[GB Window Cleaning]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

[Ian101]

just my way but would not of even bothered making phonecall and wasting 20p and 2 minutes of my time ... zero tolerence ....... been like this for 12 months now and no stress from tossers at all.

[Ian101]

however love the reply to the husband 

[H20cleaning]

I HATE customers like this because I bet there the ones that go round telling their friends "my window cleaner hasn't been for about 4 months." When te reality is they couldn't be arsed to pay you.
They couldn't be arsed cleaning up after their dog.

So when there friends come round and see dirty windows they blame us!! Not the above points

[deeege]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

[GB Window Cleaning]

just my way but would not of even bothered making phonecall and wasting 20p and 2 minutes of my time ... zero tolerence ....... been like this for 12 months now and no stress from tossers at all.

Yeah, I'm feeling a bit angry tonight so i said more than i usually would. But i like your zero tolerance attitude! Thanks ian. It makjes me feel like im not alone!

George

[GB Window Cleaning]

I HATE customers like this because I bet there the ones that go round telling their friends "my window cleaner hasn't been for about 4 months." When te reality is they couldn't be arsed to pay you.
They couldn't be arsed cleaning up after their dog.

So when there friends come round and see dirty windows they blame us!! Not the above points

Yeah, these are the custards that when your canvassing say " oh yeah i need a window cleaner, as my old one stopped coming" 

[GB Window Cleaning]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

It wasn't really an arsey phone call. Its my policy to let the custy know my rules when they start playing up! Granted, my tone of voice could have been friendlier but they've messed me around in the short time ive taken them on as a custy! Plus i didnt mention the fact that they asked me if not only could i text then the evening before (which i do anyway) But they asked me to text them TWo days before there due for there clean!!!

PFFFFFHHHHH... Im stared to get mad again thikning about it 

[PoleKing]

Same here today.
I sent the final demand letter. For a tenner!
Got a text back, after online payment, saying please remove me from your list.
I replied, soon as I had to chase you you were dumped.
Irritated I spent out on the stamp for the envelope.
Chuckling to myself thinking they thought I'd go back.

[Ian101]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

[ben M]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

[robertphil]

it helps to be a bit bitter n twisted   i have found . practice saying (with a snarl )"do em yourself! u bloomin dildo "  as a standard reply

[Spruce]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

Hi GB.  The topic header is 'venting my stress.'

You appear to be very stressed out about this one customer. My question to you is; why let it get to you?

Don't take it personally. You need to seperate your working 'life' from your 'private' life. In other words, don't take your work home - an expression we were very familar with in industry.

If you were your ex wife/GF would you like it if he vented his day's stress on you every night when he got home? Is this particular incident really that much of a problem? Does it fit into the 'train smash' catagory? If they don't pay you, how much has it cost you? £8.00? £10.00?

We wouldn't have let this go as far as you have TBH. We would have stopped for the dog's mess in the back garden the first time we encountered it. As we usually start at the back, we wouldn't have cleaned the house.
We would have communicated verbally in a quite manner why their mess is the reason for us discontinuing. We won't give them the pleasure of arguing or firing a smart comment back. We leave with dignity.

Remember the three C's. Canvass - clean - cull. Even when you have a full round of good customers, some of those good customers turn bad for whatever reason. You still have to cull them and look for replacements.

If you are looking for a new mate, practise not letting these trivial things become the focus of your life now.

I wish you the best.

Spruce

[Spruce]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

Spot on.

I know GB is 'new' at window cleaning so is still building his round. I also appreciate that it gets harder to dump a customer as it feels you are going backwards when you are in this position. I have also been there, but with hindsight, can see it differently now.

[Spruce]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

What a great comment! I will remember this. 

[Ian101]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

What a great comment! I will remember this. 

Thanks Bruce
I think Im maturing as great comments are normally not my thing  ...... normally a tell em to do one type of character 

[richard jagger]

How to dump a customer with Class. Send a bill and don`t clean until they wise up. See how long you can get away with it.

[8weekly]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

Allegedly. 

[wolfee101]

Trouble with venting is

 Theres a large build up of pressure waiting for an excuse to blow (so to speak)

In this case you might be anxious when you called/texted, expecting a cancellation.

Better to be calm and happy about replies beforehand.

how you do that ? i have not a clue!

I would have missed them out and called in 2 months, if i needed/wanted the cash.
 

[Spruce]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

Allegedly. 

Unfortunately this customer could very quickly end up on the cull list. Only time will tell. I tend to give my customers the benefit of the doubt initially as we all do. Sooner or later they reveal their true colours. Potential customers who tell porkies about their previous window cleaner will do the same to their new one.

A business relationship is a two way street; it must be win win on both sides. Once that changes then its time to discontinue that relationship. Of course the decision as to when that situation is no longer a win win situation will be different from one cleaner to the next.

Whilst this maybe a little hyperbole by the potential customer, I do know a trad cleaner who once worked in our neck of the woods who wouldn't clean the bathroom window if he didn't need to, especially if it was one that only had an upper opener window.