[Carl2009]

I had work on Monday, but Tuesday was a free day; all year-round I leave some days free in case I can't work because of the weather. I moved Monday's work to Tuesday. So Tuesday morning 9am it took me an hour and a half of faffing to reload the van with gear I take out at night to save it freezing (just in case), put away the greenhouse heater (that keeps the van above, say, 2c) to discover I was still frozen in an area the warm air can't get to, to then unload again, defrost the offending pipe, defrost the external van port (removing hozelock connector so ice cube in pipe can escape...) and reload my reel, tool chest etc.

I did 6 cleans, but I arrived at one for her to say, 'I wouldn't bother if I were you'. I asked if she was kidding and she said no. Strike 1.

I snuck in another clean scheduled for today but luckily the custies were out, so I was able to clean without getting the boot.

My point is, in this weather are we risking disaffecting custies? I'm not convinced everyone does want them doing in weather like this. I've had plenty of 'Are you mad cleaning in this weather' or similar; when I get this I get the feeling they don't want me there.

Thoughts?

[Paul Coleman]

I had work on Monday, but Tuesday was a free day; all year-round I leave some days free in case I can't work because of the weather. I moved Monday's work to Tuesday. So Tuesday morning 9am it took me an hour and a half of faffing to reload the van with gear I take out at night to save it freezing (just in case), put away the greenhouse heater (that keeps the van above, say, 2c) to discover I was still frozen in an area the warm air can't get to, to then unload again, defrost the offending pipe, defrost the external van port (removing hozelock connector so ice cube in pipe can escape...) and reload my reel, tool chest etc.

I did 6 cleans, but I arrived at one for her to say, 'I wouldn't bother if I were you'. I asked if she was kidding and she said no. Strike 1.

I snuck in another clean scheduled for today but luckily the custies were out, so I was able to clean without getting the boot.

My point is, in this weather are we risking disaffecting custies? I'm not convinced everyone does want them doing in weather like this. I've had plenty of 'Are you mad cleaning in this weather' or similar; when I get this I get the feeling they don't want me there.

Thoughts?

This is a business where the service provider visits the customers rather than vice versa.  Therefore I reckon that unless there is a very good reason (and I don't mean cold weather) for sending you away, they are defaulting on a verbal contract.  This gives you the right to do likewise (IMO).  I do have a couple of customers who, every Winter, tell me not to bother next time (the clean around Xmas/January) and I even regard that as being right on the edge.  Both of these jobs are well priced.  If they weren't, they would already be history.
It's all very well being customer focused (as the sales/marketing bods say) but there can be a point where it's possible to focus too much on certain customers and not enough on the general business.  If a high maintenance customer isn't paying a high price then they are uneconomical.
This may sound harsh but I used to have too many like that.  They all ditched me when I was ill though some years back.  Lesson learned !!

[dazmond]

i went collecting last night and some of the custies i said sorry for not getting round before xmas(these were custies who still owed from last clean)most were fine and completely understood!its the last thing on their minds in the run up to xmas with the bad weather.

ive wrote the whole week off and ill be having 3 weeks off now due to a trip to the states over xmas so ill start back on the 6th jan.im only just over a week behind so i can live with that.

i make plenty the rest of the year so a few weeks at xmas or because of extreme weather is factored in over the year.

dazmond

[G Griffin]

They are all different. You can`t really say.

[dazmond]

also karl you should know by now to never "second guess" a customer!!they are all different  in my experience!!some will be pleased to see ya and others  wont!!its that simple!!

[JoeMax]

They won't care if you don't come. Most are probably letting it go ahead as they're being kind and friendly. Here in the Midlands there is 20cm of snow now - having clean windows right now is bottom of the list.

[formb]

They are all different. You can`t really say.

Agreed.

You clean one, she looks at you like you are an idiot for cleaning in such conditions.

Next door thanks you for struggling on and gives you a bit tip.

[Tom White]

My ex-wife was a child minder; and she had terms and conditions.  If she took a child of yours on, it was agreed that if for some reason (for example you took your child away on holiday) that she still would be paid a retaining fee.  In essence this meant she was paid for doing nothing, however, on her part she could've just taken on another child, thereby filling the allotted spaces she was allowed to child mind for.

I seem to remember she was quite ruthless about this retaining fee, and if she didn't get it, she would just fill the vacancy with another child, and her customer would have to find a new child minder.  It was her business, and she did well out of it.

What's this got to do with window cleaning?  Well, terms and conditions are terms and conditions; they're a two-way-street.  If your customer tries to break or change your terms and conditions, you're quite within your right to drop 'em.

It's easier for you to find a new customer (if you've been going for a while and already have a good customer base, work just finds you) than it is for an old customer to find a new window cleaner (who may charge more, who may do work of a lesser quality, who may rob them; the customer doesn't know).

I think as long as you're sticking to your terms and conditions, why worry?

[Carl2009]

I agree that sending away when the terms of business have been agreed is generally not on. That's not really what I was getting at though.

If I don't go out today then that would be the first day i've lost to this damned weather, but might I be doing more damage to my business in the long term by cleaning people who really think a clean right now is a pointless exercise - I for one wonder about my own windows - is it worth cleaning them today when tomorrow they'll be dirty again with salt (given where I live is a fast road and we get a lot of wind (= a lot of drifting spray). Ditto the van - it's always clean as it reflects my business, but the day after I cleaned it the other day it was absolutely filthy from the salt, so i'm not doing it again till after Xmas.

The relationship I have with almost all my customers is on a 'first-name' basis, save a few old biddies who I feel like me to call them Mrs or Mr. I don't want to jeopardise that by disaffecting them; if their belief is that I shouldn't be cleaning their windows cos of the snow and it's obvious i'm cleaning for the money (and remember a lot of custies don't think WC is a 'proper' business...) then am I damaging their relationship.

On some windows water is freezing on the glass, resulting in windows that can't be seen out of. I salt around my own house and then have to put up with trailing salt inside on the bottom of shoes. I don't like it, but I expect custies to accept it. I occassionally find myself justifying why I am there when it's  -2 - "Didn't want to let you down before Christmas", "Want to offer a reliable service" etc.

Anyway, it's only -1.7 now, so i'm off out  

[Rob Knapman]

In these conditions having your windows cleaned is way down on priorities
Have done very little this week, will just have to take it on the chin, have made a small amount of money but better than some shops I clean who have made a loss this week

[simbo]

no they don't give a s**t accept it and move on, nobody dies cos their windows aren't clean!!

[Rob Knapman]

no they don't give a s**t accept it and move on, nobody dies cos their windows aren't clean!!

My thoughts exactly!!!!

[lyndy]

We have just had a call,her w/c can't get to her and can we do it,you can't second guess custys

[dazmond]

think its time to give yourself a break carl!!you say its the only time you have nt worked this year so take a well deserved break!!

hope your not one of them that hates xmas as it gets in the way of your cleaning.i also hope your not a workaholic who cant enjoy the fruits of his labour!!!

its xmas!take a break,enjoy yourself with family and friends and get back at it in the new year!!


best wishes to you all


dazmond

[JoeMax]

^ so true.

You have to account for these problems in your long term plans.

The customers aren't going to go anywhere - in fact I'd say you have a big chance of losing them if you're bothering them over Xmas.

[TomCrowther]

I have not been working since last Thursday and have around 30 domestic and a couple small commercial to do but am not realistically going to get to more than ten of them if I work a few hours tomorrow and Friday assuming it's a little warmer.
What I have been doing is working on some marketting bumf, relaxing a bit and trying not to worry about the lost cash or customers thinking you have let them down etc.
One thing I am going to do in the New Year is to get each customer to fill in a simple form stating their preffered method of payment, wether they mind an earlier start {before 08:00}, and a few other things including their desire for the windows to be done in severe weather. This will give me some missing info and take the guess work out of wether to bust a gut for them or not next time the weather is crap.

[Carl2009]

Just got back in from doing 7. All were fine with it, just one comment from an old lady (my very first custie, gawd bless 'er), but then she gave me a small tip which I appreciated. Her windows were sheets of ice when I left her - at least it's pure water, so should be ok come the thaw....

I've got 10 lined up for 2morrow and 11 on the 24th. In this weather for me that's a full day.

I've not had a holiday this year or last whilst I got the business up and running (started April 09), but have had plenty of down days because of rain. We get a hell of a lot here in Pembrokeshire. I reckon i've lost 25 working days to rain in the last 6 months, so much so I schedule 4 or 5 catch up days in a month. Might take a holiday next year.

Happy Christmas you lot.

[formb]

Just got back in from doing 7. All were fine with it, just one comment from an old lady (my very first custie, gawd bless 'er), but then she gave me a small tip which I appreciated. Her windows were sheets of ice when I left her - at least it's pure water, so should be ok come the thaw....

I've got 10 lined up for 2morrow and 11 on the 24th. In this weather for me that's a full day.

I've not had a holiday this year or last whilst I got the business up and running (started April 09), but have had plenty of down days because of rain. We get a hell of a lot here in Pembrokeshire. I reckon i've lost 25 working days to rain in the last 6 months, so much so I schedule 4 or 5 catch up days in a month. Might take a holiday next year.

Happy Christmas you lot.

Will you be stopping for rain next year?

[supernova77]

I've been out all day today...

All my customers commented on the weather, but wanted me to clean their windows still - No problems at all.

Andy

[wfp master]

custies probably got more things to worry about at this time of year than there windows getting cleaned in this weather. probably not expect you to turn up anyway. dont let it worry you.