Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: pylofm on November 24, 2006, 07:44:18 pm

Title: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: pylofm on November 24, 2006, 07:44:18 pm

Being very much a new window cleaner...I am taking stock of my first 4 months and I am finding that I take certain things far too seriously i.e late payments, lost customers....etc

I generally have a good outlook on life however I am starting to think that I doubt I will have many of my customers for long...

So far:

1 Dumped - for wanting to change times/dates each clean(have to go through house to get to the back).

1 Lost - they just did'nt like the water on the windows (old couple).

1 Lost - After first clean they phoned and told us they were now moving!!

1 Lost - Customer complained we did not do all woodwork (was not agreed) and said that there were loads of w/c in the area and they would do the whole house/woodwork for the price we charge for the front and sides(agreed with boyfriend).

3 Suspended for late payment...think these will go as well

Its not that I have had them long either...nobody has ever said we do a rubbish job...

I look at these numbers and as percentages around 10% and  they look grim to say the least....

Have you experienced the same in your startup time?

Cheers
Dave.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: Extremeclean on November 24, 2006, 07:55:25 pm

Dave.

These are all just growing pains and par for the course.

I read your posts with great interest because you are in Holland. It's no different over here. Keep doing what you are doing (Maybe door knock if possible) and it wont be too long before you are getting rid of the rubbish and replacing it with better work.

Too many get a rosy picture of totally honest and loyal domestic customers. There is a good percentage that will abuse you and try all sorts but again as time goes on you will get a good core customer base who you can rely on.

Keep up the good work.

Rich.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: matt on November 24, 2006, 07:57:41 pm

Quote from: Extremeclean on November 24, 2006, 07:55:25 pm

Too many get a rosy picture of totally honest and loyal domestic customers. There is a good percentage that will abuse you and try all sorts but again as time goes on you will get a good core customer base who you can rely on.

this is so true, even after allmost 4 years i had some kind of misconception that customers would be loyal, most dont care as long as they have clean windows

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: ewanc0 on November 24, 2006, 09:32:49 pm

I'd say you're doing fine. absolutely nothing to worry about.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: pjulk on November 24, 2006, 10:39:43 pm

Yes that sounds about right.
When you first start building up a round you will all the crap work other window cleaners don't want.

What you need to do is just keep plugging away and dump the crap jobs as soon as you are financially able to.

You will easily replace these with better customers.

You will always get the odd bad payer and customers who agree to have a monthly clean but then make up some excuse the following month and cancel some do thsi after about 2 months .
As they really only wanted a 1 off clean

But most customers you will get will be ok so stick with those.

You have to keep fine tuning you business or you will be running about all over the place.

Paul

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: kiral1404 on November 24, 2006, 10:46:47 pm

Been going 16 months and have over 330 customers

If i'd kept all the customers i've been through would have about 500 +.

Some my fault still learning some pain in the butt, some die, some move and some want it on their terms.

It does settle down, you will always find work if you want it

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: supernova77 on November 25, 2006, 12:08:44 am

I've been window cleaning almost a year now... I hadn't lost a customer for ages until this week, when all of a sudden I lost 3. 1 dumped, 1 didn't like me using WFP because of leaky old windows, and 1 customer has moved (without telling me and still owes me £20!).

However, in the same week I've picked up 4 new customers... So its swings and roundabouts really - You win some you loose some!

Andy

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: craig jwc on November 25, 2006, 01:22:35 am

Think it's all been said - don't worry about it, there's plenty more windows to clean.

Craig

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: C Senor on November 25, 2006, 09:43:14 am

Definately dont take it too seriously ! You will always make up for lost customers, and usually with better ones like everyone says.

I'm only into my 5th month and i've only lost two customers to date, one moved and the other was a pensioner who took offence to a price increase. I was angry at the time as he got on a high horse (bless him). I put his price up from £5 to £6 and he had a mad rant about how i had given myself a 50% increase ! - I can only think that he was under the impression that his house was £4 (it was quite small) and putting it up to £6 was well out of order.

Now i have a lot of time for pensioners but this guy was just plain rude and offensive, after the initial onslaught i was fuming at the abuse, i am always friendly and polite to my customers but i now realise that i was silly.

I should have just turned around and walked off mid abuse. Later that same day i picked up three new customers in the same road, all £6 for 15 mins work and all nice people.

I decided then, that any grief from customers and they will be dropped. We don't have to put up with it, its been said many times but there really is plenty of work out there.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: Davie T on November 25, 2006, 10:13:45 am

Sometimes you win and sometines you lose

. 
 

Funny there is never a draw.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: Paul Coleman on November 25, 2006, 02:49:12 pm

Quote from: pylofm on November 24, 2006, 07:44:18 pm

Being very much a new window cleaner...I am taking stock of my first 4 months and I am finding that I take certain things far too seriously i.e late payments, lost customers....etc

I generally have a good outlook on life however I am starting to think that I doubt I will have many of my customers for long...

So far:

1 Dumped - for wanting to change times/dates each clean(have to go through house to get to the back).

1 Lost - they just did'nt like the water on the windows (old couple).

1 Lost - After first clean they phoned and told us they were now moving!!

1 Lost - Customer complained we did not do all woodwork (was not agreed) and said that there were loads of w/c in the area and they would do the whole house/woodwork for the price we charge for the front and sides(agreed with boyfriend).

3 Suspended for late payment...think these will go as well

Its not that I have had them long either...nobody has ever said we do a rubbish job...

I look at these numbers and as percentages around 10% and  they look grim to say the least....

Have you experienced the same in your startup time?

Cheers
Dave.

Your post and my comments re-quoted below.


1 Dumped - for wanting to change times/dates each clean(have to go through house to get to the back).

You're better off without this job, really.  Much of my work had such access problems at first.  I gave all such work away after a year or so.  Trust me.  Eventually you would have hated this job anyway


1 Lost - they just did'nt like the water on the windows (old couple).

  You're better off without this one as well.  Older people do tend to be less embracing on new things.  What they are actually saying though is that they do not value your safety sufficiently in order to trust newer technology.  Do you really want to work for someone who holds you in such low esteem?

1 Lost - After first clean they phoned and told us they were now moving!!

These were just one-offers from the start.  Not everyone is honest enough to say they only want them cleaned in order to make a better impression when trying to sell.  Guess what?  You're better off without these as well.


1 Lost - Customer complained we did not do all woodwork (was not agreed) and said that there were loads of w/c in the area and they would do the whole house/woodwork for the price we charge for the front and sides(agreed with boyfriend).

I think you mentioned this one in an earlier post didn't you?  I have never heard the likes of someone expecting Facia etc cleaned for a window cleaning price.  If they want a cheapskate job, maybe, with a bit of luck, they will end up with what they pay for.  Be thankdful that they revealed their hand early before they had sufficient opportunity to rip you off. 


3 Suspended for late payment...think these will go as well

Need to be a bit careful about this.  Usually a customer who messes you around like this from the start will not change.  However, over the years I have found that even normally reliable customers can occasionally pay up late.  Sometimes there are good reasons.  One of my customers got pretty messed up when her husband died and forgot to pay me (understandably).  If something bad has happened in a household then paying the window cleaner is easy to forhet.  However, the chances are that all three are just not the type to be reliable in paying bills.  I would suggest seeing how it goes with these unless you're gut feeling tells you that you are being taken for a ride.

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: Paul Coleman on November 25, 2006, 02:52:32 pm

Quote from: matt on November 24, 2006, 07:57:41 pm

Quote from: Extremeclean on November 24, 2006, 07:55:25 pm

Too many get a rosy picture of totally honest and loyal domestic customers. There is a good percentage that will abuse you and try all sorts but again as time goes on you will get a good core customer base who you can rely on.

this is so true, even after allmost 4 years i had some kind of misconception that customers would be loyal, most dont care as long as they have clean windows

Matt.  I made some interesting discoveries about loyalty when I was too ill to work for much of 2004.  Even now I occasionally take one of them back at a much higher price   :)

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: Terry_Burrows on November 26, 2006, 09:07:29 am

after 30 years at it :o if we kept all our contract work we do not do houses, millionare comes to mind :-\ :'( life is just not that easy,get ready for the bumps :o

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: vistech on November 26, 2006, 08:41:53 pm

stick at it and in a few more months the ones you lost will be wanting you back but youll probably be too busy, chill out and enjoy being a window cleaner
martin

Title: Re: Taking it all too seriously
Post by: pylofm on November 27, 2006, 11:57:57 am

Thanks for all the responses...really does help :)

Cheers
Dave.