[Steve_c]

How many days off do you give yourself during the year?
I'm now finding it difficult to catch up when I have time off as my work load is much greater.It takes me about two weeks to catch up on a week and about 3 after having a summer holiday (longer days). Time off with my famaliy is very important to us as I'm sure it is to you. The reason I ask is a window cleaner I know told me he just skips who ever is due to be done on that particular day/ week. I find that ridiculous as its lost revenue and not offering as reliable service.
However I have had a week off a few weeks ago and now looking at some unplanned days off as a famaliy member is seriously ill,some how it does make some sense. What and how do you go about catching up. Regards Steve.

[Erithwc]

Easy don't catch up just carry on where you left i just tell the customer i will be two weeks late next time due to time off with kids.

Paul

[Mike #1]

you have just got to take the time off you need mate , thats what i do then when i return to i work 6 days a week and do as much work as possible until i am caught up .

Eventually the workload evens out over the weeks if the weather is against me , only real prob i have is i use aworka and until the introduce the time off app , my workload is a nightmare to sort out for weeks after . Mike

[Smudger]

if its a planned break like Christmas or summer holidays then inform the customers that the next clean is 6
weeks away not 4 - basically just push the schedule along by the number of weeks your having off.

Darran

[DG Cleaning]

I agree with Smudger just move things along. I don't really see how if your 2 weeks late with a clean you can catch up, surely next time it would be 2 weeks early?

[Total shine cleaning services]

as long as you communicate effectively with your customers they will never perceive you as being unreliable, so by moving your round along you cut out all the stress

Graham

[Steve_c]

Thanks chaps I do implement most of what has been suggested. .

The only thing I was getting edgy with is I got sacked from a very well paid clean for being on Holiday
I did tell them I was going to be late and then when I got home. No thanks your not reliable enough for our requirements.
I'm interested in that software that has an application for Holidays that sounds very good.

[William McCafferty]

I quote and get work that means I only need to work a 3 or 4 day week, so I have spare days to move work into if the weather is bad etc

when it comes to having a holiday, then I move half the work forward and push the other half backwards

[wfp master]

ive had 1 week off this year to go on holiday. next time off will be xmas for a week. had the odd day off because of rain.

[Frankybadboy]

i have god knows how much time off thoughout the year.

all i do is start on a and finsh at b.

all contract and commercial get done on the day it got to,if iam away then sometimes i do on the weekend before i go away ,it could mean i got to move it forward or i sub it out to a mate i trust,

[brianbarber]

As I keep everything as tight as poss schedule wise, I am quite happy to tell custies at Xmas that if their day falls due over Xmas, next clean will be in 4 or 8 weeks, no problems with this at all, no complaints so far.
Takes a lot of stress out of the equation, means I don't have to have a 'i am behind with work' kind of mentality.

Mr B

[David lyddon]

Ithink the reality is the custie really does not care ,if you miss a clean its money saved for them.
We sometimes make the job harder than it is, this job can mess with your head.

[richard jagger]

Dont say fired a customer cannot fire you if you work for yourself. That took there business else ware is a better term to use. The difference for you to realize that you are in charge of you business and therefore decide when you have time off and a holiday.I always think of what other businesses would do in my situation. This helps me keep a balanced business approach.