Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: tonyoliver on July 29, 2014, 11:25:50 pm
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yesterday phone rang 6 .00 in morning still a little sleepy but I didn't moan. wife went mad as she thought someone had died.
the house is 15 miles from home arranged to give quote a 9.15 that morning as was told the job was massive and could I do it urgently will take all day as it was a new job I went round to do quote turned out to be a new build 2 bed end of terraced house .
gave quote £10.00 a little haggling well a lot of haggling she got the price down to £9.75
quote accepted............ can you do it now............should have walked away but no silly me got the kit out and cleaned and cleaned......... as i put the gear away custy came out could you do ....... can you wash the frames, as I put the gear away again can you do the doors the gutters in and out I will payings extra will pay all quotings for job£10.00 all job
by now mad as hell ??? :(
then the moans started gear out went over the windows again knocked she said her mother wasn't happy with the
standard could I do them again washed windows again
knocked the door again
she came out and said mum isn't happy with work
I said can she show me wheres the problem I said.
oh no she said not here she is on the phone not here
on the phone where I said
in india
I give up :'( :'( :'( :'(
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cool story bro'.
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Blimey. Classic. That's a real gem.
;D
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Bobby P would have liked this story.
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Ring up 6 in the morning bloodyhell I'd of told her where to go. A small house she said it was a big job would of walked away straight way and rang her at 430 every morning cheeky woman 👳😁
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yesterday phone rang 6 .00 in morning still a little sleepy but I didn't moan. wife went mad as she thought someone had died.
the house is 15 miles from home arranged to give quote a 9.15 that morning as was told the job was massive and could I do it urgently will take all day as it was a new job I went round to do quote turned out to be a new build 2 bed end of terraced house .
gave quote £10.00 a little haggling well a lot of haggling she got the price down to £9.75
quote accepted............ can you do it now............should have walked away but no silly me got the kit out and cleaned and cleaned......... as i put the gear away custy came out could you do ....... can you wash the frames, as I put the gear away again can you do the doors the gutters in and out I will payings extra will pay all quotings for job£10.00 all job
by now mad as hell ??? :(
then the moans started gear out went over the windows again knocked she said her mother wasn't happy with the
standard could I do them again washed windows again
knocked the door again
she came out and said mum isn't happy with work
I said can she show me wheres the problem I said.
oh no she said not here she is on the phone not here
on the phone where I said
in india
I give up :'( :'( :'( :'(
Are you mad? ??? ???
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great story......but lets be honest this is all about organization, time management and all those nice words that successful business people mention.
I dont know what stage your at in growing but 15 miles away?......no thanks
Got to be done to day.......no thanks
6.00 in the morning............no thanks
i could go on but i wont. ;D
I think you need to look at implementing some rules or disciplines into your business.
15 miles away...send a picture please and we will look at it, at least that way you know if its worth the trip.
im not having a go but sometimes turning down work is better than grabbing everything
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Hard to decide whether the op or the customer is the biggest nutter. ;D
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Hard to decide whether the op or the customer is the biggest nutter. ;D
+1
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Hard to decide whether the op or the customer is the biggest nutter. ;D
+1
+1, also, and maybe i am not reading it right, but you don't the frames anyway?. I know i do, its so easy do do them with wfp, pointless not to.
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yesterday phone rang 6 .00 in morning still a little sleepy but I didn't moan. wife went mad as she thought someone had died.
the house is 15 miles from home arranged to give quote a 9.15 that morning as was told the job was massive and could I do it urgently will take all day as it was a new job I went round to do quote turned out to be a new build 2 bed end of terraced house .
.........
If I had just about managed to tolerate the 6 am call, this is the point where I would have stopped.
To be so bad mannered as to phone at 6 am is bad enough but to lie about the job size just to get me there is intolerable. If I had got as far as quoting, I would probably have said £200. It's more likely that I would have said "no thanks" and driven away in disgust.
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in india
And it all becomes clear.
You have to remember that in some cultures, getting the servant worker to do more work for no extra money is not considered rude or taking the mick (as it is here), it is considered getting a good deal.
As is haggling over the price.
Either you just have to keep that in mind when pricing for certain groups, ie add 20% to the price you'd normally charge (in the full knowledge that they won't be happy unless they've haggled a discount and got some extra work for free)
Or just take a view that they're more trouble than they're worth and just avoid them.
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This is why i always price higher when other nationalities ask for a quote.
My reasons- usually they turn out to be a one off instead of monthly.
They have you cleaning anything extra they can find.
They usually text back saying "not today... On nearly every month"
This is just from past experience, not some kind of racist comment like i was once accused of ;D
I also need to say that i do have a indian family (one doctor) and they are one of the better customers i have!Always pay on time and leave the gate open.
I did price high but they are happy to pay for the service they recieve.
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Looks like you could have got caught for Eid.
We live in a predominantly Asian area and we get it every year!!!!
I got a call Saturday afternoon told her we'd take a look next time we were in the area (holding tactic sorts out the one off Eid cleans! Can almost guarantee when we turn up a week later they'll say don't bother.)
Got a text from her Sunday afternoon with just this single character - ?
Needless to say with an attitude like that I wont be responding this Eid or ever!!!!!
P.
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lol......the thing people do for a tenner
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I ALWAYS turn my phone off at around 6 or 7 and turn it back on at 9. If you want me to clean your windows call me during the day or leave a message
I am very busy so I will get there on the day (if your lucky)
and as for the TIME... sorry dont give a time anymore (see first sentence)
also if its URGENT then its EXPENSIVE...
and the custies still try to get on the books... must be doing something right... :)
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stupid is as stupid does
but I thought it was on for an all day job so I rescheduled all my work .... the early call was a bit stiff but why o why call me to travel all that way for 5 windows
its easy to forget your min charge and procedures ect your right should have walked but I guessed I would be on task for 5 mins at the most windows frames were done but these people will find fault with anything and messing the worker has no issue for them and yes I was paid in 50 pence pieces one at a time in slow motion and yes she did try to short change me never again till the next time.
please don't ask me to tell the chicken shop story or the 14 people watcher story or I will seem like a racist nutter
or the dog story or I will seem like I get messed around all day only part of it
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Tony have you just got into window cleaning this week.
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yes is this normal
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Now I know this is a wind up . ;D you had us all with this tall tale .i will try make up one tomorrow ;D
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Just going back to the title of the thread (I am always trying to keep up!) it sounds as though with going 15 miles for a job paying less than a tenner, less diesel, less travel time, wouldn't you be dining in on this story for years? ;D ;D ;D
John
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£9.75 ;D well done tony ;) and you have been :'( ;D ;D
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the point is I thought it would be an all day job and paid accordingly.
don't tell me the custie has never deceived you on the size of the job.....
get there and then be asked to clean one window that there cleaner or husband cant reach or promised a regular clean if you reduce the price or get you more loads more jobs and
never hear from the again
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I feel your pain Tony, I really do. Yes I have been deceived by customers more times than I can remember.
I am getting older now, and hopefully a little wiser. I used to go out of my way to accommodate new customers, but found that when I needed them to reciprocate, they were not so eager to work with me. If someone new wants my services, I try to fit them in around my existing schedule, but don't reschedule work I already have planned just to please them. As for pricing, don't ever price a job without seeing it first. Again, I have done so in the past, and it is always more favourable to the customer.
As for promises of regular work, people always say what they think you want to hear, and again I've experienced this many, many times, especially here in Ireland. People here mess you about for fun. I would rather people to be honest with me from the start. Once they have lied, any trust you had in them is gone forever.
Don't let any mistakes you make eat you up. Take it on the chin and learn from it so as not to let it happen to you again.
Best wishes,
John.
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Johnny
thanks for the kind words
messed around just for fun I thought the Irish were
straight honest types
its just the same here
sometimes
I am not sure weather its comedic or for real
like the time when...........
I got called back to a house after I leafleted it the week before thinking it was a quote to be told by the snotty homeowner
not to put the leaflet through his door again and that I didn't shut his gate when I left
he then gave me the offending leaflet from pizza hut
or maybe the time I got called to face the livid home owner who went through a list of complaints
about my poor cleaning and gardening skills leaving me a little dumbfounded as I had never been to the address before ever and when told I wasn't me she called me a liar a cheat and a cad
or maybe the time someone stole a lawnmower from this posh house in all innocence said who would do such a thing she said your sort
how I never punched her ill never know
like you say chin up keep calm and carry on
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I wonder if it's the way you "carry yourself" Tony - don't be too quick to agree with a customers request/demand.