Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: paul beckett on September 05, 2009, 09:08:30 pm
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if the customer says its no point in doing windows in winter,
whats the best responce you give to custy, to keep them as a custy because its a good earner.
put it this way, not everyone can afford to lose custys so easily.
kind regards
paul
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I just say give me a ring next year and if I can fit you in I will. Last year I had plenty of room, next year will be cheerio to anyone who trys it.
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i allways say " i might not be able to fit you back in, as i need to earn all year round and if a new customer comes in, they might take your place on my round, BUT i expect to be slightly longer between cleans because of the weather "
most say, oh ok then carry on as normal
some say, can you do it every other time during the winter
a small % say " i will take the risk " ---- these i allways say when the phone up " oh sorry i am very busy and dont have the space "
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i have heard on here that the windows get dirtier in winter,{ i havent noticed this really,} but if it does, how do you explain why they get dirtier in winter to the custy, you know technically.
kind regards
paul
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Mine were filthy within three days this week!
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if the customers wants rid of you whats the point in convincing them otherwise,let them go till they come back of thier own choosing
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Another response is to let them know in advance that the job will be re-priced in accordance with how you will be pricing jobs at that time.
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Another response is to let them know in advance that the job will be re-priced in accordance with how you will be pricing jobs at that time.
Blackmail tatic ;D
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I look at each job i do and get paid for as a bonus.
So unless they have been troublesome or the job has been a pain, i would just tell them to call me when they want me to start again.
But the reality for me has been that i haven't had customers cancel for the winter.
Whenever i get a call to resume (for other reasons) i always makeit a point of being a few weeks away. I never reclean promptly, cos i don't want to give the impression that i am just a phone call away. I have converted a couple of customers to being a regular clean by doing this.
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I have a couple that go from 4 wkly to 8 during the winter months..but to be honest alot of decisions are base on 'do I like the person/job etc' then it seems on what is being asked.
In general I suspect that the best way forward for me is to say 'ok' but but I'll try to fit you in in the spring. But in reality I would try to fill that space and come the time they call...re-price the job and think about putting on a 1st clean price.
Cheers
Dave.
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I say you need to have them cleaned more in the winter to let as much light in as possible.
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I just say OK fine I will schedule you for the next clean in March. That way they are happy and I still keep the customer. Then I alter their date on George.
Its to my advantage to be able to lay off a few customers in the winter because with the shorter days I can't get round quickly enough anyway.
Its a win-win solution
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i had a custy yesterday that i have been doing her windows every two weeks at her request say to me come again in two weeks then as weather gets rough go to once 4 every wks, but i dont think i need to worry of losing her as i think i would do the same.
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Good replies , it annoys the hell out of me, but i do take them back on becasue mostly my work is compact and it pays to have them in there, but i do try charge more, or put them up if thats how they play the game :)
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I found in the early years of starting up window cleaning, I had a small number of customers who've said to leave them till Spring, and I told them then that I did it all the year round, or not at all. I can't remember any saying, 'Okay then, keep comming'.
But now, it must be about four years since someone has asked me to stop cleaning till after Winter, so it's not really an issue.
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I had a customer a few years back who said "can we leave it until the spring".
I explained that my bills come in every month not just over the summer. She actually started laughing. Needless to say she was dumped on the spot.
The ones who want to stop until spring are just fair weather customers who don't give a stuff if you starve over the winter months....no room for these sorts on my books thanks ;)
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as said if i get a custy say this my reponse is,
"oh, the trouble with that is if someone else asks me i'l have to give them your space"
if they ask why's that as some do because they are just intrested in them i just add.
"The trouble is the RBS want the mortgage money every month" ;D
Most will leave, unfortunately for the first couple of years you seem to pick up all the work other window cleaners don't want :(
lee
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i suppose if you really needed the work then tell custy ok see you in spring but i will have to put up price 30-50% as windows will be dirtier and to make up for lost income.
Your still lose them,
some custy's are often honest and (up front) say i don't want in winter which leaves you the above option.
I have had many problems majority are always down to my people skills, and in the beginging being to accomadating.
I realise finally i can't please all the people all the time and don't beat myself up trying.
I find being honest the best approach, if someone wants me to bend over backwards for me i.e don't do today can you come back, then sorry NO, if their insistant then i tell them i'l have to put call out charge on top as working out of sequence has negative effect on my income ;)
I it one of my custy's i really like then i would fit in, usually on saturday as i go out some saturdays as i nick a few extra ££s if weather's been unkind ;) :D
lee
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ive never had it happen to me apart from when i first started a big guy said to me in october,is that it till next spring but i explained i cleaned all year and he was fine,he must have had cowboys in the past
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I realise finally i can't please all the people all the time and don't beat myself up trying.
And this hits the nail on the head. I work the way I work, clean houses that I'm comfortable with and have customers who I'm happy to serve at the frequency I'm also happy with. I don't expect all of my jobs or customers to be 100% satisfactory all of the time but occassionally I get the odd one where it's just not really possible to make a living from...so I dump it rather than raise my blood pressure.
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Its your business not theres, you set the rules not them
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cheers for the advice everybody, i just did not want to lose custy because it was worth £25 every month and very close to others.
cheers anyway
paul
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lots of people find it hard to cancel a service like wc - milkman face to face so if they try and you convince them to stay on they will be disheartened with trying to cancel your services again ....
Its abit sneaky but it works - Sometimes though you will find a note put up in the window
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There are a few problems here .What I would charge Eg 8.50 for a 4 weekly clean The same house 6 weekly will be 12.50 and any longer will be like a new first clean which is 18. pounds So they can choose as well as loosing the place if they leave. I will never take a costomer on any day they ash for , e need to let they know we are busier than they thing even if I am not .I always tell them its a special favor and a special price for them and they must not tell anyone to get this price. so I creat a need in them for what I do for them.My back grond is in marketng and the prinsable of all this is to creat a perseption of plenty of business in there eyes.Man always wants what he cannot obtian easyly . Thanks Guys and good luck Richard..... PS try to tell you dentest when he should see you next and see were you land????
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.... PS try to tell you dentest when he should see you next and see were you land????
go private and you can tell him ;D
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I am private but the dentest thing they are the profesionals so we do not call the shots.
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My point is that i need to work all year around
as my round is very compact, i dont wants mrs smith at number 4 saying " i will not have it done from oct to april " i say, oh ok, then she goes and tells number 6 & 8, who in turn tell number 3 and 7 across the road
then what do i do when a % of my customers want them only in the summer, oh i could try and ask intelligent finance if i can only pay my mortgage in the summer aswell
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Forgt this : Tell them durt and dipolition is air bourn in winter and when the rain falls on it .It draws the polution and together in specks or droplets on the glass and that is why one needs to clean in the winters . Our rain is not theavy enough to clean glass. QUOTE: CLEANER WINDOWS BRIGHTER FUTHERS
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My point is that i need to work all year around
as my round is very compact, i dont wants mrs smith at number 4 saying " i will not have it done from oct to april " i say, oh ok, then she goes and tells number 6 & 8, who in turn tell number 3 and 7 across the road
then what do i do when a % of my customers want them only in the summer, oh i could try and ask intelligent finance if i can only pay my mortgage in the summer aswell
pay double mortgage in the summer and none in the winter ;D ;D
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Its your business not theres, you set the rules not them
Yes that's true dave. But it is them who are paying for the service, so i can understand why they think they can choose as and when.
And if i don't agree or it doesn't suit me, i won't go back.
If i cancelled my paper for a week while i was on holiday and i was told it is a weekly service regardless, i would tell them to get fooked.
Not the best comparison, people can and should run their business as they see fit. But i think it's a bit arrogant of us to assume that we are signing up someone for life.
The recurring nature of our work is a bonus, not a right.
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cheers for the advice everybody, i just did not want to lose custy because it was worth £25 every month and very close to others.
cheers anyway
paul
In my experience, the £25 and over jobs start off good but they soon think they can tell you when you can clean or not.
What you have experienced is i believe, the 1st sign that this customer is going to be awkward. The £25 won't seem as attractive 6 months or a year down the line, when you've wasted fuel in going there a few times, to be turned away.
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I'm actually working on the idea of taking off a month in the winter anyway, maybe February. I think the customers would be OK with it and I make enough through the rest of the year that it wouldn't be a problem from the money point of view.