Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Londoner on February 04, 2008, 06:05:50 pm

Title: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 04, 2008, 06:05:50 pm
Been cleaning a house since last summer, husband and wife have always been out and cheque has come through no problem. No comments or complaints.
Last week when I was cleaning the wife popped home just as I was finishing. She is a school teacher apparantly and it was lunch time.
I got quizzed over why I was leaving the windows wet. Today the cheque comes through but with a note saying they are not happy with the results.
My wife phoned them to find out what was wrong. Spots apparantly,where the windows were left wet.
I'm going back tomorrow to have a look and do them again. I don't suppose they will be happy after that either.
If she hadn't come home when she did she wouldn't have given it a second thought but now she is looking for problems.
What are my chances?
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: AuRavelling79 on February 04, 2008, 06:17:34 pm
Go there and see if there are any spots.

If no then leave a note saying you cannot find anything wrong and would they be more specific in explaining what is bothering them.

If yes - put it right!

If after that they are still unhappy and you are sure it's not you then just thank whatever/whoever you normally thank that your kids aren't taught by her! ;D
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: windowwashers on February 04, 2008, 06:36:13 pm
Been cleaning a house since last summer, husband and wife have always been out and cheque has come through no problem. No comments or complaints.
Last week when I was cleaning the wife popped home just as I was finishing. She is a school teacher apparantly and it was lunch time.
I got quizzed over why I was leaving the windows wet. Today the cheque comes through but with a note saying they are not happy with the results.
My wife phoned them to find out what was wrong. Spots apparantly,where the windows were left wet.
I'm going back tomorrow to have a look and do them again. I don't suppose they will be happy after that either.
If she hadn't come home when she did she wouldn't have given it a second thought but now she is looking for problems.
What are my chances?
Chances are you didn't do them right or they just wanted a moan as they are not used to it when you leave spots of water all over the glass, go check if they are fine go back and see them when they are in and explain that the spot dry clear etc etc I got a guy like this today all I do is do a test on there water for them and show them, then do the same from van there faces are a picture.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Ian Lancaster on February 04, 2008, 06:44:45 pm
all I do is do a test on there water for them and show them, then do the same from van there faces are a picture.

GIVE THAT MAN A MEDAL ;D ;D ;D

What a brilliant idea - why didn't I think of that?  I'm sure a lot of people don't believe you when you tell them the water is pure.  A sure fire way to shut them up ;D
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 04, 2008, 07:45:55 pm
That is a very good idea. And yes a lot of people don't believe you. I wonder if a before and after photo might be effective.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: windowwashers on February 04, 2008, 07:48:01 pm
all I do is do a test on there water for them and show them, then do the same from van there faces are a picture.

GIVE THAT MAN A MEDAL ;D ;D ;D

What a brilliant idea - why didn't I think of that?  I'm sure a lot of people don't believe you when you tell them the water is pure.  A sure fire way to shut them up ;D
I just show them face to face never had a problem after
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Paul Coleman on February 04, 2008, 07:54:28 pm
all I do is do a test on there water for them and show them, then do the same from van there faces are a picture.

GIVE THAT MAN A MEDAL ;D ;D ;D

What a brilliant idea - why didn't I think of that?  I'm sure a lot of people don't believe you when you tell them the water is pure.  A sure fire way to shut them up ;D

I did it a few times early on with WFP.  One guy was so suspicious, he thought I was fiddling the test.  I asked him why on earth would I want to do that.  He hasn't spoken to me since but his wife deals with it all now.  She's great.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 04, 2008, 07:59:56 pm
I just think this woman has made her mind up and she's out to prove she is always right.
Still we will see tomorrow.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: xxmattyxx on February 04, 2008, 08:01:37 pm
all I do is do a test on there water for them and show them, then do the same from van there faces are a picture.

 ???  ???  ??? so you mean we cant use tap-water for WFP?
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Village Gleam on February 04, 2008, 08:08:11 pm
Your chances are not good. They've got to admitt they're wrong, and that doesn;t happen. But they've been okay all this time.... well we haven't been checking them...

I bet the blokes okay though.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: NWH on February 04, 2008, 08:46:42 pm
I used to think oh no there in and i know we`ve all thought that,shall i do it pole or shall i get the ladders off and wait till next time when there out.In my humble experience i`ve learnt that the best way is to start as you mean to go on,just pole them all at least then you know where you stand and if your confident when using it it will show to the customer.If you go WFP and don`t really know what your doing then you will lose customers and i think that`s what`s happend before when some on here have said that since going down the pole route it`s all gone a bit pearshaped.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: johnny_h on February 04, 2008, 09:26:34 pm
i lost one recently she caught me doing them and doesnt like them left wet yet her neighbour is so impressed i have gained her mother in law who is so impressed she has recomended me to a work mate
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: groundhog on February 04, 2008, 09:40:00 pm
Don't waste your time with customers like this, you are better off without them!!! ;)
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: simbo on February 05, 2008, 03:30:51 pm
some will look for any excuse to be rid of you, i had a note with cheque today saying no longer needed as they need someone to do the insides also and have found someone to do it. I have never said that i would not but she is never in, REAL REASON not worth having cleaned in the winter which i know for a fact as silly cow told me before i quoted so priced high, you get a feeling for these from the start, picked up another same price last time anyway so no loss.
I wish just for once they would be honest about it though.
simbo
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: alan andrewswestsi on February 05, 2008, 06:32:50 pm
i lost 2 that had come home just after i,d done them , they freaked over the water on floor and windows , i have decided in future i will not even try and convince them of the benefits  , theres always more that appreciate that the windows stay cleaner etc and theres always more custies out there , what i,m really saying is who cares what the odd custies thinks lol
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: NWH on February 05, 2008, 06:37:37 pm
Don`t let a couple of idiots spoil your spirit,it`s the pole or nothing.If you fell off your ladder next week and couldn`t do there windows anymore all they would do is pick the phone book up and find another one,treat them the same if you don`t want it then i`ll find someone else.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 05, 2008, 07:46:04 pm
Just a follow up on this story. I went round there today, choosing a time when the Mrs of the house was not likely to pop back.
The frames are a bit milky and there was one or two spots and quite a big single run that looked like a big milky drip has run down from the frame above. These were all on the front. The back seemed perfect to me.

Because I had already got the ladders out to have a look I recleaned the front trad while I was up there. ( brought back a few memories) but I'm not going to trad them every time so I think I'm on a loser with this customer.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: steve m on February 05, 2008, 07:56:20 pm
two things - do them tomorrow after shes gone back and squeegee the bottoms
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Wayne Thomas on February 05, 2008, 08:02:18 pm
Just a follow up on this story. I went round there today, choosing a time when the Mrs of the house was not likely to pop back.
The frames are a bit milky and there was one or two spots and quite a big single run that looked like a big milky drip has run down from the frame above. These were all on the front. The back seemed perfect to me.

Because I had already got the ladders out to have a look I recleaned the front trad while I was up there. ( brought back a few memories) but I'm not going to trad them every time so I think I'm on a loser with this customer.

Vince, I like your posts simply because you are genuine.
With this problem house with problem milky frames (south facing I expect), scrub (wash) the frame & glass normal but lift the brush off the window to rinse to minimise the 'milky' paint (oxidised) from running down the glass.
The brush on these milky frames rubs loose the paint which causes the problems. I lift my brush off at the top of the window frame (if aluminium painted window frames that have oxidised) when rinsing, but put the brush back on the glass just past the top frame to rinse to the bottom, then lift off just before the bottom part of the frame. Hope you understood what I was trying to explain.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 05, 2008, 08:14:53 pm
Hello Wayne.
I was aware this house was a bit milky, as are a lot of others, so I had been double rinsing them already from day one.
This was the fourth or fifth clean and I was not seeing anything coming off since the second clean.
The problem with this low level milking is the after drips. Yes you were right about them being south facing by the way.

 
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Wayne Thomas on February 05, 2008, 09:12:05 pm
Hello Wayne.
I was aware this house was a bit milky, as are a lot of others, so I had been double rinsing them already from day one.
This was the fourth or fifth clean and I was not seeing anything coming off since the second clean.
The problem with this low level milking is the after drips. Yes you were right about them being south facing by the way.

 

Vince, the paint stops running when all the paint has been removed in say a years time,lol. It's frustrating and I sympathise with you. Either charge more for this house because it takes longer to clean or find an easier one and leave it to the trad w/c's. 
If I have the odd 'milky' window or two similar I'll perservere, but if it's every window, I lose them as they're too much hassle.
Title: Re: Absolutely typical !
Post by: Londoner on February 06, 2008, 08:12:22 am
I think this is down to the customer's attitude rather than the odd drip. She is one of those women teachers who has to be right all the time. I have other customers with milky frames who don't seem to mind, or are prepared to accept a few drips.

He is OK about it but she has set her mind against me. I have been here before, she had me back yesterday to do a reclean. Next time I go she will have me go back again because it won't be right. I can tell you that now.

Every time I do a reclean it means I am missing out on a paying job that I could be doing instead. There comes a point with a moaner where you just have to let them go,
I have hundreds of customers, yet I am spending all this time worrying about one who was fine until she came home and saw the wet windows.

WFP is a compromise, some customers simply don't like it but the vast majority are OK with it.  You have to go with the majority.