Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: danno on November 10, 2013, 07:41:20 pm
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So last week was my first week of wc! Managed to get 6 regular customers mostly 4weekly and a couple of 8weekly, does this sound about an average number for a first time canvasser or do i need to up my game??
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A customer is a customer. Give yourself a pat on the back
It's a numbers game, the more you knock the more customers you get.
There are variables for each area such as demand, other window cleaners and their reliability and quality, people being out etc theres loads. Only way to really find new customers is by going knocking.
Best of luck
Danny
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don't just sell the windows but add ones are more lucrative say a few guttercleans . hedgehog installs are good £15 for a 6mlength. £10 a install. 12m =£20 and so on so
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Make sure you book em Danno ;D
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So last week was my first week of wc! Managed to get 6 regular customers mostly 4weekly and a couple of 8weekly, does this sound about an average number for a first time canvasser or do i need to up my game??
Don't forget they ain't regular until you actually turn up again with out arguments people will say anything on the door to get windows cleaned.
In order not to get disheartened work on a 50% retention rate that way if one or 2 cancels you won't be upset keep knocking personally I wouldn't talk to much about regular clean it first then up sell . So say £15 next time its £10 in 2 months or month if your area is monthly friendly;)
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I personally have never canvassed but wish i had the nuts, however what i would say is if there really dirty make their first clean more money( if they still go ahead your usually onto a decent customer) if there think about it then possibly could be messers.
If you havnt got much work on, then spend more time than you think!
Look professional and keep dropping lines in like "if any of your neighbours ask for my number heres a leaflet for them"
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So last week was my first week of wc! Managed to get 6 regular customers mostly 4weekly and a couple of 8weekly, does this sound about an average number for a first time canvasser or do i need to up my game??
Don't forget they ain't regular until you actually turn up again with out arguments people will say anything on the door to get windows cleaned.
In order not to get disheartened work on a 50% retention rate that way if one or 2 cancels you won't be upset keep knocking personally I wouldn't talk to much about regular clean it first then up sell . So say £15 next time its £10 in 2 months or month if your area is monthly friendly;)
I disagree totally,, unless your knocking in a dump the people who say they want a window cleaner will actualy keep you as long as you do a good job! Ask them there and then if they want regular or a 1 off.
some may mess you about but nowhere near as much as 50%.
Hit a good area of houses £250k plus and chances are customers will be fine. Hit the single mums on benefits on a cancal estate and expect problems.
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Always charge at least 50% extra for 1st clean, then if they cancel after at least you've not spent twice aslong cleaning a filthy house to never do it again. I learnt this last year, spent an hour n half scrubbing green sills for the bloke who said he wanted monthly clean to say nah leave it mate.. Haha
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I never knock a dump! Houses over £500k people mess about I'd say 50% defo
People would say anything to get that first clean. Didn't you check your history once you found out that you had 40% canceled 60% stuck over time
I also think that retention rates will go more in your Favor
I think price has a factor to play too if its under £15 or £10 you won't have anywhere near 50% cancelation but I charge more . Also
if you are happy doing trad if customer insists
Happy skipping this time
Happy to collect
Happy to call before clean
All these things contribute to a higher stick rate I don't do any of them
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Agree with the expect cancellations, really disagree with 50% though....
Maybe you mean expect cancellations so you dont get disheartened when they happen? (An under promise over deliver scenario)
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I never knock a dump! Houses over £500k people mess about I'd say 50% defo
People would say anything to get that first clean. Didn't you check your history once you found out that you had 40% canceled 60% stuck over time
I also think that retention rates will go more in your Favor
I think price has a factor to play too if its under £15 or £10 you won't have anywhere near 50% cancelation but I charge more . Also
if you are happy doing trad if customer insists
Happy skipping this time
Happy to collect
Happy to call before clean
All these things contribute to a higher stick rate I don't do any of them
Yes im happy to do all those things as its part of the game. Honestly if you lose that many first cleans id look into whether your cleanng them well enough..
Never do i get that 50 percent of problems, if i did id be worried.
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I think 50% cancellation rate is about right. Maybe not after the first clean, but after 3 or 4 months i usually lose close to half of them.
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50% cancellation rate is terrible if you have canvassed the work yourself.
My stick rate is easily 90%, possibly more. Maybe that's because I only canvass the type of property's that I think have the cashflow to afford a regular window cleaner.
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Example
If you clean 10 houses then collect you will most Likley get paid on 9/10 of them if not All if you do the 2nd clean and collect you will also get paid on at least 70% if not more
Now if you clean 10 houses and invoice them to pay via cheque,standing order ,online banking and some say sorry I want you to collect and if you say no that's say 3 cancelations . Then 2nd clean you only entertain standing orders that's another 2 canceling that's how you get 50% ;)
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I don't collect at all, if they can't do online or cheque I ask them to leave money out for me. If they can't do that either I wouldn't take them on but that has never happened.
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Tell em standing order only more cancelation ;)
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We charge 50% extra for first clean but give a 50% discount on 6th clean,
stops the messers
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We charge 50% extra for first clean but give a 50% discount on 6th clean,
stops the messers
Yea best way.
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I sign them up to a ten year contract
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I sign them up to a ten year contract
Lol brilliant I bet some will still nod their heads 25 years not a problem "can this guy just clean my windows then buger off haha"
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So last week was my first week of wc! Managed to get 6 regular customers mostly 4weekly and a couple of 8weekly, does this sound about an average number for a first time canvasser or do i need to up my game??
last time i went door knocking picked up £600 pounds worth of work in a week
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Last year I tried canvassing spent two weeks doing it and picked up one 12 weekly for £6.50 4 bed
Going to give it ago some time next month
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With new custies i ask if they would like there frames cleaned as a one off and then i will keep on top of them afterwards....i charge double house price for that. its only a wipe down with a towel....then clean the windows.
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Last year I tried canvassing spent two weeks doing it and picked up one 12 weekly for £6.50 4 bed
Going to give it ago some time next month
Wow, you should become a full time canvasser with those results
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Its a North South thing.
Down south new custies are unreliable.
Up north they stick with it.
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Its a North South thing.
Down south new custies are unreliable.
Up north they stick with it.
I think its more good cleaner bad cleaner tbh.. I never have real issues with customers dropping out unless they are in rough areas which i dont touch anymore...
Also it could be down to over charging with some cleaners.
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Great day today tho
Dropped my prices abit
Any house for 5.00
Picked up 21 houses underpriced all of them some were 4 to 5 beds
But at least I got them. Thinking I'm going to do that all the time, only wanna earn £10 an hour so I'm happy with that should get 2 done an hour
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Great day today tho
Dropped my prices abit
Any house for 5.00
Picked up 21 houses underpriced all of them some were 4 to 5 beds
But at least I got them. Thinking I'm going to do that all the time, only wanna earn £10 an hour so I'm happy with that should get 2 done an hour
I think you will end up regretting that!
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Great day today tho
Dropped my prices abit
Any house for 5.00
Picked up 21 houses underpriced all of them some were 4 to 5 beds
But at least I got them. Thinking I'm going to do that all the time, only wanna earn £10 an hour so I'm happy with that should get 2 done an hour
I think you will end up regretting that!
Gotta be a wind up lol ;D
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do the first clean with 121 tds and hope they wont cancel.if they do see mick kent as he loves canvassing! ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Its a North South thing.
Down south new custies are unreliable.
Up north they stick with it.
I think its more good cleaner bad cleaner tbh.. I never have real issues with customers dropping out unless they are in rough areas which i dont touch anymore...
Also it could be down to over charging with some cleaners.
i say no ofc you have to clean to certain standards but its more about the north vs the south , up north customers are extreamly relaxed and all monthly i had 0 cancelations up north, compared to down here 50% , i get this number now because im not taking on any that want me to collect ,skip me this time , must be at 1pm only i push standing order or bacs payers , im also charging good so another thing is they always like to see it again im not keeping customers who are dictating times and dates, this is because these sort of customers are less profitable , i havnt collected in years and i prefer to keep it that way again less profit all you are doing is doubling your working hours and wasting time that you could spend with family friends even canvassing or anything productive .
but just to give you an idea the last time i canvassed was to fill a subbie day i like to sub a day a week and it was short so as im not going to be actually cleaning the customers my self i gave them everything they asked for (apart from collection) some refused online banking, some wanted times and dates others only wanted us to clean if they are in ,
guess what we kept 100% 12 out of 12 i think its 4 cleans now , these are all £20 + houses so very worth it but the managment is annoying sometimes i have to have a house or 2 from that day pushed forward till next week where we will be in another area only because they want to be in refuse the front and wont unlock gate,, now i personally call that a cancelation they cost money but right now its working as i need to fill days i my self dont entertain those customers i couldnt even if i wanted to i have my days set out some are easy days some are longer i dont want to ruin my routine and drive 30 mins to clean someones house who was silly about unlocking gate id rather take the 50% drop rate thats ,messers, non payers, these sort of customers etc it all comes down to 50% if you want the round im after or built,
its all about how far are you willing to go which will determine what % you keep horses for courses some will think its silly having cancelations over some of the things i mentioned but others will agree with me its whatever works for you and for me im very happy with how things have been going :)
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So last week was my first week of wc! Managed to get 6 regular customers mostly 4weekly and a couple of 8weekly, does this sound about an average number for a first time canvasser or do i need to up my game??
Canvassing during the working week is quite tough as a lot of people are out. However, retired folk are in and often need a window cleaner if they haven't got one already. I'm not too sure about canvassing after dark in the autumn/winter as people will be a little more guarded and don't really want to come out to show you around the house. Have you tried canvassing on a Saturday - much better.
I started up two years ago from scratch. I targeted only detached houses in nice areas - you get good prices (typically £20-£25 or more if larger or with connies etc). Also the custies have turned out to be very loyal with good retention rate even with a round of price rises after about 18 months.
Tip - if someone asks how much and they already have a w/cleaner, chances are they are just looking to see if they can get it cheaper with you. Don't undercut the competition - it'll come back to bite you in the end!
I found it motivational to consider each new customer gained as a wage rise. For instance, you get a custie for £20/4 weekly, that's a wage rise of £240 per year.
Another little gem I discovered is printing up yourself an A5 flyer - it doesn't have to be done by a professional printer, just you on a PC and Word. The gist of the flyer is "I thought you would be interested to know that I cleaned your neighbour's ( at ..................) windows today. Not only the windows but the frames, sills and doors too for no extra cost etc, etc. I also put a photo of me with my van and put my contact details including address so they can see I'm no 'fly-by-night'...
I've had a really good response from these as they think if you're good enough for "Mrs Jones" your good enough for me.
Good luck with the canvassing, it's tough work but really rewarding and the quickest way to build up your round :)
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Great day today tho
Dropped my prices abit
Any house for 5.00
Picked up 21 houses underpriced all of them some were 4 to 5 beds
But at least I got them. Thinking I'm going to do that all the time, only wanna earn £10 an hour so I'm happy with that should get 2 done an hour
I think you will end up regretting that!
Gotta be a wind up lol ;D
Think your right ha ha.