Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bobby p on November 10, 2011, 03:39:40 pm
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im getting tired of this, folk who say they want a regular clean but once the seriously hard work first time is over they call up just before the second clean and cancel.
At the moment i say that i dont do 1 time only cleans,to try to filter these people out at the beginning but thats not working as they want the dirt lifted now,they go on to say,ok go monthly mate
im now thinking a canny idea might be to offer a 1 time only clean to see if they bite and then i can backpeddle somehow and cancel from my end? any lads here with tips on spotting a 1 timer?
im trying to avoid being taken for a ride, these first time only cleans are not worth double money ,or even triple or more, as they wear the body out for the rest of the week
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Yep, I was caught this morning, on the second clean. The husband cancelled saying "We just wanted a one-off", and this is despite me saying very clearly - as I always do - our terms and conditions. But this was to his wife.
It really quite annoyed me to be honest, because the first clean was a real pig; paint everwhere and hadn't been cleaned in years. They'd only just moved in and had a lot of work done to the place.
I did consider knocking him out, the skinny flippin' Australian gimp he was, then I considered vandalising his car, then I thought about strewing a handful of carpet tacks all over his drive, then I thought about knocking on his door again, just to threaten him, give him a hard time to provoke him into fighting me, then I thought, 'feck, poo happens', and I'll just let it go. Mostly let it go, anyway.
It's the first time in a long time this has happened to us. :-\
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If its a customer that has contacted you, add 50%. Offer to reduct their 4th clean by 50% if you wish.
You cant garauntee that all jobs will be how you want, but at least this way you end up a bit better in pocket whilst building up new work.
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I guess its happened to most of us and it is bloody annoying.
The only thing I can think of to prevent it, would be to charge them double on the initial clean and tell them if they are still a regular customer after maybe 3 months, they can have the fourth clean without charge, as they have originally paid double for the first clean.
Or Just charge first cleans higher anyway!
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Blimey Krave I should of typed quicker! Great minds think alike and all that
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I had one a while back, it really annoyed me (usually just shrug it off), so I told her that she obtained the price and service by deception which is a crime!
You could see her starting to panic which was payment enough for the extra work I had put in,.
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Nice 1 scud I will try and remember that
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Its all in the way you ask the question. You don't mention the subject until you (casually as anything) throw in "Did you want a one off or a regular clean?" Like it doesn't matter a jot to you one way or the other.
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Live with it. It's one of the many costs of doing business.
Vin
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Iam now charging double on all first cleans, as we have been stitched up a bit recently also.
If they stick with you after, you could always give em a free clean on say the 3rd or 4th clean, but that would be up to the windy
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first clean prices should be at a premium. say a normal £10 will be on a first £25 at least if its a one off you dont loose out
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We charge an extra 50% on first cleans, and some people do cancel after the first time, but they are only a small minority. Dont let the bad ones get you down mate, most people are genuine. ;D
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Just remember what time of year it is, some just want them clean for Xmas. If you get new enquiries now, say you'll give them a quote for regular cleaning, but will have to start in January as you are now booked right through to Xmas. Soon sorts them out :)
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ive a few of these recently as well
when quoting we will be telling custys the one off clean price and a monthly price, if they go monthly then cancel after 1st clean they will get billed the difference to the 1st clean price
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I thinks it a case of sussing em out and getting a feel for them - not easy I know.
When they ask for a price I always ask how often do u want them doing and the one offs will normally just say summit along lines of we dont want em done regular just this time only .... now u can decide if u want to do a one off and price it accordingly ..... this has saved me a few times this year as my normal reply is sorry we dont do one offs as too busy with our regular customers
if they are genuine they will ask u how often do you come or how often do the neighbours have theres done etc etc
think this is the only real sure fire way of exposing the 1 off brigade as by you asking them how often they think its safe to admit to it being a 1 off clean - funny to see their expression change when you say sorry dont do 1 offs ;D
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Its all in the way you ask the question. You don't mention the subject until you (casually as anything) throw in "Did you want a one off or a regular clean?" Like it doesn't matter a jot to you one way or the other.
good idea. I charge extra for 1st cleans but that was another idea for me to use.
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We charge an extra 50% on first cleans, and some people do cancel after the first time, but they are only a small minority. Dont let the bad ones get you down mate, most people are genuine.
This is the best way, will be doing this.
Or just as Ian@H20 says.
New custies, should be told that you can't touch til Jan 2012 ;)
The 1 time charlies always show u this time of year, lead up to xmas.
I Don't canvass or leaflet, this time of year :D
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another way of potting them is when they want a price on the phone - i have never won a job quoting on the phone and still get the odd one talk me into giving them a price and then its - ill get back to you.......and they never do even if the quote was a tenner
i too get peeved with the other brigade that love the 1st clean and thier enthusiasm dies after 3/4 cleans as your maintaing them well they seem to think no thier allright and then start messing you about untill you get fed up persvering with them.
since im a bit of a do a good job 1st time every time its unlikely it has anything to do with quality - and if its price i wouldnt wanna do them for any less anyhow
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I price every new job as being a 1 off at double my normal rate and ive never had 1 customer whos ended up just being a 1 off clean .
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Yep, I was caught this morning, on the second clean. The husband cancelled saying "We just wanted a one-off", and this is despite me saying very clearly - as I always do - our terms and conditions. But this was to his wife.
It really quite annoyed me to be honest, because the first clean was a real pig; paint everwhere and hadn't been cleaned in years. They'd only just moved in and had a lot of work done to the place.
I did consider knocking him out, the skinny flippin' Australian gimp he was, then I considered vandalising his car, then I thought about strewing a handful of carpet tacks all over his drive, then I thought about knocking on his door again, just to threaten him, give him a hard time to provoke him into fighting me, then I thought, 'feck, poo happens', and I'll just let it go. Mostly let it go, anyway.
It's the first time in a long time this has happened to us. :-\
I've always said that terms and conditions in this trade are a waste of time as there's no way to enforce them.
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I got caught a year and a half ago like this. In among a compact little close I do I was asked if I "would kreen my windows" and I explained regular monthly or two monthly only and she said "yes she understood, I have two month preese.".
I go back - no reply - start round back and she gives a panicky "me no want it this time; just once."
I let her know that we agreed regular but "me no want regurrar." So I leave her to it.
Today she obviously clocks my van and asks me to "kreen her windows" and recognising her accent I ask "are you at no. 27." She says she is and I explain that we had a falling out last time.
She says "I have regurrar, I have regurrar."
I said not from me you won't - good bye!
Sweeeet! ;D
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Yep, I was caught this morning, on the second clean. The husband cancelled saying "We just wanted a one-off", and this is despite me saying very clearly - as I always do - our terms and conditions. But this was to his wife.
It really quite annoyed me to be honest, because the first clean was a real pig; paint everwhere and hadn't been cleaned in years. They'd only just moved in and had a lot of work done to the place.
I did consider knocking him out, the skinny flippin' Australian gimp he was, then I considered vandalising his car, then I thought about strewing a handful of carpet tacks all over his drive, then I thought about knocking on his door again, just to threaten him, give him a hard time to provoke him into fighting me, then I thought, 'feck, poo happens', and I'll just let it go. Mostly let it go, anyway.
It's the first time in a long time this has happened to us. :-\
I've always said that terms and conditions in this trade are a waste of time as there's no way to enforce them.
No, you need terms and conditions, just as any other business needs terms and conditions. And you can enforce them in the way you can do what Gold did in the previous post; just don't clean their windows again. Maybe let other local window cleaners know who the 'bad uns' are.
I agree though (obviously), we can't legally enforce them, but we still need 'em.
Call them guidelines if you like?
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I was caught out very early on - nearly 3 yrs ago now, every new job since then carry's a 1st clean premium
depending on the state of the windows - if pretty clean it's the 8 wky price ( 50% over a 4 wk ) - then discounted to the 4 wky ( assuming they want 4 wky ) upto 4 times normal if they want paint removal or upvc frames restored.
you do get a gut feeling on the messers - but at least charging extra to start if/when they cancel it doesn't hurt so much.
and i've found genuine good custy's are happy to pay the extra and understand why it costs more
Darran
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Yep, I was caught this morning, on the second clean. The husband cancelled saying "We just wanted a one-off", and this is despite me saying very clearly - as I always do - our terms and conditions. But this was to his wife.
It really quite annoyed me to be honest, because the first clean was a real pig; paint everwhere and hadn't been cleaned in years. They'd only just moved in and had a lot of work done to the place.
I did consider knocking him out, the skinny flippin' Australian gimp he was, then I considered vandalising his car, then I thought about strewing a handful of carpet tacks all over his drive, then I thought about knocking on his door again, just to threaten him, give him a hard time to provoke him into fighting me, then I thought, 'feck, poo happens', and I'll just let it go. Mostly let it go, anyway.
It's the first time in a long time this has happened to us. :-\
I've always said that terms and conditions in this trade are a waste of time as there's no way to enforce them.
No, you need terms and conditions, just as any other business needs terms and conditions. And you can enforce them in the way you can do what Gold did in the previous post; just don't clean their windows again. Maybe let other local window cleaners know who the 'bad uns' are.
I agree though (obviously), we can't legally enforce them, but we still need 'em.
Call them guidelines if you like?
Why cant we enforce them? my boys afterschool club charges a £20 late fee why cant we do it?
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because you dont actually have to pay it. sure you can say there is a late/cancellation fee but you cant enforce it. it does work for most people though
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im getting tired of this, folk who say they want a regular clean but once the seriously hard work first time is over they call up just before the second cleaned in the first place and cancel.
At the moment i say that i dont do 1 time only cleans,to try to filter these people out at the beginning but thats not working as they want the dirt lifted now,they go on to say,ok go monthly mate
im now thinking a canny idea might be to offer a 1 time only clean to see if they bite and then i can backpeddle somehow and cancel from my end? any lads here with tips on spotting a 1 timer?
im trying to avoid being taken for a ride, these first time only cleans are not worth double money ,or even triple or more, as they wear the body out for the rest of the week
Yep this happens often lol had one today believe it or not she said she doesnt remember handing me 2x the clean for the first clean 2 months ago she doesnt remember anything we talked about , that the first time its £20 next time its £10 SAEs Online banking.... stuff she cant remember me or the fact that she had her windows cleaned in the first place!. ??? even thou i remember getting paid and using my clx and putting her on my round.
now that is how far these people go whats wrong with the honest approach can i have a one off please? , ok then we can price it for a one off.
not alot we can do we cant really get them to sign forms cos we may lose more then we gain.
recently i open up with , "so was it a one off you were looking for or something a bit more regular?"
if customer says regular price it about 1.5- 2x the maintenance clean this should detour most one off folk and if she fecks you about on 2nd clean just take it on the chin and thank the lord you at least charged her extra
if customer says one off no matter what els she says price it at 3x the clean and give her the option of a regular next time round you will refund her x amount over say 3 cleans.
the problem is we cant just have a general rule that all first cleans pay 3-4 times otherwise we will get no work even at 2 times you will lose the odd good customers but going in at single values is just the kiss of death
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I get them to sign a document that says minimum of 2 cleans. Don't always work but at least you have something to show them. Also ask first if they want a regular clean and see how they reply. It can sometimes give you an idea. My document also has there name address and telephone number on it
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ask at start of job do u want a one off or regular charge double for a one off i find it works but try not to have to many of them
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I ain't read the posts yet cos on way out door but I hate this too... I might do this: charge a healthy first-time clean price and ask for second clean money up front. That way even if they were to cancel after the second clean you'd feel like you've got your money's worth. Charge well for first cleans. I've only been going one year and in that time only one person has refused a clean because of the initial first time charge... Would I really want a customer like that anyway? As said, I ain't tried it yet myself (asking second clean payment up front) but if I wad well established I'd definitely give it a try.
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Had the same happen to me the other week. Did the first clean and it probably took over twice the time for a normal clean, I got a clean the 2nd time no problem and went back the 3rd time to be told I was no longer wanted. I was recommended to this person by a long established customer who told me they was fed up with their regular (?) cleaner as he was unreliable. I wonder why? ::) I've been going for about 2 years and this is the first time it has happened to me. From now on x2 for the first clean even if it means loosing a potential good custy.