Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ftp on July 28, 2008, 04:50:29 pm
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Just had a call to say the whole street no longer have a windowcleaner in their area so they want me because i am so good! Right we'll see - i'm going to have a look tomorrow bet i'll be lucky to pick up one! ::)
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It does happen.
Maybe the window cleaner dropped them because he underpriced/didn't like the type of houses, or maybe he's packed window cleaning in altogether?
Do you know who the window cleaner was and if you do, do you know what other areas he worked?
When I first started three window cleaners 'dropped out' over a period of about 18 months and I did well out of it.
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Don't know yet but they are miffed because he never let them know he was packing up. It's not a street i know so could be council houses, i'm just hoping it's a street full of large detatched.
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you could do well out of it - I would price a little over what I would normally charge and se if you get away with it.
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lol i have had that before... "theres no window cleaner round here" you turn up theres one working next door ::)
:P
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I would be very very careful if i were you,we`ve all had this before oh i`ve heard your the best window cleaner around,the other bloke just stopped coming.I can tell you for nothing there either troublesome or bad paying work,a window cleaner dosen`t stop going for nothing.If he is still trading and around the area working i would steer clear of it.
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I understand some of the caution, but it does happen. Im still picking up work from when some window-cleaner round here jacked it in a year ago. It does happen. People change jobs.
Perhaps he died, who knows.
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I would be very very careful if i were you,we`ve all had this before oh i`ve heard your the best window cleaner around,the other bloke just stopped coming.I can tell you for nothing there either troublesome or bad paying work,a window cleaner dosen`t stop going for nothing.If he is still trading and around the area working i would steer clear of it.
There is alot of sense in this, but i would go anyway and quote away.
It will be interesting to hear tomorrow if your quotes were accepted or if they have palpitations and go into shock, when you tell them how much?
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I'll let you know, i'm not expecting great things. I had a call from a far out village before saying they couldn't get a cleaner in their area. Saw THREE vans working the one village. ::)
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If a w/c is still working but packed in a street, there's a reason why he's packed them in. If the other w/c has stopped trading, go for it but price at what you want, not what they were paying their previous w/c.
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Well, popped round to the cul-de-sac of gold today. It's a collection of shabby terraced houses and everyone was out! So a grand total of zero so far. ::) Obviously the last guy has dumped them for better work.
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A long standing w/c'er round here packed in last xmas, he had very good work too, well priced. Had some heart trouble, gave round to his son ( who's a waster), he did it once then never went back. Neither him nor his son let any customers know what the situation was & so me & others have bennefited from his departure after 6 months & customers begging for quotes! ;D
He is a very agressive man anyway & never had a good word said about him, supprised he kept any custy's but he did. ???
Tony
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A long standing w/c'er round here packed in last xmas, he had very good work too, well priced. Had some heart trouble, gave round to his son ( who's a waster), he did it once then never went back. Neither him nor his son let any customers know what the situation was & so me & others have bennefited from his departure after 6 months & customers begging for quotes! ;D
He is a very agressive man anyway & never had a good word said about him, supprised he kept any custy's but he did. ???
Tony
It does happen as Tony says but not very often in my experience.
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Got the call today from the ringleader of the close " hi, can you come over and give us a quote please, we need a cleaner and you are the one we want. There's probably four of us at least who want you" My wife told her i had already been over to had a look and my price was eight pounds. "I'M NOT PAYING THAT!" she said - i've only got five windows - the last cleaner only charged five pounds fifty."
Oh well stuff em.
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SO LAUGHABLE what do they expect :D
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Told you so.
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Well, popped round to the cul-de-sac of gold today. It's a collection of shabby terraced houses and everyone was out! So a grand total of zero so far. ::) Obviously the last guy has dumped them for better work.
As soon as I get a quote request I check out the area on Google earth and most of the time It can provide a good idea of what the house is like.
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Different tac I had an enquiry yesterday from someone who has a 7 bedroom house. It was hard to talk as English wasn't their first language. After a while I realised they were quite literally ordering me to do them from a ladder rather than use a pole. I did ask if they had had a pole used on the windows before but she said no. I was about to go into my usual spiel but felt that this person would be a major PITA - so I suggested they look elsewhere. The daft thing about this is that she said she got my number from YP. My ad makes it perfectly clear which method I use.
I don't want PITA customers. Life can be hard enough as it is at times.
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Different tac I had an enquiry yesterday from someone who has a 7 bedroom house. It was hard to talk as English wasn't their first language. After a while I realised they were quite literally ordering me to do them from a ladder rather than use a pole. I did ask if they had had a pole used on the windows before but she said no. I was about to go into my usual spiel but felt that this person would be a major PITA - so I suggested they look elsewhere. The daft thing about this is that she said she got my number from YP. My ad makes it perfectly clear which method I use.
I don't want PITA customers. Life can be hard enough as it is at times.
Lol shiner I know the feeling My ad says that we are ladderless window cleaners and yet the surprise that some people express when I mention while quoting how we will go about cleaning the windows. Obviously they just scan the quickly and dont read it properly. I wish they would it would stop them looking like fools when I quote them.
I have in the last few days got a call to an area where the w/c has gone awol (Had 3 grans die, his cat was ill etc etc you know the type - he had been twice since last July and not since feb!) Anyway it is a little away from my usual patch but I thought I'd take a look (The nearest work I have to it is about 7 miles away so not miles away) and for once it was one of those areas which you dream of! It is a quite new estate that was built a couple of years ago and all detached 3 - 5 bed houses. Anyway quoted the person who called me and got the job Charged slightly higher than usual due to being out of my way (and more than the other guy) and did the job and they gave me the lowdown on the other w/c . That was on Friday.
I decided to take a different approach than usual with this area and so last night I went out and leafleted the area (the intention being to get the ones who were desperate first and then canvass the others in a couple of weeks) I have never done it this way before usually I just go straight in and canvass but I thought I would give it a try. Anyway I walk up to the first door and it opens. "hi madam, May I give you our leaflet? - we are now servicing the area" I said. "ok " she replied. "how much to you charge?" So I took a look around and and gave her a price. "How Much?!" She exclaimed "I think I will wait for the other guy to turn up." "ok" I said "but please keep my leaflet for future reference in case he never turns up" and walked away. I will knock on her door when I canvass the rest and see if she's changed her mind (even if I am slightly confused as to why she would want to keep someone who never comes. As for the leafleting, well today I have had 3 people ring up. So will be off tomorrow to quote and do them (assuming I get them). I wonder if anymore will come in over the next few days however in two weeks time I am going to canvass there and I will be offering demos on a downstairs window for the maybes. Will post back what I get but I do have a good feeling with this one it seems to be that rare gem - a good area where the window cleaner has just dissappeared. The people I have so far spoken to seem nice and the houses decent size. The other W/C must be a fool or lazy.
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Don't know yet but they are miffed because he never let them know he was packing up. It's not a street i know so could be council houses, i'm just hoping it's a street full of large detatched.
does it matter what the street is ? also long as it is at your prices then that should be fine
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It matters to me. ;)
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It matters to me. ;)
Then stop being a snob :P. Are you not in business to make money ?
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I am, but as it's my business i tend to choose where i want work - one of the joys of being self employed.
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I am, but as it's my business i tend to choose where i want work - one of the joys of being self employed.
Fair comment,
I do feel you are limiting yourself with that outlook though, just IMO though and not a dig at you.
Ian
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I am, but as it's my business i tend to choose where i want work - one of the joys of being self employed.
Fair comment,
I do feel you are limiting yourself with that outlook though, just IMO though and not a dig at you.
Ian
Possibly but at the end of the day i want my business as pleasureable as possible and if they are poor paying jobs or unpleasant surroundings then i'll move on.
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I am, but as it's my business i tend to choose where i want work - one of the joys of being self employed.
Fair comment,
I do feel you are limiting yourself with that outlook though, just IMO though and not a dig at you.
Ian
Possibly but at the end of the day i want my business as pleasureable as possible and if they are poor paying jobs or unpleasant surroundings then i'll move on.
poor paying jobs are in any place, surroundings part I get what you mean
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try working in a shoe factory for poor surroundings
at least it has sole
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Well they've cracked! Got another call this morning and they have agreed to my prices so they must be desperate.
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Well they've cracked! Got another call this morning and they have agreed to my prices so they must be desperate.
haha. well done. You have also increased prices by 50% which is a double bonus.
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Well they've cracked! Got another call this morning and they have agreed to my prices so they must be desperate.
Tell em it's a new month now and prices have gone up, Minimum £9 ;D