Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: S.A.J on December 22, 2006, 02:46:15 pm
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Just finished for christmas and looked at how may quotes i have done since the 1st of december.
I have done 56 quotes that is a lot higher then normal.
All 56 agreed to my price an every 4 weekly clean until i said i cant do them till January, only 4 agreed to wait till january.
Just shows that if i had done most of them in december most would have cancelled in january!
Full of time wasters at this time of year!
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I have turned down no end of work this month ! especially the last week or so !
if they wanted clean windows for christmas , then they should have started earlier in the year and become regulars by now .
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your right guys i have to agree scum bags thats all these people are and its usualy the snobby ones that phone i just say cant fit u in you will need to wait till febuary ,
becase for the people that are regular will be cleaned first and even then there are no promisis that i will have room in my round for you so if you still want done plz call again in febuary
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I did break my "regular only" rule yesterday.
Pleasant mannered attractive lady (always helps) next door to one of my regulars asks if I can just do her front two windows (one up, one down) including the plastic surrounds please.
"Are you looking for a regular cleaner or just a one-off job" I ask.
"Just this once for Xmas, but I might ask again if that's ok" she says.
"If it's not regular then my rate is much higher, it'd be a tenner."
"That's fine" she says.
So pole and hose were out anyway, took me ten minutes extra (did a thorough job), she's happy, I'm happy.
The exception that proves the rule! ;D
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Just finished for christmas and looked at how may quotes i have done since the 1st of december.
I have done 56 quotes that is a lot higher then normal.
All 56 agreed to my price an every 4 weekly clean until i said i cant do them till January, only 4 agreed to wait till january.
Just shows that if i had done most of them in december most would have cancelled in january!
Full of time wasters at this time of year!
I guess it's lucky that you filtered them out without doing that first clean then. I find that number astonishing though (52 of 56). I have had the occasional one like that down the years. I bet it's in single figures over a 15 year span so to get 52 in one year seems amazing to me.
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I've had a fair few new-comers phoning and wanting them done before Xmas. Even if I were up-to-date with regulars (which I'm not) I'd still wouldn't do them before mid-jan.
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I think I've only had two wanting one-offs for Christmas, but I did have a potential customer trying to play me and another local window cleaner, but I nipped that in the bud.
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The exception that proves the rule! ;D
I'vee been dying to do this to someone!
Malc,
The correct saying is; "The exception that probes the rule ;D ;D
(because that's what the exception to the rule does ;)
Back to the topic!
I've had that in the past, but if I haven't had to put myself out then I'm fine with it, charge a bit extra and away you go ;)
Ian
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I've had that in the past, but if I haven't had to put myself out then I'm fine with it, charge a bit extra and away you go ;)
Common sense always rules, but I generally find is that the tightwads that only want one-off cleans won't pay what I want to charge 'em.
There's always the exceptions though.
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The exception that proves the rule! ;D
I'vee been dying to do this to someone!
Malc,
The correct saying is; "The exception that probes the rule ;D ;D
(because that's what the exception to the rule does ;)
Ian
No so Ian - what you've done is taken the legal maxim originally written in the 17th century which reads thus:-
Exceptio probat regulam in cabilas non exceptis
or
Exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted
(You've taken "probat" and made it probed when really it means "confirms" or "proves" - you see this in the word probate in relation to proving a will. But I agree with your sentiment - the exception does probe (as in "tests") the rule.
Anyway that's what I got when I googled so I could make a smart reply to your smart reply to my comment! ;D
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I have a lady phone me about 3 times a year and she always want them doing christmas week, for the last 2 years ive done it you dont get a thankyou, cup of tea or anything and she keeps you at the dorr 10 mins while she checks the windows. This week i was ready for her told her i could not do it she was quite put out, i told her i would be looking after the regular customers that have looked after me all year she can keep her 35 quid
I feel so much better now 8)
Brett
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Good on ya bret.
I had a very simillar situation today.
I allway's place my regular customers first ;)
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I have had quite a few people this month ring up for window cleaning.
The first thing i say is yes if you give me your address i will call round in january and give you a quote as im fully booked at the moment.
Nearly all of them except a couple said No, And do i know of any other window cleaners.
I just say yes i know a few but like me i expect there all booked up with there regular customers.
I have not had no 56 people ring though.
More like 30ish
Paul
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I have had quite a few people this month ring up for window cleaning.
The first thing i say is yes if you give me your address i will call round in january and give you a quote as im fully booked at the moment.
Nearly all of them except a couple said No, And do i know of any other window cleaners.
I just say yes i know a few but like me i expect there all booked up with there regular customers.
I have not had not 56 people ring though.
More like 30ish
Paul
I've only had about half a dozen new enquiries this month. Two of them were happy for me to start early January (that's when I would have next been in their area anyway). With the others I bnever found out if they only wanted me for Xmas as we never got past the issue of poor access.
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Hi Paul
I seem to get quite a few lately with poor access.
I have always quite a few quotes to do most ringing from local parish mag but to be honest i think i end up with about 15-20% of the quotes people ring up for.
Im getting picky and only want desent work.
I always ask if there are access issues and there is a lot with access issues, or its seems to be with me.
And now ifs its not near any of my other work i don't take them on unless is a large property and pays well.
Paul
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I have not had no 56 people ring though.
More like 30ish
Paul
Not all were phone calls, i write down everyonre that stops me in the street and asks for a price. just to so i know what is going on.
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Hi Paul
I seem to get quite a few lately with poor access.
I have always quite a few quotes to do most ringing from local parish mag but to be honest i think i end up with about 15-20% of the quotes people ring up for.
Im getting picky and only want desent work.
I always ask if there are access issues and there is a lot with access issues, or its seems to be with me.
And now ifs its not near any of my other work i don't take them on unless is a large property and pays well.
Paul
It sounds like we are going through a similar phase with our business building Paul. Sometimes when I ask on the phone about access I get assured that there is good access. When I get there sometimes the gate is locked. They then inform me that there is good access followed by those immortal words "If I know when you are coming". Someone once told me there was access and they meant access "through the house". It can be irritating but I don't think they actually mean to do it. If someone has never done a business like ours, it can be hard to empathise with the requirements.
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This week, I was in a road where I have 3 customers. The other windows in the street are filthy but no-one has ever came out and asked me to clean their windows. There are about 60 houses in the road, all terraces.
I had finished this weeks work by Wednesday so on Wednesday night, I printed out a load of leaflets offering a pre-christmas clean for this street, quoting higher prices than normal and offering a front only or whole house service.
The leaflet also states "reduced rates for regular 4 weekly cleans - applicable from February, 2007" ;)
I got £125 worth of work from 6 houses - 5 done yesterday by midday for £85 and 1 to do today for £40 which will take 45 minutes to an hour.
A nice bit of extra pocket money and the chance of them being regulars in the new year but not bothered if they are not. ;D
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The question of access is probably the biggest single difficulty I am faced with now. I work around a part of the London suburbs that consists almost entirely of 1930s 3 bed semis.
High house prices have deterred people from moving so many of the houses have big extensions built that completely scupper you for access.
Actually, apart from the access issue many of the extensions are ugly and tasteless, the need to gain the maximum square meterage allowed by the building regs drives people to extremes.
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I always charge min 3 times monthly charge on all my first time cleans ( domestic ). ie monthly clean £12.00 first clean £36.00.
By charging this way I dont care if they only want a one off clean or regular cleans, I have found most domestic customers are very willing to pay more for the first time clean.
I have found this way of pricing work to be a very good for my business.
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I always charge min 3 times monthly charge on all my first time cleans ( domestic ). ie monthly clean £12.00 first clean £36.00.
By charging this way I dont care if they only want a one off clean or regular cleans, I have found most domestic customers are very willing to pay more for the first time clean.
I have found this way of pricing work to be a very good for my business.
I usually charge 50% more. It takes me more than 50% longer usually so I do lose out a little bit on the first cleans. I don't mind that if I feel that thgere is a regular job there. If someone comes out and says that they only want a one off, I charge double.