[FCS]

mr A S,
I'm with you on the personal thing, some customers will be open and friendly and it's nice, even professional to be friendly back, however not ALL are like that unfortunately. (I spose we don't know what the customer may be having to deal with in their personal life or if they've had a really bad experience with a previous window cleaner/tradesman, although it's not a reason to take it out on someone else, it does affect people's judgement..)

I'm like you, I go the extra mile to keep them happy, (a walkover my missus says) but I believe it's good business practice, it's nice to be nice, specially in the times we're living in. I'm definitely not cutthroat enough, and I'll never be rich, but that's not my goal so I'll carry on as I do. Your text replies to the guy are worded almost exactly as I probably would've typed, so I can see where you're coming from, unfortunately, although you've done NOTHING wrong, there are always going to be unreasonable control freak customers out there. NOTHING you can do about it matey, you've been nothing if not accommodating, no charges of obnoxiousness could be levelled at you, just forget it and move on.

[H S and Son]

Why is a customer who is asking you to miss a clean an unreasonable control freak?

[Dave Willis]

It's a problem for all newbies. Can't really afford to dump, haven't got enough work, constantly picking up the messers. Once you've got stacks of work you just let them go and move on and it doesn't tend to get to you. Can't think of many trades where you have the option to turn the customer down forever.

[FCS]

Why is a customer who is asking you to miss a clean an unreasonable control freak?

because it wasn't JUST a case of asking him to miss a clean. the OP had been very accommodating so far, but the customer wanted it ALL his own way, and when our plucky window cleaner stood up to him he got THIS reply "Thanks for this, but if that's the way u are doing business forget us as a customer in future.  Don't bother calling anymore." Sounds unreasonable to me, all take and no give.

[AS Window Cleaning]

Yeah, prob referred to "kids" too much, should have said family.  Was trying to kill him with kindness, and he dotes after his kids, he has some that are around 30, and this latest batch which are young still.  Perhaps shouldnt have mentioned family......but its what he talks about when see him, he works at local school now, looking after soccer pitches.  Tho he was prison governor before retired.....so think he is used to getting things his way and "being the man"...

Not a noobie really (compared to Roy Harding im still an infant mind you, (if you were referring to me), been cleaning for 8 years this time round.  Trying to weed out the messers that seem to be starting to increase.  But i take things too personally and as rarely loose of fall out with a customer it bums me out more!

I do like some of the ideas tho here, stuff to think about.  Have started texting more instead of ringing as easier and can get the person where ever they are instead of leaving messages on home number they dont get until the next day!  But i like idea of pricing up fronts only and if they are not around their loss......sometimes feel like bend over backwards to accomodate and never appreciated"!

[H S and Son]

Why is a customer who is asking you to miss a clean an unreasonable control freak?

because it wasn't JUST a case of asking him to miss a clean. the OP had been very accommodating so far, but the customer wanted it ALL his own way, and when our plucky window cleaner stood up to him he got THIS reply "Thanks for this, but if that's the way u are doing business forget us as a customer in future.  Don't bother calling anymore." Sounds unreasonable to me, all take and no give.

There's a million miles between that and being an unreasonable control freak.

[FCS]

Yep, it's a balancing act between being accommodating and being walked over.
20 years in and I'm still finding it hard to balance!

[FCS]

Why is a customer who is asking you to miss a clean an unreasonable control freak?

because it wasn't JUST a case of asking him to miss a clean. the OP had been very accommodating so far, but the customer wanted it ALL his own way, and when our plucky window cleaner stood up to him he got THIS reply "Thanks for this, but if that's the way u are doing business forget us as a customer in future.  Don't bother calling anymore." Sounds unreasonable to me, all take and no give.

There's a million miles between that and being an unreasonable control freak.

OOh sorry. Mayhap I was exaggerating slightly,  I retract my statement and reduce my criticism to him merely being unreasonable. That stands. 

[H S and Son]

Thats better, good lad 

[SunShineCleaning]

The mistake you made was to mention the pointless T&C's. Have you ever over the past 2 years been later than 5 weeks? If so did you give him 48 hours notice?

T&C's for window cleaning really only work if you can keep to your side of the bargin.

Added to that is the fact that window cleaners are not really a high priority for most people, and neither should they be. They won't think about it until the text message comes through which if they then reply with "miss me out" leaves them 'breaking' your T&C's.

I work on the principle that ALL new customers are priced at one-off rate and if access is required or they want to be in for the inside to be done speak to them to arrange a date.

I love it when local guys 'dump' awkward customers. They phone me up and I can hit them with a large price. That is the best way to concentrate their minds and see that you are serious. You are less likely to be messed about if you pre-charge them for any inconvienience that may happen in the future.

There is no such thing as an awkward customer, just a low price.

By striking up a fixed 5 weekly 'contract' with T&C's you tie their hands and your own. Flexiability is going to be the way forward as we continue into the next resession, sure make them pay for it but remain flexiable. 

[bobplum]

Sounds like you've done nothing wrong! Just out of interest (for when I start canvassing) do you contact every customer the day day / night before clean or is that just going to confuse matters?

I needed access to rear through his garage.  On average we text about 3 customers a day who lock gates/need to go thru to get to rear of house.

Its no loss really, though my wife is stressing about upsetting customers    I just feel like ive failed, really, in upsetting a customer.  Even though i dont think (and hope) i wasnt out of line!

I know how you feel and from what you say you seem to have a good work ethic but when i read this post i instantly thought of Richard speech(concept20) and then Santa Vader said it,this type of customer will only cause you problems in the long run mainly due to the access problems,all the time spent faffing about,texting etc for £4.50 would have been better canvassing a house with no access problems and then removing this customer from your round and that is how the likes of Richard speech makes £350.00 day and believe me he does
It can be all about selection and the willingness to remove deadwood or time consuming customers from the rounds,which frees up time to get the money in and keep your debts down and bring in new and better work

i have one customer pays £18.00 a month and as started to hint about "not really need cleaning every month"it a massive three storey Victorian house the minute she says leave it till next time or call every two months  my answer will be "that will be £25.00" if she does not like it we will part company i will go out and canvass in that area and get £20.00 worth of work and they will pay by standing order and life will be sweeter

sermon over   rev bob

[Pope vader]

since reading richard (concept20)  i have decided that i wont be doing any more bad access houses from now on, been doing this business for over 2 years and to he honest treated like a hobby something to do in the day, whilst kids are at school,  got a few houses that are stand alone jobs which i wont be going back too,   

[GB Window Cleaning]

since reading richard (concept20)  i have decided that i wont be doing any more bad access houses from now on, been doing this business for over 2 years and to he honest treated like a hobby something to do in the day, whilst kids are at school,  got a few houses that are stand alone jobs which i wont be going back too,   

just charge more to make it worth your while mate!

[Pope vader]

would do but they wont pay,  put up a few prices in the summer and got dumped,  put one up to £7 and she dumped me for some who charges £5, some very cheap window cleaners near me

[KLEENAWAY]

Personally....i would of gone mad at the smarmy prick!

Keep his number and ring him after every night out and early start! Also write the number in every public phone box and toilet you can find asking for "abit of fun"! Thats just me though 

Danny

[Tom White]

What did i do wrong?  was i too harsh with them?  

C'mon, you should know the score by now.  You've done nothing wrong; you were polite and professional; friendly too.

The problem was with your customer; she didn't like paying - it's obvious from the cancelled cleans - and she just used your terms and conditions as an excuse to cancel.

Maybe she's going through a divorce or something too?  With her attitude, that wouldn't surprise me.

[AuRavelling79]

Ahem! Please read Tosh - A S is telling us about a bloke not a woman!

Mind you if I need a doormat I know where to get one - three cancellations and a "not today" too! £4.50? Ex prison governer? - should be loaded!

The custy has been allowed to mistreat Andy by Andy and Andy should have dumped his sorry derrier months ago. £4.50 indeed!

[AS Window Cleaning]

it was actually his wife's mobile, who I have never met. I text because I rang at 8pm the first time to let them know calling next day, and they were quite upset with me calling at that time, so suggested texting instead, as won't disturb "the kids".

so well done tosh, perhaps your 'gay-dar' (would have said lay-dar but you wouldn't have known what talking about) is more highly tuned as you could tell was a females number!

I just need to thinken up my skin a bit and take things less personally. that's a lesson for all you 'girls' out there lol.

[rosskesava]

it was actually his wife's mobile, who I have never met. I text because I rang at 8pm the first time to let them know calling next day, and they were quite upset with me calling at that time, so suggested texting instead, as won't disturb "the kids".

so well done tosh, perhaps your 'gay-dar' (would have said lay-dar but you wouldn't have known what talking about) is more highly tuned as you could tell was a females number!

I just need to thinken up my skin a bit and take things less personally. that's a lesson for all you 'girls' out there lol.

I don't think it's case of needing to have a thicker skin. Some people are just like that and that's how they are and that's how it goes sometimes.

From time to time I've been messed about by customers (now ex customers). Last month one old bloke accused me of scaring his dog. When I asked him what he wanted me to do next time in order to not scare his dog, he just repeated basically the same and went on at length that he didn't want me to scare his dog again. He seemed to want me to clean his windows without scaring the dog having said that the dog gets scared even if it's in a different room to one I'm cleaning the windows of. So I simply and politely said for him to find someone else to clean his windows and off I went. It was an easy to do £20 house in the middle of an estate where I do quite a few houses.

As far as I'm concerned, that was the end of it as soon as I said that and it was not worth dwelling on it or really giving it a second thought.

My missus though, when I told her as she does my books, went on about it from time to time for about a week. It's a thought process that goes nowhere and after her thinking it all through, the situation gets rewound back to the beginning and the ending is always the same. For me, it's easier just to forget it.