[Matthew Bateman]

I think its a good idea Slumpy. Its just the same as the explanation letter some give out when they change over to WFP. Most custards dont read it. Most custards at some point in the future offer to show you where the outside tap is. But it at the least SHOWS you are a considerate and professional tradesman.

Its just the same as most people wont notice if your windows are clean but they certainly do if they're dirty.

[G Griffin]

But it at the least SHOWS you are a considerate and professional tradesman.

I wouldn`t go that far but a letter wouldn`t do any harm.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

Good idea but bit early to tell if you aren't going to get to them.

I'd hold fire till week after next, don't trust what the weather men say

[Paul Coleman]

My own thoughts on this were that it could do more harm than good harm because it could easily be interpreted as touting for a Christmas tip even though you might not be able to show up.

Maybe I've grown a little more cynical over the years - perhaps even complacent.
I will say though that I used to adopt a more customer focused stance too.  When I needed a lot of time off sick some years back now, it's a funny thing but the customers who I looked after the best were the quickest to dump me - some without even letting me know.  Bear in mind that on that occasion, I sent a mailshot to every customer saying that I would understand if they preferred to go elsewhere but just to let me know if they did.

Imagine for a moment if someone is buzzing around you really trying their hardest to please you.  I don't know about you but it grates on my nerves and I just want them to go away.

This stuff is not as cut and dried as it may seem to some but is a matter of individual perspective.

I can see why some would want to notify their customers in this way but I question the usefulness of it.  This is based on some of my own experience.  Also, I found that I used to have some customers who wanted to extract more from me because I had a track record of being a people pleaser.  Since I have moved on to the "I'm OK, you're OK" type of stance, I have found that it works better for me.

[dazmond]

how many custies have you got clive?500?-600?a lot of sorry letters!!i personally wouldnt send a letter or a xmas card.what if the weathers bad for 2 months?what you gonna do?not work for 2 months and say no problem ill clean your windows when winters over?you might as well sign on and become part of the summer brigade!! .

seriously though we will all have to just carry on through the bad weather reverting back to traditional window cleaning at times for some work if really cold.ive had a week off and ive managed to get a lot of non work related stuff done  and now im raring to go for monday by any method required to get round as many custies as i can before the 24th dec!!

its not just our normal takings we ll be missing out on if we sit on our arse all december its the extra money in tips(i usually get over £500!!)

so its time to get motivated for the next few weeks and earn a good wedge for xmas then we can relax for a few weeks!!


regards


dazmond

[dazmond]

My own thoughts on this were that it could do more harm than good harm because it could easily be interpreted as touting for a Christmas tip even though you might not be able to show up.

Maybe I've grown a little more cynical over the years - perhaps even complacent.
I will say though that I used to adopt a more customer focused stance too.  When I needed a lot of time off sick some years back now, it's a funny thing but the customers who I looked after the best were the quickest to dump me - some without even letting me know.  Bear in mind that on that occasion, I sent a mailshot to every customer saying that I would understand if they preferred to go elsewhere but just to let me know if they did.

Imagine for a moment if someone is buzzing around you really trying their hardest to please you.  I don't know about you but it grates on my nerves and I just want them to go away.

This stuff is not as cut and dried as it may seem to some but is a matter of individual perspective.

I can see why some would want to notify their customers in this way but I question the usefulness of it.  This is based on some of my own experience.  Also, I found that I used to have some customers who wanted to extract more from me because I had a track record of being a people pleaser.  Since I have moved on to the "I'm OK, you're OK" type of stance, I have found that it works better for me.

my thoughts entirely paul!you have an uncanny knack of saying just what i wanted to say but you put it in better words!none of us need crawl before anyone!!

[clearlyclean]

I have to agree with Paul and Dazmond the more you try to please them by sending apology letter because you cant clean their windows,they may think he isnt coming before chrismo and I need them cleaning they will just pick up the phone and call some one else or worse do them themselves and cancel if their that bothered they will ring you to see if your coming,my customers have a contact number for me and aren't stupid they can see that there is 2 foot of snow about and think poor chap he is just slow this month with weather being bad.may i am naive and think my customers will stick with me through thick and thin.I wont be sending any of my customers an apology letter because the weather is not my fault.I think we are taking too much business advice from American and the Japanese.British culture is different and this kind of marketing could back fire,At the most stick a card through thanking for this years custom and see you soon with contact letter if you want them to remember you.

[Stewart01]

I agree that we don't need to say sorry for the weather that's not our fault but keeping them updated on when you hope to get to them due to the poor weather is just common decency imo, I did a car showroom on monday, I was a little later than normal but the guy actually said thank god, I thought you had packed in, his windows were ditched as there on a main road but he never called me, if he can think like that so can anybody else, it pays to keep them informed. Sorry if that goes against the opinions of the dinosoars on this forum.

[BORBRYCE]

H20, your full of bull sh it by the way. How many customers have you got? In fact don't bother I don't really care. Just how the hell is someone like me going to mailshot over 450 residential customers and nearly 50 commercial jobs, think about it. How would I go about delivering them all? Post? cost a fortune. Bus? well I would need to as my van would be snowed up wouldn't it. Then I could just walk the streets just like the postman and just pop them in all the letterboxes, when I am done, I could catch the next bus to the next round and begin again. When I am done I will get a bus home, If indeed any public transport is running at all.
These are the actions of a madman. When you learn to think practical, then start to talk practical ya daft proon.
As already stated. Forum's are about discussion and opinions. If any one is a T-rex about here It's you muppet head.

[Stewart01]

Ronnie b, what you do is trade in your morse code machine for a "mobile phone" yes mate they sell phones that you can place in your pocket and take anywhere!!! Then what you do is get the relavant information so that in times like this you can send a "txt message" to everyone at the push of a button, ofcourse that depends if when you got your customers you wrote the relevant information on your chalk board!

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

I've been pondering this because originally I did think it was a good idea but I'm now thinking that if they can't work it out by looking out of the window then they are being unreasonable anyway. Is their Christmas going to be in tatters because they can't get their windows cleaned - hardly.

Also, post is obviously going to cost a fortune and if the weather is good enough to get round to drop off a note to everyone then surely there are ways of cleaning the windows..even if it's only a trad pole for upper windows..

The only time I will contact them is if we've promised them a pre Christmas clean and it's absolutely impossible to get to them but there is no way you're going to know this until nearer Christmas. Plan of action to get to all of ours is in place - even if it means next 3 Sundays working

PS Just my opinion but I think if you are going to contact them it should be by phone - and not by text - as I say just my opinion

[p1w1]

Ronnie b, what you do is trade in your morse code machine for a "mobile phone" yes mate they sell phones that you can place in your pocket and take anywhere!!! Then what you do is get the relavant information so that in times like this you can send a "txt message" to everyone at the push of a button, ofcourse that depends if when you got your customers you wrote the relevant information on your chalk board!

LOl great reply

[BORBRYCE]

Ronnie b, what you do is trade in your morse code machine for a "mobile phone" yes mate they sell phones that you can place in your pocket and take anywhere!!! Then what you do is get the relavant information so that in times like this you can send a "txt message" to everyone at the push of a button, ofcourse that depends if when you got your customers you wrote the relevant information on your chalk board!

I have no intentions of asking for their private phone numbers, it's just too intrusive. If they offer, I write it down. Not many offer.
So I don't presume to be really all that important to them by asking before hand. I have a few but not many.
We are window cleaners, get over it. You will not be missed by many until they cannot see out the glass.
We are low on their priority list, honest we are. To be honest I don't even know many of their names let alone phone number, I don't need to.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

ooh this is getting handbags at dawn!!

 

[formb]

Ronnie b, what you do is trade in your morse code machine for a "mobile phone" yes mate they sell phones that you can place in your pocket and take anywhere!!! Then what you do is get the relavant information so that in times like this you can send a "txt message" to everyone at the push of a button, ofcourse that depends if when you got your customers you wrote the relevant information on your chalk board!

I have no intentions of asking for their private phone numbers, it's just too intrusive. If they offer, I write it down. Not many offer.
So I don't presume to be really all that important to them by asking before hand. I have a few but not many.
We are window cleaners, get over it. You will not be missed by many until they cannot see out the glass.
We are low on their priority list, honest we are. To be honest I don't even know many of their names let alone phone number, I don't need to.

I try to get every one of my customers phone number, email and even mobile.

Comes in handy if you set off the burglar alarm, or if you need to chase them up for money.

Also comes in handy if it snows for an entire chuffing month and you want to offer internal cleans / driveway clearing.

[Stewart01]

Ronnie b your last post is proof indeed that you are actually a T-rex, nuff said.

[dazmond]

i agree with ronnie for the most part.there is no need for every custies phone number,email etc.its just not necessary!ill get to them when i have time!!no need to make the job more complicated.ive been window cleaning 17 years and custies understand that you ll be late during periods of bad weather as i state WHEN I TAKE THEM ON THAT ILL BE ROUND EVERY 4 WEEKS,SOMETIMES LONGER IN WINTER DUE TO BAD WEATHER!MAYBE UP TO 6 OR 7 WEEKS!!!so that covers me.thats all you need to do for small domestics IMO.

if its the bigger posher stand alone houses on 2 monthly i always get round bang on time and re jig the 4 weeklies.

the same goes for commercial jobs.



regards


dazmond

[BORBRYCE]

Dazmond, that is what I call practical common sense. Simple.
H20, sorry for calling you a muppet head or similar. We operate in different ways when it comes to customer relations.
Calling fellow posters dinosaurs in a simplistic industry just because they differ in opinion from you is rude and a tad arrogant to begin with.

[Paul Coleman]

I don't get it.
Surely it's possible to have a reasonable discussion about differing methods without it becoming personal.
I did actually go out and do some work today in the end.  Had to take some care on the estates but everything was passable.  I'm working in a large area of flat terrain so that helps.
I did three decent size houses then it started raining.  It got pretty heavy so I went off and did a largish (by my standards) commercial job that I was going to do tomorrow.  Then I finished the day by cleaning the windows at a chip shop across town.  That was meant to have been done Wednesday/Thursday.  I can't do that one in bad conditions because every route out of that shopping area is uphill.  The guy is cool about it.  He knows I'm reliable when travel is possible.