Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: C & S on February 26, 2018, 08:08:49 pm
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Surely I am not the only one who texts customers in the morning I am due and NOT the night before?.
When I say text (text local sends them out at 7.45 in the morning)
This way people dont forget gates etc etc if you do so the night before they have slept i.e forgot to leave open etc.
A few customers req early texts which I know of.
Is this a common practice as its what I have always done?..
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im a gate hopper ;D very rare if i text to let them no im coming i use a broom handle with a hook on it to undo the bolts the odd one here and there that have padlocks are in first thing in the morning but if i was to text it would be the night before
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I normally send night before but i have a couple who i also send early the next morninh
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Surely I am not the only one who texts customers in the morning I am due and NOT the night before?.
When I say text (text local sends them out at 7.45 in the morning)
This way people dont forget gates etc etc if you do so the night before they have slept i.e forgot to leave open etc.
A few customers req early texts which I know of.
Is this a common practice as its what I have always done?..
Some people leave for work before 7.45 in the morning.
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I'm not usually up whilst 7:30 and they could leave before that. So no point.
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I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks ::)roll
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I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks ::)roll
Its very rare that you get a customer text back to cancel and if you did it might be just the one out of many, so long term is it really that big of an issue. Compared to either jumping the gate or getting the ladders out etc etc. Compared to spending very little time adding the days contacts to a pre typed message the night before
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I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks ::)roll
"Hi Mrs Pain, we agreed a frequency of every eight weeks. I'm afraid if we do not stick to this frequency, without good reason, then I shall remove you from our round. I apologise if this sounds hard-headed, but we cannot maintain a business unless we stick to the terms we originally agreed."
Or something similar.
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I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks ::)roll
"Hi Mrs Pain, we agreed a frequency of every eight weeks. I'm afraid if we do not stick to this frequency, without good reason, then I shall remove you from our round. I apologise if this sounds hard-headed, but we cannot maintain a business unless we stick to the terms we originally agreed."
Or something similar.
Or...
Send it through text local. No replies! Sorted.
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Send it through text local. No replies! Sorted.
Looks interesting; thanks.
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I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks ::)roll
If a customer is not happy to have the windows cleaned on a particular day then it'll come out one way or another further down the line. You get the chance to see trouble coming if a customer informs you they wouldn't be happy about todays clean, then you can respond accordingly. If need be you can cancel them before you get cancelled off them out of blue one day.
I find with prior notification the benefits outweigh the negatives, some people appreciate it.
Besides it gives your business another USP and IMO an advantage over another that doesn't offer this part of the service.
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We've stopped texting for new customers as it's too restricting. Hopefully we won't have to go back on it. You've got to get to the job. If we don't get there for whatever reason we send an apology, then they get another text the night before the re-arranged date. We don't work in the rain either. It's a right pain so we only take on free access jobs now unless they're well worth it. We're pretty much full anyway so only looking to take on quality not quantity.
And that's with using text marketer, templates and Aworka. Texts go out at 6.30pm. And like others have said it's an excuse to skip & usually it's either late at night or very early morning when you've planned your day and printed worksheets. It always the text customers we get problems with. I get why they lock their gates as I bolt mine top & bottom but then I don't need a window cleaner.
Tried gate keys but they end up in the wrong van.
If anyone comes up with a perfect solution - let me know.
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If anyone comes up with a perfect solution - let me know.
Yes i have. I give the next clean date on their bill.
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Yes i have. I give the next clean date on their bill.
No thanks. Too risky.
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I dont understand. Too risky for what?
Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?
I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)
Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.
I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!
Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?
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I dont understand. Too risky for what?
Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?
I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)
Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.
I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!
Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?
Does nothing happen between now and the next clean? As in van breaks down, your ill , weather etc ?
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I dont understand. Too risky for what?
Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?
I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)
Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.
I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!
Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?
Does nothing happen between now and the next clean? As in van breaks down, your ill , weather etc ?
Well of course it can. If that happens, THEN you text the customer to reschedule.
But normally, i just turn up on the agreed dates, and clean. No faffing about with texts the night before. And access is all available. NO WORRIES, NO PROBLEM
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Marc, people have better things to do than remember when we're coming next (6 or 12 weekly). They won't remember. I don't want to turn up to clean fronts for next to nothing or argue with a customer that they should pay full price because they should remember a date 6 or 12 weeks in the future.
I employ, it rains, holidays get booked etc etc. I need to be flexible with dates. I don't stay rigid to they date for lots of reasons.
Glad it works for you though.
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THEN you text the customer to reschedule.
Is this the night before marc ;D "joke!"
Glad you got your work in today Marc👍
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Marc, forgive me but if you lost a week for whatever reason to accommodate the week you've lost, surely you have to text the whole month with new dates?
I have a next clean date on my invoice to but people expect me on or around that date and are always texted the evening b4 as conformation. None of it is last minute as you say, it's more flexible I would argue.
Tony
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Every one of my customers think its a fabulous idea.
It works very well. I personally dont understand how it couldn't work. Like i said its easy.
I was very ill last year some of you remember. It was easy, i sent out a text with a new cleaning date.
If you have aworker, window cleaning pro and other window cleaning schedual software, to me its a no-brainer.
It also forms a contract, so makes the business more robust.
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I think it's great that it works for you.
It would be a burden to me, having the pressure of must clean in a certain date.
So many things can happen, weather delays, Ill, breakdown, I could do a few add ons that put me behind, I could have a day off, employee might not turn up, might take on new customer.
The list is endless, im lucky if I turn up within a week of it being due, it seems like I have been behind schedule for 6 months, which if you are growing and taking on more it's going to be come harder and harder.
Don't get me wrong I think how you do it is doable, but you have to be really disciplined and that's not me. I prefer flexibility of turning up roughly every 4 weeks, it allows me to shift jobs about and organise as I go.
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It would be a burden to me, having the pressure of must clean in a certain date.
I couldn't wake up and think, "C'mon, let's have a day off and go and play!"
;D
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I dont understand. Too risky for what?
Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?
I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)
Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.
I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!
Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?
i would never offer a next clean date ever...to me it sounds a silly idea but if it works for you then so be it....
surely customers forget 4 or 8 weeks from now to leave a gate open for example?
also im not always around on the same day every month/2 months.it varies by a day or two depending on other work,whether im making space for an add on job,an impromptu day off for whatever reason(personal/leisure)etc,etc.
its a far too rigid schedule for me (with no flexibility ).....
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We dont txt customers full stop cannot be bothered with the hassle : some will say leave it this time etc we turn up do the job and go , we don’t take on any work with access issues and if a job becomes an issues with access it gets dropped been there done that not intrested in this type of work that involves contacting the customer before , only jobs I phone are commercial and they are several hundred pound jobs a go
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I clean every 8 weeks and I text all my customers the night before.
You'll love this...I even text the ones I have access to...why?
Courtesy! My customers are quality people and they respect the fact that I text them before I turn up. I can quite happily walk right round their property, but I text them, I clean, I leave a slip. That's the service I offer. But i'm not cheap.
I very rarely (and I mean rarely) get 'not today thank you'. Two times and they are history. I only want customers who WANT their windows cleaned. OK I do get, building going on, etc etc but that's life. It's an occupational hazard. I always have a bit of spare work I can slip in.
I know a lot of guys don't text because the custy may say 'not today thank you' but I can't live my life like that. If they actually don't want me then 'f*** them. There are plenty of other custies out there who want a quality service for a reasonable price.
So I text the night before. I wouldn't text in the morning because I think it's too 'short notice'. People are busy in the morning and I feel I would be intruding on their day. If you are worried that people may forget (from a text the night before) then get some better customers.
Marc
Nice talking to you the other day.
I've had a quick look and you can get personalised calendars for less than 50p each. Might be a nice gift for your customers to keep a note of their 'next clean' due date.
Give me a bell if you want more info.
;D
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For instance I've just texted five customers with restricted access for tomorrow.
Already I've had one text back saying, 'you're not coming in the snow are you?'
Another has texted back, 'can you leave us out this time please?'
Hmm...I wonder why? Been looking at the weather forecast? I won't clean in rain or snow but I have to plan worklists in case weathermen are wrong & it is possible to work. I'll offer the second one every other time - or ditch.
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This hasn't failed me yet
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519759842_aviary-image-1519759657739.jpeg)
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Update...For the second customer I've just put 'skip' on Aworka & scrubbed it on the worksheet for my employee.
I've offered him every other time cleaning & said if it's because of the weather forecast (South West), we don't work in gales, rain or snow but that I have to plan worksheets regardless of weather just in case weathermen are wrong.
He's now texted back saying sorry & tomorrow is fine. So I'm now back on the pc re-printing the worksheet and changing back to 'to do' in Aworka ffs.
Exactly why I no longer take on texters.
Grrrrrr...
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For instance I've just texted five customers with restricted access for tomorrow.
Already I've had one text back saying, 'you're not coming in the snow are you?'
Another has texted back, 'can you leave us out this time please?'
Hmm...I wonder why? Been looking at the weather forecast? I won't clean in rain or snow but I have to plan worklists in case weathermen are wrong & it is possible to work. I'll offer the second one every other time - or ditch.
Simon
In all fairness the weather (this week) is at the top of everyones' agenda.
You know the score mate:
I would have put...
'Dear Customer, weather permitting, your clean is due tomorrow, please leave your side gate unlocked.
The second one I would bin.
If they had put 'weather is a bit crap, can you do next week' then fair enough, at least they want their windows cleaned.
I have no time for people who do NOT want their windows cleaned.
I'm a window cleaner...it's what I do. ;D
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I could of changed the text template in aworka/ text marketer but I'm sure I'd only get back something like , 'yeh don't bother if it's snowing' or similar. But it proves the point of being too time consuming.
I like to turn up, clean, leave a ticket & get bacs payment. Minimal customer contact, no chat, no stress. They're happy, I'm happy.
Before Aworka I used to put phone numbers in manually as I don't want 600 odd customer contacts on my phone. That was even more time consuming.
I've never cleaned in bad weather, they should know that by now. Some I've had for 26 years. I won't let customers dictate to me otherwise I'll always be on the back foot. Get someone else. Building work going on, holidays etc, that's different I except, although a courtesy call/text would be nice before I waste time turning up. I don't care if customers have them cleaned yearly as long as it fits my schedule and the price is right. Then everyone knows where they stand.
Just don't cancel me at the eleventh hour. And that's what texters tend to do in my experience.
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Marc
Nice talking to you the other day.
I've had a quick look and you can get personalised calendars for less than 50p each. Might be a nice gift for your customers to keep a note of their 'next clean' due date.
Give me a bell if you want more info.
;D
Sounds like a good idea Robbo
This is what i leave them!