[jo5hm4n]

So today i phoned up one of my customers to let him know we are coming to clean tomorrow for him.  He said "no its okay, dont bother doing them any more", i politely asked him why and he said, i am not really happy about the system you use", i asked if it had left anything on the glass and he said "yes"

Usually i've got my head screwed on and would then go into apologize mode and say maybe something was missed by accident but it wont happen again bla bla bla.

I say this because i have cleaned this customer for over a year now, not 1 single complaint and he chats every time we call round.  All his windows are new-ish recessed seal windows, so never any problems with run downs or anything.  Now couple months ago he started getting a bit of a pain, oh dont bother this week, leave it till next month, ive got alot going on at the moment.  Just excuses...  I've carried on cleaning though for another 6 months since and now hes dropped me because he doesn't like the system i use.

What would you of done in this situation?  I thought maybe i should say, okay i will come back and if windows aren't perfect after next clean dont pay, but i just couldn't be bothered, because i thought, right hes been messing me about anyway lately, maybe its a good thing he's dumped me before i dumped him.

I didn't fight to keep him as a customer at all, would you of done?  It annoys me because i hate losing customers, especially if i feel its my fault or something, but then i have to remember that actually he was messing me about anyway.

I just politely said on the phone, okay no problems, and then we both hung up.

How should i have approached this differently, i am not always on form when a customer out of the blue cancels on me.

[andyM]

[simon123]

To be honest I got bored reading your long boring story, but I  just wanted to say you never ever phone a customer night before unless its over £80 !

[richard groves]

I'd have done exactly the same except I would have asked him what the issue was he had with the  wfp system and wait for the response .............. not ask him if you had left anything on the glass. He was looking for a reason to cancel you and you gave it to him.

[dazmond]

hes probably lying and he cant afford you anymore or maybe he genuinely doesnt like wfp.some customers dont.

you cant please everybody.

ive lost a fair few over the years but not enough to worry me as i keep picking up more and more other jobs.

[p1w1]

Simply ask if there was a problem with the service provided..if not then Thank you for your past custom and all the very best..goodbye
and would have been forgotten about by the time i hung up the phone.

[robbo333]

I would have dumped him earlier, when he started to become a problem.
He's obviously got an issue that he's not going to tell you about, so just be polite and move on.

[AuRavelling79]

1. Never phone beforehand
2. "Leave it this time" = Dump.

[nathankaye]

Ive had the odd customer say not this month etc.
But im understanding why and adapting my responses before it or they become a problem.  As the vast majority of my work is 4 wkly im mostly cleaning clean windows. So I give them the option to go 8wkly at a higher price (but still less than actual 2x4wkly). These types of customers happily do so and they continue being a good customer.
I dont mind for 2 reasons. 1, i keep a customer and 2nd, im slowly building up 8wkly work as im sure most people will soon realise (new customers esp) that they are paying me to clean virtually nothing 

[Stoots]

It nothing to do with anything he says, he simply just doesnt want a window cleaner anymore.

Its a classic sign, once they start being funny and out of character its a slippery slope, skip a clean, start paying late, not as friendly etc...all this means is they want to cancel but cant say to your face so they just mess around until you get the idea.

Soon as they start to play up, you know whats coming, seen it hapoen loads of times.

[dazmond]

Ive had the odd customer say not this month etc.
But im understanding why and adapting my responses before it or they become a problem.  As the vast majority of my work is 4 wkly im mostly cleaning clean windows. So I give them the option to go 8wkly at a higher price (but still less than actual 2x4wkly). These types of customers happily do so and they continue being a good customer.
I dont mind for 2 reasons. 1, i keep a customer and 2nd, im slowly building up 8wkly work as im sure most people will soon realise (new customers esp) that they are paying me to clean virtually nothing 

thats how you ll  build your round up nathan to a much more profitable business by offering new customers longer frequencies for higher prices over time.ive been doing it for years now and your hourly rate with start to increase.its a good feeling.

[Stoots]

Ive had the odd customer say not this month etc.
But im understanding why and adapting my responses before it or they become a problem.  As the vast majority of my work is 4 wkly im mostly cleaning clean windows. So I give them the option to go 8wkly at a higher price (but still less than actual 2x4wkly). These types of customers happily do so and they continue being a good customer.
I dont mind for 2 reasons. 1, i keep a customer and 2nd, im slowly building up 8wkly work as im sure most people will soon realise (new customers esp) that they are paying me to clean virtually nothing 

thats how you ll  build your round up nathan to a much more profitable business by offering new customers longer frequencies for higher prices over time.ive been doing it for years now and your hourly rate with start to increase.its a good feeling.

You`ll still hit a ceiling though being a sole trader, you can only exchange so much time for money.

[Tosh]

I'd go round a release half a dozen rats through is letterbox.

[simon123]

I'd go round a release half a dozen rats through is letterbox.

Where will you obtain the rats ?

[Marc Stock]

It's part of being in this game.

They arnt your mates.

[paul alan]

So today i phoned up one of my customers to let him know we are coming to clean tomorrow for him.  He said "no its okay, dont bother doing them any more", i politely asked him why and he said, i am not really happy about the system you use", i asked if it had left anything on the glass and he said "yes"

Usually i've got my head screwed on and would then go into apologize mode and say maybe something was missed by accident but it wont happen again bla bla bla.

I say this because i have cleaned this customer for over a year now, not 1 single complaint and he chats every time we call round.  All his windows are new-ish recessed seal windows, so never any problems with run downs or anything.  Now couple months ago he started getting a bit of a pain, oh dont bother this week, leave it till next month, ive got alot going on at the moment.  Just excuses...  I've carried on cleaning though for another 6 months since and now hes dropped me because he doesn't like the system i use.

What would you of done in this situation?  I thought maybe i should say, okay i will come back and if windows aren't perfect after next clean dont pay, but i just couldn't be bothered, because i thought, right hes been messing me about anyway lately, maybe its a good thing he's dumped me before i dumped him.

I didn't fight to keep him as a customer at all, would you of done?  It annoys me because i hate losing customers, especially if i feel its my fault or something, but then i have to remember that actually he was messing me about anyway.

I just politely said on the phone, okay no problems, and then we both hung up.

How should i have approached this differently, i am not always on form when a customer out of the blue cancels on me.

No need for a response mate, put down the phone and its now in the past. Forget it!

Crack on with the future.

[G Griffin]

It annoys me because i hate losing customers, especially if i feel its my fault or something, but then i have to remember that actually he was messing me about anyway.

There's your problem. Why let losing a customer bother you?
You had to prompt him into a reason for cancelling which tells me didn't have a real beef, so let him go.
If you can't make him happy let someone else try.
And fail. Probably.

[windowswashed]

Our customers are not our friends, Some of them will lie and make excuses why they don't want windows cleaned after a short initial period, normally they are too proud to tell you they can't afford it, others have silly rules like they work nights and don't want their sleep disturbed in the morning, others don't trust you, etc.
Move on and forget it, why worry about the odd one that isn't worth finding out the real reason, who cares........we only care when they are regular and pay regularly, it's a job and not a life

[jo5hm4n]

Thanks for all the comments guys.  Alot of my problem is i suffer badly with anxiety so often i way overthink things that are really not important.  Liking losing customers which inevitably happens over time regardless of what you do.

Sometimes it's no big deal but today it just got me thinking that is all.  Already picked up 2 new customers on the same round, so customer is replaced already, no sweat.

It's easy to get attached to customers sometimes, the guy was always really nice so when they just dump you it's always worse then just an average customer who pays you and you dont even ever really talk to them.

Need to remember, it's always strictly business, not personal.

[jonboywalton75]

Need to remember, it's always strictly business, not personal.


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