ComplaintsforStanley Steemer

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/20/22, we had Stanley Steamer come out to scrub 2 bedrooms, basement, 2 flights of stairs, & 1 area rug. They were in & out in about an hour, which seemed VERY quick. The carpets were supposed to be dry that evening, but were wet for days. When finally dry enough to sweep, they were very crusty & looked the same! (I did sign off on several stains that couldn’t be removed, which I’m fine with). My boyfriend spoke to them 3-4 times over this whole issue. We agreed to have them redo (which the did schedule very quickly) & they sent same people who did same shoddy job. They dried faster, but steps are newer carpet & they are now matted down & feel gross. The 1 bedroom & basement are in decent shape, other bedroom has marks ALL over it that were NOT there before. I know exactly that it’s from their “protectant” we agreed to purchasing. They sprayed all over & didn’t do the job correctly & now it’s ruined. It looks like a puppy had 10 accidents in there & we do not have pets! I also do not eat or drink in there! They also badgered me (which agreed, was my fault for giving in) into buying 2 bottles of their spot remover & 1 tile cleaner, which are both horrible products! Makes a sticky film on my tile & does not take a spot out of any carpet! When they spoke to my boyfriend after his 1-2 complaints & after they came back out to redo--twice they told him they’d report our unhappiness to the manager & he’d call us with a remedy (possibly another redo, or a refund). Another week gone by & no response. We now have to replace the carpet in the bedroom. They also hoodwinked me into their “deodorizer”, which I thought would freshen the house, but just smelled like wet carpet, so who knows if the even did that! We used them in 2014 & were very happy! This time was a disaster! And quite expensive!

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  We arrived on location on 6/20/22 cleaned protected and deodorized all areas, upon arrival our crew did a full walk through with the customer, discusses all spots and what they are using to maintain the flooring in between cleanings. During this walk through we found out the customer was using products that would leave residue in the carpet and cause a lot of her problems. We did come across a few marks that were permanent and we were unable to remove, which at that time the crew took photos of. The very next day the customer called back requesting our company to return and try some of the spots again. which some did come back and that is called a wicking action which was also explained. The customer said they work and we couldn't get back into the home until the 25th of June. It is a standard practice to send the same crew back into the home because the are familiar with the home, customer and what was cleaned. Upon arrival we found some of the spots came back which is the wicking action we talked about on the on the original cleaning. The crew re cleaned all of the areas the customer requested them to do with out any issue. after cleaning the second time was complete Mike G***** a manager contacted the customer to confirm they were completely happy with the results and they said everything looked great except for the permanent spots. After this phone call we considered the matter closed. Then we received this letter?  if the customer is not happy with the cleaning of the second time we would be more than happy to have a manager out and reclean the areas of concern again. We stand by our workmanship and would be glad to go over these areas again. We do have before and after photos, time stamp on start and finish times ect. 

  Customer response

  09/04/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.
  

  The businesses response has nothing to do with my complaint!!  I already stated that I did agree & signed off on the spots that could not be removed!  We are unhappy because our carpets are crunchy & filmy (and were NOT before.). we didn’t just have them return to ‘rescrub the spots!’  The office told us that they would try to send a different team the 2nd time out, & not what their response said about ‘always’ sending same team! Our complaints are only about the filmy grimy stairs & the 5-6 spray marks that now have ruined my bedroom carpet, that they did NOT respond to at all   Hence why I attached the pictures the 1st time  also, we NEVER had a manager, let alone anyone call us to see if we were happy with the job!”  Not only did they provide out & out lies, no one addressed our complaint!  The spare bedroom AND stairs!

   

  
  Regards,
  
  Christon Z******

  Business response

  09/12/2022

  We understand the concern of the customer and would love the opportunity to come back out and reclean the areas of concern. stiff, crunchy carpet is usually the result of soap spots and are very easily corrected. Pleas call me directly and we will set up a cleaning for the problem areas no problem. 1-800-Steemer to schedule or discuss a resolution to your concerns. 

  Customer response

  09/13/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* I am in compliance with this, ONLY if a manager does the work and NOT the people that did it twice already.  The steps & stains that they left on spare bedroom carpet are to be fixed. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******

  Customer response

  10/04/2022

  We closed my complaint with Stanley Steamer a few weeks ago, with the agreement that they’d send their ‘best’ guy out.  We called to schedule for last Saturday, Oct 1st with a window of 8:00 AM-12:00 PM.  TheY did not show, & didn’t text to say they’d be late until 12:20, which we both had left for work, since I went in to work late, so I could wait for them!  He called my boyfriend with some dumb excuse & said yet again, “he’d speak to his manager about maybe a discount or coming back this Saturday”.   We’re not wasting another 1/2 day again. 

  
  ******** *******

  Customer response

  12/08/2022

  As of 12-7-22, I have still not received a response back from Stanley Steamer!  We had to replace our carpets, since they ruined them, & refused to refund us, or call back to rectify their mess. After reading others complaints, I realized that this is normal behavior for them. So I will just use social media to let people know, that they need to use a different company, & make all the reviews that I can.  If I can save at least 1 other person from wasting their time & money, then it will be worth it!  Very dissatisfied & disappointed!

  Business response

  12/08/2022

  We will remain open to re clean the carpets, the areas in question were never allowed to be viewed, we maid multiple attempts to send crews back and he would not allow it. Our 30 workmanship guarantee is that we will come back and re clean any areas you are not happy with up to 30 days. The customer wouldn't even allow us to attempt to satisfy him. We will still stand behind our first offer of recleaning the areas in question. 

  Customer response

  12/08/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
   
  OK? I’m SIMPLY DONE WASTING MY TIME & ENERGY on this absolutely ridiculous company!!  As I stated SEVERAL TIMES… their last half a##’d attempt to”FIX” this HUGE issue, we BOTH missed more than 1/2 day of work waiting on their “8:00 - 12:00 PM“ window!  At 12:40, we both left for work & got another excuse not only why they weren’t there in the “window”, but why they couldn’t be bothered to call earlier than AFTER the window. Tech informed us that we would be receiving a call from company to reschedule!! SHOCKER!!  Never another call from them again!! I’m DONE with these peoples drama & lies & shotty work & work ethics!!! They CLEARLY do NOT guarantee their work, because every person’s reviews (including ours), all anyone wanted was a partial refund with NO AVAIL! Probably because they are SO horrible, they’d go bankrupt!!  GO FLY A KITE, STANLEY!!  And how about at least proofreading your crap you spout!  Makes you look even less professional!  DO NOT write back! If we didn’t have to get rid of our ruined carpets, I’d have opened a civil suit! 

  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I believe Stanley Steemer uses Bait and Switch tactics in its services. After speaking to several cleaning companies about getting a whole-house duct cleaning, I believed that sanitizing was included in the process. Stanley Steemer has a drop-down menu of services. Nothing is included in the menu or mentioned anywhere on the website stating that sanitizing is a paid add-on. Everything was done electronically, and I had no contact with a live person until they arrived on the morning of the appointment. Even then, nothing was mentioned or discussed about what was included and what was not. Only after the vacuuming process was complete, did they offer the paid upgrade for sanitizing the duct system. Having my expectations and heart set on what I believed was a full cleaning, including sanitizing, it made no sense to have them remove the equipment and seal everything up when not fully cleaned. Once again, during the vent sanitizing process, they offered another, "paid upgrade," to sanitize the entire house. It is one baiting tactic after another with this company. I want refunded for the portion of the bill that was later revealed to be a paid upgrade. Due to the misleading nature of the website and lack of actual communication, I truly believed this was included.

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  In response to complaint ID#*********  This Air Duct Cleaning job was booked online by *** ***** ******n on Tuesday, August 16th at 6:54 pm using the Stanley Steemer online scheduling system.  The job was scheduled for Saturday, August 20th in the 8:00 am to noon service window.  On Saturday, August 20th, the Stanley Steemer NADCA certified technician (National Air Duct Cleaning Association) arrived on site at 8:19 am, he and his assistant, recall the below time line and interaction as what happened from the moment they arrived until the job was completed.  They parked in the driveway, met *** ******* at his garage and went directly to the HVAC unit to walk through the cleaning process.  They discussed the steps involved with cleaning process including making access cuts into the Return and Supply lines of the unit to attach the vacuum line to the HEPA filter, drilling numerous 1-inch holes in the duct work in order to insert rods, agitation tools and compressed air guns which loosen the particulates in the duct work and the removal and cleaning of the vent covers.  During the initial inspection the lead technician made mention that the unit had an existing access cut which meant he would only need to make one new cut.  The vent covers in the home presented some challenges to the crew because some vent covers were painted to the wall.  A very typical issue and certainly not unusual, but there is bit more time involved when carefully removing the sealed covers to avoid damaging the walls and vent covers.  During vent removal, which again took a bit longer, and during the set up and close to the beginning of the air duct cleaning the technician mentioned the option of the additional sanitizing service to *** ********  *** ******* stated that he thought that the sanitation was part of the cleaning service, however at some point he did decide to proceed with the vent sanitation which is priced at $20.00 per vent. 
  
  I feel terrible that *** ******* had this reaction to our sales process and our pricing and perhaps the clarity of the Stanley Steemer website.  *** ******* placed the order online and it is clearly stated online what is included in the Air Duct cleaning. 
  
  The drop downs on the Air Duct webpage 
  1. Explain the process  
  2. Explain dryer vent cleaning  
  3. Explain the UV light air purification
  
  I do not believe the Stanley Steemer website is misleading.  There is clearly no mention of a sanitizing step with our service on the Air Duct page.  In his complaint, *** ******* mentions that - after speaking to other companies he believed that sanitizing was included in this process – unfortunately, I cannot speak for other companies, but our service very clearly does not offer sanitizing as part of our regular cleaning.  It is offered as an additional upgrade on the job site.  *** ******* states that there is nothing on the drop down the mentions our sanitizing process as a paid add on.  That is true, it is not on the web site because each Stanley Steemer nationwide process orders through the site but many offer a variety of different services.  
  
  As I mentioned to *** ******* on Saturday, perhaps there could have been a better explanation by the crew.  Perhaps a timelier explanation of the additional option of sanitation to the job.  However, I disagree with the alleged bait & switch tactic mentioned in the complaint.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We did not advertise or offer a sanitizer bargain and then offer an inferior product at the time of service.  The sanitation option we offer is a high-quality CDC approved EPA registered sanitizer.  Our technicians are highly trained and very knowledgeable on all the additional products we offer.  Again, my response on when this option was mentioned is based on both my conversation with the crew and the feed back provided by *** ********  It is quite possible there was not clear communication, but no matter the circumstance of poor communication or the clarity of the Stanley Steemer website, *** ******* agreed to have his vents sanitized.  *** ******* was also aware of the additional cost associated with the upgrade.                       
  
  Our main goal is to create a great experience for each customer.  However, I feel like we missed the mark with *** *******’s job and for that I do apologize.  Obviously, I don’t want to lose *** ******* as a future customer and would like to discuss a way to replace this bad memory with a more pleasant memory.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

  Customer response

  09/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

  It is obvious in reading this response that we have very different opinions of both good customer service and how this should be resolved.  While this owner keeps stating how upset he is to hear how unhappy and dissatisfied I am in this, and that he wants to make this right and keep my business, he has not offered anything other than a vague apology for the misunderstanding.  

  He acknowledges numerous times that his company failed to fully explain this service from Stanley Steemer.

  In looking over the website again, I opened every link, every drop down option, and went through the entire process again, as if scheduling an appointment.  I come to the same conclusion.  

  In reading the added paid services section, only two paid upgrades are listed on the website: dryer vent cleaning and UV Light Cleaning.  Nothing shows that Sanitizing is a paid upgrade.  In addition to that, the process is supposed to include an inspection and full explanation of services, which I did not receive.  The crew simply showed up and said they were hear to clean the vents. 

  I showed them where the vents were, and they began.  There was no initial inspection of anything.  The website suggests that the actual cleaning may be scheduled for another day, so I was not even sure if I was getting the vents cleaned that day. 

  I have included to screenshots of different portions of the Stanley Steemer website.  If you look under their explanation of, "scam companies," that is exactly what they did to me! What I truly believed was an all-inclusive process turned out to be a, "PER VENT," service, with increasing enticements throughout the process.

  What this boils down to is good vs bad customer service.  I am not asking for a full refund.  They vacuumed my vents; of that I am sure.  It is the added and surprise cost of the, "Sanitizing," that I have issues with.  I am not satisfied with the service they gave me.  They did not provide me with $240 worth of product.  They charge $20 per vent to, "sanitize," vents.  Considering I have 12 vents, that is how they came up with the $240 fee.  

  There were at least 5 or 6 vents that his crew was not able to remove from the wall entirely.  Eighty years worth of paint, plaster, sealant, etc., prevented them from being fully removed.  They were barely able to open them even a full inch or two.  I have to question how well were they sanitized? How well were these particular vents even cleaned? 

  Their process does mention that all vents are to be removed and cleaned, and yet at least 5 or 6 of them were not even removed from the wall.  That is deserving of a partial refund for the sanitizing portion of this job.  I did not receive a full service, and I am completely unsatisfied with the process, from start to finish, including charges.  

  I am a former police officer and have a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice.  Bait and Switch is specifically mentioned in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.  I am again asking for a refund for the added cost of the sanitizing portion of this bill.  Not only will this complaint be visible for at least three years, I will be further inclined to escalate this to the Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection.  

   

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

  Business response

  09/07/2022

  In response to complaint *** *********  *** *******, thank you again for taking the time to let us know of the details surrounding your recent Air Duct Cleaning.  Please accept my sincere apologies for the situation.  I was not aware there was any issue with cleaning.  My concern is the possibility that 4 or 5 vent covers were not properly cleaned.  Vent covers that we are unable to remove or that are partially blocked can still be cleared and cleaned.  The compressed air will still blow particulates to the vacuum and the front of the vent cover are still contact cleaned.  However, I would be happy to have the crew back to redo the entire job from beginning to end.  I will have a manager join them to ensure proper cleaning and to make sure you are completely satisfied with the effort.  I will call you today to discuss the redo option and my thoughts on rectifying the vent sanitizing issue.  Again, thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback.  I will use this to teach our technicians the importance of being detail oriented and thorough at each job.  I promise you that you can count on Stanley Steemer to satisfy all of your cleaning needs in the future.  I would like your last memory of Stanley Steemer to be a pleasant one - not the experience you recently endured.  I will do my best to make sure you remember us for all of the right reasons. 

  Customer response

  09/09/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  I have spoken to the owner of this franchise numerous times.  I am not interested in his proposal to redo the job and issue me a certificate for the amount of the sanitizing.  I am not interested in scheduling any future services, as Stanley Steemer will never step foot in my house again.  

  They are missing the entire point of my complaint, that I feel that I was misled and victim of a baiting tactic. Nothing short of a cash or credit card refund for the disputed amount of $240 will satisfy that.  

  I am even willing to forego the discount I received for signing up for email updates, as I have already unsubscribed.  I truly have no desire to ever conduct business with this company again.  

  First of all, my house is finally back in place.  I reattached the vents that were left loose.  I re-caulked and retouched the paint.  Having them come out again would be an unnecessary inconvenience. 

  Secondly, if they are willing to send a crew out again and redo the project, plus give me a gift certificate for future work, it would actually be cheaper to simply give me a refund for $240.  I am not questioning that they vacuumed the vents.  

  Friends and neighbors are asking me how Stanley Steemer was, as they saw the truck or they saw my social media post.  What was once a proud moment is no longer.  I now tell people that Stanley Steemer, "pulled a whammy." and to stay away.

  Just please issue me a refund through this agency, and we can finally close this disastrous experience.

  It would actually be much easier and much cheaper for Stanley Steemer.  Lessons learned on both sides.  

  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

  Business response

  10/12/2022

  I spoke with *** ******* and we did resolve the issue.  We look forward to the opportunity to provide *** ******* with one of our industry leading cleaning services, hopefully sooner rather than later!  

  Customer response

  10/14/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  
  
  Regards,
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had stanley steamer clean my son's bedroom rug and my hall steps the hose to machine was leaking and tech had water puddles on my hardwood and laminate floors after he left I discovered laminate was damaged and Bill from comany checked it and said no way did his tech do that all he offered was another cleaning to rugs down the road my laminate was in good shape before tech came in my house and I want company to have new laminate installed

  Business response

  01/06/2022

  In response to complaint I***********  This job was on booked for Wednesday, December 8th, 2021.  On December 8th, the Stanley Steemer technician arrived on site at 8:14 am, he started the job at 8:28 am, stopped work at 9:09 am and completed packing up his equipment at 9:26 am. 
  
  The customer, *** ********, first called the office at 10:10 am on December 8th to let us know that there was some puddling on the 1st floor hard wood and also on the laminate floor landing up the carpeted stairs, which were cleaned.  (To be clear the laminate landing was not cleaned.)  This call was less than an hour after the technician left the job.  She stated the technician wiped up water on the first-floor hall and that she wiped up more water after the technician completed the job.  She stated to the call center that she feared the laminate floor landing was ruined from the puddled water.  The technician, who is a water certified technician, stated that the puddles were wiped up and the amount of water that was on the 1st floor hall was minimal.  The customer did not allow the technician to use the outside water source so the technician used the kitchen sink to bucket water for the job.  Any water on the floor would have been minimal and most likely from the transfer of water from the sink to the truck.  The kitchen is located on the first floor and there is a straight hall from the kitchen to the front door out to the truck.  The first-floor hall is where the technician wiped up the water.  The technician stated that nothing was leaking.  The truck that was used for the job did not have any type of equipment malfunction or leaking issue that would have necessitated keeping the truck in for repairs. 
  
  I called *** ******** at 10:43 am and told her that I would stop over on the December 9th to look over the areas of concern.  I also asked that she send me some pictures of the damage, which she sent.  I met with *** ******** son when I went to look at the floor around noon on December 9th.  The floor was definitely lifted; however, the floor was not wet or even damp to the touch.  After speaking with our technician and thoroughly examining the floor, my determination was there was no way we could have caused this damage.  I had more conversations with my crew back at the office and we all came to the same conclusion.  We clean this type of floor every day, and we clean it using water.  Most likely using more water than what would have puddled on the floor and supposedly caused the damage.  The damage appeared to be from something other than our cleaning.  In our experience, this type of damage does not occur instantly.  Remember, *** ******** called less than 1 hour after the job was completed.  If the laminate was submerged under water for a long period of time, perhaps hours, this type of damage could possibly occur, but we know that was not the case with this situation.  Puddles would not cause this issue.
  
  I spoke with *** ******** around 3:00 pm on December 9th and explained everything I've detailed in this response to you.  Unfortunately, she was not pleased with the result of my visit and my ultimate conclusion.  As a courtesy, I offered *** ******** a certificate to use on a future cleaning for the same amount of $224.00.  She refused the offer. 

   

  Thank You,        
  
  Bill K*****
  Manager

  Customer response

  01/06/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩