[Tom White]

Lots of my customers look like they are going to die - I never charge any of them.

I've got one that every time I go, I think it's going to be her last clean.  I actually thought she was dead the last time I was there.  She was just sleeping at a strange sideways angle though.  She's too frail to pay me, so I just e-mail her son and he transfers the money to us.

But she's been like this for about three years now.

A creaking door can creak for a very long time I guess.

[dazmond]

Lots of my customers look like they are going to die - I never charge any of them.

I've got one that every time I go, I think it's going to be her last clean.  I actually thought she was dead the last time I was there.  She was just sleeping at a strange sideways angle though.  She's too frail to pay me, so I just e-mail her son and he transfers the money to us.

But she's been like this for about three years now.

A creaking door can creak for a very long time I guess.

ive got around 10 customers like that tosh!one of em has been in and out of hospital for the last 20+YEARS(ive cleaned her windows for this long too)last year she was in for 3 months and thought thats the last time i see her now..........but a few months ago the neighbour said to me shes back home so im back cleaning hers again.some people(esp women)are tough as old boots.

[jk999]

That's because us men work harder ,how many old people on your books are widowed old women

[Stoots]

Maybe it depens on your relationship  with your customers. In general I don't want to talk to my customers I want to clean there windows as quick as poss and get paid.

 

[richard groves]

Yeah in general I don't even know the first names of many.
There's  always exceptions though and one or two  I've almost come to regard as friends I know them so well and cleaned for them for so long.
One of them runs a small boutique clothes shop ( cleaned it 10 + years for her )
Towards end of last year noticed it closed, the following week friends of hers rallying around holding the fort and keeping shop open. Her partner had died from a heart attack and she was devastated obviously. I continued to clean until xmas for free ( 3 or 4  cleans can't quite remember ) felt it the least I could do to show my support - she had good people around her to save her business from going under in her hour of need. Plus side is she now has a second new shop ( plans she'd already started with her partner ) that I'm cleaning and her business is back on track. 

[callum99]

I had a customer who was 99 and  said I would clean her property for free once she got to 100,,,she did,,,but then died a couple of weeks later,,,,sad. ,I thought she would last another 10  or so years

[Tom White]

Maybe it depens on your relationship  with your customers. In general I don't want to talk to my customers I want to clean there windows as quick as poss and get paid.

 

Me too, but it's important to develop some kind of bond with your customer.  I never worry when someone canvasses or drops leaflets through their doors; not even about the guy who was cheap and used to offer the first three cleans at 50% discount from his already cheap prices (a local window cleaner used to call him 'Mr 50% guy').

If you've not made an effort - at some point - to develop some 'kind of bond' (for the want of a better phrase/word), then nothing is stopping your customer going cheaper.

[AuRavelling79]

Mr 50% guy? Obviously "not all there".

Wasn't Roger was it?

[Marc Stock]

Only times I have done a free clean is if for some reason there was a problem or it makes sense for business. One day I pulled over a load of expensive plant pots customer was furious, so I did a free clean next time round worth £70

Another time I found out that 1 customer was responsible for me getting 20 odd customers, so I did a free clean.

Also mum and dads window cleaner was rubbish so I do them free also

[Soupy]

Only times I have done a free clean is if for some reason there was a problem or it makes sense for business. One day I pulled over a load of expensive plant pots customer was furious, so I did a free clean next time round worth £70

Another time I found out that 1 customer was responsible for me getting 20 odd customers, so I did a free clean.

Also mum and dads window cleaner was rubbish so I do them free also

Lol, I charge my folks £10

[slap bash]

I have as a rule always given a free clean to any customer retrenched from his job as a helping hand. This has paid me well as they often move and I build a round off the new area they have moved to helped by them.