Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: tatman on June 13, 2008, 04:40:55 pm
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Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well. ::)
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Lol ;D yep been there done that,we all get em,just accept it you ain`t on your own there mate,
when you get great days just look back and laugh ;D ;)
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I think people do care but it's pretty low on their list of priorities.
I had a crap day as well.
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i only dont think they do, i shouldnt but im getting later and later each month with getting more and more work and no one gives a monkeys, not one person has winged!
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
Instant drop for that alone ...
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i said that to my business partner but he dosnt really agree because he dosnt like letting work go, then i was speaking to a fellow wc over the road doing a big house, i asked him where he gets his equipment from etc then goes on to tell me he dosnt care how he leaves the windows when he's been if there a mess he tells them its because of the wind (cowboy)... he flew around this house in 2 seconds and diddnt rinse one window..
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
Instant drop for that alone ...
Instant smack in the gob more like...God I hate people like that!
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i had to walk off, and what really annoyed me is he was going to ask all the neighbours what they thought (putting ideas in there heads)... he's gone anyway.. ive decided my prices are far too low im gonna put them up to near what they should be and if i loose some so be it, what do you guys say??
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What I tend to do with my really under priced stuff is just leave them on the back burner and only when I'm up to date with my good work get around to doing them. I just feel that I'd rather earn bad money than none at all.
Personally I'm very reluctant to put up prices at the moment.
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yeah i find it hard aswell but some prices are in seriouse need and not been up for 7 years :-\
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Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.
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Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.
Aye? ??? ??? ???
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
Instant drop for that alone ...
Instant smack in the gob more like...God I hate people like that!
Absolutley. We should all surely give and get basic respect. I'm not the sort of guy who goes round demanding respect, but I'd certainly drop someone who is so dismissive.
The neighbours probably know what an obnoxious S@@t he is and won't take any more notice of him than he deserves.
Rise above it - and don't clean his windows again under any circumstances.
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i wont be cleaning them again anyway thats for sure..
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Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.
Aye? ??? ??? ???
Taking inflation over 7 years into account a tenner then now has the buying power of a fiver.
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a fellow wc told me to put all my prices up 50% and then if i loose any ill still be making the same money but in less time, good advice i tink...
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tatman said
Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well.
If i had a day like this i would have done the following.
1st job said not today - DUMPED
2nd job chased out of the garden by dog - DUMPED
4th job gate locked even after texting - DUMPED
5th job same as 4th job - DUMPED
Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.
I used to get a lot of not todays, locked, gates ect and i got rid of them all and concentrated on customers where access is not a problem and want a regular service not when the feel like having it done.
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tatman said
Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well.
If i had a day like this i would have done the following.
1st job said not today - DUMPED
2nd job chased out of the garden by dog - DUMPED
4th job gate locked even after texting - DUMPED
5th job same as 4th job - DUMPED
Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.
I used to get a lot of not todays, locked, gates ect and i got rid of them all and concentrated on customers where access is not a problem and want a regular service not when the feel like having it done.
Well said Paul although I did wait until I had built my workload up. Apart from a bit of subcontracting work, I only have maybe 5 jobs where I need to pre-arrange access. I make sure that I am well compensated for them. As for the subcontract work, most of them need to be phoned - but it's only 2 - 3 days every few weeks. It can be a major headache organising it though. Obviously I can't dump the customers as they aren't mine to dump.
On my own work though, it's no accident that I have so little work where I need to pre-arrange. It's taken years of pruning to achieve that. It may not be the highest paid round but the lack of hassle means I get around faster anyway.
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Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.
I fully agree. If you appear to be desperate, a minority of customers will take advantage of you.
Be firm, but fair, be clear in your terms and conditions with them; but if you're sure someone's taking the mick out of you, dump 'em, otherwise you'll end up with a round full of idiots.
And, unless your short of work, don't be frightened to put up your prices. I put up about 30 residential customers recently, some that were seriously underpriced by about 30%, but I explained it all in a letter and to be fair to myself, I hadn't put this area's prices up in years; my fault.
I lost one.
If you're worried, why not put the price up for say 20 of your worst accounts, and see what happens? I bet you'll lose one or two at most. Then do the same with another 20... etc!
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If the gates are still locked after you have text them, you should be entitled to charge them the usual price just for the fronts.
I sent all my customers a letter explaining that having reached pensionable age I was cutting down on my working hours.
It made no difference, they will still go out to work in the morning , "see you later." They still expect me to be out collecting after they have done their day.
Long standing customers don't know what it is to have really dirty windows, or if they did they soon forget.
Many will forget all about you as soon as you have gone. I have customers of 10 years standing, who still ask
" who do I make the cheque out to"? Or just fill out the amount and leave the name blank.
It's the lack of consideration that hurts, I would never treat others like some of my customers treat me.
But that's life, and it ain't going to change any time soon.
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they will still go out to work in the morning , "see you later." They still expect me to be out collecting after they have done their day.
Dai,
Ruddy hell!
On seeing them about to depart, why can't you just say...
'Mr Smith*, I'd appreciate it if you would pay me before you go; or is this a bad time? It'd just save me a return journey.'
They'll pay, unless they've got no cash and don't know where the cheque book is. ;)
*Use you're customers name, not 'Mr Smith', unless he's actually called Smith!
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
Instant drop for that alone ...
You beat me to it. Definitely drop customer before he makes it worse for you.
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they will still go out to work in the morning , "see you later." They still expect me to be out collecting after they have done their day.
Dai,
Ruddy hell!
On seeing them about to depart, why can't you just say...
'Mr Smith*, I'd appreciate it if you would pay me before you go; or is this a bad time? It'd just save me a return journey.'
They'll pay, unless they've got no cash and don't know where the cheque book is. ;)
*Use you're customers name, not 'Mr Smith', unless he's actually called Smith!
in this day and age surely there is no need to collect? its a job in itself
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i bet 9 out of 10 window cleaners at least still collect
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i bet 9 out of 10 window cleaners at least still collect
I collect from my local estate areas; but I don't collect from rural accounts, or anywhere that's a pain in the arse to go to; I leave envelopes for these. But for my routine collections, I can just park up and walk round most of the accounts; it's mostly compact work.
When you've got bills, rent or mortgage and stuff; I need something that keeps my cash-flow good. Maybe the guys that aren't so 'needy' can wait for the cheques, but I can't.
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i collect for 2 hours 2 nights a week
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i collect for 2 hours 2 nights a week
I find talking to different people that they wouldn`t want this,i let them send it at there leisure if your banging there door down everytime you clean it makes them more inclined to say can you call every other time etc,IMO if you collect you need to add the hours it takes you into your working week.Add this time spent collecting up over the month and it will surprise you,and don`t forget you don`t get paid for collecting.
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nwh do you not collect at all?
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i collect for 2 hours 2 nights a week
Along with WFP this another big change.
Pleade tell me you've got George?
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i dont have george, what is it all about heared a few things on here about it but go on tell me...
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Start with some business basics.
You've been doing this longer that me, Ive been at a little over a year so feel free to get angry with what I tell you.
Firstly the service industry is expanding, not just us but ironing,gardening, home delivery pizzas etc. It is driven by the dual income syndrome where if they both work even an average household can bring in 60k. So why should she cook or iron? Why should he spend his saturday cleaning the windows?
Secondly with the advent and rise of UPVC cleaning windows has gotten easier, while there is also now greater demand for clean gutters, cladding, and conservatories.
Thirdly H&S rules and technology in the form of WFP and computers and the internet has completly transformed how we work. There is no longer any need to collect. In fact normal people regard it as a nuisance. They can pay online via bacs or post a cheque. George makes it possible for you to track all this. George costs £50.
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you have just gone through everything that i already know apart from george i have a well established business and i know under no circumstances could my business go from collecting to no collecting, i have about 1300 custys a lot of them being old and would not have a clue how to surf the net let alone want to do it but i understand where your coming from... firstly convert a little at a time, a bit more and a bit more until collecting is 1 hour a week.... if you could give me some advice on where to get this software i'd be greatfull because im all for the future ..
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discount do you want me to tell you something..........
Thankyou, infact thankyou to everybody on this site who has offered sound advice which has made me go from dodgy ladders (sorry to all you ladder users nothing against it) to wfp, i have a huge round and have big lans in the next couple of months, george... i have just been looking at it on the web, looks good and im gonna give it a go, i know converting collecting will be a long process but a bit at a time i say... anyway cheers people
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I never collect, I leave envelopes. I hardly ever get the 'leave it till next month' line because I'm normally half way round the house before they even realise I'm there!! I'm not afraid of dogs, so don't get that problem, and if the gates locked, I hop over it!!!
Just get on with it, and stop creating problems for yourself!!! ;)
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Collecting in the mornings! no chance they are all in a mad rush to get to work.
I have printed my bank details on my cleaned your windows slip for the last 2 months, up to now I have converted just 4 customers to pay on line.
I have 6 days work on one estate alone, I only collect on Thursday nights. As Tosh said, I need a certain amount of cash flow too. On some estates I leave envelopes and get a good response.
One interesting fact with these, If I write the customers name and amount owing on the inside of the envelope flap, I get 90% response, if I just leave my cleaned your windows slip in the envelope, I get nowhere near the same success rate.
I believe this is because you are placing the onus to pay on the named person, you address them personally. If you just leave your slip, she will leave it for him to pay, and he will leave it to her.
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! I'm not afraid of dogs, so don't get that problem, and if the gates locked, I hop over it!!!
Just get on with it, and stop creating problems for yourself!!! ;)
You obviously haven't got the same dogs that I have, one has 3 nasty rottweilers.
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i dont have problem with people saying leave them this month, well maybe one every 2 months, dogs i have never had a problem with until 4 weeks ago when i was speaking to a customer of about 5 years at the door and i never ever noticed he had a dog, i asked him when he got his dog he said he has had her 13 years she is getting on now, i went to stroke the dog (Weimaraner) it chomped on my hand that hard and put 3 holes in my thumb.. i have been bit a few times off dogs but this really really hurt more than any of the others.. now im wary about dogs..
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dogs bite through fear. If they can sense nervousness from you it will automatically put them in defensive mode.
Dogs that don't seem to like you are best totally ignored with no eye contact.
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i wasnt worried at all, i was shocked when it chomped on my hand and the guy was in total disbelief... my thumb nail is still totally black and about to drop off from the wounds..
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Having once had to strangle a pit bull with my bare hands, I haven't trusted them since.
My grand daughter still has the scars.
This event, and a few others at the time were instrumental in bringing out the [ in my opinion ] ill conceived dangerous dogs act.
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I never collect, I leave envelopes. I hardly ever get the 'leave it till next month' line because I'm normally half way round the house before they even realise I'm there!! I'm not afraid of dogs, so don't get that problem, and if the gates locked, I hop over it!!!
Just get on with it, and stop creating problems for yourself!!! ;)
spot on ;D just do it
let em come out and cancel you after half the house is done
and if they try.....drop em
keep ya leaflets going out
put some posters up(local shops,hairdressers,laundrettes,garages and doctors notice boards are all good)
replace all dropped customers with new better priced ones
as for dogs,put it on your t+c that they are kept in
if not .....drop em
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my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think >:(
But is he right though?? As I understand it if a wc falls off ladder when on the householders property thehouse holder is liable? Can anyone confirm this?
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Andrew, Whilst commercial premises are obliged by law to provide a safe working environment for all contractors, Private house owners do not.
Unless the house holder actually causes you to fall, he is not liable.
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For me in a situation like that, the issue wouldnt be whose fault it is or whose liable, its the attitude of the person whose house it is.
On that alone IMO he merits dumping, simple as.
Matt
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I never collect, I leave envelopes. I hardly ever get the 'leave it till next month' line because I'm normally half way round the house before they even realise I'm there!! I'm not afraid of dogs, so don't get that problem, and if the gates locked, I hop over it!!!
Just get on with it, and stop creating problems for yourself!!! ;)
I also leave SAEs, but sometimes people still don't send. I had great pleasure this morning in knocking up a customer at 8am (happened to be passing his house).
He came down in his boxer shorts, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, reeking of booze and his breath coming straight from Satan's bottom.
I bet he uses the SAE in future ;D