Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Ian101 on December 08, 2011, 08:46:19 am
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Let this "customer" mess me about just to see for the fun of it ... an experiment in human behaviour if you will.
The object of this experiment was to find out the following.
1. Can you train them to be better customers ?
2. Does the CIU myth of "once a messer always a messer" stand up to further scrutiny ?
3. Does being helpful and accommerdating bear fruit in the long run ?
4. The development of a polite response if the unfortunate stage of culling them does arise when the first 3 objects fail.
SUBJECT MATTER (Names have been changed to protect the messer)
Mrs Jones first approached me in the spring with the ever classic customer line of "my last window cleaner just stopped coming" (this can be an indicator to problems further ahead) so a price of £12 once a month was agreed.
2 cleans in and the agreed payment method of a cheque in the post was not adhered to :( so off I went to collect on a Saturday. got payment and stressed how important it was she sent payment in future. .... 1 clean later and no cheque in post so again off I went on a Saturday to collect payment ... again stressed how important it was she paid by cheque in post ::) .... normally at this stage she would be culled but for the good of the forum I decided to start this experiment.
Object 1 nearly proven by now. (Can you train them to be better customers)
So another clean in and same old no cheque in post so off I went on another Saturday and this time offered a standing order but she declined ..... also offered to go bimonthly at no extra charge which she was happy to take me up on.
Another clean and no payment so off I went on another Saturday (things I do for this forum ;)) .... unfortunately this time she was out so left a polite note and lo and behold a cheque did arrive in the post a few days later ... you can imagine my excitement at this point thinking I had successfully retrained an errant customer but alas upon looking at the date of said cheque I realised it was post dated for 6 weeks and a little post it note on the back asking me not to cash it early (ok the missus spotted it) so back down to planet reality I decided to conclude the experiment with the following proven.
1. Can you train them to be better customers ? NO
2. Does the CIU myth of "once a messer always a messer" stand up to further scrutiny ? YES
3. Does being helpful and accommerdating bear fruit in the long run ? NO
All I had to do was the final objection
4. The development of a polite response if the unfortunate stage of culling them does arise when the first 3 objects fail.
The oppertunity to action this arose yesterday when cleaning the other houses in the road she came out as I was putting the gear away to enquire why I wasn't doing her 2 monthly clean as it was due in time for Christmas ??
So I replied with the following line "The system must have removed you from the round"
"Whys that" asks Mr Jones
"Well it does it for one of 2 reasons - either you've cancelled or its deleted you automatically for being a poor payer"
quite put out by my response she blurted out "BUT I DIDNT CANCEL ............ oh I see"
and with that the experiment was concluded with all 4 objects sucessfully carried out :)
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"Sorry Mrs. ...the computer says no!" ;D
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like it, nice one
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basically if a customer is a persistent late payer i dump them.i have in the past took them back on at a better price in a years time or so and again they were just the same.me having to chase payment all the time.so i never take them back on now and tell them the reason why politely but firmly.
i do have some that seem to drag their heels with payment but thats usually because the window cleaning bill is not high on the list of priorities or they forget/busy.i keep them though if their on my compact runs of work as their very apolgetic when i do catch up with them.its the ones who never have any money,cant find chequebook,forget BACS i dump.
i get some to pay 1 clean in advance now so it evens itself out a bit.
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Nice one i like ;D
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Good effort........ :D
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One of the things I have noticed over time is that messers are often the ones who are most keen initially. I have a theory of my own that these are the sort of people who also send for special offers out of the newspaper or buy things off the shopping channels that they don't really want until they see the advert.
I don't know if they are more suggestable , maybe you ought to start suggesting some other more "personal" services and see what the take up on them is. ;)
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appreciate the hard work you've put in for us here ian.
good job and nicely put together report mate :)
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Top post Ian ;D
Will you be running other human behavioural studies for us on said customers 8)
Possibly we should organise a list of subjects worth testing out.
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Nice report and a good effort
Although I would give it a B mainly because you haven't referenced any other peer reviewed material nor have you set a control subject for comparison ... and I would like to have read a little about any sexual problems the subject may have experienced
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Think your being harsh B+ at least :-)
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once a messer always a messer, i have a 2 clean rule, and for some they dont get cleaned till they pay again, and some i just dont turn back up
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I was asked only today why I hadn't cleaned , I politely said
Any late payer gets put to bottom of list and gets cleaned as and
When , pay on time and get cleaned on time simples ;D
It's every where though , I had a neighbour starting a new business
And needed AW and printing sorted , I offered to help, as I
Spent 22 years in print . I designed AW and ordered at cost
Through a trade supplier , paid for it and you guessed I'm still
Waiting for the money! One month on, I'm too soft.
Got job done for a third of retail and the soppy
Mare wants a receipt! Some funny f***kkkkers about.
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AW .... Art work ??
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Yes sorry I did mean art work. Old fashioned term I know,
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;D ;D that made me chuckle "life cycle" .
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always the same response "my last windy stopped coming" thats when it turns you off and the alarm bells start ringing "my response normally is and what pathetic life issues do you have then" ;D
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Thanks Ian - good stuff.
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top post ian. A+ sir ;)
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top post ian. A+ sir ;)
yes thats more like it ;D
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Nice report and a good effort
Although I would give it a B mainly because you haven't referenced any other peer reviewed material nor have you set a control subject for comparison ... and I would like to have read a little about any sexual problems the subject may have experienced
SEXUAL PROBLEMS .... thats Bob Plumbs area of expertise ... well what with his age and experimenting with various combinations and doses of Viagra and LSD along with some Angel Dust for good measure ;D ;D
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Top post Ian ;D
Will you be running other human behavioural studies for us on said customers 8)
Possibly we should organise a list of subjects worth testing out.
Yes the following is a work in progress - watch this space
Exposing the lie without exposing the man or in our parl'e how to spot the lying cheating bstards
all suggestions for experimentation subjects will be considered
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Top post Ian ;D
Will you be running other human behavioural studies for us on said customers 8)
Possibly we should organise a list of subjects worth testing out.
Yes the following is a work in progress - watch this space
Exposing the lie without exposing the man or in our parl'e how to spot the lying cheating bstards
all suggestions for experimentation subjects will be considered
EWAN/ALEX
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crikey 20 quid and u have to go back,thats 5 quid then?
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Nice report and a good effort
Although I would give it a B mainly because you haven't referenced any other peer reviewed material nor have you set a control subject for comparison ... and I would like to have read a little about any sexual problems the subject may have experienced
SEXUAL PROBLEMS .... thats Bob Plumbs area of expertise ... well what with his age and experimenting with various combinations and doses of Viagra and LSD along with some Angel Dust for good measure ;D ;D
thats why i have rang you for the last three mornings .......to hear your sexy voice :-* :-* :-* while you hold your slx 25 :o
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That's a quality post Ian, well written and gave me a chuckle. The reliable M. O. of a Messer ;D
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;D ;D that made me chuckle "life cycle" .
Actually, I've just coined a new word for this.
Add "messermorphosis" to your dictionary guys.
You heard it here first ;D
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Messer, is that another word for cussy being skint, and coming up with any excuse, apart from the truth?
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Messer, is that another word for cussy being skint, and coming up with any excuse, apart from the truth?
Yes changing frequency,hiding behind curtains,not sending payment and generally not sticking to your agreement.
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Very good post Ian. Maybe you've missed your true vocation?
I'm still wrestling with 'Good custy turned bad' syndrome. The one's that are brilliant until suddenly ... they're rubbish. Had one who paid me on the nail for 18 months no problem. Then all of a sudden he's not in (even though his car's there), wife's got no money, 18 year old daughter knows nothing about it, curtains twitching but nobody in all in the space of 3 knocks over 3 months.
I phoned him on Tuesday and everything was fine. See you tomorrow etc. Wednesday I rolled up and he came out of the house. Fantastic. Just getting my gloves on and he went over to his car and ... drove off.
Merry Christmas to you too, you *******. Why do people do that? Made me feel like a small piece of dirt.
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what about an experiment about working in the rain could they be persuded to want you to clean there windows in the rain and also give you a good tip ;D
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you could use all bad custys to experiment on
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Very good post Ian. Maybe you've missed your true vocation?
I'm still wrestling with 'Good custy turned bad' syndrome. The one's that are brilliant until suddenly ... they're rubbish. Had one who paid me on the nail for 18 months no problem. Then all of a sudden he's not in (even though his car's there), wife's got no money, 18 year old daughter knows nothing about it, curtains twitching but nobody in all in the space of 3 knocks over 3 months.
I phoned him on Tuesday and everything was fine. See you tomorrow etc. Wednesday I rolled up and he came out of the house. Fantastic. Just getting my gloves on and he went over to his car and ... drove off.
Merry Christmas to you too, you *******. Why do people do that? Made me feel like a small piece of dirt.
He's clearly skint and doesn't want to admit it to the window cleaner ::)
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great post ian!
i;ve made a couple of changes that seem to be sorting out some of the naff custies before we do the 1st clean. its still early days but by insisting all new custies go on standing orders from day one, AND by charging them double for the first clean...
telling them about standing orders means some people say... but what if i dont have a clean one month, or i only want it for 6 months so no point in setting up a standing order etc etc. it also means that some custies who may be bad payers if left to them to post us a cheque, never become bad payers because they pay us automatically.
charging double sorts the problem of people who aren't that fussed in having a great WC. if they are thinking of having us long term they dont mind a more expensive start, and if they arent thinking LT they decline. also another benefit of charging double for the first clean is you can say the the people who cancel for holidays or winter that they'll need another first clean when they come back, which is a disincentive for them to cancel. finally if they do cancel after the first clean at least you ve got some money for all that work you put in.
just my thoughts... :)
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great post ian!
i;ve made a couple of changes that seem to be sorting out some of the naff custies before we do the 1st clean. its still early days but by insisting all new custies go on standing orders from day one, AND by charging them double for the first clean...
telling them about standing orders means some people say... but what if i dont have a clean one month, or i only want it for 6 months so no point in setting up a standing order etc etc. it also means that some custies who may be bad payers if left to them to post us a cheque, never become bad payers because they pay us automatically.
charging double sorts the problem of people who aren't that fussed in having a great WC. if they are thinking of
having us long term they dont mind a more expensive start, and if they arent thinking LT they decline. also another benefit of charging double for the first clean is you can say the the people who cancel for holidays or winter that they'll need another first clean when they come back, which is a disincentive for them to cancel. finally if they do cancel after the first clean at least you ve got some money for all that work you put in.
just my thoughts... :)
do you take cash for the first clean and then the second clean is paid by standing order
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no bob, we insist that the standing order is filled in and returned before any work done, so in practice they'll normally fill it in when i give them the quote and they want to go ahead. all you need to do is put on your standing order... "an immediate payment of £22 followed by £11 to be taken on 25th of each month thereafter"
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great post ian!
i;ve made a couple of changes that seem to be sorting out some of the naff custies before we do the 1st clean. its still early days but by insisting all new custies go on standing orders from day one, AND by charging them double for the first clean...
telling them about standing orders means some people say... but what if i dont have a clean one month, or i only want it for 6 months so no point in setting up a standing order etc etc. it also means that some custies who may be bad payers if left to them to post us a cheque, never become bad payers because they pay us automatically.
charging double sorts the problem of people who aren't that fussed in having a great WC. if they are thinking of having us long term they dont mind a more expensive start, and if they arent thinking LT they decline. also another benefit of charging double for the first clean is you can say the the people who cancel for holidays or winter that they'll need another first clean when they come back, which is a disincentive for them to cancel. finally if they do cancel after the first clean at least you ve got some money for all that work you put in.
just my thoughts... :)
good ideas there mate! all true i agree with you
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great post ian!
i;ve made a couple of changes that seem to be sorting out some of the naff custies before we do the 1st clean. its still early days but by insisting all new custies go on standing orders from day one, AND by charging them double for the first clean...
telling them about standing orders means some people say... but what if i dont have a clean one month, or i only want it for 6 months so no point in setting up a standing order etc etc. it also means that some custies who may be bad payers if left to them to post us a cheque, never become bad payers because they pay us automatically.
charging double sorts the problem of people who aren't that fussed in having a great WC. if they are thinking of having us long term they dont mind a more expensive start, and if they arent thinking LT they decline. also another benefit of charging double for the first clean is you can say the the people who cancel for holidays or winter that they'll need another first clean when they come back, which is a disincentive for them to cancel. finally if they do cancel after the first clean at least you ve got some money for all that work you put in.
just my thoughts... :)
good ideas there mate! all true i agree with you
;D cheers!
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great post ian!
i;ve made a couple of changes that seem to be sorting out some of the naff custies before we do the 1st clean. its still early days but by insisting all new custies go on standing orders from day one, AND by charging them double for the first clean...
telling them about standing orders means some people say... but what if i dont have a clean one month, or i only want it for 6 months so no point in setting up a standing order etc etc. it also means that some custies who may be bad payers if left to them to post us a cheque, never become bad payers because they pay us automatically.
charging double sorts the problem of people who aren't that fussed in having a great WC. if they are thinking of having us long term they dont mind a more expensive start, and if they arent thinking LT they decline. also another benefit of charging double for the first clean is you can say the the people who cancel for holidays or winter that they'll need another first clean when they come back, which is a disincentive for them to cancel. finally if they do cancel after the first clean at least you ve got some money for all that work you put in.
just my thoughts... :)
Hi Richard .... great info... maybe a daft question but where do you get the standing order forms from ... guessing its the bank ?
oh BTW if u get bored of your Huntinton work give me a shout ;)