[Roy Harding]

I allways keep taking on more work, then it comes to the stage that you cant get round it on time.

At this point I cream off all the best jobs and shed work that I dont like doing, or the job or customer I dont like. The reason I keep taking on is I keep pricing places higher and higher so you end up with a better paying round.

What do you all do??


Roy

[JM123]

Roy, would it not be an idea to GIVE AWAY some of that extra work? There's loads of guys on here who would really appreciate all that work that is being offered to you.  I'm just saying because of guys like gazza156245875 or whatever his number is who really need the work, I'm sure you wouldn't mind.

[scrimit2]

Roy Im that position now, Ive never done a mass cut in jobs, but there is no alternative. Ive got to be brave

[Roy Harding]

Roy, would it not be an idea to GIVE AWAY some of that extra work?

I have done this in the past to help out others.

I have been window cleaning 22yrs come December, and I find that because a lot of my work is small villages some grow and grow and other areas may decrase. So by giving the work to someone else you are giving that person a toe hold in  the area.

I gave some work to a window cleanner for free and said dont do the B+B as I do it, next time around he had under cut me after giving him several hundred pounds of work.

Roy

[JM123]

ahh villages - if I had known that....had the same problem myself, there's about 10 villages within 8 miles of here and I've had problems in only one - the guy that was doing most of the work there stopped coming for about 5 months, we were asked to come out and do some of the work by the residents, when he found out he was back like a shot, ended up losing about 300quid of work because 'he's been doing them for years' even though everyone complained about him and his team (unreliable/damaging floorbeds/scratched glass/some windows not cleaned/the rest cleaned badly). 

To top it off we were doing the shopping centre there, only a small place with a post office, newsagents, hairdressers and a centra (like a large spar/village co-op), job was only £220 and lost it to a cowboy with no insurance and who I know is on dla, he undercut us by £135, he's only charging £85!!  Oh well, there's still bread on the table, milk in the fridge and diesel in the car, can't complain.

[Ian Rochester]

It's very rare that we will intentionally drop work, I don't think it's the right thing to be doing.

Many of our customers have been with us from the start, pay prompty, generally accept price rises and never complain.

Saying that, I did drop a whole council estate at the beginning of the year because getting the money is was such a struggle, which was not fair on those in the estate who did pay promptly.

Our pricing stucture is pretty linear, so we earn roughly the same each day regardless of which houses we are doing, although there are the obviously the occasional "very good" days.

Because we cover most aspects of cleaning if we get a new window customer then we often also get their carpets to do as well, or patio to clean, or in some cases thier business premises.

If you suddenly drop people for no reason other than personal greed then word soon gets out that you are unreliable and your reputation suffers.

The right way to do it is to make sure all your prices are good prices, if you are full to capacity and need to get rid of some outlying houses then explain it to them and try and ensure they are not left without someone to clean their windows. 

Or better still, start employing staff and build up your little empire.

My old boss once told me "Do a good job and they will tell their neighbours either side, do a bad job and they will tell the whole street!!"[/b]  The same applies here.

[windows_chepstow]

If you suddenly drop people for no reason other than personal greed then word soon gets out that you are unreliable and your reputation suffers.

I always either pass customers I don't want on or give them the number of a phone number of another window cleaner who does their area; not for fear of my reputation; but because it's embarrassing when they 'nab' you while shopping in Tescos and start asking you why you haven't been around.

[ronaldo]

I always pass mine onto a young lad who hasnt been going for long as this means the customer isnt let down and they still have a wc.

[Jon T.C.]

Hi Roy,

If you have any going up around my areas, give me a ring. eg Skenfrith, Garway etc..

Kind regards Jon

[windows_chepstow]

Roy,

Same here; I'm after some more work; a lot more if I can get it.

I'm willing to pay too (after next month; when I've paid the tax man off ).

Tosh.