[Erithwc]

Hi

had three customers change from 5 to 10 weekly today i'm normaly quite friendly with them even did the front windows for free on one house as the lady had had her purse stolen.

I'm seriously thinking about stopping being friendly with the customers i will still be polite to them ect but i just don't think it pays to be friendly listening to all their crap and being friendly costs me money 

What do you think Paul

[richard jagger]

Don`t change you might loose them Changing visits is just a sign of the time.TIGHT ON CASH.

[mgba_78]

Dont take it personally, just carry on as normal.
I sometimes think we're too friendly but its good for people to see you're a person not a business sometimes.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Just make sure you increase the price to compensate for reduced frequency.

Simon.

[Londoner]

I'm with Wizkid, sign of the times.

[bobplum]

i have had a about £100 of custom lost since the new year,i have replaced,had one cancel tonight,sent a letter and it all comes down to money and cutting back.
In my opinion it will get worse before it gets better i think this year will bite financial for a lot of people
just improve the service,keep smiling,reduce your running costs and maybe canvass a few as a top up so when customers do cancel you wont feel it too much

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

Personally, I think you should be polite but if you are too friendly that can be a mistake not least because you can spend half an hour chatting to them!
I always treat customers with respect and am friendly enough but not like I'm there best friend!

[dazmond]

you should always be polite to customers and its ok to be helpful towards them.ive been guilty of getting too friendly with a few of the women on my round in the past and ended up in bed with them but its not advisable unless its peeing it down outside as i never got anymore work done that day!!! !!!

[Erithwc]

Personally, I think you should be polite but if you are too friendly that can be a mistake not least because you can spend half an hour chatting to them!
I always treat customers with respect and am friendly enough but not like I'm there best friend!

This is my problem it costs me money i like my work where no one is in because i can knock out more work 

I think i need to stop asking "how have you been" thats a fatal error.

I don't mind some customers i have one lady that had cancer and as my mum died from cancer i normally have a chat with her to see how she is but as for the rest of them i will work on not talking to them just say good morning and carry on cleaning 

less talk means more ££££ in the bank 

Thanks Paul

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

Personally, I think you should be polite but if you are too friendly that can be a mistake not least because you can spend half an hour chatting to them!
I always treat customers with respect and am friendly enough but not like I'm there best friend!

This is my problem it costs me money i like my work where no one is in because i can knock out more work 

I think i need to stop asking "how have you been" thats a fatal error.

I don't mind some customers i have one lady that had cancer and as my mum died from cancer i normally have a chat with her to see how she is but as for the rest of them i will work on not talking to them just say good morning and carry on cleaning 

less talk means more ££££ in the bank 

Thanks Paul

My other half is just like you Paul. He can't resist a chat. He can't understand how I can collect the money and be out in 5 minutes. Getting the balance is the thing, easier said than done sometimes though!

[Richard iSparkle]

i wasnt so friendly to a customer today.

had my first call me all the rude names in the british language on her doorstep.  she wasnt happy i charged her full price for a couple of cleans when she had left her gate locked.

she told me i was a rude Bas***d!  i commented that it was her using foul language and shouting at me, so it was a bit much to call me rude!!!  i won the argument but lost the customer.

[Johnny B]

The way I see it is that we got most of our customers in the first place due to our being friendly.

I love chatting with my customers, as it can make them feel special when we give them a little of our time, and it can bolster our relationships into our being more than 'just the window cleaner'.

Except for the fact that peoples' circumstances can change, sometimes beyond their control, they can turn into customers for life just by our investing in a little time and taking an interest in their wellbeing.

John

    

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

The way I see it is that we got most of our customers in the first place due to our being friendly.

I love chatting with my customers, as it can make them feel special when we give them a little of our time, and it can bolster our relationships into our being more than 'just the window cleaner'.

Except for the fact that peoples' circumstances can change, sometimes beyond their control, they can turn into customers for life just by our investing in a little time and taking an interest in their wellbeing.

John

Glad it works for you Johnny. I'm afraid that we've had a few negative experiences where we've been really friendly and helpful to customers and they've still dumped when the situation suits them!
Don't get me wrong, I'm never rude and always pass the time of day and show an interest in them but I don't let it turn into a 20 minute chat.

    

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I had one sweet old lady (old mrs Jackson) some years back who could talk the hind leg off a donkey. It was an art dealing with her and getting away quickly, an art I didn't always get right because I usually like to show an interest in people so that if I make mistakes they can feel comfortable telling me and giving me a chance to rectify matters instead of bottling it up, then getting stroppy and going off with another W/Cleaner. I distinctly remember on one occasion she asked me to change a light bulb in her refridgerator. It only took a minute but half an hour later I was still stuck there and she was chatting away and blocking the doorway. Evetually I said that I really must go as I need to get some work done and She cut me off saying, "Just a minute young man. I haven't finished yet." She made me laugh. She had absolutely no concept of the fact that time means money to us.

[Johnny B]

The way I see it is that we got most of our customers in the first place due to our being friendly.

I love chatting with my customers, as it can make them feel special when we give them a little of our time, and it can bolster our relationships into our being more than 'just the window cleaner'.

Except for the fact that peoples' circumstances can change, sometimes beyond their control, they can turn into customers for life just by our investing in a little time and taking an interest in their wellbeing.

John

Glad it works for you Johnny. I'm afraid that we've had a few negative experiences where we've been really friendly and helpful to customers and they've still dumped when the situation suits them!
Don't get me wrong, I'm never rude and always pass the time of day and show an interest in them but I don't let it turn into a 20 minute chat.

    

I agree, and I have also lost customers who I have gone the extra mile for (ie done extra jobs for free), hoping they would keep that in mind. Doesn't always work but we still keep trying!

John 

[Ian101]

i wasnt so friendly to a customer today.

had my first call me all the rude names in the british language on her doorstep.  she wasnt happy i charged her full price for a couple of cleans when she had left her gate locked.

she told me i was a rude Bas***d!  i commented that it was her using foul language and shouting at me, so it was a bit much to call me rude!!!  i won the argument but lost the customer.

Is it in an area I cover ?? 

Please reply with all her details or I will too will call you names 

[Pureclean Essex Services]

Just make sure you increase the price to compensate for reduced frequency.

Simon.

I agree with Simon's statement,I never used to increase prices but now add 50% for 8 weekly or double for 12 weekly,I now find they either go with that or stay as they are.

[Dave Anderson]

Have to admit I no longer do anything for free...I am a business and if extra work is required then it is only right that I get something for it...if you give it for free then it's not worth anything and why should the customer think any more of it?

Nothing wrong with being nice, chatty, polite but working for free is beyond being nice.

I have worked for free, done this, that etc for nothing and 5 minutes after the fact the customer will think the same of it...why should they give it anymore thought?

Cheers
Dave.