[Feen]

A minor rant here First job was £50 house who had contacted me in the first place. First clean no bother. How often do you want it done, I asked. Every 4 months. OK. Next time I turn up. Oh, I,ve got my son staying and he cleaned the downstairs (he sprayed them with the garden house and they were awful), could you only do the upstairs. Reluctantly I agreed.  This time they thought they weren't too bad and would I leave them for a bit OK (like forever). Second customer was almost exactly the same. £25  every 4 months. Please leave them. I forgot that I was only here for their convenience I am really looking forward to the phone call in a month or so saying could I do them now Up your kilt, as we say

[Mike_G]

Yep, they will phone at some point. 2 Choices then tell them to stick it or put the price up ( A lot) and see what they say

[simon knight]

I get this all the time. And all I say is: OK, you've got my card, call me you want them done.

They do eventually call....you then have the choice: Go round and clean them at an inflated price...or tell them to F Off!

Certainly don't let these Wayne Kerrs get to you!

[Feen]

Wayne Kerrs!!! That did make me LOL

[Helen]

you have to get it across to the customers when you quote, how you work and confirm with your t & c's writing. Yeah you will get the odd few who take the p***, but the majority will behave themselves

[Feen]

Helen, I take your points and the vast majority of customers are OK. However, I don't think it's practical to lay down T&Cs for every customer. Perhaps I should have for the £50 job I mentioned, but surely not for the 40 £5 houses in one estate?? I carry T&Cs and no-one has ever asked.

[Paul Coleman]

Helen, I take your points and the vast majority of customers are OK. However, I don't think it's practical to lay down T&Cs for every customer. Perhaps I should have for the £50 job I mentioned, but surely not for the 40 £5 houses in one estate?? I carry T&Cs and no-one has ever asked.

I use T & Cs for new customers.  I only give them to existing customers if they start to play up and I want to carry on working for them.  Nearly all my existing customers are fine as I've tended to dump the ones that aren't.

[simon knight]

I don't have T&C's because i don't think they're legally binding!...Perhaps for commercial stuff...but for Mrs Jones with her 2 up 2 down?

[Ian Lancaster]

I don't have T&C's because i don't think they're legally binding!...Perhaps for commercial stuff...but for Mrs Jones with her 2 up 2 down?

They are.  Every job you do is a contract between you and the customer, but it's hardly going to be worth it trying to enforce it on Mrs Jones if she breaks the contract

[simon knight]

Ok...I'll bow to your knowledge. But as you say I'm hardly gonna take Mrs Jones to court if she doesn't want 'em done every 6 weeks as agreed.

Who cares anyway? As long as we're working and earning as much as we want to why bog ourselves down with legal commitments...bearing in mind it cuts both ways!

Say that in your t&c's you say you're gonna come every 6 weeks but for reasons...perhaps health, holidays, weather etc you don't . Under your T&C's you could be sued....

...OK it'll never happen....!

[Paul Coleman]

I don't have T&C's because i don't think they're legally binding!...Perhaps for commercial stuff...but for Mrs Jones with her 2 up 2 down?

The real aim of my T & Cs is to filter out the customers who aren't serious about wanting a regular 6 weekly service. If they want a "not today thanks" type of service, they would probably read my T & Cs and not proceed.
That's fine by me.

[Londoner]

There is always going to be a percentage of customers that mess you about. Its just a fact of life and I don't see that giving them a copy of your terms is going to change the final outcome.
Often when you take on a new customer you are getting some other window cleaners reject.

[Paul Coleman]

There is always going to be a percentage of customers that mess you about. Its just a fact of life and I don't see that giving them a copy of your terms is going to change the final outcome.
Often when you take on a new customer you are getting some other window cleaners reject.

In my T & Cs there is mention of a "not today thanks" costing them 50% of the clean.  A new customer reading that who intends to say "not today thanks" on a regular basis will either stop the service after the first clean (which is fine because I charge more for them) or will refuse to pay the 50% charge (which is also fine as it means that they will only mess me about the once because I stop the service).  As you say, it may not always stop them proceeding but it will keep the messing about to a minimum.

[djhaydn]

i dumped one today, she was once a month, been doing her (not litterally) for 4 months, last month was afirst wfp clean, took ages, no extra charge, and she payed for this month in advance,
turned up today to clean and she said i dont need you through the winter as the windows wont be as dirty, p1ssed myself laughing, and said ok.
left her a little note saying i wont be back as i work all winter and will get someone else who wants there windows done all winter.
funny enough Bob gave me a customer today at the same price as the one i dumped
haydn