[matt]

I really could

day starts off ok at 7

clean pub windows inside and out

home for 8.30 sort out MP3 tunes on MP3 player, back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

notice i havent got my "your windows have been cleaned tickets" with the price increase (i am putting my prices up)

go back home, pick up tickets

back to start work at 10.00

the connection between my micro-pipe and hosepipe is leaking REALLY bad, half the water is on the floor and half on the windows, i continue for the day

3rd house in, the old dears hubby died last month, and then her dog last week, she is more upset about the dog, i stay for a chat, she wants to talk to some1 to try and get on with life

lunch time pass's i dont stop, as i am behind

get stopped by a lady whose house i am about to do "i dont want it done by you anymore, your too late" i explain its been 7 weeks because i wasnt well and had some time off, im only 1 week late (ive caught up from my 2 weeks off)
she says "youve oly cleaned them once in 5 months, you last did them a few days before xmas and only once since, i argue its not, she counts the months, jan, feb, march, april and may

this really cheeses me off and i say "you cannout count may, its only 1 week old"

i walk away before i tell her to F off

**** this is the same person, i have travelled 30 mins out of my way to unblock a downpipe the same day as she phoned --- then 30 mins home

AND

fixed a broken gutter outlet

AND

fixed a garage door

ALL as a favour to a customer  :

do a few more houses

go to start the Village idiots house (he really is) he comes out, we wont have them done this time, we are having the gutters done

now they asked me to do them in june, so i say ok

i call in and ask (because i try and please them) do you want me to call in after the gutters have been done, as they will be filthy

the wife comes and says "we will call you if we want you back"

so thats another 1 gone in the space of 10 houses in a little street i do

it seems they want a realable and loyal window cleaner when it suits them, but what about a bit of loyality back 

i could have slung the WFP in the tip and got my carpentry kit back out

on the way home i get a phone call, asking how much, i know the house in question as i do 40 odd out of the street of 50

its worth about 8 quid, i am in a back mood, so i say 10 quid, she says "oh great, see you soon, i wont see you in the day, as i work all day, how do i pay you"

so i have lost 2 houses worth 20.50 which they both talk like anything and hold me up(i bet i spend 10 mins talking to 1 and 15 mins the other, even though i try to just get paid and go, as they both annoy me, especially the village idiot bloke)  BUT gained a 10 quid house that will be nice and fast

sometimes i think, why do i bother

[matt]

oh and the first old dear who cancels me

last summer, she asked me to skip a clean as i wasnt 6 weeks, i was




wait for it


5 weeks 4 days


 :

[AuRavelling79]

Some days are just gagging for an early finish and down the pub aren't they Matt?

[sair]

another day another dollar

[Sir Squeaky]

Unlucky Matt!

....back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

go back home, pick up tickets
back to start work at 10.00

Don't you want to get some work a bit closer to home?
My longest journey is 10 mins!

[neil100]

What can I say Matt,

I had a right good belly laugh reading how your day went.

Look on the bright side, you have made me feel a whole lot better.

Nel.

[scrimit2]

I had one customer who asked me to leave the windows in January as they were away til march, they said start again in march, I did that street at the end of feb so it was april when I was there again and they moaned that I havent been for so long, I told them that it was there own doing, really I don't think those kind of people give it much thought, but we are trying to earn a living,

Matt let hope tomorrow goes a bit better for you.

[rosskesava]

When I get days like that I stop working. Go home. Have a drink and relax during the evening. Start again next day as if nothing has happened.

One day the year before last, I got fed up with the kind of run around after a day of 'not today' and complaints over nothing. The last job, when I had steam coming out of my ears, the snooty lady starts her usual 'you trod on my plants last time don't tread on them this time' and I went up like a volcano because we have never ever trod on her rotten plants. The other 2 I work with were shocked because I'm normally easy going and the lady backed off pretty quick and ran indoors.

When I got home I typed up a letter which said 'we will never be doing your windows again' and gave, I think, about 6 reasons, like

A: You moan too much

B: We turn up and you say 'not this month'

C:  You say we missed a month. WE DIDN'T. You wern't in.

and so on.

I went through our records and picked out about 20 of the worst customers, printed out the letters, addressed them, ran down the offie, bought stamps and posted them.

It was the best thing I ever done. A bit nasty but it was after that our business started to really take off because no more whingers, no more time wasters, and sorry to say it, no more favours.

As for the ones who just talk, talk, talk and think I have all day to be social, I never ever worked out how to stop that.

I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

Cheers

[matt]

Unlucky Matt!

....back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

go back home, pick up tickets
back to start work at 10.00

Don't you want to get some work a bit closer to home?
My longest journey is 10 mins!

too be fair, its only about 15  mins away, i got home and have a few mins with my daughter who was having a Tea party with her dolls

[AuRavelling79]

When I got home I typed up a letter which said 'we will never be doing your windows again' and gave, I think, about 6 reasons, like

A: You moan too much

B: We turn up and you say 'not this month'

C:  You say we missed a month. WE DIDN'T. You wern't in.

and so on.

I went through our records and picked out about 20 of the worst customers, printed out the letters, addressed them, ran down the offie, bought stamps and posted them.

It was the best thing I ever done. A bit nasty but it was after that our business started to really take off because no more whingers, no more time wasters, and sorry to say it, no more favours.

As for the ones who just talk, talk, talk and think I have all day to be social, I never ever worked out how to stop that.


Cheers

Yes! I love it! What a Guy!

[Morph]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

[AuRavelling79]

How about this for a letter Ross?

Dear Valued Customer,

Upon perusing my window cleaning round I have decided to "prune" several of my accounts who fall into any of the following categories:-

A) Bl**din' Whingers

B) Can you leave it this time? Merchants

C) Those who say "It's going to rain so don't bother..."

D) There were a few spots last time on that third floor velux above the brosely tiled porch....

E) Gate padlocked for the third time in a row despite requests to unlock it the night before.

F) Victor Meldrews


You will be pleased to know that you qualify for "kicking into touch" (technical term) on all six counts.

[Andrew McCann]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

Now THAT PJ is one of the most profound and correct statements I have seen in a long time.

Andrew

[brett walker]

Sorry to laugh  Matt but youve cheered me up no end, i thought i'd had a couple of bad days last week i wasnt going to share it with anyone but here goes

Go to move my van oopps locked the keys in rang the wife to bring spare keys out sat there wit my trolley and pole like a plank waiting for her to come

Next day i did exactly the same again    wife thinks i'm going mad

Guess what did the same yesterday  ::)but keep a spare key with me in my wallet now 

Theres always someone worse off than yourself we all have off days

Brett

[matt]

i am half expecting a few more to go tomorrow, as the first old dear is the local "bizzy-body" and i half expect the 2 behind her to go aswell

its not losing a few houses that bothers me, its the loyalty factor AND the fact that ive helped the pair of them out on a number of occasions

[Morph]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

Now THAT PJ is one of the most profound and correct statements I have seen in a long time.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I have observed that, more and more, my customers hold this "loyalty" thing like some kind of threat over me..

It's not loyalty at all when it makes me feel that way.
But I feel a strong sense of obligation when the date comes round to go clean "Mr & Mrs Smiths' " windows, in fact I worry if the weather has delayed me, or anything else...trying to get it just right for them......
For £15!!!!!!!

Oh well, I'l do the same tomorrow.  Why?  Because I have a sense of loyalty to my customers.

[mick40]

Thought i was bad.lol.yesterday i was doing a job that i badly underpriced and there was bird droppings all over the velux windows.I was really getting agitated and was talking to myself saying im f...ing never doing these again,only too look down and find that the owner was standing there .she just smiled and handed over the cash.no bloody wonder wi the price im charging her.its definetly going up next month.

[macc]

What can I say Matt,

I had a right good belly laugh reading how your day went.

Look on the bright side, you have made me feel a whole lot better.

Nel.

same here, i trust the mp3 player didnt give you any grief. 

[matt]

same here, i trust the mp3 player didnt give you any grief. 

thats the only thing that kept me from going home, feeder then the chillies

oh and the fact that ive sorted my garage out and my VW splitscreen van is finally coming home to live with me this week (instead of being 30 mins away stored in a barn)

[dai]

Matt, The best tonic for dealing with awkward customers, is tellng them that the price is going up next time. You really feel a lot better for it. Bump them or dump them.
Hope you have a better day tomorrow. Dai

[rosskesava]

Matt

Tomorrow is a new day.

This post really has made me think.

I think there is a point, and I can't define it, when we went from doing windows to earn money, to being a business that is there for profit.

I don't mean that any work ethics changed, or the attitude to work but at somepoint, between 2004 and early 2005 something was different. It started when I wrote the letter I wrote about above. Now we have none of those types of issues or if we do, then sorry but goodbye.

I can understand the doing favours thing and don't they remember? I've done that type of thing but never again. Favours cost money now.

We once bump started a ladies car just so as she could pick up her husband from the station and then next month, she said we were to expensive? She had no call out service for her car but didn't think how much it would have cost to call out a mechanic to solve her flat battery for her series 6 BMW.

We did the windows of one OAP widow who was always very thankfull. Her bungalow was in between 2 other places who paid quite well. Her bill was just £6. The neighbours moved one side and then the other lost his job. When we said that really her bungalow should cost £15 at least but we'd carry on for doing it for £9, she dumped us.

All those thanks she gave us previously meant nothing. It was, for her, financial but for us, financial and how we pay our bills, that for her didn't exist.

A more ameniable 'goodbye' would have been acceptable. If she'd said that £3 a month is more than she could afford I could have gone with that. A shut the door in my face in disgust, that says it all. To think how friendly she was when we moved a fallen tree from her back garden to a skip out the front.... all for no extra payment but out of kindness.

Customers who can't afford the true cost are not always like that and we still have a few. One we do always tells good jokes and makes tea and toast but in the main, those customers would maybe give a seconds thought if you could not pay your council tax but after that thought had passed would get on with their lives and you are history and forgotten.

Am I turning into a hard nosed businessman? I hope not.

Anyway....

[Morph]

Ross

You old Turnip

I was on a job today where they asked me to change a plug on the vacuum cleaner.  It was a commercial premises, part of a chain.  I said sure.  It turned out that the vacuum kept cutting out, the girls had worked out that all it was, was a loose connection in the plug.  They phoned head office, who suggested they get the service maintenance people to call and double check nothing else was wrong with the cleaner. 
I told them not to bother, I changed the plug in 5 minutes, jokingly said that it would cost them £5
They didn't even offer me a cup of tea, but they did tell me that the service engineer was going to charge £50 call out.............

£50 call out, to change a 3 pin plug on a vacuum cleaner!!

Nice

[jeff1]

Customer loyalty my a**e, there dosn't seem to be any anymore, Did this one old moaning pair of S**ds for seven years, in all winds and weathers, put up with all there moanin so in that time i doubled there price from £15 to £30

but was worth it. One day I turned up and there was another wc doing it so i asked the wc what the **** was going on,, he just said dunno mate we just put a ticket in the door and she asked for a price,   so to be fair to him it wasn't his fault, so i went and confronted the customer, and she said that i was late, so after checking my records I went to the customer and said i am so sorry for being late i am a day late, and i do hope your new window cleaner will come out on those special occasions for you,  ie the funeral you had, gave me half hours notice, and the wedding you had two hours notice.

I just bid her fairwell, and wished the new wc good luck. three months later the wife was shopping at asda's, and across the check out my wife heared some woman shouting at the top of her voice, There's my window cleaner, she looked up and it was this moaning old fart, my wife asked what happened to your other  wc  she replied he only did it the once and we have not seen him since.
My wife politly bid her good day, and wished her luck in finding another wc, as we had taken on another one in her place, her face dropped and customers and staff had big smiles on there faces, How Good it feels to be LOYAL

[gaza]

PJ BOOKINNG INTO THE LOCAL COLLEGE FOR A COURSE ONN SERVICE ENGENEERING ARE WE THEN?

 GAZA

[Paul Coleman]

Sorry to hear what's been going on Matt but it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one who gets days like that.
Some while ago I dumped the local busybody who always wants extra jobs done F.O.C.  It was a great feeling.  I didn't even care if she took a few with her.  I bumped into her around the corner about an hour before I got to her place.  When I got there she was waiting for me, secateurs in hand.  Once I had established that she wasn't about to castrate me and wanted me to do the high pruning (again - even though I have said no on a previous occasion), I informed her that she must have mistaken me for the gardener (sarcasm  :-)  ) .  I offered to find a gardener for her.  She asked me if somebody had peed me off so informed her that she had managed that all by herself.  I then told her that I would no longer be cleaning her windows.
Yesterday I dumped two more because thewy are a nightmare getting money out of.  There are two more to follow.  I only want customers who pay within a reasonable time and who don't keep wanting freebies.  They want the best window cleaners.  I want the best customers.

I had to laugh at your post because I could empathise so much  :-)

[David 'Duck' Clare]

Matt, one of the best posts ive seen on here.

I have a customer i do the odd extra job for (she pays extra so its ok) her neighbour saw me taking some stuff to the local dump for her (£20 for doing so) and asked if i could do a run for her i said £20 and they said you do our windows too! i said yes....and while im at it shall i sweap your yard out? they  did nt like that and i lost a customer over it but i wasnt going to be taken advantage of!

DC

[baldeagle]

I might as well chuck twopennorth in.......

Today is the first day I've done this Wednesdays round in a "new order" - it has always been messy, one house, then everything onto the van, three houses, all into the van and go 500 yards away....you know the sort of thing.

Now I've got it so that the van stays in one place all day, [not too far from the Co-op, where they sell nice "Bung" rolls, and bottles of cold drinkies], and I've put some of the other houses onto other rounds.

First house, "Thanks, here's your money, we won't need you again". Wifey at rear of kitchen, say's proudly, "He's going to do them himself from now on", "he" is 83!!

I don't care, it's the cheapest one I do, they were my first customers, and I've been doing them too cheap, for too long.
[Hope the tight b***ard falls through the asbestos roof over the rear conservatory!!!]

Does two more, and then gets approached by them at number 12 and number 13, "Can you fit us in?"
Of course I can, I don't have p*ss about moving the little blue frog, [Kangoo to you], so they more than compensate for the tight old git at the corner house.

Then the old bat at number 25 really makes my day!

I'm round the back doing the kitchen window, and she comes out and say's "Don't you think these new windows are really nice?" I looks at them, and then at her, "Well, they are OK, I suppose", I said.

I can't see anything special about them, they are white UPVC, fitted into big holes in the brickwork, and the gaps between the frames are filled with that stuff.....what the hell's it called? Oh yes! Glass, that's the stuff!

One of the sill endstops has always been missing; I noticed that one of these, supposedly new, windows, has a sill endstop missing.
"That's coincidental", I thought.

She goes on about them again, telling me about how her new windows are so nice.

I said, "How long have you had them?"

"Oh, about three years", she said

"I've only been coming here for about eleven months", I said, "so these are the same ones that I've always cleaned".

"Oh yes", she said, "of course", and goes in to put the kettle on!!!!!!!

Is it me?

Baldeagle in Staffordshire

[windows_chepstow]

Matt, good post, mate, but it could've been worse; it could have all happened to me. 

As it happens we've had a blinding day.  Second highest earning day ever; though I did start early (got to first account at 7.00 am (but then returned home to walk the dog mind), and worked late (4.30 pm) and I'm feeling a bit 'monged' now.  No decent breaks either.

I can't think of any current customers I can moan about, because I drop them if we get messed about without good reason; even a little bit.  I'm really sensitive that way!

[JohnL]

Ah, the extras!  I've only cleaned this one customer once and he phoned to say he had some extras next time so when I got there it was - '' when you are in B&Q next can you get some fitments for my wall mounted tap cus I am having problems with my fitments and they need renewing, B&Q is 24 miles away from me ?? and when you come next time can you jetwash the walls cus the windows look so good now they make the walls look grubby ?? ''

do I have a jetwash - no! and would he pay a decent price for jetwashing, you got it - NO!

people ?

 

JohnL

[Andrew McCann]

You would really think that by doing all the "extras" you would be rewarded with loyalty.   FORGET IT!!!

There is no need to be hard nosed but also you have to be realistic. I bet we have all done it...  that"extra window"  Can you clean my kitchen window inside while your here..  pull that bit of grass out of my gutter.. and so the list goes on.

Been there... done it.. regretted it mostly so... I  run a BUSINESS.. not a charity.

You can diplomatically decline the "extras for free"  I fingd the customers actaully seem to respect you more this way... They dont see "MUG" painted on my forehead. 

I say this through bitter experience. Its so easy through our own good nature to set ourselves up for dissapointment.  No more for me.

Cheers

Andrew

[sunshine windows]

This sure is a fun one you've started Matt.

As for the ones who just talk, talk, talk and think I have all day to be social, I never ever worked out how to stop that.
 

I certainly know how to pick these ones. Luckily on my quietest week of the month, thank god. Got held up by a customer for 2 hours earlier. Had his life story by the time i left. Tell you what though, i'm the sort of person who enjoys this kind of relationship with my customers.

As for doing the favours. Got this old couple i've been doing for about 6 months now. Wait for it...  Tops only. Got told by her last window cleaner (my mums') that she complains like hell if you get drips on the bottom panes.

Since i've been cleaning for her, she's given me an old set of wooden ladders cause she doesn't want her fella having an accident, offered me an old lawnmower and now she wants me to get rid of his golf clubs for her.

By the way i'm taking her lace curtains down for her next month so she can clean them.

I'm definately i big old softy when it comes to things like this, but once i get a full round i realise to make a decent living that these little things will have to stop cause they eat into your day so much.

[abacus]

  matt your not a window cleaner your a comic -never laughed so much you earn more on the stage and you you get to be demanding too.

no really been threr done it got the teeshirt

I used to do favours to
Now I just say that I wouild really love to but the insurace just wont let me  I m the good guy and they go on as they were loving to hate insurance companies   serves them and the insurance companies right  cheap skates  good customers are as rare as rocking horse ..... the bestr are the ones that pay well the rest the others can have happy hunting
Have a large scotch  chalk it up to experience
 
have a good one tomorrow regards grant

[matt]

update

left for work at 6.45 this morning to do comercail

home by 9.00

back to street at 10.00

went to collect from the first old dear, as she owed me for last times clean, she was hiding in the garden  : :, so i go around rear garden and get my money

clean a few houses, start a house just down the road, this house has asked me to clean the gutters, so i give a small patch a rub, its comes off great

lady comes out and offer me a cuppa, i decline, as ive just had a drink, i ask her about the new conserv, she has it done every time, i ask her about the roof (its glass) she wants it done every 6 months for 5 quid, i laugh and say i cannot do it for that, it'll be 15 quid, she says "yes fine"

i clean the upstairs and the lady comes out, "dont do the roof, as im having the gutters cleaned on friday", no probs i say

oh hang on, can you leave the house aswell  :

i explain ive done the upstairs, she pays me half of the house and asks me to return monday, this isnt a problem as i have 3 more to do in the road

i do a few more houses and go to watch my daughters dance class

its been a nice day in the sun 

now off to bed, been up b4 7 the 3 days this week, but thats it, not in work till monday now, think of me when your working

[carl stanton]

 

[rosskesava]

A conversation today went something like this:

Him: Excuse me do you clean windows?

I'm doing a large shop front at the time...

Me: Yes we do.

Him: How much do you charge?

I'm thinking 'you pratt'

Me: For a house or for a commercial property?

Him: It a flat

I'm thinking go on.....

Me: We clean houses, flats and so on but I think it fair to say first that our minimum charge is £15

Him: My last window cleaner charged £3.50

Me: I'm sorry but our minimum price is £15

Take the hint pal

Him: It's only a few windows..

Me: Our minimum charge is £15

Him: It would take seconds to do. My last window cleaner did the gutters every year also as part of the service.

Me: Our minimum charge is £15 and gutters start at £50

Him: Can you come and have a look. I's only a few windows. Very easy and quick.

Me: Do you understand our minimum charge is £15?

And so it went on. After 10 minutes I was getting really annoyed as I working. 10 minutes later of being direct and polite....

Me: Listen mate, I think it best if you find someone else as you don't seem to understand basic English. Give me £15 and I'll come right now and clean your windows otherwise leave me alone and just GO AWAY.

Him: You are supposed to be offering a service. Why can't you understand that simple fact and come and clean my windows for the same price as my last window cleaner.

Me: F*** OFF and leave me alone.

Him: No need to get nasty

Me: I'll get even more nasty if you don't go and  &*$%£^ *&^@"£$ and go and *&^%&* ^&*(&*..............

A year ago I would have gone and looked at his windows ...... not now though.

-----------------------------------------

Matt

Glad you had a nice day in the sun. I am so so so happy you are off till Monday.

Tomorrow and Friday we have 149 commercial jobs to do. Think of me please 

By Friday evening I'll be on my knees.

[carl stanton]

rosskesava is your minimum £15 by any chance 
you could have dunked his head in your bucket untill he understood!!! pratt!! [assuming you use a bucket]

[rosskesava]

Isn't it so that sometimes you get a feeling about someone even before they speak?

This bloke.....

He would not give up. He did not want to take very powerfull hints.

My point really was that upto a year or two ago we probably would have done his windows. For £3.50. And suffered all the complaints about doing it.

Then somehow this person would have got better service than someoe who pays decent money and does not complain.

These cheap skates, they are the ones who make our lives a problem when working because they shout loudest and up to a while back, we would listen.

In one way, it's not 'their' fault, 'they' are just trying to get the best deal. It was us, because over the years of living, if you are a polite person, you respond to such requests as a matter of course. If that makes sense.

Even though I am always polite, lately, I am sick and tired of wasting time and energy on these wallies by being nice.

I am sorry to say this but let some other window cleaner do their windows because we're not going to.

[Paul Coleman]

Isn't it so that sometimes you get a feeling about someone even before they speak?

This bloke.....

He would not give up. He did not want to take very powerfull hints.

My point really was that upto a year or two ago we probably would have done his windows. For £3.50. And suffered all the complaints about doing it.

Then somehow this person would have got better service than someoe who pays decent money and does not complain.

These cheap skates, they are the ones who make our lives a problem when working because they shout loudest and up to a while back, we would listen.

In one way, it's not 'their' fault, 'they' are just trying to get the best deal. It was us, because over the years of living, if you are a polite person, you respond to such requests as a matter of course. If that makes sense.

Even though I am always polite, lately, I am sick and tired of wasting time and energy on these wallies by being nice.

I am sorry to say this but let some other window cleaner do their windows because we're not going to.

Ross.  You bring up an interesting point here.  I too have found that the biggest and most frequent moans come from those who aren't paying me enough.

[matt]

Matt

Glad you had a nice day in the sun. I am so so so happy you are off till Monday.

Tomorrow and Friday we have 149 commercial jobs to do. Think of me please 

By Friday evening I'll be on my knees.

i will

Im just packing up a pinic for me and mu daughter to go to the park or the kiddie farm (not sure yet)

on the plus side, your load of comercail in the next 2 days will earn you a shed load of cash its all good