Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jay moley on May 28, 2023, 11:41:50 am

Title: Getting rid of customers
Post by: jay moley on May 28, 2023, 11:41:50 am
As I'm about to go back to working on. my own I've decided to get rid of all the crappy jobs:

Awkward ladder jobs
Anything unsafe
Access/pain to set up
Customers I dont like

So far I have texted three. Two didn't reply, the other got really narked.

When dumping do you let customers know or just stop going?

Is it best to be honest or make up some excuse?

Also have some I want to dump but they are really nice, long standing customers.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: SB Cleaning on May 28, 2023, 11:47:30 am
Why don't you sell the decent ones on?
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: jay moley on May 28, 2023, 11:54:08 am
Why don't you sell the decent ones on?

None of them are decent.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: NWH on May 28, 2023, 12:55:35 pm
Very unprofessional just not going back imo but then again so is not charging the right amount or close to it,first thing I’d do is hike the price right up and lose em that way you never know they might become decent jobs.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: jo5hm4n on May 28, 2023, 01:40:00 pm
Easiest way to dump customers is to make them dump you.

Just up the price to a ridiculous amount.  Like if its a £15 job, up it to £20-£25.

A) they will dump you as its too much of an increase, problem solved happy days and you dont even have to tell them why you wanted to dump them in the first place.

B) they decide to accept the increase and now you just made an awkward pain in the backside £15 job become a £20-£25, so if nothing else you are getting paid good money to put up with a crap customer.

Its win win in my view.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Perfect Windows on May 28, 2023, 01:52:47 pm
Why don't you sell the decent ones on?

None of them are decent.

Why don't you sell the rubbish ones on?
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: jay moley on May 28, 2023, 03:02:49 pm
Why don't you sell the decent ones on?

None of them are decent.



Why don't you sell the rubbish ones on?

Never sold work and to be honest don't want the aggravation. Also not sure who would be interested as its such poor work.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Stoots on May 28, 2023, 05:39:35 pm
I've just been dumping as I go.

I tried selling some but just got silly offers so dumped a lot of it
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Pete Thompson on May 28, 2023, 06:50:04 pm
Some jobs I didn’t like I just hiked the price ridiculously and all of a sudden it’s an amazing paying job and I didn’t mind so much.

Others involved doing things I didn’t want to do anymore, such as using a ladder to access a flat roof etc, or using the long pole to reach a roof velux.

For these, it wasn’t the money but the hassle and the danger. So I just told them that my insurance company would not cover work at height anymore/ veluxes above 3 metres/ any other random thing I didn’t like.

They all accepted it gracefully.

As for dumping ones that you just don’t like, just tell them you aren’t covering their area anymore.

[then if they see you working nearby and question it, simply say “yes I meant the area of your house”]
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Stoots on May 28, 2023, 08:53:46 pm
Probably best to let them know if you have loads of them.

You can always block them as soon as you've text them saves an argument.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Perfect Windows on May 31, 2023, 09:40:12 am
Never sold work and to be honest don't want the aggravation. Also not sure who would be interested as its such poor work.

Sell them and be honest about the quality. At the right price, a beginner will take them on as it's at least a start.

Vin
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on May 31, 2023, 07:40:46 pm
Never sold work and to be honest don't want the aggravation. Also not sure who would be interested as its such poor work.

Sell them and be honest about the quality. At the right price, a beginner will take them on as it's at least a start.

Vin

This is good advice.....

I did this many years ago....i got £1200 for a small,underpriced round which was fantastic for me as it freed up some time to concentrate on better work in my chosen area...👍
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: robbo333 on June 02, 2023, 03:59:16 pm
After 12 years, all my customers are pretty good, but I am getting rid of the larger, more awkward ones, as I'm coming up to 60 years old.
Luckily, at my age, something hurts, aches or creaks, so I just text my customers to say that I am cutting down on my workload due to health reasons and would they like my friend Daniel to take over from me.
My window cleaner mate 'Dirty Dan' gets a new customer, I get a drink and it's happy days.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: AuRavelling79 on June 02, 2023, 04:37:25 pm
After 12 years, all my customers are pretty good, but I am getting rid of the larger, more awkward ones, as I'm coming up to 60 years old.
Luckily, at my age, something hurts, aches or creaks, so I just text my customers to say that I am cutting down on my workload due to health reasons and would they like my friend Daniel to take over from me.
My window cleaner mate 'Dirty Dan' gets a new customer, I get a drink and it's happy days.

Why does it matter how fat they are?
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on June 08, 2023, 08:14:56 am
I've had to stop cleaning for an elderly customer recently.shes losing her mind now her husband's died,never got any money(or she doesn't know where it is)cards don't work and she can't remember her PIN number.....

Sad end to a long life...... :(
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: NWH on June 08, 2023, 08:37:44 am
Her husbands died she’s having a bad time what an end to her life as you say,put the final nail in Daz by dropping her coz she’s old and never got any cash on her lol your all heart m8.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Stoots on June 08, 2023, 11:25:14 am

I dropped one a while ago as she waited till I had finished then disappeared to go find some money. 10 minutes I waited with the front door wide open. In the end I just left it and never went back.

Bless em
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: deeege on June 08, 2023, 12:22:14 pm
I've had to stop cleaning for an elderly customer recently.shes losing her mind now her husband's died,never got any money(or she doesn't know where it is)cards don't work and she can't remember her PIN number.....

Sad end to a long life...... :(

That’s the spirit Daz, nothing more than a headache those old ones  :o
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Slacky on June 08, 2023, 01:03:10 pm
Especially the ones that fought in the Second World War. They were all ‘me me me…’ back in the day.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: Bungle on June 08, 2023, 05:12:51 pm
Getting rid of customers? Just be curt like me. Tell them a few home truths and you'll soon end up with less  ;D
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on June 08, 2023, 05:29:48 pm
Her husbands died she’s having a bad time what an end to her life as you say,put the final nail in Daz by dropping her coz she’s old and never got any cash on her lol your all heart m8.

So what would you do?carry on cleaning her windows and not get paid?

I've already wrote one clean off....when a customer starts losing it I need to get rid.....

It's nothing to do with emotion it's a business decision
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on June 08, 2023, 05:31:31 pm
I've had to stop cleaning for an elderly customer recently.shes losing her mind now her husband's died,never got any money(or she doesn't know where it is)cards don't work and she can't remember her PIN number.....

Sad end to a long life...... :(

That’s the spirit Daz, nothing more than a headache those old ones  :o

I'm sure you d do the same....once they start getting  dementia its time to get rid
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: simon w on June 08, 2023, 05:42:04 pm
I've had to stop cleaning for an elderly customer recently.shes losing her mind now her husband's died,never got any money(or she doesn't know where it is)cards don't work and she can't remember her PIN number.....

Sad end to a long life...... :(

That’s the spirit Daz, nothing more than a headache those old ones  :o

I'm sure you d do the same....once they start getting  dementia its time to get rid

Ask their relative to set up a standing order
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on June 08, 2023, 06:05:53 pm
I've had to stop cleaning for an elderly customer recently.shes losing her mind now her husband's died,never got any money(or she doesn't know where it is)cards don't work and she can't remember her PIN number.....

Sad end to a long life...... :(

That’s the spirit Daz, nothing more than a headache those old ones  :o

I'm sure you d do the same....once they start getting  dementia its time to get rid

Ask their relative to set up a standing order
Never seen any family there.i think she ll be in a home soon.
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: NWH on June 08, 2023, 07:25:08 pm
Better make sure you get what she owes you first Daz 🤣🤣🤣
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: DJW on June 08, 2023, 07:50:37 pm
Dementia ones are the best! Sometimes I get paid three times!
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: AuRavelling79 on June 08, 2023, 10:15:19 pm
Dementia ones are the best! Sometimes I get paid three times!

Not even in jest please.  ;D
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: tlwcs on June 09, 2023, 06:35:40 am
I'm sure you d do the same....once they start getting  dementia its time to get rid

Dr. Dazmond?
Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: AuRavelling79 on June 09, 2023, 07:41:02 am
It's a tough call. But I err on the side of fair but firm.

I have/had recently a customer who has deteriorated.

Over the last year it's gone from taking five minutes to get the cheque book, write it slowly and incorrectly to ten minutes of rummaging to 'I don't have a cheque book or cash until my daughter gets me a new one.'

Last time I cleaned I said not to worry pay me next time. Let me write it down for you and you can get a cheque written for two lots next time.

I wrote it down and put it in an envelope for Mrs. H and family. It had contact details and bank details if she/they wanted to deal with it.

Went back 8 weeks later and nothing had been done. So I didn't clean and said that not to worry but as soon as I get a cheque or payment for the last clean I'll come and do your windows.

Either she hasn't told her family or they don't value my service to bother.

Either way I'm not going back. It was becoming that it would take half as long to get paid as it was to do the job.

Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: dazmond on June 09, 2023, 08:42:45 am
It's a tough call. But I err on the side of fair but firm.

I have/had recently a customer who has deteriorated.

Over the last year it's gone from taking five minutes to get the cheque book, write it slowly and incorrectly to ten minutes of rummaging to 'I don't have a cheque book or cash until my daughter gets me a new one.'

Last time I cleaned I said not to worry pay me next time. Let me write it down for you and you can get a cheque written for two lots next time.

I wrote it down and put it in an envelope for Mrs. H and family. It had contact details and bank details if she/they wanted to deal with it.

Went back 8 weeks later and nothing had been done. So I didn't clean and said that not to worry but as soon as I get a cheque or payment for the last clean I'll come and do your windows.

Either she hasn't told her family or they don't value my service to bother.

Either way I'm not going back. It was becoming that it would take half as long to get paid as it was to do the job.

Exactly......this has happened to me  at least  5 or 6 times over the years....

It's a business decision

If your not getting paid you d be a fool to carry on cleaning

Title: Re: Getting rid of customers
Post by: james peters on June 10, 2023, 08:24:35 am
yes... I  have had this also..... once it gets to that point . unless family pay....... its time to finish.
my father died from dementia, so I  am  well aware of the issues that come with it.

another thing to consider is money going missing etc...... we could easily get the blame.