Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: paul alan on June 18, 2017, 10:56:50 pm

Title: The best customer!
Post by: paul alan on June 18, 2017, 10:56:50 pm
What in your opinion describes the best type of domestic customer?

How do you target this type of customer?

Whats your best most favourite work?

Does high quality low volume beat low quality high volume in the hourly rate/longevity stakes?

Are there any relevant stereotypes in the equasion?
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: nathankaye on June 19, 2017, 02:24:34 am
This tail is my friends customer.
So its my friends' round who i worked for along with another lad. So 3 of us in total.
It was quite a rural area and we easily got the days work done. But on this particular round was an old dear called margaret.
Once we had finished cleaning her windows and 4 of the neighbours she would have us all in for a hearty sandwich, slice of cake and a mug of tea.
She was a great old dear, sadly passed away now but she got us most of the work in her village and the next village further out. She was a very much loved woman in the neighbourhood.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: 8weekly on June 19, 2017, 06:26:26 am
The best type of customer is out every visit and pays promptly.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Leeds on June 19, 2017, 06:33:34 am
As above, if they're on GoCardless, they all live next to each other, and they're decently priced, happy days.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Shrek on June 19, 2017, 06:52:49 am
The ones who iv overpriced
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: dazmond on June 19, 2017, 09:24:39 am
i have lots of good customers for different reasons.obviously most pay on the day or within a few days are up there.

some its the ease/stress free nature of the window clean for the money earnt(and they are usually out!or dont come out chatting and following you round to every window!) ;D

others i look forward to seeing,a 5 min chat and a laugh can help the day along.

i find the bigger,more grand the property is the less they chat which suits me fine usually.


i have high quality/low volume work and high volume/lower quality work.a mixture.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: dazmond on June 19, 2017, 09:27:38 am
today i have 3 properties to clean so yes high quality,low volume today. ;D


too hot to do a full day.a half day suits me fine.


time to go......10am-2pm i reckon and thats taking it easy. ;)
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: jonboywalton75 on June 19, 2017, 09:52:24 am
Should have started at 8:30 daz
It's cooler  ;D
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Stoots on June 19, 2017, 02:10:24 pm


One who is well priced (good hourly rate), never in, and always pays via BACS within a couple of days.
You get them via pot luck and weeding through the poomanoo
best /favouite is as above
equation - no
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Stoots on June 19, 2017, 02:11:53 pm
today i have 3 properties to clean so yes high quality,low volume today. ;D


too hot to do a full day.a half day suits me fine.


time to go......10am-2pm i reckon and thats taking it easy. ;)

didnt even manage that, did 3 houses and came home, far too hot
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Smudger on June 19, 2017, 02:40:21 pm
The best type of customer is out every visit and pays promptly.

Pays for a year in advance !!

love em

Darran
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: jonboywalton75 on June 19, 2017, 03:08:45 pm
8:30- 2:-30 for me
Good earnings
Must be fit for a 60 year old ;D
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: SB Cleaning on June 19, 2017, 03:20:30 pm
Pensioners...

They're always in...always happy to see you...always pay there and then or very quickly bacs.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: dazmond on June 19, 2017, 06:27:07 pm
What in your opinion describes the best type of domestic customer?

How do you target this type of customer?

Whats your best most favourite work?

Does high quality low volume beat low quality high volume in the hourly rate/longevity stakes?

Are there any relevant stereotypes in the equasion?

i dont target a certain customer,i just go to work.they call me through word of mouth and recommendation.ive picked up quite a few nice jobs lately.all quite posh houses in the £35-£50 range.

stereotype wise then upper middle class retired folks are what i like because

1.their usually in so pay on the day in cash/cheque and make me nice brews(and sometimes biccies).

2.their more likely to use me for add on jobs every year too(solar panels,conny roofs,f/s/g etc)

3.they usually have stunning gardens/scenery.very pleasant to work for them generally from my experience.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: dazmond on June 19, 2017, 06:43:45 pm
hourly rate wise then i usually earn  more per hour on high quality/low volume work than lower quality/high volume but not always.depends on the work.as long as i hit a certain amount scheduled each working day,week,month,year then im happy. :)
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: paul alan on June 19, 2017, 07:37:17 pm
Im finding the lower end stuff thats close together can be be good.

Great hourly rate and people dont mind spending if its affordable, less moaning about the weather and the old"has it been 4 weeks already?"

I also like the higher end stuff as you can take more pride in your work and if you do end up chatting its usualy more interesting.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Tristan R Clean on June 19, 2017, 08:51:50 pm
One of my favourite jobs just cancelled the other day :(
I overpriced from the start - 8 years ago.
Holiday cottage , second home right near the sea( salty windows.
I never put the price up but I was happy with the price.
She never usually about when I clean .
Got a note to say ' we no longer require your services'
Phoned her back to ask why. Her reply' You were too quick and you left the windows wet! ' ::)roll
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Bungle on June 19, 2017, 09:11:37 pm
today i have 3 properties to clean so yes high quality,low volume today. ;D


too hot to do a full day.a half day suits me fine.


time to go......10am-2pm i reckon and thats taking it easy. ;)

didnt even manage that, did 3 houses and came home, far too hot

Get some graft in ffs. If you were on a building site you couldn't namby pamby go home cause it's too hot.

#manup
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Stoots on June 19, 2017, 10:36:40 pm
today i have 3 properties to clean so yes high quality,low volume today. ;D


too hot to do a full day.a half day suits me fine.


time to go......10am-2pm i reckon and thats taking it easy. ;)

didnt even manage that, did 3 houses and came home, far too hot

Get some graft in ffs. If you were on a building site you couldn't namby pamby go home cause it's too hot.

#manup

That's true but I'm not on a building site am I.  I'm self employed which means I can do what I want when I want to a certain extent.



Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: lee_dewing on June 24, 2017, 12:08:30 am
Usually find 50 years + age group the best.

Always pay if in, cup of tea, little bit of polite chat.
If out, cheque in post or online prompt payment.

If cheque a little late in post, little post it note inside apologizing as been away ;D

Oh and an Xmas tip ;)

On the other end of the scale 5+ year customer.
Started out well.
Last year + pays online getting slower and slower.

Last two cleans been texting me to hurry up around.
One I was a week late, she pressure washed patio and made a mess off windows ::)roll

Last Friday did, I was 3 days late hassled me as had planned barbie

Again pressure washer😠
When I finished I made a point of asking for payment, just for the hell of it  ;D

Got told that when my child was older I'd realise cash is hard to come by ;D

She said she was gonna pay Monday just gone, she hasn't.

Oh forgot to mention I always have to move wheelie bins, 3 of em to get through gate.

Plus extra crap usually.
She's sacked as soon as I get my money.

Just debating whether to tell her or not, she's a real pushy cow.

Mistakes kindness for weakness  :)

This is not a good customer  ;D
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: jo5hm4n on June 24, 2017, 12:19:30 am
Usually find 50 years + age group the best.

Always pay if in, cup of tea, little bit of polite chat.
If out, cheque in post or online prompt payment.

If cheque a little late in post, little post it note inside apologizing as been away ;D

Oh and an Xmas tip ;)

On the other end of the scale 5+ year customer.
Started out well.
Last year + pays online getting slower and slower.

Last two cleans been texting me to hurry up around.
One I was a week late, she pressure washed patio and made a mess off windows ::)roll

Last Friday did, I was 3 days late hassled me as had planned barbie

Again pressure washer😠
When I finished I made a point of asking for payment, just for the hell of it  ;D

Got told that when my child was older I'd realise cash is hard to come by ;D

She said she was gonna pay Monday just gone, she hasn't.

Oh forgot to mention I always have to move wheelie bins, 3 of em to get through gate.

Plus extra crap usually.
She's sacked as soon as I get my money.

Just debating whether to tell her or not, she's a real pushy cow.

Mistakes kindness for weakness  :)

This is not a good customer  ;D

I'd personally tell her shes sacked off because of whatever reason you want to giver her aslong as its legit.  You may find that she then realises she needs your services more than you need her money, that may change her attitude so shes takes you more seriously and wont try and order you about as much.  I've had a few of these lately.  Customers think they can order you about sometimes kind of like there slave.  Wack her price up, or tell her shes dumped because of bla bla bla, and in some cases you may find she will then bow to whatever you want from her to be a customer you want on your books :)

Just a thought ;)
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: lee_dewing on June 24, 2017, 12:40:50 am
I'll probably do that mate, she won't leave me alone    ;D

The 1st time she text me when I was a week late,
And started to get a bit irrate, I made a joke of it and said can't win with customers either too late or too early.

Did explain it costs me money to work out of sync.

Maybe she'd be happy with someone else.

She text back don't be silly  ;D

Following month at it again  ;D

Will text her it's not working.

See if she asks why, then politely tear her off a strip :)
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Roy Harding on June 24, 2017, 08:27:08 pm
I just lost a great customer cleaned for over 33 years, used to say bring your children to swim in the pool while you clean. She paid for us to have a holiday on our wedding anniversary to canneries. And over that time paid in excess of hundred and forty thousand. She bought the cancer scanner for Hereford hospital.
A real lady. 
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: 8weekly on June 24, 2017, 09:22:34 pm
I just lost a great customer cleaned for over 33 years, used to say bring your children to swim in the pool while you clean. She paid for us to have a holiday on our wedding anniversary to canneries. And over that time paid in excess of hundred and forty thousand. She bought the cancer scanner for Hereford hospital.
A real lady.
Why did she drop you?
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: nathankaye on June 24, 2017, 09:23:40 pm
Usually find 50 years + age group the best.

Always pay if in, cup of tea, little bit of polite chat.
If out, cheque in post or online prompt payment.

If cheque a little late in post, little post it note inside apologizing as been away ;D

Oh and an Xmas tip ;)

On the other end of the scale 5+ year customer.
Started out well.
Last year + pays online getting slower and slower.

Last two cleans been texting me to hurry up around.
One I was a week late, she pressure washed patio and made a mess off windows ::)roll

Last Friday did, I was 3 days late hassled me as had planned barbie

Again pressure washer😠
When I finished I made a point of asking for payment, just for the hell of it  ;D

Got told that when my child was older I'd realise cash is hard to come by ;D

She said she was gonna pay Monday just gone, she hasn't.

Oh forgot to mention I always have to move wheelie bins, 3 of em to get through gate.

Plus extra crap usually.
She's sacked as soon as I get my money.

Just debating whether to tell her or not, she's a real pushy cow.

Mistakes kindness for weakness  :)

This is not a good customer  ;D

I'd personally tell her shes sacked off because of whatever reason you want to giver her aslong as its legit.  You may find that she then realises she needs your services more than you need her money, that may change her attitude so shes takes you more seriously and wont try and order you about as much.  I've had a few of these lately.  Customers think they can order you about sometimes kind of like there slave.  Wack her price up, or tell her shes dumped because of bla bla bla, and in some cases you may find she will then bow to whatever you want from her to be a customer you want on your books :)

Just a thought ;)

I cleaned this womans house for near on 15yrs but at the time it was my friends round. His first round since he left school which he built up with hard work (hes 41 now). So on this particular round it was relatively cheap compared to all the other work, whichbis crazy as the area is known locally as snobs hill!
This particular lady would boast of cruises etc shes been on and how one day if me and my friend worked and saved for many years than one day we could get on a cruise. Needless to say im not a fan of this lass!  So iv recently put the price up by 50%, a whopping £5 😂   she argued with me how i need her as shes paying me....it was a huge delight to tell her that she was So wrong and how people on a council estate pay more than what she was paying.
To watch her face, it was priceless.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: Roy Harding on June 24, 2017, 09:51:58 pm
I just lost a great customer cleaned for over 33 years, used to say bring your children to swim in the pool while you clean. She paid for us to have a holiday on our wedding anniversary to canneries. And over that time paid in excess of hundred and forty thousand. She bought the cancer scanner for Hereford hospital.
A real lady.
Why did she drop you?



Sadly they both died within a year of each other.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: 8weekly on June 25, 2017, 12:18:51 pm
I just lost a great customer cleaned for over 33 years, used to say bring your children to swim in the pool while you clean. She paid for us to have a holiday on our wedding anniversary to canneries. And over that time paid in excess of hundred and forty thousand. She bought the cancer scanner for Hereford hospital.
A real lady.
Why did she drop you?



Sadly they both died within a year of each other.
Good enough reason.
Title: Re: The best customer!
Post by: lee_dewing on June 25, 2017, 02:54:19 pm
Thought it would be the grim reaper  :(

I lost a few good customers to him, too soon.

Usually Cancer.

Got a customer battling breast cancer, paid me Friday, explained "sorry I haven't seen you been having chemotherapy"

Why do the horribliest  things happen to the nicest people?

She did look well so I'm sure she'll be fine  :)