[Londoner]

Went out yesterday morning about 9.30am to do some canvassing in a street we already have a couple of customers and have leafletted twice.
Came home mid day frozen solid and dying for a pee and a cup of coffee then went back to finish the road by just after 3pm.

Final score 15 new customers worth £206.( several were front onlys)  Half the houses were out so I have kept a note of them and I will go back and re-canvass them again when the evenings get lighter.

We have leafletted a few of the roads around this one with little success in the past so for the next few Saturdays it out with the clip board for me.

On the down side, in the last few weeks we have had one customer dump us, no reason given, possibly money problems. One customer has gone into a home, another is dying, a £15 customer has put his house up for sale this week. Another lady's husband has been moved to Hong Kong and she will be going as soon as she sorts out everything here.
 Just to add to the grief one of the service families stationed at NATO Headquarters Northwood but living in a rented house has been given notice of tranfer in June and we dumped a timewaster.
Thats without the post Christmas excuses and not this times. 

It feels like we are running hard but standing still at the moment

[Ian W]

That has to be a worthwhile Saturday task. I will be starting canvassing again soon.
At that rate you will replace your lost customers and gain a lot more in no time. 

[Paul Coleman]

Went out yesterday morning about 9.30am to do some canvassing in a street we already have a couple of customers and have leafletted twice.
Came home mid day frozen solid and dying for a pee and a cup of coffee then went back to finish the road by just after 3pm.

Final score 15 new customers worth £206.( several were front onlys)  Half the houses were out so I have kept a note of them and I will go back and re-canvass them again when the evenings get lighter.

We have leafletted a few of the roads around this one with little success in the past so for the next few Saturdays it out with the clip board for me.

On the down side, in the last few weeks we have had one customer dump us, no reason given, possibly money problems. One customer has gone into a home, another is dying, a £15 customer has put his house up for sale this week. Another lady's husband has been moved to Hong Kong and she will be going as soon as she sorts out everything here.
 Just to add to the grief one of the service families stationed at NATO Headquarters Northwood but living in a rented house has been given notice of tranfer in June and we dumped a timewaster.
Thats without the post Christmas excuses and not this times. 

It feels like we are running hard but standing still at the moment

Over all though, there always seem to be more gains than losses I assume?  Maybe not if you examine one month but if you look over a year it always seems to be like that.
I got a not today thanks the other day.  It's a reasonably paid job in ther middle of a load of others and they've always been OK before so I'll let them off this time    .  The bit that bugs me is when they tell porkies.  All they have to do is say that Christmas skinted them.  The person said that they had no money on them.  No prob says I.  You don't have to pay today.  I can leave a bill and you can send a cheque.  I don't like owing money says she (this is a customer who has twice failed to send a cheque but happily paid for 2 cleans on my next visit).  The next bit, the bit that DID bother me, was Oh.  They're still clean.  Now my concern is that she is shaping up for trying to get a 12 weekly service on a £13 job.  I won't do that.

[Village Gleam]

I wanted to ask Vince how he would describe his leaflets, but as he's gone off I started a new topic.
My interest lies in how he describes them, and what he thinks about them.

Think of it like a test.

[Londoner]

I wanted to ask Vince how he would describe his leaflets, but as he's gone off I started a new topic.
My interest lies in how he describes them, and what he thinks about them.

Think of it like a test.

They are A6 printed on orange paper and it just says Vince Green, WINDOW CLEANER. Friendly and Reliable, Early morning and weekend appointments by arrangement, then my full home address and telephone number. After the phone number it says please phone between 6 and 8 pm which shows how old the leaflets are because that goes back to when the kids were young.
They are cheap, simple and have worked well for years. I am going to revamp them to include conservatorys when I get a chance.

[Village Gleam]

That's a good formula. As you point out you may be missing good paying all over and con cleans from customers who already have a window cleaner.

I am targeting the area I live in. I feel foolish giving them the same fare every three months so maybe a variiation for repeats.

Oh dear, just read your reply on the other leaflet topic, and you were doing so well but now you're in the naughty chair. Especially as i have just ordered a load of full colour glossy A5 leaflets....
expect a telling off.

[Londoner]

Been out again today (Sunday) and got another 8. Much harder going today. One of yesterdays new ones phoned up today and cancelled. She says her husband won't allow it. Had a big arguement she said, oh well.
Got another 3 or 4 time wasters lined up to be dumped on the strength of new customers to replace them.
This is turning into a sort of a blog but I am doing it to show other people what life is like for this window cleaner and maybe help some of the newbies along the way.

Going to get all the stuff out of the van now as weather forcast is below zero tonight.

[Dean Aspects]

Canvassing pah!! i hate it not really done it for years but as i want to change my round shake things up a bit i am going to have to do it your experiences have given me hope although i am targeting the large residential and commercial i might have differing results but i will stick at it and hopefully at the end of the day i will be working smarter as the saying goes

Dean

[Dale Smith]

We do canvassing almost everyday usually, at about half 3, so the ladies of the house are usually in after picking up the kids.
Mind you we have to, as we are trying to build a round still.....