[PureClean Window Cleaning Ltd]

vince, if you want to be walked over, be my guest, but all messers, are going to pay a premium. end of!

[Ian101]

If they are in and they want them doing then DO THEM .  Never turn business away. Money is what you work for. Not some ego trip.

Money talks principles don't. Messers are always going to be there but a messer with money is still a customer. His money looks just the same as anyone else's once its in your pocket. fifteen minutes and you are off up the road with his money in your pocket.

I can't believe the attitude of some of the people on here. Yes they are annoying but I go out with only one aim. To bring back as much money as I can at the end of the day. As for the rest well WTF. get used to it

Why get so awkward?

only so many hours in day and only able to do so many per day.

I prefer to have a planned day and if I kept hold of messers then it will mess up my days earnings

simples really

since i got rid of messers my round has gone from strength to strength and this wouldnt have been with the messers

not awkward its all about the money

[Londoner]

Nobody walks all over me but at the end of the day the story is that this man wanted is windows cleaned. I would clean them. Thats all really, its not that complicated.

[AuRavelling79]

Nobody walks all over me but at the end of the day the story is that this man wanted is windows cleaned. I would clean them. Thats all really, its not that complicated.

OK so think of the bigger picture Vince - you say OK I'll clean your windows - he tells a neighbour who works out that you will stand for "not todays" and so others start doing it.

The only time I would consider taking his money is in the following situation:-

He wants his windows doing after me dropping him a few months previously for "not today-itis" or "comeback in-spring-itis" and lets say the regular price is £15 - I might do them for £35 up front if it suited me on that day. If I had a full day then he can whistle. At least that way he and other custies know that there is a premium for "occasional" cleaning.

[stuart mc]

I will tell you why vince, it sends a clear message out you will not be taken for a fool, and you dictate how you do business, and word soon gets round if you are any good, and low and behold the good ones pay promptly and are glad to have you

[Johnny B]

I was stiffed by a new customer a couple of weeks ago. The story is this. She wanted her front windows cleaned, plus her lower front gutter and fascia wiped clean. I quote her 20 euros, to which she haggles me down to 15. I relent (mistake no1) and go round a few days later to do the job. Before I start, she then asks me to wipe the top front gutter as well, for an extra 5 euros. Being an old softy, and seeing that it is quite clean anyway, I agree, and do the job (mistake no2).

Just as I finish, she comes out and asks me to do the rear windows. I agree. No extra price is discussed at this stage (mistake no3), but I carry on anyway. Fast forward half an hour or so (I took my time - mistake no4) and the rears are done. I knock on door and ask for 30 euros please (very fair in my book). She (or rather her gobby 9ish year old daughter) offers me the original 20 euros. I ask to see her mum. 'She's gone to bed' was her response. I succeed in getting her mum to come to the door, and explain that I haven't been paid for doing the rears. She tries to haggle down to 25 (even though she hasn't got this on her and she would pay me the 'extra' next time). I take the 20 euros, thank her and start to walk away. Mum goes back inside, and then Gobby 9 yo then asks when I am coming back. 'Never' says I. She then asks why, and so I tell her. She then starts swearing as only her kind can. I then walk away.

Today I am cleaning a house directly opposite, when Gobby comes over and asks for my card. I tell her that I don't have any on me. She then asks why I am not doing her windows. I reply that it is up to her mum to ask me. She then walks off and tells me she is going to phone the police! 'OK' I reply cheerily, then walk away!

I was fuming at the time I was stiffed, by today I felt so much better about it all. The thing is, the house I was doing opposite these delightful people are done weekly!

John

          

[Londoner]

I will tell you why vince, it sends a clear message out you will not be taken for a fool, and you dictate how you do business, and word soon gets round if you are any good, and low and behold the good ones pay promptly and are glad to have you

I don't think "word soon gets round". Thats like some sort of conspiracy theory. The man wanted his windows cleaned and was holding out his money.
Some of you make it sound like its a battlefield or that all they are worried about is their street cred. Give way to one customer and soon they will all be at it. Do yo realise how paranoid that sounds?

Of course there are messers and I drop loads but if they are offering money I will take it. Doesn't have to mean you love them for ever and ever.

[H S and Son]

I dont buy into the 'word gets round' thinking either.

If a customer starts to muck me about they're off the books, not because 'word will get around' but because I've honoured my part of our agreement and they haven't. It's a two-way thing, the guy I mentioned in this thread earlier obviously didn't see it like that, he needs a different window cleaner, simple as.

[stuart mc]

yes granted on larger private property's word probably doesn't get round, on smaller compact council type estates it does though

anyway vince in the original post I would have done the exact same as the poster, I don't need work that much to work for wasters, I am busy enough so I can pick and choose who's money I take

[John F]

ive not read all the answers because i need to go out. my attitude to messers is varied. i have over 300 customers to get through every 4 to 6 weeks. i only have so much daylight and time to get these done. how can i justify cleaning some persons windows who dont really want a window cleaner otherwise they wouldnt mess me about while a good customer who pays on time is kept waiting?

why should i spend a single minute wasting time cleaning a messers windows while i should be looking after the customers who really matter and bring value to my business? messers are worth nothing.

dont know how you guys see it but money is money and i need to earn as much as possible in the time i have. that means working on customers windows who want and pay for the service.

no ego involved really. no posturing, no hissy fits. just time and money.

[Paul Coleman]

Regarding Vince's and Matt's comments about word not getting around.  Although that may the case sometimes, it definitely isn't at other times.  In one of those roads where a lot of people seem to know each other's business (and those communities do still exist), my steady workload was severely curtailed some years ago.  I know it was due to word of mouth because they told me.  In the end, once I had enough work, I told them that it was no longer viable for me to continue the service and I told them why.  No nastiness.  No arguments.  I explained what I needed from them for the work to be viable.  They wouldn't go along with it.  I moved on.  They probably got their claws into the next mug that was fairly new to the business.

[Johnny B]

In the case I posted about, the ex-customers in question have quite a few of their relatives on the same estate who are my customers, and so far these have been all good. So the next few weeks are going to be interesting!

John   

[stuart mc]

In the case I posted about, the ex-customers in question have quite a few of their relatives on the same estate who are my customers, and so far these have been all good. So the next few weeks are going to be interesting!

John   

could be fun may work out in your favour it has for me in the past, then again sometimes it doesn't

about 4 years ago I picked up two jobs nice houses good price, they were sisters, I told my brother who laughed and said he had dumped them 20 years ago for messing him about, sure enough it started about a year later, it was the exact same sister that messed my brother around that started it with me, then she gets dumped and low and behold the other sister loses her window cleaner as well from pressure from her sister.(she was happy with the service) and really pleasant

You would have thought they would have learned by now

on the other hand when I have dropped customers, I get neighbours going out there way to pay me on time and tipping me and being very nice compared the dropped customer

[bobby p]

had a real messer to deal with  this morning,young  foreign bint who i went and cleaned although she wasnt in when i cleaned. i went today for my money,she says you didnt clean,i says i did, she says well i dont pay unless im at home at the time of the clean , i says so lets get this right you are not going to pay , yeah thats right , so i says F  u you fookin foreign crook . with that i walk away but return a few minutes later to jam 2 twigs deep  in her yale lock.

[Ian101]

had a real messer to deal with  this morning,young  foreign bint who i went and cleaned although she wasnt in when i cleaned. i went today for my money,she says you didnt clean,i says i did, she says well i dont pay unless im at home at the time of the clean , i says so lets get this right you are not going to pay , yeah thats right , so i says F  u you fookin foreign crook . with that i walk away but return a few minutes later to jam 2 twigs deep  in her yale lock.

I think you have a nerve 

What a way to treat a customer

I think u should have apologised for troubling her after she refused to pay, bowed your head in shame and tugged your forelock whilst giving yes maam m;lady sorry to have troubled you m'lady and left her premises immediately 

[Dave66]

i think she'll love an egg or two 

[bobby p]

i think she'll love an egg or two 

will give it a while,cool off period but defo iv got to get her back somehow. 

 i had turned up to clean at the exact time she asked for  too.  was she in the house  all along  ? some windows were open i do remember that .

 today she said her reason for not being at home was cos she was rushed into hospital/ what at 9 am on a monday morning,,,,,yeh right . 

[Pope vader]

i got a custy only done 1 clean,  and she insist on a time and date,  got to do on monday between 12-2  am hoping it is lashing down and going to turn up, and see what happens,  if she not today  going to dump

[John F]

had a real messer to deal with  this morning,young  foreign bint who i went and cleaned although she wasnt in when i cleaned. i went today for my money,she says you didnt clean,i says i did, she says well i dont pay unless im at home at the time of the clean , i says so lets get this right you are not going to pay , yeah thats right , so i says F  u you fookin foreign crook . with that i walk away but return a few minutes later to jam 2 twigs deep  in her yale lock.

super glue is more effective mate