Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Bungle on June 06, 2023, 06:26:20 pm
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£15 regular window clean, right next to a busy main road. She texts me if I can clean her lean to porch today. It's wood and painted white with side pieces, underneath and other supports which make cleaning it tricky. I decided to charge an extra £5 which I thought was fair. Sounds like she thought I'd do it for free. It took about 10 minutes to do. Here's the text messages.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/r37x6qxghwyxzjn/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2018%2012%2048.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/chjxj23sejs662u/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2018%2013%2005.jpg?raw=1)
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You tell her mate ;D
No response yet?
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😄😄😄
Lots of people don't know when your doing them a favour....and remember a tenner these days is like a 'fiver' from 10-15 years ago so you basically charged her £2-50 for that porch....🤣
Rip off merchant springs to mind!!!
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While your price was more than reasonable I don’t think you needed to then go and justify it with all the depreciation etc…
Some one like that will never understand - your wasting your time and energy
They either accept the price or jog on
Darran
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While your price was more than reasonable I don’t think you needed to then go and justify it with all the depreciation etc…
Some one like that will never understand - your wasting your time and energy
They either accept the price or jog on
Darran
I still like to tell them if I get an unfair response to a price though.if it's someone who has always worked for someone else and never run their own business they won't have a clue....
They need to be educated!!!
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You tell her mate ;D
No response yet?
Not yet, nor payment either. Might have ruffled some feathers 😁
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You tell her mate ;D
No response yet?
Not yet, nor payment either. Might have ruffled some feathers 😁
;D
It amazes me how many people expect something done for nothing!
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While your price was more than reasonable I don’t think you needed to then go and justify it with all the depreciation etc…
Some one like that will never understand - your wasting your time and energy
They either accept the price or jog on
Darran
I disagree. Someone that can't see that you've basically done them a favour need telling. We can't go round all day doing favours for all and sundry. We are a business and need to earn money. If she wasn't a customer I'd probably have charged £10. Would a non customer expect you to clean their porch for free? No.
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Just explain her Porch pays for your Porche!
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While I’m always willing to do a favour for a pensioner I’ve also had something similar,in some instances cleaning something as small as people might think is a little porch has taken me longer than cleaning all the windows on the same house.
If I clean whatever I like to do it properly so it would take time,I have also sent a similar text justifying my price I don’t thinks there’s anything wrong with that at least you didn’t roll over that would be worse in my eyes.
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I'd ask her if she'd like you to shimmy up the chimney and sweep that out while your at it.
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I'd ask her if she'd like you to shimmy up the chimney and sweep that out while your at it.
;D
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She's paid and replied.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/3yba0cl27jb6de7/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2012%2058.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6zli9rygnz9pr3/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2013%2010.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/1p0ygpe871ja9hy/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2013%2015.jpg?raw=1)
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I lost a long standing customer because i didn't do her conny roof for free. Some people just have no comprehension of whats involved. She was very indignant about it too. You can sense trouble coming with some particularly when they ask you to do something by saying "can you just......"
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I lost a long standing customer because i didn't do her conny roof for free. Some people just have no comprehension of whats involved. She was very indignant about it too. You can sense trouble coming with some particularly when they ask you to do something by saying "can you just......"
Your spot on with the "Can you just" the 3 dreaded words ;D
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She's paid and replied.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/3yba0cl27jb6de7/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2012%2058.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6zli9rygnz9pr3/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2013%2010.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/1p0ygpe871ja9hy/Photo%2006-06-2023%2C%2020%2013%2015.jpg?raw=1)
I would write:
The word you were looking for is 'courtesy' not as you have misspelt it, - 'curtsey'; although your shocked face emoji and 'stunned' response showed neither courtesy nor curtsey.
Perhaps the word you were looking for was what you were. Curt.
If you can't take it, don't dish it out; and as for your previous window cleaner - why don't you ask him back because I am sure a charmer like you would have him round curtseying and showing you the courtesy you require.
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Any more of that from the above poster and he will get a rest-ban we don’t want any bad language on here please even indirectly lol 😂,I would have said so you think the odd hot drink gives you the right for free jobs when it suits if I want a coffee I’ll buy one thanks.
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I thought she said she'd calmed down....
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Any more of that from the above poster and he will get a rest-ban we don’t want any bad language on here please even indirectly lol 😂,I would have said so you think the odd hot drink gives you the right for free jobs when it suits if I want a coffee I’ll buy one thanks.
???
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I got something similar about 2 years back . “While you are here “ can you give that a quick scrub , get the green off . Pointing at a small 3 panelled polycarbonate verandah . Yeh I said, thinking 10 minutes , tenner . She stood watched me clean it . Then in the house she goes and comes out with 2 twixes . My son had now come round the back wondering what was taking me so long . Giving it the , I’ve done 2 houses while you’ve been messing about round here . Perfect timing . I handed him the twixes , thanked her and said put them in the van , remind me to call at the bank on the way home and deposit them . The look on her face was worth a tenner all day .
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Whenever I give quotes for new jobs i clearly express that the price doesn't include cleaning conservatory roof cleaning so there is no confusion from the start as some of them awkward shaped conservatory roof's take longer than all the windows and is priced separately along with any add on 5minute jobs.
Always pays to bite your tongue and briefly explain extra charge for extra cleaning without going into detail of business running costs and time as customers don't need to know and aren't interested, basically if they can get away with a freebie here and there they will if you allow them to exploit your time.
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Just explain her Porch pays for your Porche!
Porsche😉
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Whenever I give quotes for new jobs i clearly express that the price doesn't include cleaning conservatory roof cleaning so there is no confusion from the start as some of them awkward shaped conservatory roof's take longer than all the windows and is priced separately along with any add on 5minute jobs.
Always pays to bite your tongue and briefly explain extra charge for extra cleaning without going into detail of business running costs and time as customers don't need to know and aren't interested, basically if they can get away with a freebie here and there they will if you allow them to exploit your time.
I have started doing the same......
Also, if customers are shocked at a price for a conny roof or fascia clean
I just politely explain that by the time I have done their roof .... I could have called at another 5 properties ...
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I can't remember the last time I had a customer that questioned my price for an extra add on job....
I wouldn't of sent a long text message.id of phoned her instead.its much better to talk than text!
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I would always be much more careful with a customer when providing a service and think of the bigger picture with customer satisfaction - an unsatisfied customer or bad review can be really harmful to a small company. I understand it's frustrating that some don't understand the costs of running a business, however give a price and leave the decision to them.
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Fair play to you mate, your in the right here, I just dont have the energy for those type of customers anymore, its like banging your head against a brick wall, but great to see every comeback you give makes her look even more of a fool, something tells me though she will never see it. ;D ;D ;D
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She is probably right that you could have replied with more decorum but im exactly the same i cant help myself. I would have told her im more stunned she expected them cleaning for free, how cheeky is that.
Some people must think they are so far above us window cleaners that we dont deserve anything more than the scraps they choose to give us.
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She is probably right that you could have replied with more decorum but im exactly the same i cant help myself. I would have told her im more stunned she expected them cleaning for free, how cheeky is that.
Some people must think they are so far above us window cleaners that we dont deserve anything more than the scraps they choose to give us.
Haha....how little they know!😄
I've never had so much money in the bank!💰
But it's not because of customers like the OPs.....they are just not worth keeping on your books....dump ASAP!👍
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I don't like customers who expect things for free; I decide if it's free, not them.
Depending on 'the extra' and what mood I'm in I say:
"I can do that, but it's going to cost you a cup of tea and a biscuit and I mean the nice buscuits!"
or, I'll do the extra and wait to see it they offer any extra money.
If it's a length of gutter or something slightly more time consuming, I'll say "do you mind if I stick an extra fiver on the bill?"
In this instance, I think her initial text is very rude so she's already dumped.
I would have replied "If you think that's unreasonable, then please have that extra bit, for free"
Can't waste my time (or my mental health) with people like that.
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1686504731_Screenshot_20230611-183059_Samsung capture.jpg)
Here we go I've got one for tomorrow ;D
Shall I stun her or do it for free ???
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I would be tempted to bin someone for just using that terminology ;)
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I would be tempted to bin someone for just using that terminology ;)
Its a term ive come across a few times
wondering if i should take it literally and pass the brush over it once.
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Text her a quote for £105.00 and ask her to confirm whether she'd like it done tomorrow.
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Just say unfortunately iv booked all jobs in for tomorrow, so I won’t have enough water to do it. Any extras need booking in advance, il take a look tomorrow and give you a price for next time if that’s ok?
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If I ever get asked to do extras unless they are very elderly or I’ve known them years I say sorry I didn’t catch that did you say you want me to quote for something else.
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1686504731_Screenshot_20230611-183059_Samsung capture.jpg)
Here we go I've got one for tomorrow ;D
Shall I stun her or do it for free ???
Give it a quick once over like she's asking for. If she complains that it's still dirty say you only wanted a quick once over. Obviously she isn't looking to pay for it so feck her.