Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Stoots on January 24, 2021, 01:45:07 pm
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After a bit of advice as i really cant make my mind up whats for the best...
Had to let the lad go who works for me, so now im back on my own.
Problem is i now have 700+ customers and im 2 weeks behind from christmas, in short i have no chance :D
Now ive already decided that long term i am going to franchise, im getting a new website built and have a franchise contract being put together also.
However thats not going to be something that happens overnight, i figure its going to take time to find my first franchisee, it would be great if i could find someone tomorrow and be able to hand them over a couple of hundred customers off the bat, but the reality of that happening is slim.
So in the mean time i have lots of work, probably in reality at least 200 more than i can handle.
So im not sure whether to employ someone else, it makes sense in that the work gets serviced but im not sure i can be bothered with one just now, the last one stressed me out with constant complaints and damaging my van etc.
i could sell some work off but apart from maybe 1 area of 50 customers the rest is all quite close togther, im not sure i want to let another window cleaner in and amongst my work....
Ideally i would keep the work, find a franchisee and hand it over to them but how long will my customers tolerate being weeks if not a month behind all the time.
The other option i was thinking was to use this opportunity to do a mass price increase, say a couple of quid for every single customer. Maybe more on a dozen or so jobs that are PITAs with the idea that even if i lost 100 of them it would be a big win win situation.
Could also change my round from 4 and 8 weekly to 6 weekly only which will make it easier to manage in the future, then theres the usual dumping all the slow payers, or poor parking etc.
What would you do, make a cream 1 man band round or employ someone else ? I cant decide but kind of need to soon as my work is going to get further and further behind.
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I'd go 6 weekly with the the price increase. But then that's just at me, a one man band with no plans for expansion be it employing or franchise.
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From what you’ve said, for you personally, I would say prices rises & then cream off the best of the ones that stay.
For me though, I think I’d try another employee. Hopefully a better one.
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And yes, go 6 weekly.
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Employ on the short term, with the chosen employee having the added incentive that he/she would then have the opportunity to take out a franchise package further down the line.
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I'd look at why you aren't finding decent employees. Pay? Are you a difficult boss? Poor interviewing? That's what you need to fix IMO.
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Make every job cream and then only take cream on,once you’ve done that maybe try employing again but because it’s all well paid work if get let down like before you’ll be able to manage it all short term on you’re own.
All this I’ve got multiple workers means nothing if it’s all 10quid jobs.
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Work with your employee as a two man team five/six days a week from 8am to 5pm this way you'll get loads of work done , make plenty of money, won't get complaints or damaged equipment.
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I’ve gone through the same thing recently. Was the worker as productive as you thought? Maybe going to 6 weeks might be manageable on your own
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Where are you based Stoots?
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I'll give you my thoughts -
Firstly, what went wrong with your employee? - that will help to know if you should try this again, having said that I get the impression you don't like the window cleaning business - this will transfer straight to any employee - if you don't care why should they?
if you price increase to achieve your cull - is this not the same as selling? - customers who leave will find another cleaner, so now you let in some one for free, who may undercut you, but also could end up with far less compact rounds
I think 6wky is the optimum wfp frequency, if I did this all again I'd go 6wky - but as established I know that 4wky wouldn't want to stretch to 6 and those on 8 will defo not do a shorter frequency
try where possible to re-organise the round prioritise certain areas then fill in with others - get another employee take time to train them to work how YOU want them to - no half measures, in the early days you need to think of them as a child - they have no clue, no common sense show them everything for 2 weeks - then let them loose on their own
Darran
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After a bit of advice as i really cant make my mind up whats for the best...
Had to let the lad go who works for me, so now im back on my own.
Problem is i now have 700+ customers and im 2 weeks behind from christmas, in short i have no chance :D
Now ive already decided that long term i am going to franchise, im getting a new website built and have a franchise contract being put together also.
However thats not going to be something that happens overnight, i figure its going to take time to find my first franchisee, it would be great if i could find someone tomorrow and be able to hand them over a couple of hundred customers off the bat, but the reality of that happening is slim.
So in the mean time i have lots of work, probably in reality at least 200 more than i can handle.
So im not sure whether to employ someone else, it makes sense in that the work gets serviced but im not sure i can be bothered with one just now, the last one stressed me out with constant complaints and damaging my van etc.
i could sell some work off but apart from maybe 1 area of 50 customers the rest is all quite close togther, im not sure i want to let another window cleaner in and amongst my work....
Ideally i would keep the work, find a franchisee and hand it over to them but how long will my customers tolerate being weeks if not a month behind all the time.
The other option i was thinking was to use this opportunity to do a mass price increase, say a couple of quid for every single customer. Maybe more on a dozen or so jobs that are PITAs with the idea that even if i lost 100 of them it would be a big win win situation.
Could also change my round from 4 and 8 weekly to 6 weekly only which will make it easier to manage in the future, then theres the usual dumping all the slow payers, or poor parking etc.
What would you do, make a cream 1 man band round or employ someone else ? I cant decide but kind of need to soon as my work is going to get further and further behind.
if your planning on franchising in the future then its obvious what you need to do.....find another employee and keep building the round until you find a franchisee...give him so much work then start building again and repeat until you have as many franchisees as you want.....
of course i couldnt be arsed with that myself...so you know what im gonna say Adam! ;D...id just condense the round,get rid of ANY pain in the bum jobs and keep the best work for myself and work an easy,steady 25-30 hours per week 4 or 5 days a week...... 8)..simple,hassle free and straightforward.....
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I think it depends on how easily you can get new customers.
If it's fairly easy, then I would use this opportunity to cull, price increase and dare I say it...change the lot to 8 weeks.
You will have one beautiful cream of cream round that you can relax with and use a base point on which to build, without panicking or worrying. Because it's easy to get work, you can build from this platform. You may even decide you like working on your own with a cream round!
If it's difficult to get work, then you need to keep as much as you can (in preparation of a franchisee) and I'd be looking for a youngish lad who just wants 6 months work and money (assuming it will take 6 months to find a franchise). With all your customers, someone must know someone! Stick him in the van with you and work as a two man team, just to get you out the current crap, while you take the time to find a proper committed franchisee.
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Yes easy enough to get customers, the hard part is finding someone to clean them ;D
As for the employee Darren, multiple complaints (about 20 ), missing windows, marks still on glass, missing sills/doors. Shocking driving skills, hit van 3 times including reversing into someones car and nearly reversing into my truck! not following simple instructions like writing important info on worksheets such as cleaned fronts only or if they had paid, refusing to work friday to catch up on a bad weather day despite this being in the contract. Just generally being a bit Tim nice but Dim. Not a week went by without some saying he had done something. On top of that he is starting his own round so wouldnt have been with me much longer regardless. In fact ive had 2 complaints off him since he left, one cancelled saying last few cleans have had marks on and one just now saying he only cleaned the front despite the gate being open. ;D
On a positive note he turned up everyday and completed the worksheets.
Thanks guys i think my best option is to find someone else and stick it out until i find a franchisee , probably best to work 2 man to save on hassle and keep any eye on everything even though it probably wont be great financially. Can always send him out on his own the odd day to see what happens ::)roll If i sell all my work its like going back 6 months.
Think i will still put all prices up as well, or at least put a lot of them up, i might leave the ones that are already priced well.
As for 6 weekly, i dont see the 4s being much of an issue, im always behind anyway...its the 8s that will be harder to convince
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Yep most of the time my 4 weekly round is nearly always 5 weeks and sometimes six.......I tell new customers monthly.
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Can anyone point me in the direction of how to setup a good employment process ?
rather than just posting on facebook and taking on the first half decent looking person there must be a better way to wittle it down
where do you chaps who employ advertise for staff ?
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Can anyone point me in the direction of how to setup a good employment process ?
rather than just posting on facebook and taking on the first half decent looking person there must be a better way to wittle it down
where do you chaps who employ advertise for staff ?
I have never advertised I have always had someone say that a friend of there’s is looking for a job or someone I know asks if we have a job going I get quite a few people phone asking if we are looking for staff after finding our web site or seeing the van s working . I don’t think advertising is the best way as some who are unemployed have to apply for so many jobs to keep there benefits , you might have to try a couple of people before you find a good one , don’t let one bad experience put you off , take someone on on a 3 month trial to see what they are like .
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Can anyone point me in the direction of how to setup a good employment process ?
rather than just posting on facebook and taking on the first half decent looking person there must be a better way to wittle it down
where do you chaps who employ advertise for staff ?
I have never advertised I have always had someone say that a friend of there’s is looking for a job or someone I know asks if we have a job going I get quite a few people phone asking if we are looking for staff after finding our web site or seeing the van s working . I don’t think advertising is the best way as some who are unemployed have to apply for so many jobs to keep there benefits , you might have to try a couple of people before you find a good one , don’t let one bad experience put you off , take someone on on a 3 month trial to see what they are like .
Cheers Ive had a few now, i think 4 staff over the last few years.
I will have to try another one.
Ideally i would like a full time guy i can trust to allow me to work part time on the glass and put all my efforts into franchising, but it a dream at this point ;D
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I’ll offer my 2 pennies just my experience people at the earliest want 6 weekly who are willing to pay good money,4 weekly is estate work who mostly don’t have a big house and don’t want to pay much more than £25.
Of course you’ll get people say I’ve got customers who pay more than that every month-4 weekly but in the main this is not the case,if you are going out cleaning 30-35 houses a day they are not all going to be 50-60 quid houses.
The way to earn well and to build the business is to extend the frequency charge more money and clean quality properties,get rid of the jobs you know in your heart of hearts you don’t want to clean and replace them with better jobs, take a gamble and put prices up the increases should cover some jobs you lose but you’ll still be earning more for less work.
You want customers who have money not people who are comparing window cleaning prices with neighbours,stand alone properties who have huge disposable income = more per clean and no quibbling over a few quid.
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And of course hot water 🤣🤣
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Step 1
Use Indeed - on the job advert insist that they send you a cv and a covering letter telling you why they want the job and a bit about themselves - anyone who only sends a cv doesn't get an interview ( can't follow a basic instruction )
Step2
Interview -see if they turn up on time - how they dress etc... ask questions about there previous work - fitness etc.. see if they have any questions ( if they are what benefits do I get like free use on etc.. don't take them on ) do they appear interested in the job - if they can hold a reasonable conversation its possible they can remember a simple task - I find people that fish take to window cleaning quite well as they seem to know how to handle a long pole )
Step 3
Invite for a weeks trial ( paid ) work with them - see how they fit in with you and you with them - ANY sign of doing a half hearted job - get rid
Step 4
3 Month trial ( to be terminated at any time - keeps a tally of performance - sickness etc...
Step 5
If all goes well - take on full time
Have you thought of a part timer - i've had 3 older guys 58 to 61 - work part time either 2/3 days a week or mornings only - these older guys have great work ethic - customers love 'em - rarely have time off or issues with you telling them what to do.
I made the mistake of employing in laws - never again - hey take the p to much
Darran
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Don’t take on anyone that has 0 responsibilities you want someone that needs a job and is willing to work to keep it.
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I’ll offer my 2 pennies just my experience people at the earliest want 6 weekly who are willing to pay good money,4 weekly is estate work who mostly don’t have a big house and don’t want to pay much more than £25.
Of course you’ll get people say I’ve got customers who pay more than that every month-4 weekly but in the main this is not the case,if you are going out cleaning 30-35 houses a day they are not all going to be 50-60 quid houses.
The way to earn well and to build the business is to extend the frequency charge more money and clean quality properties,get rid of the jobs you know in your heart of hearts you don’t want to clean and replace them with better jobs, take a gamble and put prices up the increases should cover some jobs you lose but you’ll still be earning more for less work.
You want customers who have money not people who are comparing window cleaning prices with neighbours,stand alone properties who have huge disposable income = more per clean and no quibbling over a few quid.
Its easily said if you work in an affluent area out in the sticks.
Im based in the city centre of a northern city, different worlds mate.
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Step 1
Use Indeed - on the job advert insist that they send you a cv and a covering letter telling you why they want the job and a bit about themselves - anyone who only sends a cv doesn't get an interview ( can't follow a basic instruction )
Step2
Interview -see if they turn up on time - how they dress etc... ask questions about there previous work - fitness etc.. see if they have any questions ( if they are what benefits do I get like free use on etc.. don't take them on ) do they appear interested in the job - if they can hold a reasonable conversation its possible they can remember a simple task - I find people that fish take to window cleaning quite well as they seem to know how to handle a long pole )
Step 3
Invite for a weeks trial ( paid ) work with them - see how they fit in with you and you with them - ANY sign of doing a half hearted job - get rid
Step 4
3 Month trial ( to be terminated at any time - keeps a tally of performance - sickness etc...
Step 5
If all goes well - take on full time
Have you thought of a part timer - i've had 3 older guys 58 to 61 - work part time either 2/3 days a week or mornings only - these older guys have great work ethic - customers love 'em - rarely have time off or issues with you telling them what to do.
I made the mistake of employing in laws - never again - hey take the p to much
Darran
Thanks, i will try to put together a process rather than what i have been doing.
Spoke to someone tonight that seems a good fit. Invited him for a trial day end of the week.
I think i recall you doing 30 hour contracts? Thats what i was doing with the agreement that its monday to thursday but if a day cant be completed they have to work the Friday. First time i tried to implement it i got a load of attitude which was when i sacked him.
Thinking now just doing 40 hours and paying them regardless of weather, cant see many people with responsibilities wanting 30 hours but could be wrong.
I have had part timers in the past 2 or 3 days. The last guy was 4 days.
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When you implemented you got attitude back from him,window cleanings full of blokes like that they want to get onboard with you most of the time because they know you think you have an easy life an come home early lol,once they learn it’s different for them they don’t want to know because it’s work and they don’t want work.
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yes its 30 hour contract - senior guys get 35
the main reasons are - winter months have less daylight so 6 hr days mean I don't pay loads of ours for them sitting around second holidays are paid a 6 hrs a day - in general the guys do 35 to 40 hours a week so when they take time off they see a difference in wages.
we don't often roll over anymore and with a change in some staff I decided to do a Saturday rota - so now part of the contract is they do one Saturday in 4 ( usually 08.00 to 12.00 )
Darran
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So ive just put 200 custs up £1, they already had an increase less than 2 years ago so im a bit nervous lol
2 came back saying they were not happy so ive kept their prices as they were.
Both well priced and good payers so i might have to re think my strategy i dotn want to lose good ones and keep the crap
might put them up in order of crapness instead
The rest who have never had an increase or are newer customers i was going to put them up £2 but maybe re think that. i do need to offload 100 really
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You’ve made yourself look silly & weak to the two you’ve backtracked on imo. Why put those two up in the first place if you weren’t prepared to follow through? They’ve called you're bluff.
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So ive just put 200 custs up £1, they already had an increase less than 2 years ago so im a bit nervous lol
2 came back saying they were not happy so ive kept their prices as they were.
Both well priced and good payers so i might have to re think my strategy i dotn want to lose good ones and keep the crap
might put them up in order of crapness instead
The rest who have never had an increase or are newer customers i was going to put them up £2 but maybe re think that. i do need to offload 100 really
Personally I would of just wished the 2 unhappy customers well and removed them from my round....
Ironically enough sometimes they ve backtracked and asked me to carry on at the new price no problem..
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To be fair I've had a few now not too hapy but all of them had an increase 16 months ago. Plus the covid situation so i get it.
Rest of them have never had a rise so will see how i get on with them.
Will start with the worst work first this time ;D
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I have had both my daughters helping me until recently , job sharing, 2 days a week each, both very good workers.
however one is pregnant again, and the other one has mental health problems and is unable to continue.
so I now find myself with a very full schedule.
I havnt got what it takes to expand ,by this I mean I cant handle the stress of expanding.
so I have just put a lot of my prices up by an average of £2
I havnt lost any, and I have started to see the benefits.
it also means that all new work is priced as high as possible, as it doesnt matter whether or not I get the work.