[Ian101]

Took over some work this week as the lad doing it had to retire thru ill health. (not a member on here)

Some nice compact work with so so prices so really looking foward to starting to do them even though gotta learn way around round / houses.

Goes to very 1st house front only 4 windows £4 gets up ladder and bloke marches out of house saying I should have knocked first ..... did you not get the letter explaining change etc says me ..... yes but you still should have knocked ... so gets down me ladder shakes his hand and apologises (strike 1) yes well next time knock but havent got your money so you will have to come back later (strike 2) so finishes off and starts next door ... his missus comes down the road and says oh you the new window cleaner then in a snotty attitude well cant pay you until Tuesday (today is Friday and its only 4 fliping quid) tells her that she can give me a cheque or pay online "oh no we dont do cheques and we certainly dont pay online for window cleaning" so I says as in the area Tuesday then I will pop back .... (for the massive sum of 4 quid.)

I was doing the rear of next door and I could hear them taking the mick and saying how silly I was offering online payment (strike 3) so now looking foward to Tuesday and seeing if they have my money or not.

Do you think Im going to dump them ?? well assuming I get paid on Tuesday I wont quite yet but next time I will knock first before I clean the windows and no money then no clean but will really be off hand with him / her   .... some folks really do have a high opinion of themselves and a low opinion of window cleaners.

[the bfg]

I think you handled it really well mate,   what else could you do to please them ?

your so right some people look down their noses at us and have very little respect for us.


thankfully there are more customers than that who actually appreciate our services which makes the job worth while.


some do start off like those you encountered and then grow on you so will be interested to see what happens on next clean.

[bobby p]

next time you go ,and they say "go ahead,but we avnt got the money as of  yet", do a really terrible sloppy job  and then just walk away , i would  .

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

I'd give them 3 chances and any more bad attitude they go. I'd also knock the door as they've said and ask if they've got the money. No money, no clean.

I think when you're new they sometimes see what they can get away with!

[windiewasher]

i would say its ok pay me twice next week and when they do pay give them a windows cleaned today slip with if you get me 3 custys i will clean your windows for nothing next time,they will soon be your best mate and get you 3 new custys!
Everyones a winner!

[andyM]

If you are using a ladder especially, you should really knock first just out of courtesy.
Some people feel that you are invading their privacy if you don't do that.
See how it goes with them, but if it doesn't work out it's no big loss to you 
 

[mci services]

If you are using a ladder especially, you should really knock first just out of courtesy.
Some people feel that you are invading their privacy if you don't do that.
See how it goes with them, but if it doesn't work out it's no big loss to you 
 

I have never ever knocked a door first either with a ladder or wfp, I was asked once and I said I only do regular customers and they could be on the list or not, their choice.

[Paul Coleman]

Took over some work this week as the lad doing it had to retire thru ill health. (not a member on here)

Some nice compact work with so so prices so really looking foward to starting to do them even though gotta learn way around round / houses.

Goes to very 1st house front only 4 windows £4 gets up ladder and bloke marches out of house saying I should have knocked first ..... did you not get the letter explaining change etc says me ..... yes but you still should have knocked ... so gets down me ladder shakes his hand and apologises (strike 1) yes well next time knock but havent got your money so you will have to come back later (strike 2) so finishes off and starts next door ... his missus comes down the road and says oh you the new window cleaner then in a snotty attitude well cant pay you until Tuesday (today is Friday and its only 4 fliping quid) tells her that she can give me a cheque or pay online "oh no we dont do cheques and we certainly dont pay online for window cleaning" so I says as in the area Tuesday then I will pop back .... (for the massive sum of 4 quid.)

I was doing the rear of next door and I could hear them taking the mick and saying how silly I was offering online payment (strike 3) so now looking foward to Tuesday and seeing if they have my money or not.

Do you think Im going to dump them ?? well assuming I get paid on Tuesday I wont quite yet but next time I will knock first before I clean the windows and no money then no clean but will really be off hand with him / her   .... some folks really do have a high opinion of themselves and a low opinion of window cleaners.

I would not have got as far as finishing the clean.  I would have just said, "Sorry.  It is not cost effective for me to return to collect payments.  Therefore, I can only clean for you if you are prepared to send cheques or pay by bank transfer."  A second negative response would have ended the arrangement before it had even started.

[windiewasher]

yeah but thats front only,i have a street where i clean 11 out of 12 house fronts!I charge £4 a house front and  do them in a hour!

£4 is far to low a price.

If you clean 300 properties a month and your operating cost are as low as £3,600 a year it’s costing you £1 pound to service that customer, so the gross profit is £3, net profit £2.40p.

If you average less than 300 properties a month you will need to lower those figures.

This is in part why you have to have a minimum price.

[LSB]

i knock every house before / as i start . not to ask ' if ' , but as a courtesy !
i have always started by the time they answer the door .

[Paul Coleman]

i knock every house before / as i start . not to ask ' if ' , but as a courtesy !
i have always started by the time they answer the door .

Thew daft thing is that I did this at first and got moaned at for waking up shift workers.  I never did it again.  Damned if I do.  Damned if I don't.

[bad trippy]

Dump em, they dont respect you now, they will never.
Might be inclined to put up with it for a £20 job but £4 is a p take mate

[dazmond]

ian your in no position to dump custies as your just starting out.keep them sweet for now.do a good job.and be pleasant and helpful.£4 for fronts only is ok if you ve a whole row of them.certainly dont listen to some of the crap spouted on here about dumping custies for a dirty look etc!!!

you NEED more custies if you wanna do this as your main job and its not easy getting the custies at first so play it cool for now and show them your a professional and take it from there.remember your new to them.show them your just as good if not better than their last windy!!

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

ian your in no position to dump custies as your just starting out.keep them sweet for now.do a good job.and be pleasant and helpful.£4 for fronts only is ok if you ve a whole row of them.certainly dont listen to some of the crap spouted on here about dumping custies for a dirty look etc!!!

you NEED more custies if you wanna do this as your main job and its not easy getting the custies at first so play it cool for now and show them your a professional and take it from there.remember your new to them.show them your just as good if not better than their last windy!!

wise words fr dazmond yet again 16yrs exp talking daz you
talk sum gud sense yet again excellent post , ian decorum will see you thru
and i know you know that word sum times bite yr lip i no you will
overcome these teething probs as iv sed im a phone call away m8
they certainly wudnt tell me ow it was but decorum n purcerverance
r the order of the day my friend 

[Ian101]

Will see what happens Tuesday but reluctant to dump them as only takes 5 mins to do job and on a close with 8 others, if no payment on tuesday then will simply knock next month b4 cleaning and get the 8 quid before i do them ....... if i loose them not a problem as it wont be a problem replacing them ..... Daz ur correct at this stage of my business I shouldnt be dumping customers but these may be the exception as no point in having a load of messing about for payment plus I can replace them with a few more off the close.

People are people as had a few like this when selling cars for a living (not the payment part just the poor attitude) so used to being diplomatic but there comes a point etc etc 

[Ian101]

i would say its ok pay me twice next week and when they do pay give them a windows cleaned today slip with if you get me 3 custys i will clean your windows for nothing next time,they will soon be your best mate and get you 3 new custys!
Everyones a winner!

good idea .... also will do this next month

[Ian101]

£4 is far to low a price.

If you clean 300 properties a month and your operating cost are as low as £3,600 a year it’s costing you £1 pound to service that customer, so the gross profit is £3, net profit £2.40p.

If you average less than 300 properties a month you will need to lower those figures.

This is in part why you have to have a minimum price.

tend to partly agree Ewan but only just taken this round on so still working the old windies prices until the spring when they will all be going up a couple of quid

[ascjim]

Yep get rid. My lowest price for anything is £5.00. Even if its 2 ground floor windows its still £5.00.

[trevor perry]

£4 is far to low a price.

If you clean 300 properties a month and your operating cost are as low as £3,600 a year it’s costing you £1 pound to service that customer, so the gross profit is £3, net profit £2.40p.

If you average less than 300 properties a month you will need to lower those figures.

This is in part why you have to have a minimum price.

why do you try and turn every thread into an earning debate and think you have the perfect business model ,instead of posting comments like this on here why dont you open a window cleaning business academy i am sure it it would be major competition for the Comedy store.

[AuRavelling79]

Like lloyd said "knock'n'wash" just get your gear out, tap the door, extend the pole and give 'em the thumbs up when they answer the door.

It's a courtesy so you don't catch the householder unawares but you've started so they know you aint stopping to ask for permission.

If you're on a ladder then I would always knock and be putting my ladder up in readiness - I don't want to catch the owner "whacking for England" do I?