[dannymack]

As most know I mainly do commercial and have a few residential.. I did a pub for many many years and the detached house next door asked to do there's. I've been cleaning there windows for about 18 years, the pub closed about 7 years ago but as the family in the house are really nice and even give us a Christmas drink every year I carried on cleaning there windows. Well had a txt today to say not to clean them today as its raining, I do them the first Friday of each month so she knows when I'm coming and leaves money out round the back. I was really annoyed as it rains alot and if alot of custys said that we wouldn't have a business. I left it and thought no I'm gonna txt her so just did it. I explained that her windows get dirty due to a layer of dust that kicks up with the wind and settles on her glass, it will then rain at some time and the water on the dust makes them get dirty. I them said we come along when its raining or if its gonna rain and clean the glass. The rain is pure water which goes onto the clean glass, it's not the rain that makes the glass dirty as the window has been cleaned it will stay clean for a week or 2 when the dust kicks up again that's when they will start getting dirty. I said as I've been cleaning your windows for many years and yous are a nice family ill carry on. She txt back and said she was really sorry this will never happen again and she feels really bad
Do yous think I was right in explaining this as I get fed up when people say awww your  wasting your time cleaning them its gonna rain !!!! 👳👳👳👍

[PoleKing]

Depends bud.
Are you happy to carry on cleaning after your explanation?
Is she happy for you to keep coming?
If yes to both, then yes, you made the right call.

If you've been cleaning her windows for 18 years and (I assume) she's not cancelled because of rain before, I'd say something else was up though...

[Bill.upnw]

I think u wer nice, ide av just dropped them n wen they ring bk nxt month say price is goin up

[Clever Forum Name]

I think u wer nice, ide av just dropped them n wen they ring bk nxt month say price is goin up

Did a chap called dodger design your site?

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

as you say you have to pay bills and all so a bit of rain aint gunna make any difference. if its the only one there then drop and canvass more.

[8weekly]

One day Danny you will have enough work that it doesn't upset you.

[paul ette]

Had this a lot lately because of  how much it's been raining, It starting to wind me up, had people say why would you work in this weather? I just say I've not got a choice , I got bills to pay too

[PoleKing]

For what it's worth, my opinion on things like this is do keep smiling.
Normally, certainly for my customers, it's more about how i say it than what i say.
If I'm ploughing through the rain and a customer moans, chirping back something like:
'don't worry, it's the same price' or
'it always makes it feel a bit easier when a customer makes me a cup of tea...white with one, thanks'
All but the most miserable of customers will realise that you're cleaning as a business, and as such, need to make money, whatever the weather.
If people still continue to moan, suck it up until you can afford to lose them. Once you can afford to pick & choose (to a degree) who you clean for, chuck 'em

[Johnny B]

If I dropped every customer who asked me to 'leave them today', I wouldn't have any!

I am in Ireland, where the culture towards window cleaning is different to Britain. The trick is to have enough customers to call on, so if hit with a 'not today', there is always another who wants me. This scenario works in cycles, so there is always work, just not always where you would like it on the day!

No one here really cares that we have families to support. They are too concerned with their own lives to bother about our needs. we are 'just the window cleaner' after all!

John  

[alank]

if i hit on a not today move on and forget it, be flexible to a point if they continue dump.

[dannymack]

Thanks for info chaps, I won't dump as they are nice family and she promised not to do it again she just didn't think. It's not about the money as its only a £10 house it just annoys me when peeps say not to worry its gonna rain.

8 weekly I've got plenty of work thanks mate we turn overall 6 figure sum and am vat reg and a ltd company.it wasn't about the money with this as most of our work is Commercial these few houses we do are just abit of extra pocket money !!!! It's about people don't understand that the rain won't dirty there windows for a while 👳👳👳

[Marc Stock]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

[dannymack]

That's a shame Marc but you prob better off without twats like that mate 👳👳👳👍

[dazmond]

i always explain to customers i work in the rain and to let me know if their not happy after cleaning them in wet weather.

its the ruddy wind thats the problem!!

wednesday was just too bad with strong wind and heavy rain so day off.i was gonna catch up and work today but again very strong winds and heavy showers.

better luck next week eh lads?

[Johnny B]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

It's the customer who is paying our wages, and let's not forget that they don't owe us a living. If I had a customer who was worth 4 grand a year, I would go with the flow, as I do with even my lowest paid work.

Even though customers don't sympathise with our need to earn a living (why should they, we are only hired help after all?) I still like my customers to have the benefit of clean windows for as long as possible, and I tell them so.

Golden rule guys, golden rule. 

John.



 

[8weekly]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

It's the customer who is paying our wages, and let's not forget that they don't owe us a living. If I had a customer who was worth 4 grand a year, I would go with the flow, as I do with even my lowest paid work.




 

But if you go with the flow he isn't worth £4k a year. 

[Johnny B]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

It's the customer who is paying our wages, and let's not forget that they don't owe us a living. If I had a customer who was worth 4 grand a year, I would go with the flow, as I do with even my lowest paid work.




 

But if you go with the flow he isn't worth £4k a year. 

Maybe not, but then if you value his custom so little that you are prepared to dump him, you've then got to find 4 grand's worth of new custom to make up the shortfall. How long would that take you? 

John 

[8weekly]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

It's the customer who is paying our wages, and let's not forget that they don't owe us a living. If I had a customer who was worth 4 grand a year, I would go with the flow, as I do with even my lowest paid work.




 

But if you go with the flow he isn't worth £4k a year. 

Maybe not, but then if you value his custom so little that you are prepared to dump him, you've then got to find 4 grand's worth of new custom to make up the shortfall. How long would that take you? 

John 

No you haven't as he was never worth that. He has only been a customer for 6 months and is already cancelling. It is much better to find customers that want the service you offer. The guy above wants a different service to the one agreed and on offer.

Besides, I wouldn't value his custom at all if he was shouting down the phone.

[Johnny B]

It is annoying. I picked up a large-ish customer during the summer of 2013. Shop inside and out, large block of flats and his mansion. Just this one customer worth about 4k a year, lost it this morning as he kept messing me about, using the weather as an excuse. I reminded him that id like to stick to the agreed sched  and i dont mind one or two jobs being cancelled but i dont want a habit made of it. He didnt like that and ended up barking down the phone at me at 8am this morning.

Wasnt very pleasent, but hey ho.

It's the customer who is paying our wages, and let's not forget that they don't owe us a living. If I had a customer who was worth 4 grand a year, I would go with the flow, as I do with even my lowest paid work.




 

But if you go with the flow he isn't worth £4k a year. 

Maybe not, but then if you value his custom so little that you are prepared to dump him, you've then got to find 4 grand's worth of new custom to make up the shortfall. How long would that take you? 

John 

No you haven't as he was never worth that. He has only been a customer for 6 months and is already cancelling. It is much better to find customers that want the service you offer. The guy above wants a different service to the one agreed and on offer.

Besides, I wouldn't value his custom at all if he was shouting down the phone.

1. Then why was the figure of 4k mentioned if it was never a true figure? 2. I agree, but these customers can still provide some income if you do go with the flow until better ones are found/come along. Lastly, I too wouldn't want customers who shout at or verbally abuse me. In my experience this has ever only happened when I have hacked them off. Nowadays I am much more diplomatic  when dealing with difficult people.

John

[C o z y]

With Johnny B on this one.

There's a flip side to "good" customers. When they are worth 4K a year, if they cancel half the time, it's still worth 2K. So for some, that's worth the hassle of cancelation. The real down side for me would be, that's a good chunk of work to lose over night if he changes firms.
When I was new to this game, I chased the big jobs like hopitals and schools. You only get the jobs on price, and if they drop you, you've got problems finding like jobs in a short time.
When you have domestics as 90% of your work, this can't happen. Easy to replace a 10 quid job in under a hour.
Dannymack will already know this. He can obviously handle the hassle. Rather you guys than me. I'll stick to cleaning Mrs Smith's windows. I'm nearly ready to go semi retired now anyway.