Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ftp on June 22, 2009, 09:44:32 pm
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When I get a customer who turns me away I rarely bother to go back.
Cleaning several months ago - "are you doing mine today?" yes I said, "well I don't want them done" no explaination no apology nothing, just shuts the door. Month later she contacts my wife and requests I clean her windows because she was getting married that weekend, rollocks I told the wife, i'm too busy. She keeps asking but to be honest I really don't want to do them. Should I be more professional with the notion that the customer is always right or walk away?
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Tell her why you dont want to do them!! otherwise she will think your just not reliable
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smile and wave boys smile and wave !!sod umm ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D never ever ever ever ever go back
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rollocks and walk away....... ;D
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be professional, and tell her since shes been away the prices have gone up ;D
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I've had exactly that today, from a good payer & good price. Her husband is just back from Afghanistan and within first 3 days, he apparently cleaned his own windows ???
I hope he keeps cleaning them, because I won't.
The flipside to this coin is, a happy customer tells 10 people, an unhappy 1 tells 30, but I can live with that.
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I suppose you could explain why you havent gone back, it doesnt mean you are looking to get back together and be custy/cleaner friends mates etc. It just means he/she/it/them know why.
If she then persists and ASKS you to go back you could then say 'no...I told you why not.' I would do it that way I think.
Or sell it to slrobo ;D ;D
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I have several who may skip a clean. If they are polite or have a good reason I normally let them off. This one really peed me off, she works in the same supermarket as my wife so it could be bad for buisiness if I don't or it could be good for me in showing other potential messers that i won't have it.
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Probably you shouldn't do it, but i refuse to act petulantly just to prove i am right.Very often this leads to the customer getting the better of me, because they too like the last word and the idea of payback (or don't pay) at all time.
The business books say that your worst customers cost you money, and you make 80% of your money from your best 20% of customers.
As Regards turning you away she probably didn't give it a second thought, and you probably behaved nonchalantly as if you werent bothered which reinforced this. If she knew you were on a wcing forum obsessing over a minor incident that happened months ago she would probably be very surprised.
I think you should go back and consider it character building.
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i dont normally go back
life is too short to worry about these things, fook em
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::) ::) ::) oh well nevermind....anoter wek of dirty windows wont hurt ::)
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tell her to get someone else to take the p**ss out.drop it
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Book the job in, they don’t clean the windows if you don’t feel like it.
If you don’t end up cleaning them, and she contacts you later, just tell her.
"Well I don't want to do them" just shut the door or put the phone down!
;D
lol, good one.
don't do them, it would be bad for morale.
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a bit dif , last muth how much for windows x can you do em next muth then every munth ,yes ,gos yesterday start washing she comes out i who asked you to wash the windows gesr that lives hear wots his name i dont kow his name o il ring him as iv moved next door he comes home and says when youv dun that one come and see me , off
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The position I'm in,(not many customers yet),I would probably just do them.If had a full round of customers I would happily tell her where to stick it.
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When I get a customer who turns me away I rarely bother to go back.
Cleaning several months ago - "are you doing mine today?" yes I said, "well I don't want them done" no explaination no apology nothing, just shuts the door. Month later she contacts my wife and requests I clean her windows because she was getting married that weekend, rollocks I told the wife, i'm too busy. She keeps asking but to be honest I really don't want to do them. Should I be more professional with the notion that the customer is always right or walk away?
It really does depoend on the circumstances for me.
If it's in the middle of loads of other work and the customer has a good track record then I will probably let it go and return. I may be tempted to try and get them to sign T & Cs that stipulate paying for half the clean if turned away.
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be professional, and explain to her that due to the economic crisis she would be much better off doing them her f ing self.
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Tell her you're too busy with reliable, loyal customers!
Or, get your wife to get her boss to tell her that he doesn't need her that day when she next walks in to work!!
On the other hand, you're in a position now Dave to do what the hell you like with her, it's your business, which relies on a steady income! Do what your instinct tells you & you won't go far wrong. ;)
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Just had this same situation this morning..
I clean in a well to do little road...in Feb this lady walks over says she has seen me cleaning for a couple of years and would I do her....yes...all explained and being regular, every 8 weeks, notice period to advise us when they are on hols or something like that...
Anyway...I go to clean it for the 1st time...everything goes well... 8 weeks later I go back and back gate locked ( being open is a stipulation of ours)...so I leave a note to say I'll be back in 2 days...she phones and says its not convienent...so would like a skip...so that would be another 8 weeks..so we just let it go...and took her off George.
This morning she comes over...all nicey..."could you clean ours today?"...no sorry but I'm full as I had to fill your space as we work with set days....she then all apologised....but the way she spoke to the g/f the last time like she was lady Muck....I saidthen to the g/f I would'nt take her back...
Some people...she had our t&c's and agreed to them and then decided to play around..whilst I appricate the we are 'just' window cleaners and our services are not life and death...but I did actually enjoy this morning. Being at a comfortable level of business income is nice to be able t make these calls...2 years ago I would have eaten the humble pie and sucked it up.
Dave.
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She just needs training. Normally i would drop her if her attitude was poor but if your wife works with her then that puts a different dimension on it. Is your wife embarrassed? If not then drop drop dropity drop!
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i had one today.
"have you done mine" (as he just come back from walk) i was a couple of doors down.
"no" i said.
"oh leave them this time"
I asked why politely as i thought i might have done something wrong.
he replied he didn't have the money.
£6 front £12 around they mix it up a bit.
custy said do it next time, he made a bit of chat but he was basically smoothing me over.
as said always been alright don't know wether to do next time or not, don't like feeling i'm at their mercy ;D
the old knock and see. so might miss. ( or am i being bitchy :-\)
The wife showed up as i finished in the road, she usually says hello, but ignored me.
Her hubby is a N0b.
I might leave em out and i asked why say hubby said they couldn't afford it anymore so took as canceled ;D
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Just tell her, you loved to do them BUT you're fully booked with a round full of regular customers and can't find the time to squeeze her in. F em.
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know what yu saying.
feel a bit over the top missing em out
but got a gut feeling the hubby is going to start being a messer :-\
i always get a bit flustered when they put me on the spot ;D
he's never been that friendly before, never really speaks to me.
when they want back done it's a nightmare i never seen so much toot down the side loads of recycling rubbish, kids toys.
muggins here moves it all out of the way before i bring trolley through then moves it back.
mrs usually gives us a pound or two tip.
but i'd rather give her a fiver and leave the back ;D
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Pretty much from the word 'go', I've always dropped customers who've messed me about; there's always another customer round the corner.
Consequently, I can't remember the last time I've been told, 'Not this time, mate'.
Also, when I quote I always stress my cleaning frequency and sometimes offer a longer cleaning frequency at a higher price, which I think sends out a certain message. I did this last week and the lady declined my quote, purely on the basis that she felt my cleaning frequency system was too rigid; and I was fine with that.
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I don't mind customers who are up front and tell you straight they can't really afford it. I can relate to that easily enough and will try to be accomodating.
Its the ones who come out with silly excuses that make my blood boil. Usually this happens with newish customers who aren't really bothered so much once their minging windows have been cleaned the once.
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
I find it difficult to see how that can be viable as a full time business proposition. Could it be that he has a load of regular work and just sets some of his time aside for appointment work?
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
I find it difficult to see how that can be viable as a full time business proposition. Could it be that he has a load of regular work and just sets some of his time aside for appointment work?
I've often wondered how it can pay. I suppose if he had 200 or so big houses that he did annually and charged £200 a time then maybe it might work. But then he'd still need to pay his lads.
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
That's how it's done over here Simon. It takes years to build it up, but it works. I have always had squaddies as regular custies, ze Germans have appointment only and the price depends on how many cleans in a year they have, if you see what I mean.
Bit surprised that he has got a round like that in UK, good luck to him though, wonder what a round like that is worth. :)
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
That's how it's done over here Simon. It takes years to build it up, but it works. I have always had squaddies as regular custies, ze Germans have appointment only and the price depends on how many cleans in a year they have, if you see what I mean.
Bit surprised that he has got a round like that in UK, good luck to him though, wonder what a round like that is worth. :)
The round worth? I wouldn't have a clue TBH.
As I say he's been around for years and years so perhaps he has built up that kind of business. I mean carpet cleaners do it on an ad hoc basis (I imagine) so why not a window cleaner? From time to time I get asked to quote a house and it's far too big for me alone to do and I shove the job his way. He reciprocates and gives me the tiddlers that I prefer ;D
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Because carpets cost more than windows to clean. Also, dirt in capets doesn't show up so readily as dirt on windows. Carpets aren't exposed to the weather. Totally different business models IMO.
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Because carpets cost more than windows to clean. Also, dirt in capets doesn't show up so readily as dirt on windows. Carpets aren't exposed to the weather. Totally different business models IMO.
???
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
That's how it's done over here Simon. It takes years to build it up, but it works. I have always had squaddies as regular custies, ze Germans have appointment only and the price depends on how many cleans in a year they have, if you see what I mean.
Bit surprised that he has got a round like that in UK, good luck to him though, wonder what a round like that is worth. :)
The round worth? I wouldn't have a clue TBH.
As I say he's been around for years and years so perhaps he has built up that kind of business. I mean carpet cleaners do it on an ad hoc basis (I imagine) so why not a window cleaner? From time to time I get asked to quote a house and it's far too big for me alone to do and I shove the job his way. He reciprocates and gives me the tiddlers that I prefer ;D
Thats Pretty much how I operate, not really by choice just that the areas I work in dont really have much in the way of a tradition of regular window cleaning.
It does mean that you get full price every time but I have to juggle work to keep busy in bad weather and have casual staff for when the sun comes out and it gets really busy.
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You could ring her back and say you are very busy.
I just let them go and if they ask next time I am in the road I just say I have filled there spot.
If they don't like it or agree with that I just remind them that would they like it if there hubby came home with a percentage of his paypacket missing next month due to somebody not being bothered to fill something in...ect...ect
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These's a guy who works the same area as me. Doesn't have a round as such. Works "by appointment only". He doesn't phone people, people phone him as and when they want them cleaned...can be 6 months, can be 2 years between cleans. He's been around for donkeys years and he has 2 full time lads with him so it must pay. I think he charges bundles.
is it Ewan ;D