[Richard iSparkle]

I dont think Wizkid is saying you shouldnt get rid of bad customers.  I think he's saying we shouldn't just dump them and not tell them.  We definately get rid of customers who cant fit into our way of working, wether its that they cant keep a gate open for our clean, or want to defer cleans...  or dog dirt in the garden, but we always explain what's happened and our reasons.  we give them the chance to change their behaviour.  we do it nicely and professionally, and just explain in the end that we're not the right service for them.

[mci services]

I dont think Wizkid is saying you shouldnt get rid of bad customers.  I think he's saying we shouldn't just dump them and not tell them.  We definately get rid of customers who cant fit into our way of working, wether its that they cant keep a gate open for our clean, or want to defer cleans...  or dog dirt in the garden, but we always explain what's happened and our reasons.  we give them the chance to change their behaviour.  we do it nicely and professionally, and just explain in the end that we're not the right service for them.

Yes I get that and agree to a point but if the customer is hiding behind couches not pay a bill and is worth a small amount it is pointless, they are skint and can't pay so dump and move on. to waste time tracking them down is just causing you money and stress.

[G Griffin]

Plum I have read you thread with must concern what you are telling that one cannot change. Then if this is the case why do we bother to go to school or university or even change jots and move on the become a window cleaner if you did something else before. I have not desire to change people they can always work upright on two feet. But to influence and educate is a different matter, at all. We are not products of our past but could be slaves of our past. YES. We can grow and change our minds as human we are not dogs of horses that work by senses. Only if we are opening minded want to improve our lot .Accepting that we cannot change I guess would mean if |I was born in a slum, that’s were you stay. No Plum, cannot accept that friend.
If I influence only a few I would think it’s worth it

"Children (and customers) have to be educated, but they also have to be left to educate themselves". 
Ernest Dimnet.

[Paul Coleman]

Plumb bob what difference does it make how long I have cleaned windows for .So I  can be can called a Muppet as so many are call if they provoke challenging debate or thought.
Anyway I have been at it for 5 successful years. This window cleaning job is my retirement job. I have worked as business coach in the service industry for more years. I also spent 3 years at uni studying business management I wrote my thesis in on small business, marketing and l business practice and procedure. Business construction. So I do thing I have a fair idea what I am taking about. I put this thread up to encourage a bit of lateral thinking on our industry. I have written on the subject on several times but maybe we are not quite ready to become professional yet. I will always write on this forum with intentions of helping us all in this industry
 

it can make a big difference on your outlook on life as we are products of life experiences,so if you have been cleaning 1 year your outlook will be different to someone who as 20 years experience.
after five years i would assume you would realize that with all good intentions you will never change people and they way they are i would say, with a cautious note, that better people than you have tried to change humanity and have failed.
"theres nowt as queer as folk" so i personally have given up trying to work out people.
i try to be professional in my approach,from uniforms,van,getting people to pay by bacs,internet,inform customers if we are running late etc etc but im sorry to say whizkid your here just to clean the windows.
im all for debate,i would defend everyones right to free speech and a right to express themselves in a non hurtful way to others but good luck in you goals

I held out pretty well myself.  It took me about 10 years of window cleaning before I started to get more cynical.  Even when I got to the point where I had more work than I could cope with, I still let many customers give me the runaround for a few years.  These days I won't though.  Mind you, I'm still mostly OK with slow payers so long as I feel that the money is safe (eventually !!) .  However, if a new customer starts down that road, they haven't built up any trust with me yet so I can be harsher with new customers who are slow at paying.

[Andrew Willis]

I have been to a customer today that I phoned last night to leave the gate open (and spoke to her). When I got there the gate was locked. This is the second time it has happened in three visits. What do I do?

If I dump her she won't care, she lives on a busy road in a wealthy suburb. Window cleaners are like buses, theres always another along shortly. She won't change her ways. I either put up with it or I don't.

Why dont you have a call back fee, phone, call back / clean add 50% advise her its your standard call back fee and call back is not a problem but you want to keep the cost down for her and see if that has an impact 

[the bfg]

I have a policy in which any customers who constantly mess me about over the course of a year get dropped at the end of the year and I start a new year without them and how good I feel for it.

I don't inform them as they are not worthy of it and they certainly don't get any respect from me.

how anyone else deals with their problem customers is up to them but its nothing to do with being professional about it,    its about treating people the contempt they deserve  and good riddance to them.


SO BE WARNED    when someone calles you to quote and they mention their last w/c just stopped coming you might just be quoting one of my dropped ones so good luck cos your gonna need it  

[bobplum]

I dont think Wizkid is saying you shouldnt get rid of bad customers.  I think he's saying we shouldn't just dump them and not tell them.  We definately get rid of customers who cant fit into our way of working, wether its that they cant keep a gate open for our clean, or want to defer cleans...  or dog dirt in the garden, but we always explain what's happened and our reasons.  we give them the chance to change their behaviour.  we do it nicely and professionally, and just explain in the end that we're not the right service for them.

so are we saying richard and whizkid that we do this to make us feel good,which is fine i go along with that but does it make the customer a better customer for us or the next window cleaner
who gains from this approach.if after asking the customer to comply with various requests.ie gates,payment method etc and they have not are we now saying we should be professional in our dumping procedure
at the end of the day a "dumped customer" is a dumped customer how you do it is inmaterial if you feel you have given them plenty of rope then its they that hang themselves

ps richard the breakfast is on you next week

[Ian101]

what do u know bob ur only a plumber   

Only 55mph winds why aren't u out cleaning 

Not read all of these posts as i got bored but sounds like motor trade when all the uni educated people got involved in "customer care" a few years back and we were told not to ask for the order after spending loads of time with customers .... pmsl at that one ....

ffs this is a simple business lets not over complicate it ... as someone else says on here ... canvass... clean .. get paid ... thats it end off .... simples  ... IT AINT ROCKET SCIENCE !!!

they dont pay then why waste ur time on them .... get proper customers who appreciate a good window cleaner and believe in paying for a service.

if they dont pay or constantly mess u about then bye bye to them ... i used to replace THEN drop now just drop and move on .. not worth hassle / time on these wasters.

Do I tell them why theyve been dropped ... no too busy finding proper customers or doing the windows of proper customers ....  wasters are a drain on mine and yours number 1 resource .... TIME .... so why would I want to burn any more of my time with these scumbags

dont get me wrong Im a nice guy and will tolerate some minor problematic customers but once u get to a point then they gotta go but only u will know when and who.

One thing ive realised is to be very sucessful with window cleaning you have to run it as a business (if ur that way inclined - some just like the lifestyle which is fine) ... i personally think one of the differences between a window cleaner and a window cleaning business is the quality of ur customer base.