Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: TomSE on March 31, 2016, 07:32:26 pm
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When a customer that you text for access the evening before forgets to leave a gate unlocked do you still charge full price?
Up until now I have been charging at least half and in most cases just over half of the full clean price. However especially for the longer frequencies most offer (8 or 12 weekly etc) when this happens the back can get alot dirtier as if 12 weekly for example it would have ended up being 24 weeks since it had been cleaned. (This happened to me today hence the post) It took a bit longer to get the back up to an acceptable standard and I just wondered if most would stipulate to the customer from the outset that the full price must be charged, a) Because otherwise you/the business will lose earnings through no fault of your own and b) Because it may take longer on the next visit.
Those that do have you found many don't understand this? And anyone on here gone from charging less than full price to charging the full price and if so what was your experience with regards to customers reactions?
Tom :)
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I just hop the gate..well the lad that works for me does :D
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little gaint ladders for gates
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I've lost a couple of customers for going over gates in this way, so now if in doubt I bill the full amount. If they quibble I may relent depending on my mood, their attitude, history etc.
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I've lost a couple of customers for going over gates in this way, so now if in doubt I bill the full amount. If they quibble I may relent depending on my mood, their attitude, history etc.
I always ask the customers permission when I get a new job if it's ok.
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I send a txt late evening between 7 and 8, when I know that majority will be at home relaxing. So they may retain the information to open the gate in the morning or even go and unbolt the same evening. But a small hand full fail to do so and lets face it, they probably have other things on their mind and so on very few occasions I have turned up to a locked gate. So I charge 75% of full price. What I now do is schedule a reminder courtesy txt and schedule send that at 7:30 of the morning im due. So 2 txt and this has served well
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Don't have a lot of locked gates a couple a week at the most but I just use a ladder similar to Susan's and it isn't a problem
I tend to go for stress free over handy.
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Jump it if i can, charge for front only if not.
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One of the advantages of using a backpack......If they are bolted at the top half of the gate I stand on my backpack to unlock them ;)
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When a customer that you text for access the evening before forgets to leave a gate unlocked do you still charge full price?
Up until now I have been charging at least half and in most cases just over half of the full clean price. However especially for the longer frequencies most offer (8 or 12 weekly etc) when this happens the back can get alot dirtier as if 12 weekly for example it would have ended up being 24 weeks since it had been cleaned. (This happened to me today hence the post) It took a bit longer to get the back up to an acceptable standard and I just wondered if most would stipulate to the customer from the outset that the full price must be charged, a) Because otherwise you/the business will lose earnings through no fault of your own and b) Because it may take longer on the next visit.
Those that do have you found many don't understand this? And anyone on here gone from charging less than full price to charging the full price and if so what was your experience with regards to customers reactions?
Tom :)
we charge them full price yes. they pay by DD anyhow so they've already paid us.
first time it happens we phone them to explain we'll charge them full next time
we give them next due dates. so long as we went on the right date we charge them
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Wow.
Fantastic. I have found someone who actually works the way it should be done. I have been using the next date system on my bills since 2005 and in my opinion its the only real way you can scale a profitable window cleaning business.
On my bills i also put a clause that if gates are locked full payment is still due, and we cannot guarantee to return at a later date (discretion is used of course)
The good thing about the next date system is it forms a contract for the next clean, making your business worth alot more than just turning up approx x amount of times a year.
Well done to you.
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1460017234_rolleyes[1].gif)
Wow.
Fantastic. I have found someone who actually works the way it should be done. I have been using the next date system on my bills since 2005 and in my opinion its the only real way you can scale a profitable window cleaning business.
On my bills i also put a clause that if gates are locked full payment is still due, and we cannot guarantee to return at a later date (discretion is used of course)
The good thing about the next date system is it forms a contract for the next clean, making your business worth alot more than just turning up approx x amount of times a year.
Well done to you.
Wow, window cleaners have been getting over locked gates since window cleaning was a job it just a pity you weren't there
from the start to keep them right, I think the word contract says it all.(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1460017281_rolleyes[1].gif)
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Shut up Shaun.
As always nothing but hot air.
If you want to go hopping over gates like a pikey thats up to you. Its technicaly trespassing by the way.
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Shut up Shaun.
As always nothing but hot air.
If you want to go hopping over gates like a pikey thats up to you. Its technicaly trespassing by the way.
Dont start with the trespassing part....weve had a thread on this before.
If want to start saying tresspassing then just by being on the front garden cleaning the front gardens is technically trespassing.
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Of course its trespassing if the customer hasnt got a date from you as to when your coming. Which by the sounds of it is how most window cleaners operate possibly yourselves.
If the customer has agreed to a date and you turn up on the date its not trespassing as long as access is available as agreed.
How is that difficult to understand?
Goodness me there are some right propper numptys on this forum. Bring back cleaning pros .
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I've lost a couple of customers for going over gates in this way, so now if in doubt I bill the full amount. If they quibble I may relent depending on my mood, their attitude, history etc.
Agreed.
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Of course its trespassing if the customer hasnt got a date from you as to when your coming. Which by the sounds of it is how most window cleaners operate possibly yourselves.
If the customer has agreed to a date and you turn up on the date its not trespassing as long as access is available as agreed.
How is that difficult to understand?
Goodness me there are some right propper numptys on this forum. Bring back cleaning pros .
Cant disagree with that last line.(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1460019945_grin[1].gif)
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Shut up Shaun.
As always nothing but hot air.
If you want to go hopping over gates like a pikey thats up to you. Its technicaly trespassing by the way.
Never hopped a gate in my life, its not hard to get over a locked gate safely and easily with a bit of common sense, even though
its not recommended in The only right way to clean windows by Marc Stock book.(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1460020208_grin[1].gif)
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This doesnt effect me bud, I txt my cust night before and once again early morning of day due. If gate still locked they get charged full price. So less of the childish name calling because I for one do not think that is professional! !
In addition my customer like so many more are on the understanding that I work on a 4week rotation, but heavens forbid if I dont stipulate the actual day or even time of arrival! ! I guess im not as professional as I thought. Thank you for correcting my opinion :D
Tresspassing is entering a persons private property without conscent of the owner. So lets review all us numpties who agree on a regular basis with the owners of a scgeduled window cleaning service. Does that mean we have consent or not in your opinion??!! Certainly the methods used which some attain to to gain access to the back gardens may be questionable, but that isnt what your debating is it?
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It's my opinion. Thats all.
Do whatever you like.
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Hi Tom.
My work is nearly all monthly, do have to send texts' to quite a few.
If they forget I charge a minimum of £8 for front some more.
Luckily say a third of my round is text I mix in work that isn't that day also.
So my list has 25% more work than I can do.
I've been caught out in the past where my day gone wrong due to locked gates or building works.
Maybe 12 week schedule's just aren't worth the hassle.
customers not that bothered for keeping windows clean so text gates etc low priority to them.
Or price them higher to include an idot tax for the gate being locked half the time.
I've dropped a few now where the gates constantly locked.
Just left customer a note to say will need a key to carry on.
9 times out of 10 we part company, some do give me a key.
I don't care either way now, since my websites been going I've been getting a steady stream of new enquiries.
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I can still remember the foaming at the mouth back when I was first starting out over gates being locked, I would text and
even put notes through the door if I was in the area the day before, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't but you
never knew what you would find until you arrived.
I had four choices, charge full price for front only, charge half price for front only ,get over the gate or dump.
The thing is these where not bad people who where forgetting to unlock the gate just to annoy me so I don't think charging full
price would have made a difference to the situation, it would have just made the customer resentful of the service they where
getting especially if the neighbours where getting theirs cleaned by a shiner happy to get over the gate.
Remember resentful customers wont always cancel your service but they wont recommend you to others or help you build a good reputation if anything they are more likely to badmouth you.
I believe the same could be said about option two, even though they wouldn't be out of pocket they still wouldn't have their rear
windows cleaned.
I didn't want to dump or lose good paying customers so my only option was to find a way of getting over the gate safely and easily
which I did.
Is this the right way I don't know, at the end of the day I still have to get over a locked gate which isn't as handy as opening it and walking through, but then I could say I'm offering a better customer service and what has going that extra mile done for both my
reputation and round, all I know is that its right for me.
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I used to text customers the evening before to unlock the gate.
One of three things would result,
1) Customer would remember and gate was unlocked.
2) Customer would 'forget' (sometimes repeatedly) and gate was locked
3) Customer would use text as an opportunity to say they were 'away', 'having work done' , 'ill' and 'can we leave it this time'.
I don't text anymore.
I straddle the gate with two cut down ladders.
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I can still remember the foaming at the mouth back when I was first starting out over gates being locked, I would text and
even put notes through the door if I was in the area the day before, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't but you
never knew what you would find until you arrived.
I had four choices, charge full price for front only, charge half price for front only ,get over the gate or dump.
The thing is these where not bad people who where forgetting to unlock the gate just to annoy me so I don't think charging full
price would have made a difference to the situation, it would have just made the customer resentful of the service they where
getting especially if the neighbours where getting theirs cleaned by a shiner happy to get over the gate.
Remember resentful customers wont always cancel your service but they wont recommend you to others or help you build a good reputation if anything they are more likely to badmouth you.
I believe the same could be said about option two, even though they wouldn't be out of pocket they still wouldn't have their rear
windows cleaned.
I didn't want to dump or lose good paying customers so my only option was to find a way of getting over the gate safely and easily
which I did.
Is this the right way I don't know, at the end of the day I still have to get over a locked gate which isn't as handy as opening it and walking through, but then I could say I'm offering a better customer service and what has going that extra mile done for both my
reputation and round, all I know is that its right for me.
Must be desperate to be hopping gates. ;)
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I clean every 8 weeks and text or phone everyone the night before. I have the odd few I just turn up to.
My opinion is, if they forget the gate, then they don't want their windows cleaned and I don't want them as a customer.
But people's lives are busy and sometimes they do forget so:
If they forget the gate then I do fronts only half price.
If they are on holiday then I do fronts only half price.
It they are having building work done etc, I pick them up next time.
If they forget gates twice in a row...dumped!
I like to book in slightly too much work and that usually compensates for the front onlys.
If i'm honest I would have a round of just doing fronts only ;D
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If I can get over the back or side gate safely, I do, but always with the customer's permission beforehand. If I can't, I just do the fronts and charge accordingly.
John
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i only have a few a week i have to notify the night before.its very rare they forget to leave their gate open....if they do then.....
i either get over the gate via ladders if safe to do so or clean front only and charge slightly more than half price.
thats it!no fuss.then i move on to my next job.simple.
ive never had a problem working this way and i certainly have never had a customer accuse me of "trespassing" just because i hopped a gate.i do notify them that i have after the clean though if the gates locked.
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I assess each situation on it's individual merits. It hasn't let me down yet.
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I've only had one person in 40 yrs of shining who got seriously upset at me letting myself through a locked gate. She thought that leaving her gate locked would somehow tell me she didn't want her windows cleaned anymore. Never mind the fact that I would do the fronts first. Just about everyone else has pretty much expected me to gain access when they have forgotten to leave a gate unlocked.
Most locked gates on my round are only bolted somewhere, top, middle or bottom, and for them I have a work around which I won't reveal on here. Many others are Yale type locks which are probably the least secure on a back gate for obvious reasons and many others use bog standard shed type mortice locks that you could buy for a fiver which are also not very secure as one key will open many of them.
Many of my customers have also given me keys to their gates.
The upshot is that I don't have to call or text many. Those that forget aren't many and as my work is very compact I can often fit the backs in on another day. If not I charge a little over half price for fronts only. I also have a few customers who insist that I take the full amount when they forget the gate.
That said I fully understand why on another round you'd want to charge full price.