Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: simon knight on December 09, 2006, 04:07:33 pm
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I catch up with paperwork....bit of housework (ironing, hoovering etc...Brownie Points from er indoors!!!). Phone customers assuring them they're not forgotten and I'll be round ASAP. By midday I'm bored and start flicking through TV channels.
Any advice on how to make a rainy day an earner or at least less....yaaaawn!?
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have you considered offering to do customers inside windows
thay are a pain and will take longer but you can charge more and earn
a buck or two instead of nothing :)
Russ
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Hi Simon.
Are you trad or wfp mate?
Macc
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We dont do it for domestic as all our domestic is insides and outsides but we do have a list of commercial buildings we do insides of when it rains , we just check the forecast and if inclement weather is coming we call to let them know we will be around to do some of their insides,theres even a few we can just show up to do and they are happywith this ,we cut the hourly rate a bit to make it more appealing but its better than getting wet or going home
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Hi Simon.
Are you trad or wfp mate?
Macc
trad
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Come on here!!!!!!
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Ive just picked up an internal cleaning job and the best bit about it is i can do it when i like, so i told the bloke ill do it on rainy days or really really cold days.
No excuse for me not earning money when it is lashing it down ;D
Stuart
SAJ Window Cleaners Ltd
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Hi Simon.
When i was trad, this time of year i got a bit behind. Your customers will understand so dont worry.
I used to do a bit of house work, watch tv & catch up on all the jobs i had to do.
Macc
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Cheers Macc....thank God I'm not alone!
I like to think my customers are reasonable but i know they all want them done this side of Xmas and the weather has made me 80+ jobs behind.
Still I suppose on the plus side they ain't gonna find another w/c at the drop-of-a-hat.
Can't help it....I'm just a worrier....comes with age I guess!
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unless it's a storm i carry on working WFP ;D
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Hi Simon.
Your customers wont drop you because your a few weeks behind in the winter. I've many that have been on my books for 10 years & over. In the winter i was always a week or more behind. You will find 99% of your customers are loyal.
Macc
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Hi Simon.
When i was trad, this time of year i got a bit behind. Your customers will understand so dont worry.
I used to do a bit of house work, watch tv & catch up on all the jobs i had to do.
Macc
hi macc
do a bit of house work :o ;D
watch tv thats me mate and drink tea ;)
brett
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knock one out
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;D
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moan ,
paperwork , ( whilst looking out the window )
gym / swim
and then moan some more !
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go to the pub.mind u i go to the pub when its sunny. :D
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knock one out
???, ahhhhhhhhh ;)
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unless it's a storm i carry on working WFP
Ditto ! ;)
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I am pretty much the same as most of you and get bored after doing papaerwork.
So, As I am still growing as a business I tend to use the rain as my time to get out and door knock for business and leaflet drop. ;D
I find that many people tend to be in more when it rains...I find I pick up more work that way...then I just have the headache of fitting the new ones into a diary that is falling behind to the weather.(nice headache tho)
In general customers are fine with delays due to weather...in general I always get a "I new you would be late this month due to the weather" ! ;)
Wozza
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i take the family out for the day
my little un loves it when i rains, it means another family day for her
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Ditto! my little one looks out the window as soon as he wakes in the hope i will not go out
and the good thing is lately he's right ;) bloody weather
cheers simbo
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When raining I go plumbing.
My mate is a top notch plumber and as he is run off his feet at the moment I work for him on rainy days and he pays me pretty much what I earn on the windows.
If I'm out on my round and it starts to pour down I have my PSP in the van for watching films or playing games. If it really gets too heavy its time for home and more often than not playing Thomas the Tank engine with my little terrorist son.
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Well it's chucking it down here this morning >:( so if it doesn't stop i will be xmas shopping i think.
The van could do with a good clean out so that's another job ::), plus I really do need to keep my paperwork tidy so that could be another job for today. :-\
Have taken new work on in the last few weeks so really could do with getting it done.
I'd normally work but it really is to heavy.
Craig
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xmas shopping today its raining :'( again :(
brett
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Its raining down here in Plymouth too >:(
My new internal cleaning job does not start till january so i'm going to have a lazy day and catch up on all the tv shows on my sky plus box.
Stuart
SAL Window Cleaners Ltd
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tipping it down in gloucester,wife has given me a load of jobs,wish i could go to work :'(
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I'm getting really hacked off with the weather. It's tipping down here too and I'm pacing round the house like a caged animal.
This is really frustrating!
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its raining here and i'm having the day off, i rekon i can get it all done in 3 days so hopefully no big issue
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I finishing off a customers website today!
Andy
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raing here too
though it doesnt make any difference, my shoulder is really painfull
AND
the car has gone in for the some work, when i was out yesterday ( sunday morning, hows that for professional ;) ) i had a banging noise when i turned the steering wheel
CV Joint OR gearbox :(
what a time to go, when i have little spare money
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what a time to go, when i have little spare money
Matt,
I know the feeling. Bad luck mate. Hopefully it's not as bad as you think.
Tosh.
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Its raining down here in Plymouth too >:(
My new internal cleaning job does not start till january so i'm going to have a lazy day and catch up on all the tv shows on my sky plus box.
Stuart
SAL Window Cleaners Ltd
Stuart
Is it still raining in Plymouth? If it is i know it's going to come up here.
It's stopped for now but i don't know if i can be bothered going out just to come back again in half an hour.
Can't see Dartmoor because of the rain over there
Craig
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Chucking it down here in kent also and windy.
I have got a couple of gutter jobs that im going to do today just waiting for the wind to die down a bit.
Paul
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raining here today so im going down the golf range for a hour or two
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pouring down in northants :( come on the computer to order some gear for work, catch up with paperwork, housework, etc. go on ebay i do a bit of buying and selling ;D Maybe do some inside work but if i aint been out before lunch find it relly hard to get motivated end up mopping around crap time of year but my customers wont have windows done in heavy rain which is fair enough.
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now i'm wfp i work in the rain unless it's really heavy like now
i thought about making a list of customers who would have insides done, i'm all domestic was going to sell it as usually 2 times outside but if done on a day really bad weather 1half times outside.
but i think in real world once you start phoning people up they p about.
If customers mention the weather i stick a letter through the door as i'm a coward.
it basically says i work in all weathers and when i come to clean i'm removing over a month's worth of dirt(5 weeks), if it rains during or after you will still have cleaner windows, if i'm turned away i'l not be back til next clean is due.
not lost anyone yet, i know i'm not working now but customers don't know that, as someone said if they get stroppy ask them if they want any inside work doing.
i hate losing money and can't afford to be a part time window cleaner,
i do often think about re-training locksmith,plasterer, decorater but i think the grass is always greener on the otherside.
i've come to the conclusion that working with the public is a nightmare; i've toughen up over the last few month's and it's a case of back me or sack me; you can't please everyone; you don't want your windows done because of rain; fine see you next time; i can't afford to let weather dictate my earnings i've now got a basic target to hit every week and i do.
lee
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Its raining down here in Plymouth too >:(
My new internal cleaning job does not start till january so i'm going to have a lazy day and catch up on all the tv shows on my sky plus box.
Stuart
SAL Window Cleaners Ltd
Stuart
Is it still raining in Plymouth? If it is i know it's going to come up here.
It's stopped for now but i don't know if i can be bothered going out just to come back again in half an hour.
Can't see Dartmoor because of the rain over there
Craig
Just stopped here going to give it 30 more minutes then im off out to earn some money
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what a time to go, when i have little spare money
Matt,
I know the feeling. Bad luck mate. Hopefully it's not as bad as you think.
Tosh.
it was as bad as i dreaded :(
gearbox gone :(
so ive souced 1 online, its out of a 34 K miles car ( so fairly low ) 180 quid
200 quid labour
new clutch as its out anyway
all with VAT added
near 500 quid :( i wonder why i dont sign on and scronge like my stalker thinks i do
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rain on of all day her.worked in it all day ..have to get the money in ;)
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dont stop because of the rain . ;D customers who complain are told the error of thier ways .and they either except that as a reliable wc i work in almost all weathers .
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dont stop because of the rain . ;D customers who complain are told the error of thier ways .and they either except that as a reliable wc i work in almost all weathers .
Under what conditions don't you work?
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play poker ;D
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play poker ;D
Brave man :o
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Carry on and get wet ???
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Carry on and get wet ???
I try not to work in the rain, but with bills and stuff, this is the only way to get the money in.
One customer did say today, 'Oh, you're not going to clean them today, it's persisting down'.
I just laughed, said I was two weeks late and that it's been like this for the past six weeks.
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I had my biggest account turn me away today when it was dry in the morning.
They didn't even come to the door, and sent their daughter. ::)
"Can you come back next week?"
"Yeah I'll pop by when I'm working 5 miles away." ::)
If it was a £7 or £8 job I'd drop it. >:(
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Squeaky (Roger), drop 'em.
Stuff 'em.
Cheeky sods.
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They didn't even come to the door, and sent their daughter. ::)
"Can you come back next week?"
I think this is the rudest part of it.
I wish I was there. 'Please tell your Mom to p off'.
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Can't drop it mate.
It's been my 2nd biggest job for 10 years, and recently became the biggest.
It's not big by Ian's standards, but 3 times the size of most of mine. :-\
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Can't drop it mate.
It's been my 2nd biggest job for 10 years, and recently became the biggest.
It's not big by Ian's standards, but 3 times the size of most of mine. :-\
And quite right too....bigger customers can give more s##t than smaller ones...it ain't fair....but hey where does fair come into it?
Biggest account have is £70....quarterly. She's not a messer (thank God) but if she were....well I'd probably swallow it!
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Rog,
I know my what my biggest and best account is. The manager of the place can sometimes be stroppy with me, but to be fair, he's suffered from cancer and just had his right leg amputated.
So I just act cold and professional towards him. I answer his questions.
('Have you finished already', 'Did you do the kitchen area', etc. Yes to all).
However, if they messed me about I'd still drop it.
I suffer the weather, the rain, the shit up my ladders or round my hose so I don't have to put up with little Hitlers like this.
Drop 'em.
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I'd bill them for 50%of your cleaning price as they were booked in to be cleaned.
It's taken time out of your working shedule to travel to the account where you could have been earning elsewhere.
I wouldn't have taken a cancellation from a child, i would have asked to speak to the person you have the cleaning arrangment with.
Craig
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I'd bill them for 50%of your cleaning price as they were booked in to be cleaned.
It's taken time out of your working shedule to travel to the account where you could have been earning elsewhere.
I wouldn't have taken a cancellation from a child, i would have asked to speak to the person you have the cleaning arrangment with.
Craig
I definitely agree with Craig!
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I'd bill them for 50%of your cleaning price as they were booked in to be cleaned.
Craig
Do you think they'd pay? If a customer stops you from cleaning because of rain, do you really think they'll go for this 50% thing?
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It did take me nearly half a minute to drive to. I do few in the road.
I could use Ian, Roy or Trev's pricing system though...
30 seconds is at least a fiver!
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I'd bill them for 50%of your cleaning price as they were booked in to be cleaned.
Craig
Do you think they'd pay? If a customer stops you from cleaning because of rain, do you really think they'll go for this 50% thing?
If they want you and have a good price and service (even if you don't use wfp ::) ;D) they should understand that you are running a business.
If they went into work one morning and got told not today thanks and got sent home and told to come back next week, how would they feel.
Tosh, if you are thinking of dumping a customer who does this then why not ask for the 50%, you have nothing to lose if you want shot of them.
Squeaks said it wasn't raining so can't see the reason apart from it coming up to Xmas and they want to cut down on their spending.
I will clean when it rains, as you know i'm wfp. I won't clean when it is heavy rain, but when i do clean when it rains i give a 24hour gntee.
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Tosh, if you are thinking of dumping a customer who does this then why not ask for the 50%, you have nothing to lose if you want shot of them.
I'd rather be the one who says, 'Bye', rather than give the bad customer the chance to say. 'bye' first and feel smug about it.
I'd rather be the 'smug git'.
Good customers never pose a problem.