[daysdeepclean]

It could sound like you're desperate if you start telling custys they have to pay up in full if they don't go through with the clean without giving X amount of days notice... You win some, you loose some and it's better to just take it on the chin. Even ring them back and thank them for taking the time to notify you of the cancellation and you hope you can be of service in the near future. At least they'll see you're professional and approachable, providing you don't give them a right ear bashing for being spineless idiots of course

[Mike Osbourne]

You don't want to have to enforce it that's the whole point of doing it.

The key is to soften it a bit, but make the point and GET agreement.

If there is an emergency then fine, they will cancel but it must have been something serious enough to think the money is less important.

Anyway this is the way I work and if someone shows me the door on a quote I'm glad because I can book another job for that time instead of some idiot deciding they can't be arsed on the day.

[suffolkclean]

We did have a while back - hubby turned up to clean a lounge carpet and the old lady said 'oh it's not suitable for me today' can you come back another day!! I tried to contact her to re-book and she never replied to my messages. Since then I try to get a £50 deposit cheque to make a booking which then comes off the balance, then you know whos serious and who isn't.

[Mike Osbourne]

Yep I take deposits if I'm particularly concerned.

Colin. I don't think it smacks desperate, more like you value your time and so should they.

[Neil Williams]

I like the deposit idea, and yet I use that on our caravan bookings but haven't carried it over to the carpet cleaning.
I've had numerous people over the years say do you want a deposit when booking, and I've always said there's no need to do that.
Now from a pure business view point and with the economy like it is perhaps it's not such a bad idea to focus their minds on what they have 'signed up to' and at the end of the day 'They have requested.'
I understand that times have changed, but surely at some point a verbal means of communication must have taken place to get the job. I defie anyone to tell me they have gone from work request, through quoting, to doing the job, to getting paid without seeing or meeting them, which is why cancelling by text is a chickens way out.
I suspect the reason for this cancellation was price. I thought he was a bit quick to agree to nearly £100 for a suite clean, only to then 'cancell' a few days later.

[Mike Osbourne]

Take a leaf out of the big boys book.

Make it easy for people to say yes and make it hard for them to cancel. This way human nature works in your favour.

How easy STILL is it to get credit cards, go on treat yourself then try and ring them up and cancel it. How many hoops do you have to jump through?

[Len Gribble]

Could not believe how many had blackberry’s yesterday reminded me of dell boy favourite word PLONKER  only have one rule talk to me very understanding,   even turned off the answer phone as it cost me to phone them back.

Len

[clinton]

 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Bloody hell Len that's tight

Clinton what happen to you are thought you were coming? there was 3 tripple vac machines there and 2 starter TM's worth looking at it would have been heaven for you.

Shaun

[clinton]

What it with the blackberrys

Shaun had a big payin job so had to do it :

Heard the alltec and the cleansmart was there with 3 vac,who else 

Dave ingrahms was there with the t mount..

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Ken Wainwright had his on show, infact he was doing a talk which I really enjoyed.

Shaun

[robert meldrum]

I have a Blackberry, but it's been living in a drawer since I got it............prefer my Samsung with the rubberised cover which makes it easy to activate with wet hands

[Mike Osbourne]

Does Pam work with him, she seemed quite switched on about CC.

[Buster Ingram]

Of cause she's switched on Mike she does all the bloody work!
ken spends all his time talking about it. The kid aint got time to stand around like her dad.

[Mike Osbourne]

Sounds like he's got her well trained, unlike the Beebo kids with looks that kill when you turn MTV off. : I blame the parents

[Buster Ingram]

That went right over my head lad. Time for bed me thinks

[Mike Osbourne]

Dave

Clue: you met one of them last week.

[Jim Gibbard]

Just keep it as simple as you can.  You are always, somewhere along the line going to get cancellations at the last minute for for genuine or false reasons.   It's life.  S#it happens.

I have never had a face to face quote cancel.  I must admit, I have had some phone bookings cancel.  However, I always call the customer 24-48 hours before the job to confirm the booking.  From experience with taking phone quotes, you sometimes get the feeling that something is not quite right with a prospective customer, that is when you double check.  

Anyhow, how are you going to make them pay the cancellation fee!!  Send the boy's round to sort them out!!!  I don't think so.  Forget it and move on.  In twenty years in this business, I think I have only turned up to a no show about 5 times.  Firm up your jobs before you travel.  You can bet, the one's that let you down, are the one's you have to travel the furthest to.

Jim

[Mike Osbourne]

Jim as I keep on saying, it's pre-emptive. Far better they don't cancel in the first place.

As for ringing before, well dentists do that and I can tell you they get alot of people saying they forgot and cancel, but they can fill the time short notice, can you?

[daysdeepclean]

Yep I take deposits if I'm particularly concerned.

Colin. I don't think it smacks desperate, more like you value your time and so should they.

Well maybe it's me that's desperate Mike, I just feel I can't afford to be too arsey when I'm trying to accumulate new and regular customers and their associates at my stage of running a business.... And the way things are going, none of us can afford to, really!