[lee_dewing]

Hi all.

Hope you are all thawing out now!

Not too bad where i am pretty much all gone where i am waltham abbey essex.

Was at my parents place today hooking ro up again :

Knocked a couple of doors down at a custy i did 3 weeks ago, to collect £10.

semi-detached £13 allround originally then went to front and side£10 (back very rarely)

Lady opened the door and very curtly said your not doing windows today!

I replied no maureen i'm collecting

Next time you come after xmas i suppose do the backs as they don't get done!

Me: ok front and back next time.

Her: no just back.

I just grinned and walked away.

What do you say to custy's who say this, have had it before.

To me it's b0ll0cks. (am i wrong?)

What do you say to this request of front one month back the next.

I want to be able to give a polite and logical answer.
thanks lee
ps. this custy's window cleaner before me just dissapeared

[Tom White]

I like customers who can afford to get the lot done and don't want to chop 'n' change to fronts, backs, tops or bottoms; whatever.

I have made a few exceptions, but these are for BIG properties - mansion style - where most of the house is empty for most of the year and they like their living area windows kept clean REGULARLY; but I still charge well for what I clean.

Personally, if you've enough work on, I'd drop her; or maybe be blunt and just say you're willing to do the lot at your agreed interval, or not at all.  Just explain you've got a living to make and it's not beer money, and you don't want to sound callous, but that's how it is.

[KLEENAWAY]

I dont realy see the problem mate or am i missing something. As long as she pays you on time and doesnt moan about the work then just clean what ever she wants cleaning. I dont think it makes a difference what you clean as long as you get paid. Some houses i do have just upstairs doing or just down stairs, just fronts or just backs! Dont get me wrong i think they arent right in the head but who am i to complain when they are filling my pockets 

Danny

[lee_dewing]

thanks Tosh,

she is now dropped but i'm sure i'l get confronted in near future, even though i'm sure she realize's she's p'd me off.

I read one of your posts about scatty old girl messing you about

I walk away fuming but don't say nothing, then when confronted next time why i've missed em, i feel a bit petty explaining it.

I need to have an answer for all the messer's and confront the situation there and then as politely and proffessionally as possible.

Sounds like a new years resolution
Good to see you back on here again Tosh

[Llaaww]

All or nothing for me.

I explain that it is too complicated to juggle the backs fronts tops bottoms etc for over 300 people, and if they want it done I am happy to do the lot.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

just go round when she ay in and dirty the fronts then pop back with a xmas card see wat happens wat do you think will be the outcome 

[clearlyclean]

went down the car wash and ask them just to clean the off side of the car this time. she obviously cant afford to have them cleaned suggest maybe two months whole house for the price you want to them,you have nothing to lose,if she dont agree i'd walk away.

[lee_dewing]

Kleenaway.

Fair enough.

For me i want it to be simple, front, front and back. Back if there in.

Custies that keep moving the goal post p me off.

If they were up font and said what they wanted i could say yes or no.

That's the issue i have

[lee_dewing]

llaaww, aj thanks

clearly

Goto hairdressers and ask to leave the front, il do myself

[KLEENAWAY]

Ye i see what you are saying mate. I suppose if i gets to much you could tell her to p*ss off.....im a money grabber though so if she asked me to clean them with my tongue while hopping on 1 leg i would as long as i got paid well for doing it. Id say about a fiver would do  

Danny

[lee_dewing]

Kleenaway

what do you think guys:

Do all customers become messer's given enough time?

[clearlyclean]

If you give them a chance they will. but if you need the work you have to put up with the messers,I try to let it go over my head and get on with working.I think someone else said have a little more than what you can do each month then you can skip the messers and your not out of pocket but it takes a while to get into this position.

[lee_dewing]

thanks Clearly i am pretty much in that place now

[clearlyclean]

yeah its a good place to be.but we must'nt get complacent.I usually push these type of customers to the end of the list and if i get to them I do them if i dont get time i skip them to next month,by the sounds of how she spoke to you she seem to think she owns you and skip her a couple of times may put her back in her place if the last window cleaner stop coming sounds he got fed up with her too.I had this big house do the one opposite and two doors up,all leaded windows she though i cleaned them a bit too quick for the money she was paying,could not fault my work but i was twice as quick as the guy i had brought the work off,she also wanted me to ring her to before hand so she could keep an eye on me ,so I left her house the next month,she has had three different window cleaners in 18 months that i know of,she changes the gardener every 6 months.Some like to have control over you and call the shots but I started window cleaning because I am the Boss and I can choose what jobs I want to do and who I want to work for.I have no problem with filling my diary and in fact she ask my if i do them last month and said if i get time.

[GB Window Cleaning]

the windows you clean on a regular schedule acumalate the same amount of dirt inbetween cleans. however when you turn up and get requested to do "what ever the custy feels like" it should be treated as a one off in my opinion!

hope this makes sence?!? 

[lee_dewing]

I have no problem with filling my diary and in fact she ask my if i do them last month and said if i get time.

 

Nice 1 Clearly; I hear what your saying about being complacent, i will finish my website soon and push indoor w/c service as well, that would have been handy this week

will be putting some bus cards out in jan, haven't recentley as you get the messer's saying they need a window cleaner, but they must be done before xmas, when you say sorry can't touch til jan the phone goes quiet

lee

[Clive McDonald]

Hi lee

This is a business issue and one of the things you have to learn.She's not really a customer because she costs you money, and causes you headaches.

Forget trying to explain why you don't do them.Forget trying to justify yourself.She's unecononomic  because she is totally inflexible and controlling and expects you to be the reverse.

Relevant business rules. 80/20 and this is how we do things here.

[lee_dewing]

slumpbuster, could you enlighten me on the 80/20 rule.

It sounds familiar but can't say i remember

thanks lee

[lee_dewing]

Is it that a small handful of repeat customers account for most of your income.

Been googling

Can you suggest any good reads slumpy will let father crimbo know

lee

[Clive McDonald]

I'm pretty well read- wells dickens steinbeck hemmingway fitzgerald as a youngster.

These days it's business books that float my boat.I just read all of them.Like everything else the americans seem the best at it.I could tell you twenty great books but they don't have to mean anything.From my kitchen table to coffee republic was a great read but i see the companys all but bust now.

I enjoyed 100 brand disasters by matt haigh (things like coke changing the formula, the postal service rebranding as consignia).

The books are like this forum they give you ideas.I remember when you first posted on here i thought that you were a right clueless numptie.You posted from a public library and had to wait till the nest day for a responce because you could only post in the afternoon. I had respect for this because i knew that this must also mean you had a very strong personal drive.