[sunshine windows]

I did recently lose 1 X £16 bi-monthly 3 bed semi to a cheaper window cleaner. She got canvassed and told me he was charging her £10 every 2 months. I said not a problem and left it at that.

 My colleague was cleaning her neighbours windows 2 months ago and she came out asking to be cleaned by us again. The other guy turned up twice and they haven't seen him in a while now. My colleague said sorry, too busy this time, you'll have to speak with the boss when we're round again.

I was cleaning away last month and she pops out and asks to be taken back on. No problem but my prices have gone up, it'll now be £20. 😄

I'd quite like my whole round canvassed if I could increase all jobs by 25% when they come crawling back

[Granny]

Enrique
"I wouldn't like it if someone turned up on my patch, it's hard enough trying to keep the work you've got "

"I have egged people who have owed me money, nothing wrong with that "

Maybe there is a relationship between your two statements.
If you're finding it hard to keep the work you've got do you think it might just possibly have something to do with the fact that you're the kind of person who throws eggs at peoples windows?
Granny

[Neil Gornall]

I had a customer stop paying me a while back, stiffed me for almost £60.

I then hear he has set up as a windie. next thing he is canvassing my customers, asking what I charge and going in cheaper. I lost an £8 job to him which he is doing it for £6.75.  

So I paid him a visit and asked what he was playing at. he said he had lost his job and couldnt afford to pay me and decided to start up in competition.

I dont have a problem with that but I have a big problem with the way he went about it. So I told him if he carries on I will employ someone who's sole job will be follow him around and canvass all his work.

He now quotes properly, his prices are right so not bringing them down in the area and everyone is happy.

PS, I even wrote off the £60 coz I am a nice guy 

[CLEANCARE WC]

I had a customer stop paying me a while back, stiffed me for almost £60.

I then hear he has set up as a windie. next thing he is canvassing my customers, asking what I charge and going in cheaper. I lost an £8 job to him which he is doing it for £6.75.  

So I paid him a visit and asked what he was playing at. he said he had lost his job and couldnt afford to pay me and decided to start up in competition.

I dont have a problem with that but I have a big problem with the way he went about it. So I told him if he carries on I will employ someone who's sole job will be follow him around and canvass all his work.

He now quotes properly, his prices are right so not bringing them down in the area and everyone is happy.

PS, I even wrote off the £60 coz I am a nice guy 

YOU COULD OF BEEN EVEN NICER AND TOLD HIM WHATS THE BEST GEAR TO BUY, I.E. BAYERSAN OR UNGER POLES AND HOW TROLLEYS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN VAN MOUNT ETC.

[Pro-Poler]

Enrique
"I wouldn't like it if someone turned up on my patch, it's hard enough trying to keep the work you've got "

"I have egged people who have owed me money, nothing wrong with that "

Maybe there is a relationship between your two statements.
If you're finding it hard to keep the work you've got do you think it might just possibly have something to do with the fact that you're the kind of person who throws eggs at peoples windows?
Granny

No, on the contrary, I'm the kind of person who if is owed money for 4 cleans and is decieved by mongs takes according action, my policy is if I haven't been renumerated for removing dirt then dirt has to be returned to it's rightfull owner, now in some cases bird droppings are removed on first cleans, those droppings have dissaapeared and can not be directly replaced so I find eggs to be a suitable replacement, of course it may not be always eggs it could be general soiling, I always find eggs are better though as it's so hard to remove and once someone is crossed off my list I don't have them back so it won't be me cleaning it off, I hope that explains things satisfactorily    

[Crystal-clear]

reply from dazs post

bloody hell really sorry another long post    just on preview now lol
i didnt read half the others and now i post the largest lol

well basicaly up north my brother inlaw who was quite young 19 had a decent round that i helped him build however he wasnt staying on top of it, his work was good but didnt take it seriously when he should have and he lost 40% of that particular round to someone who wanted to work a bit like you daz, so he knocked and picked up oh he did one thing you didnt he went in stupid cheap then upped them after a couple of cleans so it was quite calculated unlike you were just offering your services for the going rate but i guess its comparable slightly as he was very aggressive in canvassing showed no mercy.

my opinion on this is its his fualt for not being hands on now he is and has learned and expanded it back els where i do however feel sorry for my brother inlaw he was only young and had a really hard time growing up became a bit depressed from a reason event and so on which lead to it at the time it was horrifying to him but slowly after speaking to me he went out and replaced took him a good while but he did.

i mean im never going feel the bloke is good cos the loss of half his work almost had him with nothing couldnt pay his rent and all the rest of it and because he was under pricing i thought that was quite rotton if he however just did what you did then it would have been fair play,anyway he has learned and from that has become a better window cleaner now, same goes for those blokes in 93 hopefully they upped there game or left the trade end of the day people out there like us want to do a good job be on time presentable etc etc.

in my areas when i canvass or used to as i dont think i will anymore (just leaflet for a while sick of it) everything is fair game but i always keep the prices higher so if they leave then its oblivious the window cleaner is doing something wrong as the customer is happy to pay more just not to have him back means old window cleaner is really doing something wrong or i just price normally as you did and if i was picking up someones round as long as i priced the going rate then you know you are doing it in a fair manner but that bloke who undercut my brother in law wasnt fair he saw a young vulnerable kid and pretty much tore him to shreds by under pricing as the customers knew he wasnt quite on time but knew he did a good job so the customers needed tweaking and under pricing in a poor area gave him all that work that i think is bad, but there is no law in this i keep saying to him keep your prices fair,customers sweet and do a good job and no one will ever leave you even if its cheaper (apart from the odd idiot)... and thats it