[dannymack]

As most know I only do lil bit of residential, most customers houses.Had a fella fone me about may time only lives 10 mins up the road wanted his house windows cleaned. I said I don't do houses but he said its a fair size detached ok ill pop through and quote. Well I did £25 yes that's ok once a month  no probs been doing it takes us abit 15 / 20 minutes. Did the other day got money he says ok leave it now until it starts getting warm around April may time yeah ok I said, hes got two hopes bob hope and no hope. I won't be going back and won't be taking houses like that on, these people make me laugh if all customers were like that we wouldn't have a business !!! So when he fones next year ill say sorry can't fit you in got to many regular custys to do that have it done all year round. Don't it pee you off. I have commercial jobs that may move from one monthly to two monthly but to come back next year what a cheek !!! 👳👳👳

[michael robinson]

yeah winds me up really bad this. had quite a few in recent years who have ask us to start cleaning their windows so I usually do a great job spend time above the sills and everything and then after the second clean they have said they don't want it doing no more that really gets my goat up so now if I take on new customers and specially one that look like they haven't been cleaned in ages I tell them I will only concentrate on one window at the time by that I mean clean all the frames etc.. so that at least if they pack in it will be after a good few months.

[dave0123]

You should have just said that directly to his face!

[GB Window Cleaning]

You should have just said that directly to his face!

Agreed! How will people ever know/learn if youd on't at lest tell them how you operate!?

[dannymack]

Dave, GB that would be rude to say that I would think, he's the customer but should have said when quotes that he only wants them done every 6 months basically. I would have said that's fine but I would have upped the price slightly. Not doing anymore houses that are not connected to my clients. Jokers
Yes Michael I'm glad you know where I'm coming from its soooo annoying and yes good on ya give one window frame a good cleaning and tell erm it will take a few months as your spending time on each frame like it !!! 👳👳👳👍

[dave0123]

No you say..

The agreed price was for a monthly clean, or what ever the schedule was. If you want every six month cleaning its going to cost this much ..... or Just say i only take on all year round customers not as and when.

That is not being rude at all.. that's just explaining how you work with your business! .. simple as that.


Customer said to me the other week.. quoted for every month.. can we not just cal you when we want it doing? i said i dont really work like that but you could have it cleaned every 2 months its only 6 cleans per year! probably a little less if you take weather into account.. and they went for that no problems! you just have to suss the customer out.

[dannymack]

Dave I can understand what your saying but I said every month ill clean then he says yes, now if he said to me I want them done every month for 6 months then leave for another 6 months I'd of said no sorry m8 we don't work like that but I will do ect, ect just left and not bothered m8. My point is these people make me laugh they don't see us as a business and come to them at there beck & call, as I was saying we wouldn't have a business with these sort of customers !!!!  👳👳👳

[dave0123]

I know i agree! i know where your coming from! they annoy me too mate

But i personally wouldn't have said yeah that's fine.. you've just agreed to it! would have just told him straight there and then in a polite way.

[dannymack]

When he said come back when it gets warm in May your right I should have said but was slightly flabbergasted and yeah ok, when I got in the van I was
Fuming. But your right should have said no we don't work like that and the price I was doing for was for every month of the year. But ay you learn as I've never come across that not doing much residential but yes it is annoying. 👳👳👳not to bothered Dave as it was abit of pocket money just annoyed me how they think they can treat us as if its not a real job !!! 👳👳👳

[dave0123]

I no its anoying init.

Tbh though! it doesnt happen often which is lucky 

[bobplum]

i no what your saying but i just say it there and then  "no thanks i dont work like that, the price is for a monthly clean, thanks for your custom but i wont be coming back, bye"

[bobplum]

OH ..............and keep off my patch

[dannymack]

Dave just as well ay, it doesn't happen hardly as we would have to be firemen and so this window cleaning part time lol !!!

Bobski that's what I should have said I can kick meself but ill say it when he fones next year in May if I've not retired on lottery winnings he he 👳👳👳

[dazmond]

I find if I offer a 2 monthly frequency these customers usually go for it and no further problems.

If it's a larger house stand alone I'll go up to a 3 monthly frequency.any longer and I can't be bothered.

Most domestic customers  of mine are very good and hardly ever even skip a clean.I'm very lucky.

I do get the odd one though.what I do is I take them back on at a higher price in the spring if they ask me back if it's compact estate work.

Regards

Dazmond

[James Bulton]

I don`t understand this fear of folk. Is rudeness more important than being honest with customers.Is it not dishonest to mislead you into a monthly clean price by deception. I am not rude to my customers but people are not made of glass that they cannot handle a bit of the honest truth..Remember it not what you say but how you say it.
There a feeling among us that we must take all kinds of abuse in our business environment.Why should a customer use us and abuse us.Its only because we allow it.
Right chaps fire, I don`t practice the shut up and smile policy.

[dannymack]

Daz sounds about right in what you do

Smithie you are right and that's how you feel used m8, the thing is he is such a nice fella I found it hard to say something to him. I just won't go back and won't take on residential house unless its a block of flats or a whole road of detached houses.
Ill stick with doing what I know best Commercial jobs
Thanks for all your input on this appreciated.
Merry Christmas to you all and all the best for 2014 👳👳👳🌲🌲🌲

[Soupy]

I'd have told him that was perfectly acceptable.

We have a short set of ts and cs on the bottom of EVERY quote that we give to EVERY new customer. In there it explains frequency.

That will be an extra £25 mate....

[Jim Waugh(Albright & Shiny)]

Im finding that I offer two prices
5 week clean =X
10 week clean = X+50%

and to put off the faffer I always hit them with a first clean tarrif of double the 5 week price.. That way I get a few No thanks your too dear. those are normally the ones who are after a cheap one off..

Those that take me on If they don't stay with me at least I have had the price of two cleans out of them.

If they suck through their teeth at the 5 week price they can be persuaded onto 10 week easy enough..

Those that say Oh can you leave it off during the winter are usually 5 weekers, they get persuaded onto the 10 week pattern to Keep their slot..

And if they don't fit in with that they get a PO Pill ...

[dannymack]

Cheers for input, I did say or he said to me clean then once a month so that was all sorted. Just as well we don't have many customers like him wouldn't have no work through the winter. I'm sure most folk think we do this for abit of pocket money then go and sign on ? Ignorance one would say 👳👳👳🌲🌲🌲

[Carl2009]

I have a few that cancel for the winter. The last clean is usually Oct and they restart in Mar. That's a loss of 4 months. I price all my jobs on the high side so I can work in spare days during the month when it's wet (anyone east of a line drawn from Aberdeen to Weymouth really doesn't now what wet is. No, really, I mean it) and afford to lose the odd 3 or 4 (max) to the winter.

Winter hours are short, there is plenty of bad weather and it can be hard to stay on track, Having a few "cancel" for the winter is no big deal for me. What does bug me are the ones that cancel on the day