Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: EnglishDave on May 18, 2021, 03:10:19 pm

Title: Dropping customers
Post by: EnglishDave on May 18, 2021, 03:10:19 pm
Hi, all

I tend to just sit on the sidelines and read from time to time, so my first post for many moons in this incarnation ;)

I have just had a cull and let loose about a dozen customer's for varying reasons ranging from bad parking, access, payments and to just plain old 'just don't like doing them any more' (more and more these days the latter).

My question is despite wanting to get rid do you find you get 'cull'regrets ? because at the end of the day its all about money and shouldn't be about 'feelings' or do you form odd attachments to customers or simply see them as cows needing to be milked periodically?

Been in  this game long enough to know more will come to replace but over the years I still from time to time look at ex customer houses and think I used to do that.  I do wonder how many customers have now become ex over the years?

ED
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: NWH on May 18, 2021, 05:11:33 pm
If still had what I’d lost and dumped it would be more than I have now.
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: robbo333 on May 18, 2021, 05:53:38 pm
Hi, all

I tend to just sit on the sidelines and read from time to time, so my first post for many moons in this incarnation ;)

I have just had a cull and let loose about a dozen customer's for varying reasons ranging from bad parking, access, payments and to just plain old 'just don't like doing them any more' (more and more these days the latter).

My question is despite wanting to get rid do you find you get 'cull'regrets ? because at the end of the day its all about money and shouldn't be about 'feelings' or do you form odd attachments to customers or simply see them as cows needing to be milked periodically?

Been in  this game long enough to know more will come to replace but over the years I still from time to time look at ex customer houses and think I used to do that.  I do wonder how many customers have now become ex over the years?

ED

There's an oxymoron if ever I heard one!
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: dazmond on May 18, 2021, 06:15:47 pm
i dropped 2 jobs  last week....one i have to make it the first job of the day as gate always locked and texting the night before has no effect(she normally has her phone switched off)they are old and the windows are always like a first clean,awkward too.....the only reason ive kept it on is i clean their daughters house as well but shes become very unreliable for payment so i dumped her too......

it feels liberating dropping jobs you dont like doing and leaves time/space for better jobs which always materialise within a few weeks.......

like nigel says....i have more jobs on my "suspended" list than active jobs i actually clean.....
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: jonny thompson on May 18, 2021, 07:14:07 pm
Drop the rubbish every 12 months
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: markymark on May 18, 2021, 08:35:26 pm
I can't say I ever have "cull regrets". Perhaps it's more a wistful looking back at where you were when you took the customer on, a kind of nostalgia almost. But once the customer has triggered the trapdoor for whatever reason, there's no regrets, just a block and delete on the phone and a knowledge I've ditched them for a very definite reason and I'll never take them back on.
This month that includes the lazy so-and-so who was happy to watch me get over the locked gate with two ladders whilst she watched morning tv and was a repeat late payer; the older bloke who insisted on his being in for each clean and wasn't happy that my price for cleaning his glass conservatory roof wasn't a fiver, and then insisted on inspecting my work whilst I waited for payment; the buffoon who still has his Xmas tree behind his locked gate and asked me not to clean the windows as rain was forecast and that would probably clean the glass just as well as I would.
Good riddance one and all, no regrets, no tears goodbye  ;D
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: dazmond on May 19, 2021, 07:13:27 pm
I can't say I ever have "cull regrets". Perhaps it's more a wistful looking back at where you were when you took the customer on, a kind of nostalgia almost. But once the customer has triggered the trapdoor for whatever reason, there's no regrets, just a block and delete on the phone and a knowledge I've ditched them for a very definite reason and I'll never take them back on.
This month that includes the lazy so-and-so who was happy to watch me get over the locked gate with two ladders whilst she watched morning tv and was a repeat late payer; the older bloke who insisted on his being in for each clean and wasn't happy that my price for cleaning his glass conservatory roof wasn't a fiver, and then insisted on inspecting my work whilst I waited for payment; the buffoon who still has his Xmas tree behind his locked gate and asked me not to clean the windows as rain was forecast and that would probably clean the glass just as well as I would.
Good riddance one and all, no regrets, no tears goodbye  ;D

we all look back with rose tinted glasses......its one of the things about nostalgia(even if things werent great in my life at the time!).........
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: markymark on May 19, 2021, 08:35:41 pm
That's the problem, nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: swanson on May 20, 2021, 08:44:48 pm
Ive dumped loads this week
Ive been meaning to do it for ages
FEELS GOOD
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: wayne 77 on May 20, 2021, 09:16:40 pm
Best way to avoid Dropping customers is don't lift them up   ;D
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: dd on May 20, 2021, 11:04:03 pm
Ive dumped loads this week
Ive been meaning to do it for ages
FEELS GOOD
Perhaps you just need a good quality laxative.
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: Ralphie on May 21, 2021, 07:39:20 am
As a newbie I'm only concerned with taking on at the moment.

out of interest how do you drop your customers?

Do you tell them face to face, text or just don't bother turning up?
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: Jamo on May 21, 2021, 08:06:46 am
I’ve been meaning to switch to GoCardless for ages, and decided now is the time. So it’s sign up or bye bye. As it happens the out come has been okay
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: swanson on May 21, 2021, 08:33:03 am
Cash is king
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: NWH on May 21, 2021, 08:57:59 am
If you feel you need to drop a customer I don’t think they’ll notice tbh especially if it’s for late payments etc,they’ll know why.
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: Stoots on May 21, 2021, 03:43:14 pm
591 current customers.

2264  customers  total ive had over the years, so over 1500 gone for whatever reason...

Think ive been through quite a few messers  ;D
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: tlwcs on May 22, 2021, 08:05:36 am
591 current customers.

2264  customers  total ive had over the years, so over 1500 gone for whatever reason...

Think ive been through quite a few messers  ;D

Very similar to me, canvass, clean, cull. The basics are easily forgotten
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: dazmond on May 22, 2021, 02:25:53 pm
591 current customers.

2264  customers  total ive had over the years, so over 1500 gone for whatever reason...

Think ive been through quite a few messers  ;D

ruddy hell adam...how do you manage to clean 591 customers on your own?are most of them 8 weekly jobs?
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: dazmond on May 22, 2021, 02:27:59 pm
ive currently got 345 jobs,quite a few are 6 and 8 weekly,most are 4 weekly.....its more than enough for me working short days on my own....
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: Owenhargreavesmidf on May 22, 2021, 02:43:58 pm
Dropped 2 today due to taking time to pay
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: deeege on May 22, 2021, 02:45:20 pm
Currently have 122 customers, but a lot of those are good sized commercial making my average clean price very high, just the way I like it.
Title: Re: Dropping customers
Post by: Owenhargreavesmidf on May 26, 2021, 09:11:49 pm
Currently have 122 customers, but a lot of those are good sized commercial making my average clean price very high, just the way I like it.

Nice