[EasyClean]

If any customer really rattles my cage then I try to take a good long pause to collect my thoughts: ('stay calm, be polite'), before I open my mouth.  It's too easy to say what you really think sometimes.  It takes a long time to build up a good round. Bad mouth a few customers and word soon spreads around and you find yourself losing other work indirectly. If I have to drop a customer because they are a funny b*gger then I drop them politely because I like to keep my name reputable.

[Paul Coleman]

... and hes regular.

Do you feed him prunes?

LOL   

Shiner.......just so you know.....the phone calls are not required by me. Its how my window cleaner operates.  It also means his payment is ready waiting for him, along with a nice cuppa if I'm home!
My window cleaner is brilliant.   I try to look after him by paying regularly & always double up on the bill at Xmas as his tip for being a loyal contractor.  In return, I get a prompt service, am never let down and hes regular.

OK. I'm surprised that a window cleaner chooses to operate that way. It seems quite funny that he chooses to work in a way that I try to avoid .
It sounds to me like he may be part-time because it's easier to manage things his way if there are less customers.

Hes a very busy sucessful full time window cleaner using wfp & a large percentage of his work is industrial.    My window cleaner is amazing. 

That does sound pretty exceptional. Surely he doesn't make appointments for all his jobs?

[Trevor Knight]

Personally I have had a few times when customers have pulled a fast one, siad the work was not good despite no complaints and waited 3 weeks to tell us!!! I just take a step back, handle the problem as diplomatically as I can and retain a professional stance.

However, I did have one new customer call me in tears to say that her previous window cleaner who had not been back for 6 months suddenly appeared. She told him she had made other arramgements to which he was very p***ed off about. He then went away, returned later with lots of mud and proceeded to smear all of her upstairs and downstair windows with it.

She called the police and as he had caused NO actual damage the police wouldn't follow up her complaint.

Its a crazy world out there!!!!!!!!!

[M & C Window Cleaning]

However, I did have one new customer call me in tears to say that her previous window cleaner who had not been back for 6 months suddenly appeared. She told him she had made other arramgements to which he was very p***ed off about. He then went away, returned later with lots of mud and proceeded to smear all of her upstairs and downstair windows with it.

I still find it hard to believe that some w/cleaners bhave this way. However I've had this happen with three w/cleaners in my area in recent years. One chap retired three times and then changed his mind 6-8 months later and just turned up on his old customers, cleaning their windows and calling back for the money. When he got the "I've made other arrangements," He would get abusive.  It amazed me that he thought his old customers would still be waiting for him when he'd given no explanation for leaving.

The other two w/cleaners came looking for me as the new w/cleaner and had a go at me for nicking their customers after nearly a year away on both counts with no explanation given to their customers. One of these guys even made threats to send round a couple of  local hard guys to sort me out. Never did though.

[Chris Cottrell]

My window cleaner is amazing.

I think you like him Lizzy

Q. are you having his babies or what 

Chris 

[mattywig]

Had a customer whose wife paid one of my staff at the back of the house and he paid me in his shop attached to the premises.  The lad on the backs gave me the money at the end of the day but couldn't remember whi it was off.  Next month the guy comes to the door full of hell saying he has paid twice.  I apologize profusely explaining the mistake and how it happenened and gave him his ten pounds back.  He then despite my apology and refund called me a f*****g thief so I lost it and told him where to go.  He replied that he was a millionaire and wouldn't be talked to like that by a window cleaner coz we are the lowest and that he would arrange to have my legs broken.  I told him that the difference was that he would have to pay to have my legs broken but I could do his for him myself!  It was a stupid thing to say but i was fuming.  I was chewed up and later vowed that I would never have a blow out with a customer again like that as it served no purpose other than to leave me chewed to bits.  I always try to leave any complaint on a happy peaceful note now and feel much happier for it!!!!

[EasyClean]

If you have a bad mouthing customer, it's not worth dropping to their level of reasoning because it just gets you down for the rest of the day/week. Better to let it go, forget it as soon as possible and not bare a grudge because stress just makes you ill and it's gets you nowhere other than to an early grave. Think positive and remain happy

[julianbiggs]

Ive got a really strange one which i need to deal with... Been doing these windows on a pretty big house near me. I do it insiude and outside every month. £30 in and £30 out. £60 per month. Been doing it for 2 years now, never had a problem . I also do his mum's house and 3 of his sister's houses !!!! He's a nice enough chap and we've never had a crossed word. Last month i cleaned the windows for the first time with my new business partner, whom I introduced. Again no problems, cleaned all ins and outs as usual. I always leave payment for another day. It's always worked that way.He leaves a cheque or cash under a brick near the back door. Anyway, two weeks after the clean i phoned him up to arrange collection of the money. He was nice as pie on the phone and said no problem will leave cheque in the usual place. We went to collect it and written on the envelope is:

" I thought we agreed when you first started doing our windows ( 2 years ago) that you would wipe down all the guttering and fascias on the ground floor included in the price ?"

NO WAY. That was not agreed and i have never done them so why hasn't he complained in the last 2 years???

This is a tricky one to resolve...any suggestions

[Pat Purcell]

[quote " I thought we agreed when you first started doing our windows ( 2 years ago) that you would wipe down all the guttering and fascias on the ground floor included in the price ?"

NO WAY. That was not agreed and i have never done them so why hasn't he complained in the last 2 years???

This is a tricky one to resolve...any suggestions

Tell him just that, You have never included facia or guttering in a price and have no idea how he may have thought that you did, and that  you would be more than happy to give him a seperate price for it

[EasyClean]

Honesty is the best policy. Just tell him that you've never cleaned them and that it was never included in the price but be polite to him.

[TVCS]

I have a big large horrid old baggage that we do every 8 weeks or so.  I always ring before I go as she has about 20 little yappy dogs which she need to control.
Phoned up last wednesday.
Me.  Hello, is it a good day to do your windows?
Pig.  No I was up all day yesterday so no.
Me.  Right,see you next Wednesday then.
pig.  Right. then hang up.

I received a phone call Friday evening.
Pig.  Why didnt you do my windows when you said you would?
Me.  You told me not to come.
Pig.  WHAT?
Me.  We agreed next wednesday!!!!
Pig.  Hang Up.

Well the old scroat will have grubby windows for a long while now.

[john tomkins]

TVCS.....
It was the right woman you rang on the wednesday eh
If it wasn't then shes oblivious to what you are on about

Then again if she is truely an old bag you're well shut of her.

[pjulk]

TVCS

I think the problem here is you asked if its ok to do her windows this gives her an excuse to say no

Me.  Hello, is it a good day to do your windows?

The are less likely to say something if you say You will be cleaning there windows


Paul

[jeff1]

Never loose your cool with a customer    YOU never know who they know and it could cost you a lot of money, stay calm and collective but just walk away if you can't resolve the issue.

[TVCS]

Paul, John.
This old beast is about 30 stone, bright red to the point of looking like a beetroot and she is just vile.  I think that she may be an alcofrollic, and was probably wasted when we spoke on the phone the first time.
 The only reason `I say is it a good day` is because many a time I have got up to her property and been annoyed by her horrible dogs. I think they are pugs and they sh*te  everywhere and one always tries to pi** up my boots and they just drive me mad,.  It is a drive from my usual round but is worth a few bob so I dont want to waste a journey.