[richard jagger]

Some times I am amazed by some customers. How you treated with such mistrust ands suspicions you canvas them and even when you are clean there windows. It appears to me and one doing a manual labour job must be a robber or thief. Just ready to nick there plant pots. Yet you have to trust them to pay you by post or internet banking. I do not understand there fear. They should try living in some third world countries. They want respect but never respect anyone as if we are just scum.

[George P]

bad day?

[richard jagger]

No not at all just an observation.

[james44]

It must be the way you look, do you look dodggy?

[richard jagger]

 not at all quite a gent. well spoken and dressed.

[james44]

Most likely it`s their experiance they have had from previous cleaners, trust can take a long time to build if they have had issues with past cleaners.

[Llaaww]

I am not very good with mistrust from customers. I tend to let them go fairly quickly.

[Johnny B]

Are you referring to new customers or ones you have had for some time?

It is human nature that we tend to look at the faults of others, rather than focus on what is good in people.

Trust does take a while to build, but once you have done it with your customers you will feel a lot more positive, because they will show it by the way they treat you, leading to your feeling better about them and yourself. Not everyone will respond, but the majority will, and they will be the good customers you will want to keep.

John  

[richard jagger]

I do not have a problem with my self image it when you canvass anyone at the door is rubbish. So called posh people seem to be fearful and therefore feel threatened. Its not that am not used to working with classy folk its just there attitude towards people who knock at doors to make a living.

[Ian101]

I had it the other side though ... this is a one off though im sure ... have 1 house which have to thru garage and then utility to get to rear not a problem as they retired and nearly always in exept the last time did fronts and went back next day to do rear when they were in ... she apologised for being out the day before then gave me a spare front door key to keep  in case they were out .... kindly declined offer by saying i couldnt in case owt ever happened.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

trust no one my friend not even yourself sound advice given get what you can out of the buggers even if they dow want it

[Blue Frog Systems]

Little story...

Out knocking one day last year and asked the woman at the door if she needed a window cleaner  .... yes

anyway round the back having a look and her and husband are standing there and im going through everything... price, method, frequency, payment methods.

Got the go ahead from them both.... then she came out with ....

Dont get breaking in or stealing anything... my husband works in the police

Couldnt quite believe it at first really.

There and then i said thats fine mrs, but you need to find another window cleaner as im no theif and not going to be branded one because im a window cleaner..

and off i went whistling

her husband came after me appolagising for his wife and asked me to clean the windows still .....

refused and off i went.

Now im a nice person and feel like i come across that way. The old ladys on my round love me and always like a chat and a drink with me. Ive always got a smile on my face, im polite and ask customers how their holiday was... if there feeling better if they were ill last time, wave at the kids while they follow me from window to window.

Some people just have a suspicious nature... luckily not all

[the bfg]

I had one when I 1st started,  although they were friendly enough I always felt as though they were looking down on me which takes some doing as I'm 6ft6 

however after about a year I was there cleaning one day when the lady says to me   by the way steve my name is xxxxxx   as I always addressed her by her surname,    well from that day on they have been really kind to me and I'm always made welcome.

I think with some of them is that they feel they need tp really get to know you over a period of time before they fully accept you.

as they say there's nowt as queer as folk

[Spruce]

Hi Wiz,

To be fair, I am amased at how trusting some people are. I quoted a new customer yesterday who I never seen before in my life (they stopped me in the street) and they told me that, as they were way for the rest of the week, could I please give them a ring when I start the round again next time.
 
As you know, the last people you would tell in SA that you were going away was the police. Guaranteed the house would be broken into before you got 10 miles down the road.

Our next door neighbour employed the services of a painter she had never used before - left him the front door key and disappeared for a couple of days.

No way we would do that.

Spruce.

[dazmond]

i really think some of you are being over sensitive!!the problem as far as i can see it is that there is a few dodgy types cleaning windows and we all get tarred with the same brush sometimes!

IMO you have to earn respect and you get that through being reliable and doing a good job,doing what you say your going to do and being polite and having a sense of humour.

having a sign written van,uniform and business cards does help as well.not always though!!if your not "good" with people with a bad attitude with no humour your not gonna do as well as someone who does!!



some of you are paranoid and make sweeping generalisations when its only the odd few people who think like that.why  you bothered about what people think?i couldnt give a toss to be honest!!

[david watts]

i never have knocked on doors; and wouldnt welcome any body knocking mine;
i pay to addverts here and there plus a sign written van
and i think this all helps.

[weetot]

i never have knocked on doors; and wouldnt welcome any body knocking mine;
i pay to addverts here and there plus a sign written van
and i think this all helps.

Yeh but don't tell them any of your jokes.........

[bobby p]

Little story...

Out knocking one day last year and asked the woman at the door if she needed a window cleaner  .... yes

anyway round the back having a look and her and husband are standing there and im going through everything... price, method, frequency, payment methods.

Got the go ahead from them both.... then she came out with ....

Dont get breaking in or stealing anything... my husband works in the police

Couldnt quite believe it at first really.

There and then i said thats fine mrs, but you need to find another window cleaner as im no theif and not going to be branded one because im a window cleaner..

and off i went whistling

her husband came after me appolagising for his wife and asked me to clean the windows still .....

refused and off i went.

Now im a nice person and feel like i come across that way. The old ladys on my round love me and always like a chat and a drink with me. Ive always got a smile on my face, im polite and ask customers how their holiday was... if there feeling better if they were ill last time, wave at the kids while they follow me from window to window.

Some people just have a suspicious nature... luckily not all

i love that refusal story -  good on yer !       

[George P]

just remembered this one - it does work both ways, my dad did some collecting for me a long time ago, when checked against houses i realised id given him a wrong house number that had paid him (we dont do there windows) so next day he goes back to return money and apologise, they were fine with him and thanked him for returning it, her husnand was also in the police,

[Helen]

I do not have a problem with my self image it when you canvass anyone at the door is rubbish. So called posh people seem to be fearful and therefore feel threatened. Its not that am not used to working with classy folk its just there attitude towards people who knock at doors to make a living.

Unfortunately there will always be some who will be like this, just because there are like this
There will also be some who watch all the "rogue traders" programmes and start to believe all tradesman are "rogues".
There will be some that will just see you as someone trying to earn a living.
There will be some who will drive us all mad the other way, by trusting us too quickly.
It's life as we know it Jim