Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Johnny B on February 20, 2012, 08:53:23 pm
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Today I picked up my 200th customer.
I started out on 8th August last year, so it's taken me 6 and a half months to get to this figure!
When I moved here (Ireland) I was told that I would not be able to make a living from window cleaning because there isn't the demand that exists in England.
It has been tough going, mainly because of the number of 'not todays' that I have encountered, but I really feel that the business is starting to move forward. Of the customers I have, 50 of them have been picked up since January.
I have set myself a target of 280 by the end of this year, then maybe add another 70 next year, by which time I will be looking to root out the chaff and consolidating the round into a decent little business for 2013.
John
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good man
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Nice one fella
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thats good going. ;D well done mate
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you must of been busy to gain that many custys in 6 months well done
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Keep going 8)
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Good on u johnny ;)
It's a very good base as the best work is word of mouth down there & there are some nice big houses etc onwards & upwards !!
If you need a good cheap insurance let me know I can point u in good direction
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Well done mate, although I got to my first 200 in under 3 months.. but that was quite a few years ago now, and customers were easier to come by then!!
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Good going mate, glad you didn't listen to the 'naysayers' who said you couldn't do it.
Keep it up and you'll be sitting pretty in a years time.
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Well done Johny,
was that all done door knocking, leafleting?
lee
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Thanks for all your encouraging comments guys! I reckon that if I can do it, then anyone can!
Lee, I did it by door knocking, although I did post a few leaflets through some 'not homes' early on, but I found that I didn't get a single customer this way (as far as I know), so I concentrated on knocking doors (my preferred method anyway).
I am getting quite a few referrals now as well, so the snowball has definitely started to roll!
Best wishes to all you guys out there.
John
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Reading your posts has given me some inspiration - I just cant wait to get out there (im a new round)
David
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Thats bloody good for 6 months how often and when did you go door knocking?
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David, Go for it, especially now as we approaching the spring and people will be noticing that their windows need cleaning.
Cliff, I canvassed during the day, on weekdays, so I could clean them straight away if required. I then did any jobs I picked up, then carried on door knocking afterwards. My reasoning behind this was that I was earning straight away, as well as being a mobile advert for neighbours/passers by.
I am still doing this some days, but now the gaps are starting to fill with my regulars and referrals.
John
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Must be a better area than mine to get jobs i did as you did and it took me more than twice as long as you to get to 200 custys lol
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I have found that the key to success here is flexibility. I have customers whose frequencies range from weekly, fortnightly, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 12 weekly. It may sound a nightmare, and at first, as you can imagine, I didn't know where I was. But as I have got into the swing of things, it actually works well for me, as I now have a very simple system of keeping track of when cleans are due. Each customer gets serviced according to their individual requirements, as opposed to doing every house I have in the same street at the same time. All of my customers in my town can be reached within 10 minutes of my home, so it really isn't a problem for me to work this way.
I do have a couple of days work in another town about 20 miles away, which I have to be more rigid on, but as my customers there know that I have to travel to service them, they then either have to have them cleaned when I turn up, or wait until next time.
John
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Thanks for your reply john.
all the best to you ;)
lee
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I have found that the key to success here is flexibility. I have customers whose frequencies range from weekly, fortnightly, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 12 weekly. It may sound a nightmare, and at first, as you can imagine, I didn't know where I was. But as I have got into the swing of things, it actually works well for me, as I now have a very simple system of keeping track of when cleans are due. Each customer gets serviced according to their individual requirements, as opposed to doing every house I have in the same street at the same time. All of my customers in my town can be reached within 10 minutes of my home, so it really isn't a problem for me to work this way.
I do have a couple of days work in another town about 20 miles away, which I have to be more rigid on, but as my customers there know that I have to travel to service them, they then either have to have them cleaned when I turn up, or wait until next time.
John
Funnily enough this isnt the first time I have heard this. On the "Window Cleaning Coach" website it basically says the customer is always right, and when canvassing you can sell it as a 'you dont need them done every month' if they are umming and arring over pricce as it costs less overall - this apparently helped him gain some extra customers that would have said no otherwise.
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I have found that the key to success here is flexibility. I have customers whose frequencies range from weekly, fortnightly, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 12 weekly. It may sound a nightmare, and at first, as you can imagine, I didn't know where I was. But as I have got into the swing of things, it actually works well for me, as I now have a very simple system of keeping track of when cleans are due. Each customer gets serviced according to their individual requirements, as opposed to doing every house I have in the same street at the same time. All of my customers in my town can be reached within 10 minutes of my home, so it really isn't a problem for me to work this way.
I do have a couple of days work in another town about 20 miles away, which I have to be more rigid on, but as my customers there know that I have to travel to service them, they then either have to have them cleaned when I turn up, or wait until next time.
John
Funnily enough this isnt the first time I have heard this. On the "Window Cleaning Coach" website it basically says the customer is always right, and when canvassing you can sell it as a 'you dont need them done every month' if they are umming and arring over pricce as it costs less overall - this apparently helped him gain some extra customers that would have said no otherwise.
sounds like really bad advice to me! :)
the customer is not always right, does not mean this either. you have to decide what your service is, what the cost is, and how frequent it is. and then explain your terms to the customer.
i suppose it depends on what you re aiming to be, but if you want employees, or you want a set income, then allowing this much flexibility amongst your customers will haunt you when you get bigger.
of course new clients will ask if they can have them, 6 weekly, 2 monthly or whatever, but you explain your service to them and if they like you, they will be flexible too.
its not about the number of customers, but the quality of customers
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I have found that the key to success here is flexibility. I have customers whose frequencies range from weekly, fortnightly, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 12 weekly. It may sound a nightmare, and at first, as you can imagine, I didn't know where I was. But as I have got into the swing of things, it actually works well for me, as I now have a very simple system of keeping track of when cleans are due. Each customer gets serviced according to their individual requirements, as opposed to doing every house I have in the same street at the same time. All of my customers in my town can be reached within 10 minutes of my home, so it really isn't a problem for me to work this way.
I do have a couple of days work in another town about 20 miles away, which I have to be more rigid on, but as my customers there know that I have to travel to service them, they then either have to have them cleaned when I turn up, or wait until next time.
John
Funnily enough this isnt the first time I have heard this. On the "Window Cleaning Coach" website it basically says the customer is always right, and when canvassing you can sell it as a 'you dont need them done every month' if they are umming and arring over pricce as it costs less overall - this apparently helped him gain some extra customers that would have said no otherwise.
sounds like really bad advice to me! :)
the customer is not always right, does not mean this either. you have to decide what your service is, what the cost is, and how frequent it is. and then explain your terms to the customer.
i suppose it depends on what you re aiming to be, but if you want employees, or you want a set income, then allowing this much flexibility amongst your customers will haunt you when you get bigger.
of course new clients will ask if they can have them, 6 weekly, 2 monthly or whatever, but you explain your service to them and if they like you, they will be flexible too.
its not about the number of customers, but the quality of customers
I understand what you are saying Richard, and I do agree with some of what you say, but when it comes down to it, we simply provide a service, therefore the customer has the right to choose when they want them done. You also have the right to state your requirements for having them as customers. If both parties cannot agree, you don't do business.
In England, it is much easier to try and get the customer to agree to whatever frequency you wish them to have. Here in Ireland, getting many to agree to have them done at all is an achievement, even more so if you get repeat business! ;D
I am a one man band, and have no intention to expand, only refine. So my aim is to get a full round of decent customers. By this, I mean I will still be happy to service customers at the frequencies they require, providing they prove to be reliable.
John
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hi johnny,
i must apologise, i did forget that you were in Ireland, and you have mentioned previously that window cleaning is not well established over there. i guess when an industry is new you have to adapt to establish yourself.
i still think that it will make the job and growing the business a lot harder, more stressful, and less profitable... but if this is how you need to play it right now, then i guess you have to.
good luck! :)
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I understand what you mean by wanting quality customers over the quantity - but I still believe in a lot of cases if you force customers into terms they may be more likely to cancel or be unhappy with the service.
To be honest if a salesman came to my door selling doors, but told me i could only have a blue one i'd probably be pi**ed off. in the same manner if i was a customer and a windy canvassed me, but when i say i would only want it every 2 months, and he said no sorry i only do it monthly i would probably tell him where he could shove his wfp.
i guess in some areas one technique would work better than others...and you have to play it by ear...
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hi johnny,
i must apologise, i did forget that you were in Ireland, and you have mentioned previously that window cleaning is not well established over there. i guess when an industry is new you have to adapt to establish yourself.
i still think that it will make the job and growing the business a lot harder, more stressful, and less profitable... but if this is how you need to play it right now, then i guess you have to.
good luck! :)
Hi Richard,
No apology needed, you put the point over very well, and, as I said, I will be refining the business when it grows sufficiently. One day I would love to be in the position to have a full book of good, reliable, regular customers, you know, the ones we all dream of getting! At the moment it is a case of getting what I can and making the best of it until the day comes when I can bin the chaff and look after the cream!
Best wishes,
John