Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Lee GLS on February 18, 2011, 07:29:08 pm
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I had my first cancellation today due to WFP since i started using it in Oct.
It must be the 4th time that i have cleaned it with WFP.
Anyway I cleaned it on wednesday, and i knew that someone was about, but i always just leave a slip because if the woman isn't there they always ask for a slip to send the money.
It was the first time someone was in since i have been using WFP, so i cleaned the house, its only the from and side, 10 windows in total, a mixture of sash windows and a couple of georgian, its £12 and took me 8 mins to clean.
They have been a customer for 4 years, anyway i received the cheque today along with a letter saying please cancel me from you window cleaning round as you cleaned my house in record time and you didn't wipe the windows when you finished.
So shall i just leave it, or shall i try and convince her to carry on with my service?
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Leave it mate, its the timing thats the issue as you did it in 8 mins she probably thought youll do 7 house in a hour at £12 each giving you £90 a hour ;D and didnt like the sums...
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I had my first cancellation today due to WFP since i started using it in Oct.
It must be the 4th time that i have cleaned it with WFP.
Anyway I cleaned it on wednesday, and i knew that someone was about, but i always just leave a slip because if the woman isn't there they always ask for a slip to send the money.
It was the first time someone was in since i have been using WFP, so i cleaned the house, its only the from and side, 10 windows in total, a mixture of sash windows and a couple of georgian, its £12 and took me 8 mins to clean.
They have been a customer for 4 years, anyway i received the cheque today along with a letter saying please cancel me from you window cleaning round as you cleaned my house in record time and you didn't wipe the windows when you finished.
So shall i just leave it, or shall i try and convince her to carry on with my service?
I would speak to her & explain what it's all about (how it works)
Explain that it is a faster method but it is also more expensive for you to operate. Also explain the H&S issues etc.
Also, (politely) after explaining the above, tell her that all your other customers really like it & mention some points of why they like it- total privacy, no walking on tiled roofs, no holes in lawn etc. This is a tactic of regaining some momentum as it kind of turns it around & makes them think twice as they now are the odd one out.
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Price higher & take your time 8)
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Exactly as winpo say's. Then thank her for her custom and say if she ever changes her mind feel free to give you a call. Keep it all very pro and don't be taking the huff. I bet she will have a good think later on.
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Leave it mate, its the timing thats the issue as you did it in 8 mins she probably thought youll do 7 house in a hour at £12 each giving you £90 a hour ;D and didnt like the sums...
100% right, thats why i love it when customers are not home even if it means waiting longer for payment, if you want the job go back and try and explain to her, people forget they are paying for the actual work your doing not your time wether it takes 10 mins or 10 hours they still end up with clean windows.
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This kind of things get my goat.I've never had anyone cancel but I've had plenty of custies say,'ooh that was quick',as if I've not been thorough.At the end of the day if they are pleased with results then it shouldn't matter if it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours.I must admit I have one or two houses where I 'dawdle' a bit where the price seems hard to justify for the amount of time taken but a price is agreed so it's ridiculous really.In this case I would explain to the lady that wfp can be a quicker method and politely challenge her to find fault with the results.
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good going only one drop out since then these are the reasons why most drop out, what ever happens dont loose sleep over it ;p,
i would write back maybe, show her a few URLs about the reach and wash ask her to investigate wfp and you will call her when she has had a chance to.
End of the day if she wants her windows cleaned thats what you do.
i had one the other day windows wet , so i went with her to every single window they were all spotless, we wacthed them dry in the sun, we even saw a bit of water run down from the mid frame to the bottem window i poionted out there is a small chance cos its a first clean that might bead a little but i rinced well so i dont think it will , oh look its dryed clear too, are you happy? she still said hmmmmmm kind of happy, i dont know ,,, thou,,, hmmmmmm
why do they want us to risk our lifes and damage guttering and roof tiles? she said she would be much happer if i was up a ladder ???
i said if i ever dared ladder this house it would be double for the same result so i think she might stick but who knows,who cares a day in the life of wfp!
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you need to say how much money youve had to invest to do it quicker
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im in the same boat just been at it since dec got some real moaners one has had some bad feed back from one of there neighbours who had a wfp guy that wernt very good ??? so you some times get tard with the same brush . so all you can do is get your head down and get on whith it ;D
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You get it with WFP, its a fact of life and you just have to live with it. You are not going to please all the people all the time.
Its a percentages game, you up your output by quite a lot so some will not be happy. Some won't like the wet windows.
You lose customers all the time for whatever reason and you pick up others. In general, I have picked up more because of WFP than I have lost because of WFP so its swings and roundabouts.
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I agree with Vince, i had an add up tonight and i have increased my round by 90 houses in 6 months without even trying and after the snow and Christmas break i have re orginised my round and can easily fit in another 100 houses a month, all down to going wfp last summer,
probably lost 5 houses due to leaving them wet ;D
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Hi Lee GLS,
Maybe the reason why there was someone at home this time was because they have lost their job, but will usually find another excuse to justify the discontinuation of your services.
Passing the blame back to you makes it easier for them and gives them the upper hand.
I would contact them, thank them for their loyal business over the years and leave the door open. It's business, so try not to take it personally is my advice.
I really like winprocleans suggestions.
"I would speak to her & explain what it's all about (how it works)
Explain that it is a faster method but it is also more expensive for you to operate. Also explain the H&S issues etc.
Also, (politely) after explaining the above, tell her that all your other customers really like it & mention some points of why they like it- total privacy, no walking on tiled roofs, no holes in lawn etc. This is a tactic of regaining some momentum as it kind of turns it around & makes them think twice as they now are the odd one out."
Spruce
ps. I bet it took you longer than 8 mins to clean. You had to get there from your previous job, unpack your gear, clean and pack it up again. You also had to write out the "windows cleaned" slip. Added to that it the unseen time you spend filling your tank in the morning, daily paperwork and route planning, banking and maintenance of your equipment.
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I had my first cancellation today due to WFP since i started using it in Oct.
It must be the 4th time that i have cleaned it with WFP.
Anyway I cleaned it on wednesday, and i knew that someone was about, but i always just leave a slip because if the woman isn't there they always ask for a slip to send the money.
It was the first time someone was in since i have been using WFP, so i cleaned the house, its only the from and side, 10 windows in total, a mixture of sash windows and a couple of georgian, its £12 and took me 8 mins to clean.
They have been a customer for 4 years, anyway i received the cheque today along with a letter saying please cancel me from you window cleaning round as you cleaned my house in record time and you didn't wipe the windows when you finished.
So shall i just leave it, or shall i try and convince her to carry on with my service?
The bit above in red is the clue to all of this.
Someone was in.
If you knew someone was in then instead of the usual £12 for 8 mins routine then you should:-
Fanny about unnecessarily by washing the door thoroughly (if in good condition) - put everything away and wipe the cills and underneath those upper sashes. Maybe towel along carefully above the downstairs vents. Take 20 mins for your £12 even if it means you update some paperwork in your van before you knock the door for your dosh or put a slip through.
Perception is reality see?
Now if the whole issue was the "not drying off afterwards" then a polite letter explaining how drying off afterwards will mean a less than perfect job. And explain your "magic water" and how much it costs to produce.
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Ok spruce you have got me, it didn't take 8 mins it prob to 9 mins ;D.
Seriously taking that unto account it would be longer than 8 mins, but that is all the customer see's.
Think I will call her, not to grovel, but to explain the system and leave the ball in her court.
Thanks for the replies guys.
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i had one the other day windows wet , so i went with her to every single window they were all spotless, we wacthed them dry in the sun, we even saw a bit of water run down from the mid frame to the bottem window i poionted out there is a small chance cos its a first clean that might bead a little but i rinced well so i dont think it will , oh look its dryed clear too, are you happy? she still said hmmmmmm kind of happy, i dont know ,,, thou,,, hmmmmmm
Was this is on a date?
I thought I was reading a Jilly Cooper.
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Ok spruce you have got me, it didn't take 8 mins it prob to 9 mins ;D.
Seriously taking that unto account it would be longer than 8 mins, but that is all the customer see's.
Think I will call her, not to grovel, but to explain the system and leave the ball in her court.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Lee I wouldn't call her, she wrote you a note so I would write a note back explaining the changes and if she seen fit you would take her back, I might even apologise for explaining the changes in advance, then I would have a beer and not worry too much ;D some folk are just daft and you can't please them all
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Good luck with that one Lee.
I would send her a very brief letter, thanking her for her custom, mentioning wfp benefits quicker but expensive setup, and just add if she ever needs you again then do not hesitate to call.
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sorry stu,
your a quicker tper than me :)
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sorry stu,
your a quicker tper than me :)
anyway I agree ;)
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She thinks you have been shafting her each time you have cleaned now and £12 in 8 or 9 mins is way too fast and i would dump you as well. She will never get her head round how quick you did it and by now will have told 17 people as thats how it works.If she thought you had done the finest window cleaning in the world at the greatest price she would have told perhaps 1 or 2 people, again thats how it works. You got caught splash and dashing.Definitely a well worded letter containing the previous suggestions could do no harm and perhaps mention every other clean is a deep cleanse of all surrounding framework and sashes etc. Myself, if i wanted to keep the job i would include plenty of humour and admit to being caught rushing like a lunatic on said day.
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I had my first cancellation today due to WFP since i started using it in Oct.
It must be the 4th time that i have cleaned it with WFP.
Anyway I cleaned it on wednesday, and i knew that someone was about, but i always just leave a slip because if the woman isn't there they always ask for a slip to send the money.
It was the first time someone was in since i have been using WFP, so i cleaned the house, its only the from and side, 10 windows in total, a mixture of sash windows and a couple of georgian, its £12 and took me 8 mins to clean.
They have been a customer for 4 years, anyway i received the cheque today along with a letter saying please cancel me from you window cleaning round as you cleaned my house in record time and you didn't wipe the windows when you finished.
So shall i just leave it, or shall i try and convince her to carry on with my service?
The bit above in red is the clue to all of this.
Someone was in.
If you knew someone was in then instead of the usual £12 for 8 mins routine then you should:-
Fanny about unnecessarily by washing the door thoroughly (if in good condition) - put everything away and wipe the cills and underneath those upper sashes. Maybe towel along carefully above the downstairs vents. Take 20 mins for your £12 even if it means you update some paperwork in your van before you knock the door for your dosh or put a slip through.
Perception is reality see?
Now if the whole issue was the "not drying off afterwards" then a polite letter explaining how drying off afterwards will mean a less than perfect job. And explain your "magic water" and how much it costs to produce.
Ive got quite a few jobs that I do that on!!! ;D
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If it ever comes up I just sday the business now costs me a lot more per hour to run. If I were to turn over the same hourly rate as from a ladder then I would be seriously out of pocket. Also, it it were to take the same time as before, my charges would be much higher.
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To quick mate, if the customer is in slow down a bit.
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I can see whay the speed is a problem, but the sash windows have 4 small strips and 2 larger strips, then the other windows are all georgian, so it was priced for trad work, so if she has seen me do it in 20mins, now its under half, she prob thinks she is getting half a job.
I dont understand people that dont like us doing a quicker job, after all, whatever line of work you are in, you would welcome something that is going to make your life easier and do the job faster, but wouldnt expect to reduce the cost to the customer just because it is completed faster.
Unfortunately there are some very small minded short sited people who will never be happy.
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To quick mate, if the customer is in slow down a bit.
I wasnt going quick, just a normal steady pace, if i went any slower i would have been putting dirt back on the windows ;D
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I can see whay the speed is a problem, but the sash windows have 4 small strips and 2 larger strips, then the other windows are all georgian, so it was priced for trad work, so if she has seen me do it in 20mins, now its under half, she prob thinks she is getting half a job.
perhaps on this type of work you should drop your prices ;)
Yeah, i can see that happening ;D
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Lee,
I always think going to see your customers face to face shows you are professional
because you have taken time out of your day to see what the problems are etc.
It shows good customer care and quite often you get a positive result.
You can then explain to her all the points mentioned above,how it works etc.
Jay
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It's not that you done it in that time chap, It's cos she supports SPURS :)
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It's not that you done it in that time chap, It's cos she supports SPURS :)
Pain in the... who do you think that is in my profile picture? i think you have got your wires crossed ;D
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It's you after ya just lost that job chap ah ;D ;D ;D
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8mins £12 it aint rocket sceince lee.
if she is a nurse and highly trained see aint earning that type of money a hrs,so she thinks why should you. ;)
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It's you after ya just lost that job chap ah ;D ;D ;D
Lol very clever ;D
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;D ;D