Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Tom White on September 30, 2016, 10:37:06 am
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We have a large domestic (£350 every other month) and it could be a great job except for the following:
1. It includes the insides and it's all leaded windows. It's a hard day's graft. :'(
2. I don't like the customer; there's regularly a problem why I can't get in to clean. The last time it was because her grandaughter had broken her leg and she had family flying in from the US. And for some reason that stopped us from cleaning the windows.
3. Today, the 'gate' wasn't answered; I just kept on pressing the intercom button and there was no answer. I had previously arraged to clean today. So I phoned the lady and it eventually went to answer machine, so I left a snotty message.
But by the time I arrived home (it's Friday) I had three missed calls and a text saying "I was on my way to open the gates!" (Which are electronic and can be opened remotely).
And I just don't have a good feeling about the job; I think it's personal; I don't like the owner and find her opinionated and arrogant.
Other than that, they're very quick to pay.
I think I'll just drop them, but what would you do?
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We have a large domestic (£350 every other month) and it could be a great job except for the following:
1. It includes the insides and it's all leaded windows. It's a hard day's graft. :'(
2. I don't like the customer; there's regularly a problem why I can't get in to clean. The last time it was because her grandaughter had broken her leg and she had family flying in from the US. And for some reason that stopped us from cleaning the windows.
3. Today, the 'gate' wasn't answered; I just kept on pressing the intercom button and there was no answer. I had previously arraged to clean today. So I phoned the lady and it eventually went to answer machine, so I left a snotty message.
But by the time I arrived home (it's Friday) I had three missed calls and a text saying "I was on my way to open the gates!" (Which are electronic and can be opened remotely).
And I just don't have a good feeling about the job; I think it's personal; I don't like the owner and find her opinionated and arrogant.
Other than that, they're very quick to pay.
I think I'll just drop them, but what would you do?
Have a cup of man up and get on with it. She's not paying you to be her chum. If you're happy with the money just get on with it, if not increase the charge.
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Pointless wasting your time on a job like this. Find some other work where you know it's guaranteed you'll be cleaning without the hassle.
Even if you only find £50 worth to replace it for the time being. It's £50 more than you've earned today
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Pointless wasting your time on a job like this. Find some other work where you know it's guaranteed you'll be cleaning without the hassle.
Even if you only find £50 worth to replace it for the time being. It's £50 more than you've earned today
I've that much work I can't get around it all in a timely manner. I've been a month late for some of my good accounts (some of that is down to laziness too mind).
I had other work I could've done, but it's raining and it's Poet's day.
I really need to have a 'weed'. I guess this job's weeded itself.
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We have lots of houses of this size/price. If they dont let us have the electric gate code on record we wont take them on. At least you could get the outside done in that case.
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Explain to her you're running a business. You need to move the goal posts. Get the gate code or its adios.
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We have lots of houses of this size/price. If they dont let us have the electric gate code on record we wont take them on. At least you could get the outside done in that case.
I'll bear that in mind for future jobs with 'leccy gates, but I'm sure this gate just has a telecom system and is opened by a fob. I.E there's no gate code key to input.
I'm not 100% sure about that though; but I can't recall seeing something of this nature.
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Just got back from a electric gates job. Waste of time. No one there.
Last time same thing but she claimed the gate had been left open for us but it wasn't I'm sure, we had never operated them before so gave her the benefit of the doubt.
I've lost track of the many jobs we've dropped.
Beauty of being self-employed we only work for people we like!
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Jump the gate! for £350 unless its the gate to a castle with a moat you need to go over
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Jump the gate! for £350 unless its the gate to a castle with a moat you need to go over
The drive is about 100m long and there'd be no way my hose would get around the house after that.
I've had the daughter texting me now; I've asked if the gate has a code and could I have it.
No reply yet.
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electronic gate customers either give me the code or i text them the night before and they leave them open.
as for inside window cleaning i wouldnt do it as i dont offer this service (apart from one job ).i always tell them to ask their domestic cleaner to do them.i cant be bothered. id rather just turn up and clean most window cleaning jobs.less hassle.
id go with your gut instinct tosh and drop the job as your bound to get more faffing in the future as they have to be in when you clean.PITA.
like you say if your already busy most of the time you dont need jobs like this IMO. :)
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Charge them a 'pain in the arse tax'
Works for me.
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as for inside window cleaning i wouldnt do it as i dont offer this service (apart from one job ).i always tell them to ask their domestic cleaner to do them.i cant be bothered. id rather just turn up and clean most window cleaning jobs.less hassle.
Their housekeeper wouldn't be to clean the inside of these windows; I doubt, there's loads of them; and the housekeeper is an elderly sort:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1475244116_2016-09-30_15-01_The Chepstow Window Cleaners.jpg)
But usually, the majority of any inside work we do is for commercial work (offices mostly).
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id go with your gut instinct tosh and drop the job as your bound to get more faffing in the future as they have to be in when you clean.PITA.
like you say if your already busy most of the time you dont need jobs like this IMO. :)
You're probably right, but the daughter (who is nice) sweet talked me into coming back. I didn't get the code (if there is one); she says to phone her if there's ever any problems.
This clean is outside only; it takes two of us two hours and I send a bill to some management company for £150 and I get paid within a week.
So I'll do this one; not sure about the next which will be inside and out. ;D
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This clean is outside only; it takes two of us two hours and I send a bill to some management company for £150 and I get paid within a week.
£37.50 p/h
Yeah bin it mate.
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This clean is outside only; it takes two of us two hours and I send a bill to some management company for £150 and I get paid within a week.
£37.50 p/h
Yeah bin it mate.
Yea, you're not getting any younger.
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Willy waving. ;D
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Willy waving. ;D
If anyone wants the job after the next clean we do, you're welcome to it.
It's a ruddy nightmare on the inside. Highly polished oak floors and very high windows all round aren't a great combination for steps or A frames.
And the customer isn't great either.
I've better accounts than that with which to 'willy wave' with.
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If I read this right they've messed you about twice and this last clean you eventually did the outsides only. Also you are stacked out with work. And it's 4 person hours (Helen might read this ;D) for £150.00?
You also dread doing the insides which is proportionately more time consuming (£200?) and you dislike the owner.
I wouldn't go back. End of.
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If I read this right they've messed you about twice and this last clean you eventually did the outsides only. Also you are stacked out with work. And it's 4 person hours (Helen might read this ;D) for £150.00?
You also dread doing the insides which is proportionately more time consuming (£200?) and you dislike the owner.
I wouldn't go back. End of.
That's about the sum of it. Apart from the fact if all the cleans were outside only, I'd probably keep it.
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Tosh, I think deep down you know you have to bin it. Most of us would by the sounds of it.
I have dumped a few with electric gates, because not only could I not get in (when pre-arranged) but also they don't give a t0ss (and that does not bode well with me). Mate you haven't dumped it, she has.
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This clean is outside only; it takes two of us two hours and I send a bill to some management company for £150 and I get paid within a week.
£37.50 p/h
Yeah bin it mate.
Yea, you're not getting any younger.
;D
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If you don't like it dump it I got one that's being dumped when I get back from my hol Dozy bitch has 2 gazebo's against conservatory and 3 water butts down the other side
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Hmmmmm. How far from Chepstow is it?
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no such thing as a bad job just an under priced one!
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Hmmmmm. How far from Chepstow is it?
Not far, Shirenewton.
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I think the very fact you created this thread, suggests you just wanted reassurance that dropping the job was the right thing to do.
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if a job is getting you down and you dislike it that much, why do it? If you're not desperate for work, bin it if it makes you that unhappy, life's too short to waste your time on idiots who get you down., move on and be happy :)
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Pass it along to Squeaky ... Matt. 15 v 27 ;D
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I think the very fact you created this thread, suggests you just wanted reassurance that dropping the job was the right thing to do.
I think I wanted to whine. And I know that when you put things down in writing, it kind of helps you think through a problem.
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Pass it along to Squeaky ... Matt. 15 v 27 ;D
I may not like my customer, but I wouldn't wish Squeaky on anyone.
Besides, I'm not sure he could manage. You need to use ladders for access to parts of it; there's a couple of large stone balconies you need to get to.
Squeaky doesn't use ladders at all.
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I think the very fact you created this thread, suggests you just wanted reassurance that dropping the job was the right thing to do.
I think I wanted to whine. And I know that when you put things down in writing, it kind of helps you think through a problem.
I know that feeling exactly.
I've written hundreds of posts on here and deleted them before pressing post, purely because in writing it all down, I've already answered my own questions.
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I'd jump the gate, break the granddaughter's other leg, verbally abuse the Americans (Ryder Cup's on and I hate them more than normal) and then dump.
Replace with two more leccy gate jobs and a nice little commercial on the way home, naturally.
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Hmmmmm. How far from Chepstow is it?
Not far, Shirenewton.
I'll swap the job for a limerick?
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I turned up for a job once, pre-booked, only to find the electric gates closed and no one answering. I phoned the number several times and in the end left a message to call me back to re book. I never had a call back but I know they told a friend of mine that I didn't turn up. He put them right on that score as I had called him to say I couldn't get access as he recommended me for the work. It was cleaning all the stonework around the house.
When I went to price it the husband wasn't keen on anyone doing it as he didn't want to pay so I assume he got my message but didn't tell his wife! Plonker!
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Hmmmmm. How far from Chepstow is it?
Not far, Shirenewton.
I'll swap the job for a limerick?
Sorry, mate, I'm straight. :-\
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Not what I've heard!
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Electric gates = the scourge of humanity, well as far as window cleaners are concerned anyway!
Bin it and replace with two ;D
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I have a small round of 6 "posh houses" all with leccy gates which we have the codes for ... all together in a nice village all on the main road going thru village - great days work - nice people - nice locations and nice £££ - been ticking along nicely for about 4 years however the round is now 5 "posh houses"
Pulls up on the parking square in front of 1 of the houses after going thru the gates and this bloke comes out who I didn't recognise and asks who am I, what am I doing there and how did I get thru the leccy gate ?? - turns out he's the new owner ... house had been sold during the 8 weeks from previous clean and old customer forgot to tell me ... anyways he call the missus for authority and he says yes keep coming to clean please.
All good for that clean and the next then gets a call from his wife along lines of don't come thru gate anymore and loose the code as they have a dog now and are worried it will run onto road if I open the gate so as she works from home im to ring the gate bell and she will let me in and can I clean them every 4 months not 2 as "we live in countryside and they don't get dirty" so tells her sorry don't do every 4 months as not worth my while unless we go from £75 current price to £125 for every 4 months - stay as we are was her reply.
Next clean - pulls up - rings gate bell - no answer - rings again and spot her in upstairs window looking to see who is at gate - ignores me and after a few more rings drive off and do house next door.
Dropped.
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I normally wait a coupke of months (cleans) till they get to know me and me them before i ask for code as its a principle of trust on both sides.
I have a customer who ive been cleaning for,for nearly a year now. Key code on gate and a locked side gate for rear access of bungalow. Lovely family and mum is house bound, in wheel chair has no legs. Lovely woman and next door to my brother n his family. I clean both but need to make prior arrangements with this woman for gates to be open. After 5 cleans (4 wkly) i ask her for codes and get a simple No. i understand but said she has all my details on my card and my brother is next door so if worried im not legit, police can easily call on me! But still No! Its a pain but i still faff making these arrangements. Going to try n ask for codes at end of yr, as trust hopefully has built up by then! Will see n decide if i can continue to put up with faff or not..
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I normally wait a coupke of months (cleans) till they get to know me and me them before i ask for code as its a principle of trust on both sides.
I have a customer who ive been cleaning for,for nearly a year now. Key code on gate and a locked side gate for rear access of bungalow. Lovely family and mum is house bound, in wheel chair has no legs. Lovely woman and next door to my brother n his family. I clean both but need to make prior arrangements with this woman for gates to be open. After 5 cleans (4 wkly) i ask her for codes and get a simple No. i understand but said she has all my details on my card and my brother is next door so if worried im not legit, police can easily call on me! But still No! Its a pain but i still faff making these arrangements. Going to try n ask for codes at end of yr, as trust hopefully has built up by then! Will see n decide if i can continue to put up with faff or not..
I'd drop that like a stone. I really don't understand why people waste time with this type of customer.
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I know she has no legs, and life isn't a bed of roses for some people, but some disabled people think the world owes them something.. life would be much easier if people didn't make it more difficult. Those Paralympians are inspirational, they get as much out of life as they put in!
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As a general rule I don't take gate codes or keys for that matter. I don't really want the responsibility. With Cleaner Planner and automated messaging arranging access is easy, it's a rarity that we can't get access nowadays and if we can't there is usually a genuine reason (holidays or whatever), I'm fine with that.
If you have access to their property you will probably be the first person that they look at if their house gets robbed.
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As a general rule I don't take gate codes or keys for that matter. I don't really want the responsibility. With Cleaner Planner and automated messaging arranging access is easy, it's a rarity that we can't get access nowadays and if we can't there is usually a genuine reason (holidays or whatever), I'm fine with that.
If you have access to their property you will probably be the first person that they look at if their house gets robbed.
As long as you didnt do it you should be fine.
::)roll
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As a general rule I don't take gate codes or keys for that matter. I don't really want the responsibility. With Cleaner Planner and automated messaging arranging access is easy, it's a rarity that we can't get access nowadays and if we can't there is usually a genuine reason (holidays or whatever), I'm fine with that.
If you have access to their property you will probably be the first person that they look at if their house gets robbed.
As long as you didnt do it you should be fine.
::)roll
Who said I didn't?