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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jay moley on May 18, 2020, 11:24:14 pm

Title: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: jay moley on May 18, 2020, 11:24:14 pm
........do we think there will still be a knock on effect to us, like customers cancelling etc, or do you think we will be ok and things will carry on as normal?
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Slacky on May 18, 2020, 11:30:08 pm
There’s likely to be a second strike. Lets wait for that first.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Pete Thompson on May 19, 2020, 12:43:20 am
I think we’ll see the real effect when furlough ends. I suspect there are quite a few out there who are only remaining employed for the moment while the government is paying them.

If employers decide to downsize their workforce (or even go bust), they’ll do it when the furlough finishes. That’s when we’ll know the true extent of the damage.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: P @ F on May 19, 2020, 01:35:17 am
Next Monday and Tuesday will be an eye opener for infection rates  :o
I got a feeling  !
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Mike Burd on May 19, 2020, 06:00:23 am
So much is going to depend on where you’re based and the socio economic mix of your customers base. I doubt anyone will suffer more than a 15% loss of customers. The biggest fall out will be in the hospitality sectors. Given their income levels, many wouldn’t spend their money on Window Cleaning. Pensioners won’t be affected. So it will depend on your area and your customer base.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Stoots on May 19, 2020, 07:30:21 am
The problem is there is a lag in infection rates. So we won't see the effects of reduced lockdown for a few weeks. Everything looks OK now but if it starts to rise again the whole process will have to be repeated.

We won't be out of the woods till we get a vaccine, so far lockdown has be great, enquiries flooding in but if we get a second lockdown the strain will increase.

Hold off making any big decisions till next year imo, just ride it out. Hopefully if we do get another lockdown they can delay it till winter when it's ping it down for months on end rather than this period of nice weather, typical.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Granny on May 19, 2020, 07:42:54 am
I think the commercial will downsize a lot. One office owner said he normally had over 200 employees at work they have had only 30 in for 2 months with no impact on the business at all.
Who is going to pay office rents and business rates when you can off load the cost to your workers?
Morgan Stanley said on Monday "The days of putting 7000 people in a building are over."
Initially because of social distancing they will still require a large space to accommodate a reduced workforce but once that is over they will shut the doors.
As for domestic it depends on how many lose their jobs.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Richard Groves on May 19, 2020, 07:47:01 am
I wouldn't like to speculate on anything . You've only got to read threads from 2 months ago on here to realise that.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: dazmond on May 19, 2020, 07:48:10 am
........do we think there will still be a knock on effect to us, like customers cancelling etc, or do you think we will be ok and things will carry on as normal?

Just take each day(and job)as it comes........no point projecting too far into the future if it causes you unnecessary worry and anxiety......

Stay regular,reliable and professional is all you can do...

Live 'in the day' as much as you can......
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: AuRavelling79 on May 19, 2020, 08:54:14 am
I think the commercial will downsize a lot. One office owner said he normally had over 200 employees at work they have had only 30 in for 2 months with no impact on the business at all.
Who is going to pay office rents and business rates when you can off load the cost to your workers?
Morgan Stanley said on Monday "The days of putting 7000 people in a building are over."
Initially because of social distancing they will still require a large space to accommodate a reduced workforce but once that is over they will shut the doors.
As for domestic it depends on how many lose their jobs.

Maybe I'll dust off the old backpack. A few of my jobs would be unreachable otherwise with every cul-de-sac full of homeworkers cars and no where to park!

(And I'll have to slow down on some jobs. If the owner is home instead of at work and it takes me twenty minutes to bang out a £20 job they might start doing the sums!  ;D)
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: G Griffin on May 19, 2020, 09:37:36 am
Hopefully if we do get another lockdown they can delay it till winter when it's ping it down for months on end rather than this period of nice weather, typical.
They've done enough delaying and it doesn't work.
And a winter lockdown could be far worse. It won't be enforced to suit window cleaners anyway.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Richard Groves on May 19, 2020, 09:59:06 am
We didn't have a lock down, they just called it one. That's why we are going to be in a mess for a lot longer than other countries.
And yes, like has already been mentioned in just one example re large offices. There will be a knock on effect. Coffee shops, sandwich bars etc.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Spruce on May 19, 2020, 10:27:42 am
We didn't have a lock down, they just called it one. That's why we are going to be in a mess for a lot longer than other countries.
And yes, like has already been mentioned in just one example re large offices. There will be a knock on effect. Coffee shops, sandwich bars etc.

Customer's who work in the oil industry could also be affected and be a knock on effect to services.

The chappy across the road hasn't been back to work on the rigs since Christmas. Another customer is working on one of the oil rigs in India in the Indian ocean as that's the only job he could find.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: jay moley on May 19, 2020, 01:00:49 pm
I really want to get rid of some bad jobs but I'm guessing now isn't the time?
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: LT carpet cleaning on May 19, 2020, 01:33:02 pm
I think the commercial will downsize a lot. One office owner said he normally had over 200 employees at work they have had only 30 in for 2 months with no impact on the business at all.
Who is going to pay office rents and business rates when you can off load the cost to your workers?
Morgan Stanley said on Monday "The days of putting 7000 people in a building are over."
Initially because of social distancing they will still require a large space to accommodate a reduced workforce but once that is over they will shut the doors.
As for domestic it depends on how many lose their jobs.

Maybe I'll dust off the old backpack. A few of my jobs would be unreachable otherwise with every cul-de-sac full of homeworkers cars and no where to park!

(And I'll have to slow down on some jobs. If the owner is home instead of at work and it takes me twenty minutes to bang out a £20 job they might start doing the sums!  ;D)

You forgot “lol”.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: NWH on May 19, 2020, 01:51:40 pm
You won’t know how many customers you’ll lose till. January
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Bungle on May 19, 2020, 04:13:46 pm
You won’t know how many customers you’ll lose till. January

Eh ???
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: NWH on May 19, 2020, 04:24:51 pm
People have been furloughed till October so far business may go back to see if they can make it work and that may take them up till the end of the year,if people are getting rid of you now they’ve either decided the business they are in is doomed or they know they’ll get the bullet if they are employed.
I reckon personally it will be the new year things will surface as far as when we know where we are with keeping work or losing work,domestic work I mean.lots of commercial jobs lost now are gone for good. 
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: NWH on May 19, 2020, 04:25:47 pm
I know a Couple of businesses that have taken the 25k knowing full well it’s still over for them.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: windowswashed on May 19, 2020, 06:42:28 pm
I've lost one in the holiday trade as he has sold up and four others are waiting to start back in july. One factory I clean in and out is outsides only for the time being. My work is wide and varied after learning the hard way last time there was a recession.

Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: NWH on May 19, 2020, 11:18:22 pm
I’ve got a good mix of domestics some of em it wouldn’t matter what happened they’ve enough money to last 3/4 lifetimes in luxury,some people in any crisis will always survive some will fall early on. 
My Dad used to say always think of the rainy day and in this job you get enough time pulled over in a lay-by waiting for it to stop raining to think about that,I worry for the 80-20 split on the side of commercial if they do keep going they’ll pay the bills and invoices on the last day that it’s due.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Stoots on May 20, 2020, 06:36:24 am
I really want to get rid of some bad jobs but I'm guessing now isn't the time?

Not sure how things are for you but this is the busiest I've been since I started.  Never had so many ask for add ons as well, gutters, connys etc.

I only lost about 5 to Coronavirus, I sold 30 customers off last week and dumped another 10 or so.

I've replaced almost all of them over the last 2 months. Whenever I've advertised the response has been overwhelming.

I think people being stuck indoors coinciding with the good weather has  brought people's attention to their homes. They've probably being doing D. I. Y etc and thought hey it's time we had clean windows as well.

Dump away, I'm going or sit down at the weekend and sort through some more dead wood.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: alank on May 20, 2020, 10:18:07 am
Same here very busy on the domestic side taken on four just this morning the commercial side has all stopped apart from the odd one but have schools booked in for the next two weekends. I'm passing on any extras at the moment and concentrating on just the window cleaning  ;D
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Richard Groves on May 20, 2020, 11:36:28 am
Commercial side for me is only a handful of independent high street shops. They are all on hold but tbh I wouldn't care if I lost them. The hourly rate after all the faff and parking etc is easily replaced with one or two good priced houses.
Title: Re: So now that Corona is starting to settle down......
Post by: Clean Cloth on May 20, 2020, 05:26:59 pm
I really want to get rid of some bad jobs but I'm guessing now isn't the time?

Not sure how things are for you but this is the busiest I've been since I started.  Never had so many ask for add ons as well, gutters, connys etc.

I only lost about 5 to Coronavirus, I sold 30 customers off last week and dumped another 10 or so.

I've replaced almost all of them over the last 2 months. Whenever I've advertised the response has been overwhelming.

I think people being stuck indoors coinciding with the good weather has  brought people's attention to their homes. They've probably being doing D. I. Y etc and thought hey it's time we had clean windows as well.

Dump away, I'm going or sit down at the weekend and sort through some more dead wood.

Glad things are going well for you.

What method of advertising do you do?
The 10 that were dumped, were they bad payers or something else?