[cleaniac]

Anyone got any stories of customers coming back to them after a few years?

Just had one today, quite a large quarterly house in woking, £80 job. I used to clean her windows 4 years back when she moved into the house from the prev owners, whom i also cleaned for several years before then.

She had 2 cleans, and hadnt paid her bill.so i chased her until eventually she paid the bill and cancelled, accusing me of harassment and was very abusive and rude i remember it well as it affected me quite badly.

Went to see her today, she was very apologetic, I asked her why she decided to contact me again. Turns out that 3 of her friends have all recommended me to her as  since she cancelled and threw a strop attack at me and hasnt been able to find a decent window cleaner since.

So i havr her back on the books, now on go cardless aswell.

🙄😁

[alank]

Her windows would still be dirty if it was me mate. If any customer was that abusive to me they are off the book PERMANENTLY. 

[Richard Groves]

Not exactly but was once owed £20 by a soon to become ex customer. Left several reminders and got fobbed off each time so wrote it off. About 2 years later she sees me in street and comes over and pays me the 20 muttering something about it being bad karma  ...... I guess a lot happened in those 2 years, and not all of it good   

[cleaniac]

Well im happy to take her money again. And on go cardless, and i can take credit cards now too......

[SB Cleaning]

I wouldn't take her back not a chance!

[mufcglen]

I’d never go back after a messer I’d dumped, Ive made the error of trying again and they start very apologetic and nice but they soon turn back to they’re old ways, there’s plenty of other better customers out there you can pick up I’ve found!

[nathankaye]

It's one thing being a messer and probably taking them back later. But it's completely different being a messer and cursing you and being abusive to you when they have no just reason for doing so.
Of course she will be apologetic as she wants you to slave for her again, where was the genuine apology before.
Therefore there would be absolutely no reason why I would want to take on her apologetic custom again, regardless if it's a £80 pound job.

Please tell me you charged your usual high price for a first clean, because by her own words no one has done a good job, so you can charge a first clean price to bring her windows upto your high standard. 😂

[cleaniac]

As far as im concerned, i dont care that she was abusive. Im happy to empty her pockets again.

Plus im growing the business, haven't got time for grudges. Its nothing personal, its business and im am done with being  a 'victim' she wants them done again, great..will do them again. She doesn't want them done..great find someone else..havent got time to think about it tbh im busy setting things up for apnther van and employee shortly

[nathankaye]

Isn't there a term for paying  someone and being abusive to them. 🙄😀

[dazmond]

As far as im concerned, i dont care that she was abusive. Im happy to empty her pockets again.

Plus im growing the business, haven't got time for grudges. Its nothing personal, its business and im am done with being  a 'victim' she wants them done again, great..will do them again. She doesn't want them done..great find someone else..havent got time to think about it tbh im busy setting things up for apnther van and employee shortly

i agree...if she fits in nicely with some other work then who cares?as long as you get paid.......

i got a customer  back last month who sacked me around 5 years ago because i wouldnt clean her insides,she got another WC
(2 trad guys who would do outside and inside).he must have stopped coming.....

she now accepts i dont clean insides....i also clean 12 other properties down her road(all 4 and 5 bedders)out of 15 properties so im happy

[Stoots]

Last week I picked up a new one, she gave me the address I gave her a rough price and agreed to clean.

Turned up and realised I used to clean her a year ago, she was a nightmare had about 4 cleans and always had to harrass her for payment, she left gate locked and wanted exact times etc.

I just went to the next job and deleted her, I did think about going into a lengthy explanation but can't be bothered anymore on to the next...

[dazmond]

by the way i NEVER take back on ex customers ive dumped for late payments UNLESS they set up a standing order......or pay me a few cleans upfront......

its easier to take payments these days  with a card machine,its great!

[deeege]

As far as im concerned, i dont care that she was abusive. Im happy to empty her pockets again.

You are contradicting yourself here Mark. 

Either “she effected you quite badly” or you “don’t care that she was abusive”, which one is it as it can’t be both?

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

It's a funny one, best to be fluid and not so black and white- anyone can have a bad day. I have taken one customer back on, it was a good job and we got on well. Without writing an essay she made a mistake, kind of pushed into it by another customer (who I was happy to lose). I actually predicted that she would come back one day because I knew the trad cleaner couldn't do what I did wfp and he certainly wouldn't be doing it for long at the price he was charging. Anyhow, she approached me about2 years later, fully apologetic, admitted she'd been completely wrong and asked if I would consider coming back? "Aye" I said, and we have just carried on as we left off! We have a great relationship, the job is a very good one and she's been thrilled ever since- we're both winners in this case!!

[james peters]

 have taken some back over the years, but charge extra, as I know somewhere down the line they will revert back to being the same . so I will gladly take their money .
however, it has to be in a way that I will benefit. so if it is a house on a street where I have no others, then I wont do it , unless it pays really well.

I have done something a few months ago , that I have never done before, and doubt will do again.
I had a call from someone that didn't realise I had done their windows a few years back.
I recognised their address ,
when I did them a few years ago, the guy came out and started drying the windows with a cloth. by this time I was opposite on another house.
anyways he said , don't bother calling again before paying me .

move on a few years to august....
he calls again , and I remember who he is,.   he said hes had a trad guy, but wasn't happy .... hes also had 2 wfp guys and wasn't happy, and he had to dry the windows off...
we all know the type... a complete wolly that likes to mess people around.
so I let him ramble , and then I give him a price...."ooh that's a lot more than the others"   he says.
so I say , "well that's my price for 8 weekly, "   and then I let him know  that on the first clean , it will be 50% more!
after a few arrs and umms and trying to negotiate, he agrees!

anyhows ... I knew there and then he would be a total PITA.   So I had no intentions of turning up... I wanted to teach him a lesson for messing me , and also the other shiners that I know...
he and his wife have phoned several times, and left messages....
its very unproffesional of me I know ! but I couldn't resist!
he now knows what its like to be messed around!

[robbo333]

I have too much self respect to take back any custy like that. But I hope it works out for you.

[Richard Groves]

I don't have to particularly like every customer I clean for. Nor do I deem it appropriate to teach them a lesson if they've messed me about in the past. I clean windows, get paid, end of.
Cleaniac, sounds like they've learnt a lesson without you needing to spell it out.
In the unlikely event it happens agin then it would be a no brainer though. 

[cleaniac]

As far as im concerned, i dont care that she was abusive. Im happy to empty her pockets again.

You are contradicting yourself here Mark. 

Either “she effected you quite badly” or you “don’t care that she was abusive”, which one is it as it can’t be both?

Sorry. It did affect me quite badly at the time as i was also dealing with coming out of depression. It nearly set me back.

Now im not bothered. Want them cleaned? Great..dont want them cleaned anymore..ok..no worries..Want them cleaned again..great..?

I decided to let pricing dictate to my customers how they use my service. Like the lady the other day i spoke about, when i gave her a bill for £55 due to the fact the regular price was £38 but she had skipped the last few cleans, when she asked me why it was £55 i was like, well yeah you missed the last cleans, you want it for £38 you need to honour the frequency. She had no problems with that and paid me with her Amex Card and said that she will stick to the clean frequency to get a better deal.

[dazmond]

I have too much self respect to take back any custy like that. But I hope it works out for you.

i have a few ex customers who i see virtually every month and have done for many years(some of them fell out with me over 20 years ago!)they still blank me!

in fact i saw an ex customer who slammed the door in my face many years ago today because she thought i was overcharging her compared to a neighbour(she has more windows! ).she was so unfair and bang out of order.......

....BUT if she came over to me and apologised and asked me to take her back on i wouldnt hesitate as i clean 13 properties all around hers(4 and 5 bedders in a posh area)....in fact theres only hers and one other property(dumped him for very late payment)that i dont clean down her road now.....

i wont hold my breath though........

[davids3511]

As far as im concerned, i dont care that she was abusive. Im happy to empty her pockets again.

You are contradicting yourself here Mark. 

Either “she effected you quite badly” or you “don’t care that she was abusive”, which one is it as it can’t be both?

Really, this is the most important point. Why take someone back on that has no hesitation abusing you to this degree?

[Splash & dash]

I would never take them on again once dumped always dumped end of

[Slash]

Anyone got any stories of customers coming back to them after a few years?

Just had one today, quite a large quarterly house in woking, £80 job. I used to clean her windows 4 years back when she moved into the house from the prev owners, whom i also cleaned for several years before then.

She had 2 cleans, and hadnt paid her bill.so i chased her until eventually she paid the bill and cancelled, accusing me of harassment and was very abusive and rude i remember it well as it affected me quite badly.

Went to see her today, she was very apologetic, I asked her why she decided to contact me again. Turns out that 3 of her friends have all recommended me to her as  since she cancelled and threw a strop attack at me and hasnt been able to find a decent window cleaner since.

So i havr her back on the books, now on go cardless aswell.

🙄😁

I would have told her exactly where to go.
It's the principle,I've had that before and told them basically to #### off..
That's just for late payments and messing me about,let alone being abusive to me.
It felt great and to me that was priceless.
Each to their own I suppose.

[Richard Groves]

Anyone got any stories of customers coming back to them after a few years?

Just had one today, quite a large quarterly house in woking, £80 job. I used to clean her windows 4 years back when she moved into the house from the prev owners, whom i also cleaned for several years before then.

She had 2 cleans, and hadnt paid her bill.so i chased her until eventually she paid the bill and cancelled, accusing me of harassment and was very abusive and rude i remember it well as it affected me quite badly.

Went to see her today, she was very apologetic, I asked her why she decided to contact me again. Turns out that 3 of her friends have all recommended me to her as  since she cancelled and threw a strop attack at me and hasnt been able to find a decent window cleaner since.

So i havr her back on the books, now on go cardless aswell.

🙄😁

I would have told her exactly where to go.
It's the principle,I've had that before and told them basically to #### off..
That's just for late payments and messing me about,let alone being abusive to me.
It felt great and to me that was priceless.
Have some self respect.

He is trying to grow his business though.
3 friends of hers are all customers and recommended him.

[dazmond]

I lost 2 customers around 20 years ago due to me putting my foot through a garage flat roof...i did go round to offer to fix it(3 days later)he wasnt best pleased...in the end i told him to f*** off and gave him 2 fingers(the neighbour also seen this and cancelled too!)

fast forward all these years later and ive been cleaning theirs again for a few years now.they ve seen me turn up month after month for many years to clean all the houses around them and figured id grown up and become a tad more professional....

[Walter Mitty]

I will always return to a customer if they've cancelled in the right way and not been a messer.  I've had customer's lose their jobs, cancel the window cleaning, and contact me months or a couple of years later when they've become re-employed.  No problem with that.
But I won't return to someone who has regularly messed me about.  It's not about punishing them for the past, it's about protecting myself in the future.

I've even had a non-payer ask me to return.  I reminded them of the debt, stated that I wanted payments in advance, and guess what, they declined.  Not only that but they even denied ever owing the money.  I simply said, "Please don't ask me again."  No point going into a strop - it won't change anything.

[NWH]

I had 1 a couple of years ago I did the previous house and then the new 1 they moved too,they got a new housekeeper in she soon got the person in she new got rid of me. The homeowners were never there and they were unaware this had happened as she sorted out online payments etc,about 2 years later they realised she was on the fiddle then found out she’d sacked me off had a call from them asking me to please please come back as it was nothing to do with us we didn’t know she’d got rid of you. I was happy to go back to that 1 as it is 250 + every 6 weeks.

[NWH]

They were also charging for some inside work but never did them,IMO no different to stealing.

[cleaniac]

What a cheek.

[Stoots]

I won't take a Messer back on.

I learnt the hard way not long ago.

A customer who I clean a few times, then started to leave the gate locked and be a pain. I dumped her

Anyway I let it go and fast forward a year she approached me in the street and I explained I used to clean hers and she was a Messer...she apologized and I decided to start cleaning again, first clean got paid second clean turnes up to be told not today by her mother...anyway I called again next time, cleaned them and never got paid.

Dumped her again .

Shame on me.

[NWH]

I only took this back on because I knew initially there was something dodgy about me being stopped the woman was always a bit odd as soon as she took over,the owners gardeners etc all told me they were unaware so I know it was genuine + a good job for the time I’m there.

[jonboywalton75]

I used to work with some obnoxious managers and workmates.
Now I can choose who I work for, if don't like them, I don't work for them
They are free to do the same with me

[NWH]

There are the odd couple I would never go back to but it’s difficult to turn away certain jobs again especially if it was just down to crossed wires.

[cleaniac]

Well I think its important to give customers a second chance, am i expecting her to cancel again? , well yes i suppose i am, and if/when she does, then i will tell her to not ask me again to clean the windows on a regular basis, and i will only accept one off cleans from here on at £185 a clean subject to free schedual time and will not be a high priority, to be paid before the clean on credit/debit card or find someone else. 

But i have to prioritise the business, always leaving an option for the customer to use my service, dispite what i i think of them. Thats called maximising your potential, also just think about the damage if i tell her where to go, she can tell everyone that im an ass h becouse she cancelled the clean, which by the way isnt anything bad, or wrong, she is entitled to cancel or come back as many times as she likes..like i said im just going to reflect it in my pricing..she comes back and becomes a headache, thats ok, ill adjust my service to suit me and make more profit from her.

Thats how to do it

[deeege]

There’s a lot of contradictions in there again Marc. Hope it’s works out, but I usually find once a messer always a messer.

I tend to use the iphones ‘block’ function on any messers. It saves me trying to justify (to myself) reasons why I should take them on again. Works for me.

[AuRavelling79]

I won't take a rude or abusive customer back on but I like to think I am reasonable. (Don't we all?  )

Had one who I dropped due to tardy payment compounded by a bounced cheque. Funny mix. Lovely looking lady about 40 (runs a landscaping/gardening business), if she was in she always made a me a cup of coffee and was pleasant but never had a cheque book or did "on-line" and would always send it late or after two (8 weekly) cleans.

About three years ago after I sorted out the bounced cheque and bank fees and got paid I dropped her. She noticed and after about a year she was driving down the lane in her Range Rover and she smiles at me sheepishly and prettily from under her fringe. She gets out wearing her business uniform of tee shirt, shorts and green wellies! (It worked rather well on her I thought)

"I am so sorry for messing you about over payment" she purred - "If I promise to set up a standing order will you take us on again please?"

I almost caved without setting out terms but mustered up enough strength to say "OK - I will, but I won't start cleaning until after the money goes through and prices have gone up to £25.00 (from £20)."

"Fair enough!" She says - all whitened teeth, curls and dimples -  and she has been on the books again for the last two years. All's well that ends well!