[paul marshall]

instead of forgetting work for a couple of weeks i seem to be pottering around trying to look at things i dont normally get time for , and i just added up my round of regulars and its quite impressive but i do seem to lose an awfull lot of custys , i get plenty of new ones to offset this , but its still a concern i know me and most w f p windys are a bit dearer but i dont think thats the main reason i lose some , im putting it down to some people just being a pain in the arse , i mean some of those i lose i can tell from the very first clean that its very unlikelky i will see a third clean or even a second clean , it still upsets me to lose custys though , some im glad to lose but others just text and cancel , im reliable i do a good job , but maybe we do to good a job , after the first clean people look at the windows 4 weeks later and they dont really need cleaning again so soon , even after 8 weeks there not in to much need , i can see plenty off miss me out this time come january [ which is fair enough ] i just hope they come back on board on the next clean , im not sure what point im trying to make but im sick of eating and drinking so i just felt like gettin on my soapbox   

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

thats the way it goes you loose some and gain some  as long as you gain more then you loose

[Smudger]

Nice post Paul.

I would agree that a good number of custy's don't stick ( altho. looked at as a % it's bearly 2 % )

On the whole it's those that in the end i'm glad have moved on - arkward places or constantly being a clean in
payment etc..

recently had a batch of lost customers to moving and divorce - some nice jobs too.  have kept some as new
owners have kept the service.

It used to bug me and i'd stress that it was me - but now i accept it as part of the biz.

for those who suddenly find 4 wky too regular i give the option of 8 wky - this is often taken up and saves face on both parties

Darran

[robertphil]

i lose about a third of  new customers after the 3rd clean , for the said reason that they really only want an annual clean but cannot be honest so after an enthusiastic start they then start getting sloppy with paying .
. i just know these same people would never hand in a purse if they found it on the street.   

[Steve Sed]

Good post. I had a cheque and cancellation yesterday. It was an annoying one as I had 4 houses in a cul de sac and I knew this one was going to be a problem, but because I took her on at exactly the same time as one of the others who I thought was ok, I couldn't charge double for 1st clean. Still, at some point I am pretty certain she will ask for me to clean them again and I will tell her I am too busy or perhaps say "ok, £90".

[bobplum]

go 6 weekly and nothing else
get them on standing orders(commitment) especially new ones
look at the demographics of the customers you are loosing,ie all council areas?
choose your customers(demographics)

[Tom White]

For a good few years now we've been taking on larger properties at well priced every-two-monthly intervals and we've a lot of this type of work.

Being too frequent puts a lot of folk off; however it seems the smaller properties with the older customers are used to a frequent cleaning schedule and put up with it, but my every-other-monthly cleans always seem pleased to see us.

I think well priced and longer cleaning schedules are the way ahead.

[david thomas]

When I used to do my round trad did not seem to lose many customers.4 years on from that using w.f.p the windows
stay cleaner longer, I do 4 weekly but more customers asking for every 8 weeks.A lot more are cancelling than when I started back in 2001

[Ste M]

Paul, you sure your not getting undercut by someone? Where is the work? Mikes suffered a bit in fazackerly way. I know you have some work down my way as well as I've seen you about so you never know mate it may be that

[king marko]

For a good few years now we've been taking on larger properties at well priced every-two-monthly intervals and we've a lot of this type of work.

Being too frequent puts a lot of folk off; however it seems the smaller properties with the older customers are used to a frequent cleaning schedule and put up with it, but my every-other-monthly cleans always seem pleased to see us.

I think well priced and longer cleaning schedules are the way ahead.

This is the way I'm going - most of my new ones ask for 8wkly now

[paul marshall]

no ste its on my rounds so i would see them , i might start giving a 8 week option on new custys at a slightly higher rate , see how it goes , i think in general people just dont want to pay for a job that doesnt need doing , but luckily for us there are plenty of good reliable salt of the earth custys out there 

[rosskesava]

For a good few years now we've been taking on larger properties at well priced every-two-monthly intervals and we've a lot of this type of work.

Being too frequent puts a lot of folk off; however it seems the smaller properties with the older customers are used to a frequent cleaning schedule and put up with it, but my every-other-monthly cleans always seem pleased to see us.

I think well priced and longer cleaning schedules are the way ahead.

I think that's the way I'll be going next year.

[dave0123]

easiest way to get them 8 weekly is to get your price for eight weekly give them that price for every 4 weeks... or ad a little more on for 8 weekly.


9/10 they will go with eight weekly ... which ever way you should be getting a very decent amount.

[Dave Turley]

I noticed a couple of years ago that if the customer looks after their house, garden clean and tidy etc, they tend to keep you on.

If house needs work, garden is a tip, rubbish in back garden etc, they tend to get rid after a few cleans.

Hope this helps.

Dave

[Steve Sed]

I think that the most important sign is the condition of the windows when you are taken on. If they are really minging and the customer has not recently moved in and therefore inherited minging windows, your chances of keeping the customer are less than average.

Always charge double on minging windows for the first clean. Unfortunately there are times when I forget this rule.

[Roy Harding]

For a good few years now we've been taking on larger properties at well priced every-two-monthly intervals and we've a lot of this type of work.

Being too frequent puts a lot of folk off; however it seems the smaller properties with the older customers are used to a frequent cleaning schedule and put up with it, but my every-other-monthly cleans always seem pleased to see us.

I think well priced and longer cleaning schedules are the way ahead.

I have been doing this for years and years and very rarely loose work. Only if they die or move, out of the area.

Roy

[lee_dewing]

I have lost a fair bit over 8 years probably make another round.

I must admit you do get the 2% p.i.t.a custies.

But a lot of problems I have caused myself, i.e being too helpful, coming back when someone's forgot to unlock gate.
Letting people re-arrange my schedule when i've text em.

Result is I dump custie.
If I had been a bit more strict at the beginging i think this could have nipped things in the bud.
But in the beginging evey custie you get is precious.

I think if i could turn back the clock I would be a bit more business like and a little less friendly.

I am cutting back to the bare minimum for texting now.

I think the way forward is £10 minimum charge Front/front+side,  no texting and oh yeh standing orders for the late payers.

That is the other big reason i've dumped many custies as constant late payers, if i had offered custie standing order under the guides of evryone of my custies were going onto standing order, I wonder how many of those custies i would have kept?

As said by others most people honest but forgetful.

Happy New year!