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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Blue Frog Systems on September 05, 2022, 09:30:27 am

Title: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on September 05, 2022, 09:30:27 am
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1662366663_Screenshot_20220905-092250~2.png)First day back after 10 days and get this off a customer.

Not much f*#ks given but I've been fairly polite incase it gets into social media
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Ascjim on September 05, 2022, 09:40:11 am
Mate, you took that personally.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: SB Cleaning on September 05, 2022, 09:53:56 am
I would of just put "no problem' and never go back to clean ;D
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Smudger on September 05, 2022, 10:10:45 am
I think that’s fine

Darran
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NWH on September 05, 2022, 10:13:18 am
⬆️ I would have done the same said fine and not gone again.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NBwcs on September 05, 2022, 10:32:13 am
I would have politely explained that going forward you needed to be able to clean every time if you were to keep them on the books, and given a brief explanation of why and then put the ball in their court and asked if they wanted to continue. I've had issues like this before, done the above and customer has been as good as gold from then on, I've also had them cancel, either way you win, you either get a reformed custy or get rid of a problematic one, but the decision was theirs and doesn't lead to the potential bad social media reviews that might follow if they get the hump with you dumping them.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Smudger on September 05, 2022, 10:46:45 am
While I agree with the above I can’t see any manoeuvre for bad social posts it’s clear the custard has regularly skipped cleans - you can only do so much - message was polite yet firm - and generally we have found taking the service away from them works really well - they quite often then realise their error becoming a good customer

But currently someone who skips cleans effectively getting a bespoke service ata standard price isn’t worth keeping

Darran
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: james peters on September 05, 2022, 11:04:38 am
Nothing wrong with the reply... sometimes its really hard not to get annoyed .    these days I tend to not reply .  They work it out for themselves  after some time has passed  that they have been dumped .   however if they message me after a few months , I will text back saying I have no availability. (short and sweet )

I always try to view it as a positive to weeding out and building for the future


Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: AuRavelling79 on September 05, 2022, 11:43:36 am
I think you have handled it well. However I also think you have made a rod for your own back by letting them cancel three times previously in 12 months.

First time, maybe and reset your stall for them. Second time in such a short span and it's good night Irene.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Jay Le Huray on September 05, 2022, 03:04:39 pm
personally I would not have bothered to reply, I work on a 3 strikes and your out system, if they cancel 3 times in the year I just don't bother going back or text them , I just  dump them,

Occasionally I get the odd text from these people asking me why I have not been around for awhile, at this point I give them both barrels and tell them why. This is the only time I will reply to time wasters because that's what they are.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Simon Trapani on September 05, 2022, 04:22:54 pm
Great reply. I do the same. We should all always reply imo. Then they know we don’t take messers. Otherwise they just don’t understand.
No window cleaner worth his salt would stand for this imo, even in the current climate. I don't mind so much if they go every other time or even yearly as it would be reflected in the price.  Then everyone knows where they stand. But yeh, don’t cancel me on the day, especially if you had a text for the gate or similar the night before.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Spruce on September 05, 2022, 07:20:22 pm
Depending on how I felt about having this customer, I would have tried to offer a longer cleaning cycle at a slightly higher price.

So if you have a 4 weekly cleaning cycle, then I would consider offering an 8 weekly service at a little higher price. That would amount to £x saving over a year. (This customer excuse sounds like a money driven issue.)

I expect competition to get stronger as we get into winter. I would personally try to not let another windie get a foothold in if the customer is worth keeping; ie. good payer.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Walter Mitty on September 09, 2022, 07:17:18 am
I wouldn't have let it go that far, but I might have offered an alternative sooner e.g halve the frequency and charge a bit more - with a 'no cancellation' stipulation.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NWH on September 09, 2022, 09:37:44 am
That’s the thing with window cleaning you can’t say a no cancellation policy that’s why in this job you need to have sensible people as you’re customers.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: AuRavelling79 on September 09, 2022, 02:38:25 pm
That’s the thing with window cleaning you can’t say a no cancellation policy that’s why in this job you need to have sensible people as you’re customers.

Why can't you say a 'no cancellation policy? '
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NWH on September 09, 2022, 03:35:34 pm
With some people you can say what you like about how  frequently you come etc it’s in one ear and out the other,if this was to ever happen to me more than once I just say this is what suits me and this is how I do it you either jump onboard or get off.
You could always break it down and tell them how little it’s costing them on a monthly basis to keep their windows cleaned.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: SB Cleaning on September 09, 2022, 06:46:43 pm
I'm liking far to many posts of yours just lately NWH ;D
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Bungle on September 09, 2022, 09:00:57 pm
I'm liking far to many posts of yours just lately NWH ;D

Who's NWH?
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NWH on September 09, 2022, 09:04:20 pm
Well it’s a joke isn’t it I want you to leave me this time blah blah nonsense, I’m not being funny but they soon realise with me I don’t do not todays that went out my door 20 years ago.
Look I need to join everyone in together or it’s not worth it to me,and that’s to me it’s my business.
As someone has said above the only thing I’d offer is an every other time service but this is X more per clean that usually sorts all the messing about out,people will either have you once sack you off or get you to clean them a few times then bring the sack out,once you get over the first 4-5 months imo they then become a customer.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: NWH on September 09, 2022, 09:10:07 pm
If you clean say 4-5 houses in a Hamlet for example you might have 1of them that might not want you every time I do many of these places,that 1 becomes to embarrassed to say not today and then get missed out on future cleans 🤣🤣🤣
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: DJW on September 09, 2022, 09:30:55 pm
Hamlet? Bloody peasants.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: AuRavelling79 on September 09, 2022, 11:17:34 pm
Hamlet? Bloody peasants.

Cigar smoking peasants, Yorick.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Walter Mitty on September 10, 2022, 06:47:04 pm
That’s the thing with window cleaning you can’t say a no cancellation policy that’s why in this job you need to have sensible people as you’re customers.

By 'no cancellation' following a reduction in frequency, clearly, I can't force someone to have their windows cleaned, but I can choose to not be the one to clean them.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Slacky on September 10, 2022, 09:07:07 pm
I walked away from a half decent job a few weeks back after they told me not to clean the windows because they had plants growing in front of one of the downstairs windows. Not the first cancellation with them but it was a ring on the buzzer to be let in job, so I figured next time I come and any subsequent visits I won't know if there's going to be another excuse or another after that.

They'll get someone else and it may be he is cheaper than me but they'll muck him about too im sure.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Splash & dash on September 11, 2022, 10:13:21 am
I walked away from a half decent job a few weeks back after they told me not to clean the windows because they had plants growing in front of one of the downstairs windows. Not the first cancellation with them but it was a ring on the buzzer to be let in job, so I figured next time I come and any subsequent visits I won't know if there's going to be another excuse or another after that.

They'll get someone else and it may be he is cheaper than me but they'll muck him about too im sure.



Funny you say this I had a customer with bushes growing over the window it was that bad you couldn’t get to the window to clean  it so didn’t do it , they deducted money from the price and said I should have made more of an effort to clean it , told them ime a window cleaner  not a Gardner . Won’t be going back .
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: robbo333 on September 12, 2022, 08:20:28 pm
I think your reply was ok.
I wouldn't have let it get to 4 cancellations, 2 or 3 max and they're out!
It's done you a favour, you don't want customers like that, they are just a pain in the bottom and always will be, so just get rid of them. You can't build a good quality round with customers like that.
I love texting, because it weeds out all the rubbish customers, they do it for you, themselves! They may as well just send you a text saying 'I'm going to be a crap customer, do you want to keep me?'
Focus on getting reliable customers, not trying to make something good out of the bad ones.
Title: Re: First day back after 10 days and get this
Post by: Bungle on September 12, 2022, 09:00:05 pm
I think your reply was ok.
I wouldn't have let it get to 4 cancellations, 2 or 3 max and they're out!
It's done you a favour, you don't want customers like that, they are just a pain in the bottom and always will be, so just get rid of them. You can't build a good quality round with customers like that.
I love texting, because it weeds out all the rubbish customers, they do it for you, themselves! They may as well just send you a text saying 'I'm going to be a crap customer, do you want to keep me?'
Focus on getting reliable customers, not trying to make something good out of the bad ones.

The last sentence is spot on. It should be made a sticky!