Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jo5hm4n on January 24, 2020, 09:25:26 pm
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So this January i have lost atleast 10 customers. Maybe more haven't sat down and actually 100% counted them.
8 of these customers are either moving house or have admitted they are totally skint and cant afford anymore. These are customers who have always generally been good paying customers. The other 2 customers just blanked me when i asked the reason for cancelling.
This is the most amount of customers i have ever lost in a single month and for what seems like genuine reasons on their part.
Anyone else lost a few this month?
This time last year i don't remember really losing many at all in January.
I'm hoping this isn't custards freaking out because of Brexit.
Good job i'm doing another advertising campaign next week to kick off the new custards for the year :)
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Hey John,
Had one yesterday. Just came out of the house, paid me and said they no longer needed a window cleaner! Happy with the service, just don't need a window cleaner anymore. Older couple, I've been cleaning them for 6 years, just replace and move on.
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Strange we are the busiest we have ever been , turning down work left right and centre , enquires are constantly coming in , Ime very surprised we normally start UPVC cleans in March already we have 20 jobs booked in for now through February and 4 big softwashing jobs on hotels and nursing homes , struggling to keep up with demand 😬😬
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Summer brigaid warming up.
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Ive never had so many custies die/move etc as i have the last 18 months, just the way it is, i guess.
Unless they are moving to get away from me ;D
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Yeh lost about 10 this month, some cancels, some bad payers etc.
But easy to replace, picked up about 20 - 30 new ones since Christmas without hardly trying.
Now if only finding reliable staff to clean it were as easy as picking up new work ???
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Ive never had so many custies die/move etc as i have the last 18 months, just the way it is, i guess.
Unless they are moving to get away from me ;D
The last 18 months have been the worst for deaths and moving into care homes we have ever experienced ourselves.
Over the last 12 months 7 friends we have known for years have past away either with old age or cancer. One was just 51. The seventh's memorial service is on the 1st February.
This winter we have lost 2 customers who have died.
Another came to the door last week looking as though he is losing his battle with cancer. It's rather sad as he doesn't smoke or drink and has looked after his invalid wife now bed ridden for the past 15 years. Not reached retirement age yet and worked all his life in ICI Wilton.
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Winter cancellations for us start in November and gradually get worse until Feb. January is always our worst month for cancellations.
Lots of our customers are on the breadline. They would rather cancel the window cleaning so they can buy a toy or a turkey. January cancellations are customers who have absolutely no cash left. They just cancel the DD.
These customers all live is nice houses and have new lease cars on the drives.
It's the crazy debt ridden world we live in.
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Lost 12 in the last two weeks, but that is normal for me doing only Military properties.
Also two patches are off while all the windows are replaced on every house. They will come back with easier windows to clean.
Prospecting hard and picking up loads at better prices.
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Ive never had so many custies die/move etc as i have the last 18 months, just the way it is, i guess.
Unless they are moving to get away from me ;D
Just out of interest...... what deodorant do you use?😄
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Cancelled one myself in Nov last year(dementia)......that's it....picked up an estate agents last week and a couple of other new little jobs...
I have got around 5 on my watch list though.....they still want me to clean but are on their last legs.....
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We have had a few more cancellations this month than usual but I seem to remember similar last January,
I suppose the larger customer base you have, you will notice it more, as the Numbers will be higher.
As for them dying, winter and January in particular the death rate is much higher, which is the reason you will be hearing stories about backlogs at crematoriums and listening to funeral director adverts on the radio,
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It's the ebb and flow of dealing with members of the public. Winter thins the heard a bit either through the Grim Reaper or sifting out the messers and cash strapped.
Happy to see the latter go, not so happy to see the former. Although it does prove a constant reminder that all things pass and we are just tiny specs in the cosmos. Crack on with work but enjoy your life - remember it's a means to an end, whether you're a one man band or a multi-van multi-millionaire employer.
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So far this month one cancellation (£10 house front. 8 weekly)
But of course in true Cleanitup fashion, two new custies (totalling £35, 8 weekly) ;D
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It's the ebb and flow of dealing with members of the public. Winter thins the heard a bit either through the Grim Reaper or sifting out the messers and cash strapped.
Happy to see the latter go, not so happy to see the former. Although it does prove a constant reminder that all things pass and we are just tiny specs in the cosmos. Crack on with work but enjoy your life - remember it's a means to an end, whether you're a one man band or a multi-van multi-millionaire employer.
ive said it before and ill say it again.....all our rounds are built on shifting sand........no jobs last forever,however ive still got some jobs from my first canvass back in jan 1993......27 years of loyalty.....and a large list of suspended jobs/customers,most of them moved or died over the course of 27 years......
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Picked up 2 in the last 10 days 1 big place never been cleaned in years the other had a WFP cleaner that never cleaned the frames,they were green and he said he couldn’t reach a window at an angle over a porch upstairs lol dear me.
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Ive never had so many custies die/move etc as i have the last 18 months, just the way it is, i guess.
Unless they are moving to get away from me ;D
Just out of interest...... what deodorant do you use?😄
Hai Karate!!!!
Supposed to full of testosterone or something.
Only attracts the guys to me I'm afraid😁
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Cancelled one myself in Nov last year(dementia)......that's it....picked up an estate agents last week and a couple of other new little jobs...
I have got around 5 on my watch list though.....they still want me to clean but are on their last legs.....
You're compassion shines through on this post Daz :o
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This is why I say space your cleans out more every 4 weekly or month from November through till March you will be cleaning them in average weather at best,a lot of people are not going to want 6 or so cleans during this period some might many will not.
8 weeks or 2 months people will be more than happy with a few cleans over the winter but double that and you’ll get the it’s not really worth it in this weather etc,some will disagree but in my experience you’ll lose more if you are to regular and some customers would rather cancel than tell you this.
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Lost 1 this month , my fault as I'm well late ;D she cancelled.
Picked up 5 or 6 new ones and loads of add ons, January's been a good month so was last year.
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Not uncommon for me to be 6 weeks late on jobs good payers as well
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Not uncommon for me to be 6 weeks late on jobs good payers as well
6 weeks late 😳
So a 8 weekly job becomes 14 weekly, basically a first clean. You must be costing yourself thousands.
Why are you so late? Too big a round or don’t you work in the rain?
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This is why I say space your cleans out more every 4 weekly or month from November through till March you will be cleaning them in average weather at best,a lot of people are not going to want 6 or so cleans during this period some might many will not.
8 weeks or 2 months people will be more than happy with a few cleans over the winter but double that and you’ll get the it’s not really worth it in this weather etc,some will disagree but in my experience you’ll lose more if you are to regular and some customers would rather cancel than tell you this.
what a load of rubbish.....i have around 200 jobs on a 4 weekly cycle all year round and have done for years,no problems....and another 140+ jobs on longer frequencies(mainly 8 weekly,some 6 weekly and some 12 weekly)
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I space mine longer Daz but I’m charging more per clean m8,I use hot water like you a few extra weeks make no difference at all.
I have a lot of work all priced well for the average plodding day and very well priced stuff I mix in if I want to make money up for weather etc,it’s like I’ve always said if you are round knocking there door down for payment every 4 weeks or a month or debiting money out of there account on a frequent basis it’s easy to say no thanks or push you back longer anyway,I call less often and charge more when I’m there they need a clean so they don’t mind paying more per clean.
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I space mine longer Daz but I’m charging more per clean m8,I use hot water like you a few extra weeks make no difference at all.
I have a lot of work all priced well for the average plodding day and very well priced stuff I mix in if I want to make money up for weather etc,it’s like I’ve always said if you are round knocking there door down for payment every 4 weeks or a month or debiting money out of there account on a frequent basis it’s easy to say no thanks or push you back longer anyway,I call less often and charge more when I’m there they need a clean so they don’t mind paying more per clean.
the thing is they DONT skip cleans nigel....unless its because of building work,etc.....ive even got some larger properties on 4 weekly frequencies and because they have lots of large trees in their gardens and surrounded by farmers fields they can be fairly dirty after 4 weeks esp if we ve had some windy weather in between.......
of course i do take on longer frequency cleans(mainly 8 weekly) and this is my normal default frequency for larger properties away from my estate jobs....
15 years ago it was standard for window cleaners to call around on a fortnightly basis!i used to when i first started!but i stopped that around 15 years ago too.....in some areas its still the norm up here!
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All my work is rural 4 weekly doesn’t apply and I’m glad it doesn’t I can pick where I go 95% of the time,I want to go there I’m feeling energetic today I’ll go there then,do I want to go and clean 3 properties and earn 2 days money yeah ok I’ll do that tomorrow then.
Sod all this round software etc that’s for people that employ 3/4 people on there work,within reason I’ll go where I fancy on any given day.
You have to admit nearly all 4 weekly stuff is smaller properties people are not going to pay 100 quid + every 4 weeks unless there either suffering from dementia or are OCD about clean windows.