Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jo5hm4n on January 21, 2023, 02:53:15 pm
-
Okay so contrary to a post i made last year where you guys said really my staff needed to be doing way more than £250 a day to be in profit, my newest member of staff whos now been with us 9 months and 6 months in his own van is absolutely smashing it.
This week he did £400+ on 2 days back to back and was still back at the office at 3pm.
Bear in mind this is up north, so honestly im not even sure how this is possible..... My initial reaction was to think that hes cutting corners and doing a bad job, but honestly he puts 110% into everything he does so i dont think its this at all and hes genuinely the best member of staff ive ever had.
I think hes just really fast and really good.
I thought well if hes doing a bad job, i'll soon find out as we will be getting complaints right?
I was right. Complaint came in yesterday. Customer who is a £20 job was kicking off saying he did the job in 8 minutes.
I apologised but asked if she could check the windows and just answer me honestly if they were clean or not including the frames. She messaged me back today saying the windows and sills look clean, she just wasnt happy how fast he cleaned them and then in a rage she cancelled the GoCardless direct debit lol.
How would you even handle this? Shes basically admitting that even though he spent 8 minutes on a £20 job the windows are clean and shes only kicking off because it was too fast.
This is a problem i am not used to having ;D ;D ;D
Not sure whether to have a word with my cleaner to tell him to slow down, or to give him a bonus for hitting insane daily targets that i didnt think was possible and it appears the quality of his work is still spot on.
Any ideas? 8) 8)
-
I always say ‘you’re not paying for my time, you’re paying for clean windows’
-
Tell the customer he will take an hour next time if she’s happy to pay the hourly rate.
-
You’d be fast if you’d cleaned as many windows as I have.
-
Sometimes staff can clean quicker than you and do a good job because they are not as anal.
I would like to think I'm quick, but I also make sure to do good job but I once had a lad working with me that I couldn't keep up with. He was on his way back to the front when I was still cleaning it. Like you I assumed the complaints would surely come but they never did.
When I watched his technique he didn't rinse as much as I did and that's where the extra speed was. I've always been an advocate of high flow and a good rinse but he was "getting away" with a quicker rinse than I thought was adequate.
Just goes to show you can be really quick in this game and for the sale of 1 complaint I certainly wouldn't be telling him to slow down unless complaints start to come in.
Having said that this is the type of weather where you can get away with a poorer job. When it's overcast,dark and rainy you can go quicker.
See what it's like in summer when it's hot maybe you'll start to get spotting problems then. I doubt he has the experience to know when he can go quicker and when he needs to slow down a bit or spot problem windows.
-
Cleaned my own windows when I got home yesterday. The sun was low and full on on the back. To be honest they weren't great when they dried. A bit of a run on the patio door and insect poop left on the glass. If I was paying for the service I'd sack myself 😂
-
Okay so contrary to a post i made last year where you guys said really my staff needed to be doing way more than £250 a day to be in profit, my newest member of staff whos now been with us 9 months and 6 months in his own van is absolutely smashing it.
This week he did £400+ on 2 days back to back and was still back at the office at 3pm.
Bear in mind this is up north, so honestly im not even sure how this is possible..... My initial reaction was to think that hes cutting corners and doing a bad job, but honestly he puts 110% into everything he does so i dont think its this at all and hes genuinely the best member of staff ive ever had.
I think hes just really fast and really good.
I thought well if hes doing a bad job, i'll soon find out as we will be getting complaints right?
I was right. Complaint came in yesterday. Customer who is a £20 job was kicking off saying he did the job in 8 minutes.
I apologised but asked if she could check the windows and just answer me honestly if they were clean or not including the frames. She messaged me back today saying the windows and sills look clean, she just wasnt happy how fast he cleaned them and then in a rage she cancelled the GoCardless direct debit lol.
How would you even handle this? Shes basically admitting that even though he spent 8 minutes on a £20 job the windows are clean and shes only kicking off because it was too fast.
This is a problem i am not used to having ;D ;D ;D
Not sure whether to have a word with my cleaner to tell him to slow down, or to give him a bonus for hitting insane daily targets that i didnt think was possible and it appears the quality of his work is still spot on.
Any ideas? 8) 8)
As zesty said they aren’t just paying for time it’s ware and tare of equipment , investing in the best kit to do a quick and quality job all has to be paid for it’s not just 10-15 muinits you see , etc I had this situation years ago I said are you happy with the job the guy said yes ,I said you are happy with the job and agreed to the price so wether it takes 5 muinits or 5 hours what’s the problem. He said I don’t pay my staff xx per hour and ime not paying you that and slammed the door in my face never did get paid 😂😂😂 I would just dump him this situation is very unusual, I would give your staff member a pat on the back and give him a bonus as an incentive to keep doing what he’s doing .
-
I believe it takes us as long or even longer to clean the gap out between the frame and the sill than it does to wash and rinse the whole window.
I know many window cleaners don't bother to clean the gap out, so not doing so will reduce cleaning time per house. I once helped a fellow window cleaner when his van was off the road and he was shocked when I started on the gap. He just told me to wipe the sill with a towel and remove any visible bits from the sill you could see.
-
I believe it takes us as long or even longer to clean the gap out between the frame and the sill than it does to wash and rinse the whole window.
I know many window cleaners don't bother to clean the gap out, so not doing so will reduce cleaning time per house. I once helped a fellow window cleaner when his van was off the road and he was shocked when I started on the gap. He just told me to wipe the sill with a towel and remove any visible bits from the sill you could see.
Once you start rinsing those gaps, you can say goodbye to time as we know it. The never ending dirt isn’t worth it!
-
I believe it takes us as long or even longer to clean the gap out between the frame and the sill than it does to wash and rinse the whole window.
I know many window cleaners don't bother to clean the gap out, so not doing so will reduce cleaning time per house. I once helped a fellow window cleaner when his van was off the road and he was shocked when I started on the gap. He just told me to wipe the sill with a towel and remove any visible bits from the sill you could see.
Once you start rinsing those gaps, you can say goodbye to time as we know it. The never ending dirt isn’t worth it!
This is why we charge double for the first clean we remove all this dirt then the next clean takes a lot less time
-
It happens in lots of businesses, very few members of the public work out the hourly rate they're paying, but sometimes it's obvious, and people always equate it back to what their earning. Take your watch into a jewelers and ask them to fit a battery, you get asked "have you any more shopping to do? Pop bank in half hour" that's because it literally takes them 2 minutes and they sometimes get grief for it. Mechanics and plumbers are always stringing out jobs because sometimes it's a quick fix but they charge an hourly rate. And truth be told, I bet most of us at some time or other have thought the same about other trades too its quite a natural train of thought.
I remember changing over from trad to wfp and getting the odd cynical comment "that's quicker" as they hand over the money. Thankfully, it's more of a fleeting awkward moment than a problem, can't imagine your going to lose much work through it and the positive side of working fast will heavily outweigh the negatives as long as the end quality result isn't suffering.
-
Apart from making your employee aware of the complaint and the reasons for and against it , I wouldn't worry any further. One complaint out of hundreds of properties cleaned isn't much cause for concern and you can't please everyone always.
He could be slow as hell and still missing windows, so politely keep good communications with your worker over quality of work and how it reflects your business and reputation , might even be time to reward hard work with small wage increase to keep him and keep him earning for you. He'll leave one day and you'll need to fill his boots which isn't always easy.
-
Okay so contrary to a post i made last year where you guys said really my staff needed to be doing way more than £250 a day to be in profit, my newest member of staff whos now been with us 9 months and 6 months in his own van is absolutely smashing it.
This week he did £400+ on 2 days back to back and was still back at the office at 3pm.
Bear in mind this is up north, so honestly im not even sure how this is possible..... My initial reaction was to think that hes cutting corners and doing a bad job, but honestly he puts 110% into everything he does so i dont think its this at all and hes genuinely the best member of staff ive ever had.
I think hes just really fast and really good.
I thought well if hes doing a bad job, i'll soon find out as we will be getting complaints right?
I was right. Complaint came in yesterday. Customer who is a £20 job was kicking off saying he did the job in 8 minutes.
I apologised but asked if she could check the windows and just answer me honestly if they were clean or not including the frames. She messaged me back today saying the windows and sills look clean, she just wasnt happy how fast he cleaned them and then in a rage she cancelled the GoCardless direct debit lol.
How would you even handle this? Shes basically admitting that even though he spent 8 minutes on a £20 job the windows are clean and shes only kicking off because it was too fast.
This is a problem i am not used to having ;D ;D ;D
Not sure whether to have a word with my cleaner to tell him to slow down, or to give him a bonus for hitting insane daily targets that i didnt think was possible and it appears the quality of his work is still spot on.
Any ideas? 8) 8)
Depending on your local competition and who she finds to replace you, she may come crawling back by Easter when her windows aren't looking how they used to. Don't let her sour relationships with an otherwise good employee,as people are fickle and she may just not have liked the way he looked or the fact he didn't find the time to stop chat and answer her bone questions on each visit. Down my way their all working 60 plus hours a week to pay the mortgage so don't have time to rock the boat with the window cleaner or complain. Sounds like the bint has too much time on her hands ;D
-
Joshman - Having had this several times over the years and even been accused of this myself -I wouldn't give it a second thought and its not a legit complaint there are customers that only see the actual time on the glass - not the travel to/from and running costs etc..
If the windows were clean and acceptable then there is nothing more to be done - as mentioned in the course of the conversation we ask are the windows OK and if so politely say thats what you pay for not the time taken.
Its good to see you have got a dedicated employee who's putting in a good shift - these people are about
Notes:
You may find you will lose that customer - not because you do a bad job but because they cant reconcile the price with time and will always "feel" your not doing it correctly
Sometime for properties like that we used to get the guys to "play" to the customer - you know maybe on the kitchen window - stop for a few seconds - double check it - walk back inspect a spit like it might need some extra cleaning...
it keeps that type happy
Now, a clean is a clean - if they cant fault the quality - they have to lump the time it takes
Darran
-
It's because they compute it in their daft heads.
£20 in 8 minutes to £150 per hour x 40 hours a week is 6k.
So they think we are making 300k plus a year when the reality is more like 50k BEFORE TAX ;D
If only we were robots who could work 40 hours every week of the year with no emotion, fatigue, illness holidays or life , no travel time between jobs and no expenses...most of us would be millionaires ;D
-
It's because they compute it in their daft heads.
£20 in 8 minutes to £150 per hour x 40 hours a week is 6k.
So they think we are making 300k plus a year when the reality is more like 50k BEFORE TAX ;D
If only we were robots who could work 40 hours every week of the year with no emotion, fatigue, illness holidays or life , no travel time between jobs and no expenses...most of us would be millionaires ;D
I aspire to your last paragraph 8)
-
It's because they compute it in their daft heads.
£20 in 8 minutes to £150 per hour x 40 hours a week is 6k.
So they think we are making 300k plus a year when the reality is more like 50k BEFORE TAX ;D
If only we were robots who could work 40 hours every week of the year with no emotion, fatigue, illness holidays or life , no travel time between jobs and no expenses...most of us would be millionaires ;D
I aspire to your last paragraph 8)
I wish I could.
Sadly my body or mind isn't up to it. Usually fed up and knackered by Wednesday.
-
Jo5,
Have you considered it might be you that's being slow and your guy is just normal. ;D
-
Thanks for replies guys. Pretty much inline with what i thought.
Issue is with the customer itself not the quality of the job. Which i am glad to hear about as i really dont want to tell my worker to slow down as for the first time for us we have a worker doing really high amounts per day, i guess i may just have to get tons more work in for him as hes literally running out of work by 2pm most days and finishing early by end of the week.
Hes only a part timer but hes doing almost the same amount of work in 3 days as my main worker does in 5 days.
I may need to rethink everything at this point LOL ;D
-
I wonder what amount of time she would have considered reasonable?
She has obviously cancelled your services and sounds like a bit of a nightmare to be honest.
Just send a nice reply and crack on.
PS I would just double check your guys work on a few houses, just for peace of mind and if it's all good, maybe a small bonus.
-
ive noticed on New Builds the Air Vents are now so delicate to clean . Making you more slower just in case Any pressure can dislodge them as they are placed in via weak plastic clips. You cant just brush over them incase they move and interfere with the inner brackets holding them in. Customers wont be happy to see a vent hanging out .
Easy to clip back in but bedroom height will need your ladders out
-
Customers accidentally come on this site and discover windowcleaners are on £100,000 a year part time. It pees them off a bit.
-
are you talking about thrones that then complain they need to spend 30p on a washer ?
Darran
-
Send your other guy to do hers if she has not cancelled .
Otherwise just move on can’t please some people.
She may have hormonal issues.
-
Customers accidentally come on this site and discover windowcleaners are on £100,000 a year part time. It pees them off a bit.
is that nigel before he employed ,sorry paid cash in hand ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Employees I’ve S**t em they are useless they think scrubbing a window is the same as tickling it,I’m seriously thinking of getting a load of cheap work and just sending a couple out doing a substandard job at a cheaper price therefore 80-90% less complaints.
-
Update:
Customer salvaged for now at least. Basically told her my cleaner would spend a little longer on the windows just for the sake of it. ;D
My worker came back into the office today though and he did just over £500 of work!!! Like how????
Now i am starting to worry ;D ;D
Once again, based up north so we dont have Lee Pryor prices just yet, and my worker banged out £500 of work on the glass between 8:45am-4pm.
Still only getting the same amount of valid complaints coming in as my other worker aswell.
Im baffled. Now im genuinely waiting to see if the complaints start rolling in over the next few weeks/months when that sun starts shining on the glass more.
Maybe Stoots was right. We don't realise how fast workers can actually go without effecting quality if they just crack on at full speed and energy no messing about, and cutting corners where possible without sacrificing on quality etc.
-
I have had this and it’s just a case of him dodging bullets m8 my chap went out on his own for 3-4 months,I got complaints and have since been round on my own only to find lanterns on top of roof starting to go green which never happens usually.
Lots of other houses windows just not being done thoroughly enough to my standards for what people are paying,the last 3-4 months the days have been at their shortest and I think the lack of daylight has been on my side tbh.
“No one takes anywhere near as much care as you do couldn’t be truer”.
There’s a new guy putting videos on YouTube lovely bloke up North I think he’s just employed I can’t remember the name,he’s just employed a bloke my goodness I think he represents most on offer lol absolutely dreadful he’s a typical example of how to completely F**k your business in a few months no matter how long you’ve been going.
-
Williams windows he’s called.
-
Williams windows he’s called.
Just looked them up on YouTube. Dear me. The both of them. Apprentice was actually missing windows 😂and the boss didn't seem to have a method of working either.
-
Williams windows he’s called.
Just looked them up on YouTube. Dear me. The both of them. Apprentice was actually missing windows 😂and the boss didn't seem to have a method of working either.
Shocking ain't it....feck knows what pole his mate was using ;D
There's another video of him clearing gutters in minus temps chipping the crap out with a screwdriver, ladder leaning against the gutter :D
-
I have had this and it’s just a case of him dodging bullets m8 my chap went out on his own for 3-4 months,I got complaints and have since been round on my own only to find lanterns on top of roof starting to go green which never happens usually.
Lots of other houses windows just not being done thoroughly enough to my standards for what people are paying,the last 3-4 months the days have been at their shortest and I think the lack of daylight has been on my side tbh.
“No one takes anywhere near as much care as you do couldn’t be truer”.
There’s a new guy putting videos on YouTube lovely bloke up North I think he’s just employed I can’t remember the name,he’s just employed a bloke my goodness I think he represents most on offer lol absolutely dreadful he’s a typical example of how to completely F**k your business in a few months no matter how long you’ve been going.
To be fair he had no chance with that banana pole, that was a pure glass fibre job. ;D
-
Update:
Customer salvaged for now at least. Basically told her my cleaner would spend a little longer on the windows just for the sake of it. ;D
My worker came back into the office today though and he did just over £500 of work!!! Like how????
Now i am starting to worry ;D ;D
Once again, based up north so we dont have Lee Pryor prices just yet, and my worker banged out £500 of work on the glass between 8:45am-4pm.
Still only getting the same amount of valid complaints coming in as my other worker aswell.
Im baffled. Now im genuinely waiting to see if the complaints start rolling in over the next few weeks/months when that sun starts shining on the glass more.
Maybe Stoots was right. We don't realise how fast workers can actually go without effecting quality if they just crack on at full speed and energy no messing about, and cutting corners where possible without sacrificing on quality etc.
Why are you getting ANY complaints though? Have you thought about following the £500 kid and see if he skimps? I'd be tempted to. It doesn't stack up IMO.
-
Something must be amiss and in my honest opinion it’s just dodging bullets some customers don’t realise what’s going on for months sending someone else round,like I said this time of year fewer hours of daylight gets you getting away with murder and it would be a bonus for a skipper.
Like bungle said and likewise I never get complaints on quality that’s what separates you once you lose that you’ve had it.
Employing is more of a gamble these days than it’s ever been people just don’t want to put the effort in to do an even decent job,that bloke in video has just had a pole stuck in his hand and off you go no method or technique at all showing him what to do or how to go about it.
-
This time of year on CIU peeps used to say complaints were more common because the sun is low in the sky. It’s one or the other.
-
Williams windows he’s called.
Just looked them up on YouTube. Dear me. The both of them. Apprentice was actually missing windows 😂and the boss didn't seem to have a method of working either.
Omg. Just seen that video. They are shockingly bad. The apprentice is awful. Those windows must look awful.
-
Low sun yes that’s a killer if you know what you’re doing or it can be,to a fool that doesn’t care about your business it can finish you.
Shorter days can help the bad poler,so many of my customers are out all day they arrive back in the dark and a lot of windows the next morning are covered in condensation hiding awful work.
I wouldn’t take anything from not getting complaints some people might let bad work go if they are paying cheap prices,people paying good money won’t be bent over.
-
Why would anyone want to make a video about something as dull as window cleaning?
Why would anyone with half a brain even watch it?
-
Why would anyone want to make a video about something as dull as window cleaning?
Why would anyone with half a brain even watch it?
You could say the same about that Partridge fella who videos his jet washing. He gets that many views he’s probably earning considerably more from his YouTube views than he is from his actual jetwashing, strange times eh.
-
Update:
Customer salvaged for now at least. Basically told her my cleaner would spend a little longer on the windows just for the sake of it. ;D
My worker came back into the office today though and he did just over £500 of work!!! Like how????
Now i am starting to worry ;D ;D
Once again, based up north so we dont have Lee Pryor prices just yet, and my worker banged out £500 of work on the glass between 8:45am-4pm.
Still only getting the same amount of valid complaints coming in as my other worker aswell.
Im baffled. Now im genuinely waiting to see if the complaints start rolling in over the next few weeks/months when that sun starts shining on the glass more.
Maybe Stoots was right. We don't realise how fast workers can actually go without effecting quality if they just crack on at full speed and energy no messing about, and cutting corners where possible without sacrificing on quality etc.
Although I will never be the fastest thing on two legs, I am surprised at times by how fast I can go. The water must be on a fast flow rate though. These days I take it easier as I don't see the point messing up what's left of my body (getting a bit oldish).
-
If he’s doing £500 a day, surely you’ll run out of work?
-
I can go really fast as well …for a day or so until it catches up with you . Got to say I would be very suspicious regarding the quality . If the guys pulling in £500 in 5 or 6 hours how long is he spending on each house ? If you know by experience how long it takes to do a good job why should you believe a new employee can show you how the jobs done . I would say trust your instincts
I had a similar experience with a guy that was with me for a couple of years . I didn’t get an avalanche of complaints but a slow stream of cancellations. When he left some customers let me know they were not happy. The windows I cleaned after him were also filthy. Suppose it comes down to wether you value making money and having a higher turnover of customers or doing a quality job
-
Got to say I would be very suspicious regarding the quality . If the guys pulling in £500 in 5 or 6 hours how long is he spending on each house ?
About 8mins according to one of his previous posts...
He will get away with the splashing and dashing this time of the year as there's only dust on the windows, wait till the summer comes with all the insect marks,pollen etc on the windows, i suspect he'll get a few complaints then.
-
The above comments from Richard are a carbon copy of my situation also I was getting a steady flow of push backs not cancelling only the odd 1 over 6 months,I have since been round and seen sills roofs etc not cleaned to anywhere near the standard I look for.
When I’ve visited jobs on my own they’ve also said they weren’t overly happy,I feel this is very common with people who employ from what I’ve heard from other cleaners and people I’ve had over the years nothings changed,you have to keep a constant look over their shoulder and they have to know it as well.
It amazes me what a Bollo**ing can do all of a sudden their work improves by say 30-40% when you work beside em.
-
I through with employing now but I always used to say I’m not bothered about how fast you are just do it properly .
Just seen that video …Williams windows !! Bloody hell
-
Lol on the whole though Richard that’s what you’re getting these days with employees mine is nowhere near like that he can do the job but his laziness gets the better of him,that jokey attitude of that guy he has with him would drive me mad treating it like a joke as a lot of people do the anyone can clean windows crowd.
-
The above comments from Richard are a carbon copy of my situation also I was getting a steady flow of push backs not cancelling only the odd 1 over 6 months,I have since been round and seen sills roofs etc not cleaned to anywhere near the standard I look for.
When I’ve visited jobs on my own they’ve also said they weren’t overly happy,I feel this is very common with people who employ from what I’ve heard from other cleaners and people I’ve had over the years nothings changed,you have to keep a constant look over their shoulder and they have to know it as well.
It amazes me what a Bollo**ing can do all of a sudden their work improves by say 30-40% when you work beside em.
So do you have two vans then ? Thought you had the employee working with you ?.
-
He’s been out in the van on his own for so many days a week over a 4-5 month period.
-
::)roll
I wonder which way the wind is blowing....
-
Why would anyone want to make a video about something as dull as window cleaning?
Why would anyone with half a brain even watch it?
Why would anyone visit and post on a window cleaning forum? Beats me :P
-
If he’s doing £500 a day, surely you’ll run out of work?
Yep. If this continues and the complaints dont increase i will literally have to go and get him a ton more work. Thats not an issue though. My main concern is maximising his work amounts without effecting quality of work/complaints to the point its problematic.
-
Got to say I would be very suspicious regarding the quality . If the guys pulling in £500 in 5 or 6 hours how long is he spending on each house ?
About 8mins according to one of his previous posts...
He will get away with the splashing and dashing this time of the year as there's only dust on the windows, wait till the summer comes with all the insect marks,pollen etc on the windows, i suspect he'll get a few complaints then.
Yes its around 8-25 mins per job depending on prices obviously etc.
I've already told my worker in the past that naturally you can get away with more in the winter anyway. Less sun shining on the glass, less daylight hours. Customers usually coming home from work at night so they dont notice the windows at all etc.
Even in generalised terms the data from my own work for years on end and all my other employees shows that we always get the most amount of complaints between April-October. I have an acceptable level of complaints per month that im happy to justify, as long as it does not go above that amount or become a serious problem then i'm sure it will be fine.
Time will tell, as soon as the sun starts shining in summer if complaints go through the roof then i'll deal with the issue promptly.
Still no complaints from this weeks work though..... ;D ;D
-
Got to say I would be very suspicious regarding the quality . If the guys pulling in £500 in 5 or 6 hours how long is he spending on each house ?
About 8mins according to one of his previous posts...
He will get away with the splashing and dashing this time of the year as there's only dust on the windows, wait till the summer comes with all the insect marks,pollen etc on the windows, i suspect he'll get a few complaints then.
Still no complaints from this weeks work though..... ;D ;D
It will take a while but they will come, you shouldn't be getting complaints at all.
-
Got to say I would be very suspicious regarding the quality . If the guys pulling in £500 in 5 or 6 hours how long is he spending on each house ?
About 8mins according to one of his previous posts...
He will get away with the splashing and dashing this time of the year as there's only dust on the windows, wait till the summer comes with all the insect marks,pollen etc on the windows, i suspect he'll get a few complaints then.
Yes its around 8-25 mins per job depending on prices obviously etc.
I've already told my worker in the past that naturally you can get away with more in the winter anyway. Less sun shining on the glass, less daylight hours. Customers usually coming home from work at night so they dont notice the windows at all etc.
Even in generalised terms the data from my own work for years on end and all my other employees shows that we always get the most amount of complaints between April-October. I have an acceptable level of complaints per month that im happy to justify, as long as it does not go above that amount or become a serious problem then i'm sure it will be fine.
Time will tell, as soon as the sun starts shining in summer if complaints go through the roof then i'll deal with the issue promptly.
Still no complaints from this weeks work though..... ;D ;D
An acceptable amount of complaints ???? We don’t get a single complaint for years with 6 guys if you are getting monthly complaints something is drastically wrong
-
A constant flow of complaints is dreadful and saying that a low number is acceptable isn’t my attitude,I’ve got a bloke if you want another lol.
-
As an owner operator I probably get no more than one complaint (about quality or forgetting a window) every two or three years.
In fact, thinking about it I can't remember more than a handful in the 15/20 years I have been wfp.
-
⬆️ same as that.
-
Let me explain in more detail.
From a round of 300 customers per van per month we find that during the height of summer we get about 2 complaints per month. Sometimes these complaints are not always valid either. Probably closer to 1 valid complaint per month.
This is less than 1% of customers done that complain. 99% of customers do not complain.
For me personally this is what i class as an acceptable level of complaints. To send staff out day in day out bringing back a good turnover i can live with this amount of complaints.
For those of you on here who are employing and getting 0 complaints congratulations. That is seriously admirable.
In my experience and from those i have spoken to who also employ most employers expect to get some level of complaints.
Most of the time its more to do with the customer than it is to do with the window cleaner or the job done in question.
Some customers standards are just too high and unrealistic.
I prefer to tailor our service to the 90%+ of customers who are happy with a good job, then tailor to the 1-10% of customers who expect a perfect 100% highest standard possible job.
You wont find a single negative review on our website or social media.
When a customer does complain we offer a Free inspection & reclean, or if we are finished in their area for the month, we offer them a free clean next time. Nearly all of our customers are happy with this and most issues are resolved, unless the customer has a standard or expectation that we realistically cant meet or they have problematic windows/seals not well suited to wfp. In which case they get dropped anyway.
-
Just to be clear when i was working the rounds myself before i employed i did not get complaints at all.
I don't expect any employee ever to put in the same effort and attention to detail that i did i they are only earning £12-£15 per hour.
So i just accept in most cases employees are not going to be as good, attentive, or thorough as i was and i am totally ok with that.
-
I’m not ok with that I can’t afford to keep losing jobs with what they are individually worth they expect a top job,employing multiple people is easier if you’re work is of a lower prices losing the odd 10–20 quid job doesn’t sting you or grate on you like some would do.
-
Your right on the money Jo5hman.
You will find most complaints are not really complaints - the most reparative was "the windows are dirty" only to find it was the insides.
In my experience you get far less complaints/ no complaints when you are "the boss" for want of a better word - I would get maybe 1 possibly 2 in a year (of the above variety) customers always approached it like this - oh, I think you may have missed my kitchen window, or could you give it a bit of an extra clean - so they don't really come across as a complaint..
Now when I put staff on - it went upt o 4 or five a month - these mainly consisted of - your worker is not doing to your standard - or I only want the boss to clean my house - it took a long while and transitional period with established customers for this to pass - and pass it did (the guys were doing a top job) as I took on more and more customers they were already from day 1 being cleaned by staff - of the last 400 customers they only know me as the guy giving them a price! - complaints are maybe running at 1 every other month and thats usually a missed window - not a bad clean
In short customers will more likely to have a pop when its staff rather than "the guy running his little business"
as for speed - ive had guys take nearly an hour to do a standard £14 semi and still do a bad job - speed is not the issue its the quality that counts and we all work/capable of different levels of both.
Nigel - just remind me - you used to post that when running late you wouldn't clean the frames and of frosted windows barely touch them... is that what you mean by quality ?
Darran
-
Let me explain in more detail.
From a round of 300 customers per van per month we find that during the height of summer we get about 2 complaints per month. Sometimes these complaints are not always valid either. Probably closer to 1 valid complaint per month.
This is less than 1% of customers done that complain. 99% of customers do not complain.
For me personally this is what i class as an acceptable level of complaints. To send staff out day in day out bringing back a good turnover i can live with this amount of complaints.
For those of you on here who are employing and getting 0 complaints congratulations. That is seriously admirable.
In my experience and from those i have spoken to who also employ most employers expect to get some level of complaints.
Most of the time its more to do with the customer than it is to do with the window cleaner or the job done in question.
Some customers standards are just too high and unrealistic.
I prefer to tailor our service to the 90%+ of customers who are happy with a good job, then tailor to the 1-10% of customers who expect a perfect 100% highest standard possible job.
You wont find a single negative review on our website or social media.
When a customer does complain we offer a Free inspection & reclean, or if we are finished in their area for the month, we offer them a free clean next time. Nearly all of our customers are happy with this and most issues are resolved, unless the customer has a standard or expectation that we realistically cant meet or they have problematic windows/seals not well suited to wfp. In which case they get dropped anyway.
Ah ok this puts it into perspective the original post was misleading, but if your guy is doing £500 a day I would be giving him a bonus and as much work as he wanted ,if no complaints at the end of the month extra bonus that’s what I do with my guys honestly it’s very rare we ever get a complaint and we are doing over 4,500 jobs per month , sometimes there is a genuine complaint but usually it’s the window is dirty inside and they think it’s outside 😂😂
-
Mind set of customers.
when my daughter works with me... never a complaint, in fact comments on how thorough she is
when my son started last year, I had a comment that hes too quick.
customers notice change, and will scrutinise
-
Customers notice change if it’s crap and
99 times out of 100 they are right.