[Dave71]

Hi everyone
im new at this game and only been cleaning windows for a few weeks, iv been canvising couple of areas and picked up some customers, but only to get threating phone calls from angry window cleaners saying that im nicking there customers.
When i go out canvsing i ask if they have a window cleaner if they say yes i just thank them for there time and say bye but if they say no i give them a card and thats that
do you guys get any hassle like this when out canvising.

[Chris - CBWC]

I've had absolutely none, and like you, I refuse to give a quote if the houseowner has told me they already have a window cleaner.  I wouldn't like people taking customers away from me, so I don't do it to others.  Some may say it's business, but I'm not about undercutting others, I have my price and stick to it.

If people say their WC is rubbish, they don't like him etc, then I will quote them and then the choice is theirs, but only then will I quote them.

Chris

[craig jwc]

I was threatened by a w/c saying i was on his patch.

There's no such thing.

It made me go out and look for more work in that area just to pee him off.

I won't quote if they already have a w/c, but if they aren't happy with the one they have i will.

Don't worry about it - if they are doing a good job then they will have nothing to worry about.

I've taken work from a few w/c's in the last few weeks because the customer wasn't happy with their work.
I haven't looked for work for over a year now as i get a lot of recomendations plus the ad i have in Yellow Pages seems to work well.


I think compitition is healthy for business and keeps you on your toes.

Craig

[Paul Coleman]

Hi everyone
im new at this game and only been cleaning windows for a few weeks, iv been canvising couple of areas and picked up some customers, but only to get threating phone calls from angry window cleaners saying that im nicking there customers.
When i go out canvsing i ask if they have a window cleaner if they say yes i just thank them for there time and say bye but if they say no i give them a card and thats that
do you guys get any hassle like this when out canvising.

I've never had this problem.  Quite the opposite in fact.  When I first started, one guy saw I was struggling.  He showed me a few tips and when it started raining, we went back to his flat for a cuppa.

[pwcleaning]

i havent had this exactly but, I turned up at my first job today and got all my things out. The lady who i was cleaning for came out of the house and told me she had got a better quote off the other window cleaners in the road, she told me they were gypsies and they didnt want to see my van down the road again. Now ive lost the other three houses i have down that road (£65) as i dont want to be kicked of the ladder or have my van damaged.

[Helen]

so she would prefer gypsies who probably aren't declaring or insured roaming around her property??? Not a worthy customer to have then

[craig jwc]

I agree with Helen.

She wasn't worth having as a customer.

Have these other houses told you not to call or this lady?

I would call at these houses and see what they say.

I'd let the Inland Revenue know about these other cleaners to see if they are legitimate.

[pwcleaning]

only one lady. She said she had a old window cleaner who gave it up through ill health. She said he was good but kept breaking the glass.....maybe not on the ticket?

I will go and see the other customer in a week or so.

[pylofm]

I have had 3 window cleaners phone me and say they have seen my leaflets in their area.....When speaking to these guys I have found that, just explain your position and that you are not there to steal their customers...

I have also said to them that if I find a customer of mine has lied about not having a window cleaner taken me on whilst they still have one....if I find out...I would dump them.

I also recently moved into a new house...I found out who the local boy was and rang him....just as a polite hello....we both know where the line is

All in all...a storm in a tea-cup...just be honest and fair...

Cheers
Dave.

[pjulk]

I have never had any problem with other window cleaners.
I talk to a lot of them.
There is a few that won't talk back.

But most window cleaners are freindly.

Paul

[dave0123]

Am in the yellow pages aswell, and i get people ringing saying i have no window cleaner or i am not happy with the the people i used to have and had to stop them coming!... So whats the problem with that nothing i dont see i see lots of window cleaning were i clean and i talk to them and its fine! get on and the like.

Atho i do have a large shelterd housing contract which is a monthly job and someone come over 2me trying to look all big and says "do u do reisdentail round here wa" i said just this n turned away because and that was that which is true i just do the comerical contract round there but it wouldnt stop me canvissing.

most are all talk i wouldnt worry to much about it or go to the police.

Dave

[Clive McDonald]

PWL cleaning. Does your customer knoow what she might be getting herself into? She sounded almost proud to be telling you that your van should not be seen in that road again. looks like trouble ahead to me, and most of it is going to hers.

[brightnclean]

When I started out 18 months ago I bought a small round off an old timer who showed me the ropes and told me all the unwritten rules.

I needed to get more customers so I got some leaflets printed and went out canvassing. I just asked if they wanted a good reliable window cleaner. Undercut no-one and if they already had a WC just left it at that.

All went well for a few weeks and then I got threatening phone calls about so called nicking customers. I did a bit of digging and found that they were coming from a real fly by night. Uninsured, not tax registered and the rest. I did nothing about it and just carried on with my business and it died a death. The legit guys wont bother you. The others seem to.

[Mr.G]

When i moved to this area and had to build a new round, I made a point of getting to know the other WCs, explaining i wasn't after their customers, and asking if they knew any "uncleaned" areas,  I got loads of new jobs this way!

[macmac]

this is what i put on the bottom of my flyers

                                            please note:
this is an honest approach for new business and in no way an attemt to take work from any other window cleaner. i am not in the business of under-cutting any other window cleaner. Thank You.

this serves two purposes-

1 - it lets the customer know you're a descent, honest person.

2 - it takes any responsability away from you if they dump their exsisting w/c for whatever reason, plus if you're approached by a "this is my patch man" you just show him the flyer.

      i've never encounted the second part but the first point has worked very well for me in the past, i've had lots of very good comments about it from customers, many of them swayed just as a result of that statement.

 

[KarlJones]

she told me they were gypsies and they didnt want to see my van down the road again. Now ive lost the other three houses i have down that road (£65) as i dont want to be kicked of the ladder or have my van damaged.

She is lying to you.  I do not know why.  My guess is she is trying to help out a familly freind and is trying to scare you off all on her own so he can get the work.

No gypsy gets some lady to do his dirty work.

Id get the cops involved in this one as she has got a bit of explaining to do hand out threats to innocent business men.

[dai]

Gypsys! here today, gone tomorrow. They may well be gone when the weather warms up and the tarmac season starts. Dai

[pwcleaning]

i really dont know what to do about all this....

If i go down the close, theres a good change nothing will happen, i just dont what the lady to be telling the truth.

I gave her the quote on the friday morning and by monday morning she had spoke to the other cleaners and got a new quote