stuart howes

  • Posts: 191
rain all week
« on: May 21, 2006, 01:19:07 pm »
they say it is going to rain all week all over the place .......
the thing is i dont normally work in the rain     i cant not work all week as i will be be so poor what, are all you non rain workers going to do    just some moral
support needed i think :(    this is for wfp users

dai

  • Posts: 3503
Re: rain all week
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2006, 01:26:16 pm »
Stuart, If it's not too windy or absolutely pi55ing down I plan to work through it.
Tell your customers that if you stayed at home every time it rains, you would have to charge double the price. This usually shuts them up. Dai

jeff1

  • Posts: 5855
Re: rain all week
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2006, 01:30:44 pm »
Hi Stu

Looks like me and you, are going to be sick of george forbys remix by the end of next week. ;D ;D

matt

Re: rain all week
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2006, 01:50:03 pm »
im on holidays in a few weeks time and had hoped for a few dry days for my spends ;)

looks like it aint happening  :(

matt

Re: rain all week
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2006, 01:50:50 pm »
though i do have a few gutter / fasica jobs to do

so i might be out in the rain doing them

it'll all help

simon w

  • Posts: 1580
Re: rain all week
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2006, 02:12:15 pm »
 Stu. Dont let the rain stop you from earning a living. just get out there and clean your windows!. put your wet gear on & get on with business as usual. most of your customers will be at work. When they get home their windows will be clean & every one's happy.

I explain to my customers from the start that we work 8-5 Mon-Fri, regardless of the weather. as i'm running a business and cant stop working just because it's raining. If they expect you to be there when the weather is fine then they have to accept the odd occasions when it's raining.

Simon :)

Trevor Knight

  • Posts: 1825
Re: rain all week
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2006, 02:21:10 pm »
I agree with Simon, what would you do if you clean them and an hour later it rains? give them a refund??

People on the whole don't mind.


Keep going, regards, Trev
Covering Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire

dougster

  • Posts: 251
Re: rain all week
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2006, 02:41:16 pm »
these are the days that i save powerwashing jobs for and other bits of cleaning, then i can still go and earn some bread and butter

ronaldo

  • Posts: 840
Re: rain all week
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2006, 10:57:59 am »
Once again sat in the house due to the poope weather, it makes me laugh when people keep saying whatever the weather we will still clean your windows and their customers just say ok no problem.

Ive said before on this forum if we went to clean any of our domestics in this weather we would be told to do one! so today we thought we,d go and do a couple of our commercials WRONG.
First one we arrived at we were met by the manager who said not today lads its a waste of time and a waste of money.

I no, so you dont need to tell me that some of you would just say drop them,£175.00!!!! would you take that out of your pocket and throw it away?? EXACTLY.

So my point is its ok saying we clean in any weather but  if we did that round here we would very quickly have nothing to clean, i no nearly every wc in the area and none of them works in the weather like were having at the moment. good luck to you if your customers will stand it but they wont her and i,m sure that would go for the majority in here.
A bad days fishing is better than a good days work !

rugby

  • Posts: 360
Re: rain all week
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2006, 11:49:17 am »
im still confused,i dont normaly work in the rain,but need the money so thought i would go for it last friday and clean in heavyish rain to see how my customers would respond, 5 customers said no thanks,5 customers were ok,so 50% said goodbye 50% said ok,so what do i do when its raining next time? like i said im confused ???

JM123

  • Posts: 2095
Re: rain all week
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2006, 12:40:34 pm »
explain to your customers that wfp works fine in the rain (which it does for me) and you shouldn't have a problem, most people are fine as long as you explain to them and they know you are accountable for your work.
Live life in the fast lane.......if you break down you'll freewheel further

Ballymena N.I

Trevor Knight

  • Posts: 1825
Re: rain all week
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2006, 01:24:03 pm »
I understand all the postings on here about when it rains but have to say again, what would you do if it rains 10 minutes after you have cleaned them??

When we take on a new customer we explain that we offer a REGULAR and RELIABLE service. This means we will call when expected irrespective of the weather, that way we can maintain our commitment as promised, otherwise if it rains a week thens it ok then rains a week the customers in the 4th week start wondering where you are.

I don't know, we can bang on about this forever as to who is right or wrong. All I know is I tell the customer what to expect and have never had a problem, my guy's have been out all day and will stay out and work, thats just how we do it?

Lets face it, what are the chances that you will clean a customers windows in the rain more than twice a year? Your customers can expect you to be reliable and not take into consideration the weather.

Good luck anyway

Trev  ;)
Covering Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire

Ian Rochester

  • Posts: 2588
Re: rain all week
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2006, 03:17:16 pm »
We generally clean in "modest" rain, however when it gets too wet and it becomes a chore we stop, go and get a bacon sarnie and wait it out. 

Today the lads have called it a day, not for the rain, which is quite light, but for the wind, which is gusting quite strong off the sea from the north and is too much for both ladders or poles.

Luckily we always keep Saturdays as a back up day for any wet ones during the week.  If we slip a few days behind it is not the end of the world.

Remember: "Work to live, not live to work"  this really is an enjoyable and satifying occupation, don't turn it into another 9-5 slog!

Re: rain all week
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2006, 04:30:30 pm »
hi i managed to work today from about 11am till 3ish then rain started again i only had one customer moan today thankfully the last one don't generally work in rain but i've still got to pay bills like anyone else i just worked while it was reasonably dry as i don't really like getting soaked.  ;D

matt

Re: rain all week
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2006, 04:34:00 pm »
i did my gutter and fasica clean :) inbetween heavy showers

then the old dear next door to the house i was on asked me to look at her blocked downpipe   :o :o :o, removed a plant and roots from it

a very nice day

Re: rain all week
« Reply #15 on: May 22, 2006, 04:42:01 pm »
This morning we braced ourselves for a wet working day; since last week we only turned over little more than half of what we normally would.

Luckily enough, the weather brightened up; apart from a couple of showers; but your customers must be bright enough to understand that you've got to earn at least enough to get by with.

I clean in all weathers when I have to and haven't lost a customer due to working in the rain yet.

I once did receive a strong objection, and (using a line I read from a Roy Harding post), I explained that the windows will be cleaned, all poo removed; no cobwebs and they'd still look good when they dried out. 

I informed the customer not to pay me then and there; and to pay me on Friday evening when I collect; only if she was happy with the job.

She was and coughed up.  She's now a model customer and pays me for cleans in advance.

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: rain all week
« Reply #16 on: May 22, 2006, 04:46:43 pm »
I totally agree with Ronaldo.

These people who say "whatever the weather" are being a bit un-professional.

Until I came on this forum a year ago I didn't realise what a hard nosed lot of ruthless businessmen window cleaners had become.  :(

Whatever happened to putting the customer first and providing a service to cater for the public's needs?
I thought window cleaning was a cheery, friendly profession.
It still is for me.... :)

That said(!), today I did call on a few people in light rain, because it's getting to the point after 2 weeks where it's starting to matter.

I apologised profusely though, as I felt a bit guilty.
Only 3 out of 9 said no though. :)

Rog.

mick hay

  • Posts: 1072
Re: rain all week
« Reply #17 on: May 22, 2006, 04:51:05 pm »
I always work through rain, today it lashed down non-stop, still is now.

Hate the thought of playing catch up. I've never had a customer moan about it
i'm home now, dry and warm and know my days work is done!
Look 4ward to getting wet through tomorrow now!!..lol     :-\

Re: rain all week
« Reply #18 on: May 22, 2006, 05:11:53 pm »
These people who say "whatever the weather" are being a bit un-professional.

Until I came on this forum a year ago I didn't realise what a hard nosed lot of ruthless businessmen window cleaners had become.  :(

Rog.

Why?  If I rubbed a window with dirt; then cleaned it in the pouring rain, the rain wouldn't 'magic' the dirt back on there.

The window would still be clean.

Wor Lass cleaned our windows last Monday, and they still look clean.

How's cleaning a window in the rain unprofessional?

Some here will say they don't like getting wet.  That's fair enough, I don't like it either, but I think you're more frightened of a bit of confrontation with your customers, rather than getting wet, Roger; and making excuses why you won't clean in the rain.

Any customer who tells me, 'not this month, mate', without good reason gets dropped.

Anyway, if it's the odd rainy day, I'm more than happy to take the day off, but prolonged rain, like we have now forces your bottom out of the door.

But I don't think that's unprofessional.



Re: rain all week
« Reply #19 on: May 22, 2006, 05:15:14 pm »
I totally agree with Ronaldo.

These people who say "whatever the weather" are being a bit un-professional.

Until I came on this forum a year ago I didn't realise what a hard nosed lot of ruthless businessmen window cleaners had become.  :(

Whatever happened to putting the customer first and providing a service to cater for the public's needs?
I thought window cleaning was a cheery, friendly profession.
It still is for me.... :)

That said(!), today I did call on a few people in light rain, because it's getting to the point after 2 weeks where it's starting to matter.

I apologised profusely though, as I felt a bit guilty.
Only 3 out of 9 said no though. :)

Rog.

I would have agreed with you some time ago, slightest drizzel and i was off.

But i'm not doing favours! I am running a business!

Before I was always skint and behind with work.

Now i'm up to date and actually earn a living!

If you give the customer a choice, they will make one.
If you tell the customer your terms, they will accept.