruts in the yard), we fix anything that isn’t reasonable. You just about can’t take down a 65’ tree and leave some trace behind.

If it’s an heirloom or something that I can’t replace, I knock off a sizable chunk of the invoice as a “I’m sorry…but I also can’t replace this specific item in question.”

That has served us well.

I just had this happen to me. The first step I took was to assess the damage and cost to repair, and immediately (because it was totally my fault) said I would get the damage repaired. Client said 'Thank you' and was appreciative of the honesty.

I just finished the repair (concrete curb damaged due to unexpected radius causing me to drive over and damage the curb), it took less than 30 minutes + $15 worth of 'quikcrete'-style concrete repair mix, and voila! All is well!

Be honest and admit the fault if you or your team member damaged something.  Lying won’t do you any good and most likely more damaging to the business and brand.

Fix it, suck it up and pay for it etc. Learn from the mistake and do your best to avoid the same mistake.  Mistakes will happen.

We typically rely on our contract language for how we navigate those situations.  mowtownedmonton your ideas are great!! Thanks for sharing!