[Clever Forum Name]

Today i picked up a customer from a competitor 3-5 vans.

She said;

A Always someone different.
B Don't seem to be bothered to talk to me (staff)
C Not Friendly at all (any of them)
D Thought it was expensive (£22 end terrace) Woman has 7 windows.

This got me thinking, if a sole trader turns up to quote. Nice van, smart, friendly, well priced. Why would they use a larger company?

The only reason i can think off is reliability. If i am ill, i don't work. If a company with staff has sickness, they could cover it!

Just wondering from a customers point of view why would they use a large company and not a small professional sole trader?

[NWH]

Some people don't know any different m8 in towns and city's its a different ball game that's why a lot of windys can't see my point when I say things are different in the sticks. That wouldn't work round my way quiet so easily more like the other way round.

[Smurf]

Don't matter how much or little cleaners charge if for any reason the customer don't like who turns up be it in an old banger or sparkly van they will not want them on their property.

People tend to be fickle like that.

[pdale]

Today i picked up a customer from a competitor ...

£22 for 7 windows? If it's who I think it is be careful that he doesn't come after you 

[Clever Forum Name]

Today i picked up a customer from a competitor ...

£22 for 7 windows? If it's who I think it is be careful that he doesn't come after you 

Haha. Nah not him. She showed me the bill. He's there about 8 minutes.

[Scrimble]

because a larger multivan company can offer a customer the same service as a small sole trader

someone comes to clean the windows, customer pays, same thing happens every 2 4 6 8 12 weeks

a multi van company can also have nice vans, smart friendly staff, competitive prices etc

[NWH]

To me it doesn't matter how long your there 2 minutes 20 minutes I give a price and that's that they accept it or not regardless of how long your there cleaning them.

[SeanK]

Doesn't matter if your a  traditional one man operator a scruffy one man operator a one man operator with a fancy shiny
van and uniform or if your a large multi van outfit, once you win the custom you will keep it as long as the customer is satisfied
and able to afford you, plus going by some of the cowboys working in my area I honestly don't know what you would need to
do for a customer not to be satisfied with your work.

[dazmond]

Today i picked up a customer from a competitor 3-5 vans.

She said;

A Always someone different.
B Don't seem to be bothered to talk to me (staff)
C Not Friendly at all (any of them)
D Thought it was expensive (£22 end terrace) Woman has 7 windows.

This got me thinking, if a sole trader turns up to quote. Nice van, smart, friendly, well priced. Why would they use a larger company?

The only reason i can think off is reliability. If i am ill, i don't work. If a company with staff has sickness, they could cover it!

Just wondering from a customers point of view why would they use a large company and not a small professional sole trader?

most domestic customers DONT use large window cleaning companies.its virtually all small one man bands where i work.

the only people i reckon that will use a larger company is if they ve been messed around by the sole traders in the area or are messers themselves and all the locals guys give them a swerve!

[Scrimble]

define a large window cleaning company dazmond

[Lee Pryor]

None of this really makes any difference at all.  The list of things the lady said about the "large" company could be said about any one man band.

The real question should be why would someone use a company big or small who is unfriendly and overpriced. Makes no difference how large the company is.

[Clever Forum Name]

None of this really makes any difference at all.  The list of things the lady said about the "large" company could be said about any one man band.

A Always someone different.

Seriously ?

[Lee Pryor]

None of this really makes any difference at all.  The list of things the lady said about the "large" company could be said about any one man band.

A Always someone different

Seriously ?

I think you know what I mean  and the point I was making.

[Clever Forum Name]

Ok but i also stated in the original OP

This got me thinking, if a sole trader turns up to quote. Nice van, smart, friendly, well priced. Why would they use a larger company?

[Smurf]

None of this really makes any difference at all.  The list of things the lady said about the "large" company could be said about any one man band.

The real question should be why would someone use a company big or small who is unfriendly and overpriced. Makes no difference how large the company is.

Define overpriced as they decide surely if they want it done or not?

[dazmond]

Ok but i also stated in the original OP

This got me thinking, if a sole trader turns up to quote. Nice van, smart, friendly, well priced. Why would they use a larger company?

they wouldnt!they d use the sole trader every time.i work in areas that are very wealthy and an older local window cleaner told me years ago that it takes years to build up trust  in the area and he was right!23 years on i am indeed "part of the furniture" and have nearly 300 customers all within a 5 mile area

[jk999]

at the end off the day its down to trust ,I know a guy whos realy good at what he does but couldn't get the right workers this game doesn't suit everybody it takes years to find the right guys for the job ,now he has a good team of guys and a lot off loyal customers,  customers don't always go for sole traders so who ever told you that doesn't know what they are talking about

[dazmond]

most customers dont want 2 or 3 guys turning up to clean their windows esp if their always different faces if they can have  one guy who is well known and trusted in the area.people are funny about having people milling around their property(esp when they have a few quid) IME.

[SeanK]

most customers dont want 2 or 3 guys turning up to clean their windows esp if their always different faces if they can have  one guy who is well known and trusted in the area.people are funny about having people milling around their property(esp when they have a few quid) IME.

Why would 2 or 3 guys be any less trusted or known in the area than a guy working alone ? if I took on 5 guys tomorrow
it wouldn't make any difference in how my customers thought of me as long as the quality didn't change. Yes they do trust me
but they also trust my company name.
Now don't get my wrong I took some work from a big concern because the customers didn't like a guy at every window but
it wouldn't be something most customers care about.

[Rich Wilts]

if I took on 5 guys tomorrow it wouldn't make any difference in how my customers thought of me as long as the quality didn't change.

Have you asked them? Or are you assuming?

[Johnny B]

My view on this is that many people don't consciously think about the size of the window cleaning company they are using. They want their windows cleaned for a price they agree is reasonable to a standard they accept, at an agreed frequency. Trust is important, but it begins with the initial contract made between customer and service provider, be it verbally or in writing.

If all criteria are met and maintained, the business relationship will continue. If any are broken, then it will be at risk. Whether it's a sole trader or a national conglomerate, it's irrelevant imho.

John

[SeanK]

if I took on 5 guys tomorrow it wouldn't make any difference in how my customers thought of me as long as the quality didn't change.

Have you asked them? Or are you assuming?

Assuming.

[Mick Kent]

Of course customers prefere the personal touch of 1 friendly happy reliable guy as opposed to someone different each time.
I dont think there are many professional domestic outfits with multiple vans  about compared to 1 man outfits, i know of a few but all have old vans and always have to go through lots of staff due to problems and the fact noone will take the pride in the work that  is done as much as you. 1 man outfits tend to take more pride in everything they do, Dazmond is a prime example of this.
The guys doing well with multiple vans where it doesnt matter who does the job are the  big commercial companies. You dont see any well known domestic companies out there, and the ones that are about never do as well as they make out.
Domestic customer like the personal touch where as commercial want to see a big multiple van company.
If i started out again id keep it simple like Daz.


 

[8weekly]

I'm of the opinion that if you pat peanuts you get monkeys. If you recruit non knuckle heads, pay them well and treat them well, they will do a good job.

[NWH]

I would love to know where you get your staff from I've paid peanuts and paid well got the same results they all want time off to go on Jeremy Kyle lol

[Smudger]

I would love to know where you get your staff from I've paid peanuts and paid well got the same results they all want time off to go on Jeremy Kyle lol

Nigel I think you need to stop recruiting from your bowls club 

Good staff are out there, but you need to be a good employer to get good staff. Initially I had resistance from customers when I first employed, but this stopped over time, customers may get one of four different guys clean their windows it's never a problem, all have uniform, all are polite, and they put their name on the "yours were cleaned today card"

Many, many new cleans I've picked up have been from unreliable/rude one man bands, there's good and bad of every type of biz.

Darran

[NWH]

Yeah i do m8 there all to old they can't stand the pace lol🏋🏿🏋🏿🏋🏿