[DRS]

Hi guys

Back in the day i used to poach new sites being built and it was really successful but nowadays it seems everybody and their dog has decided to become a window cleaner and are doing the same thing. My question is.... Do you guys get much work from older estates? Leaflets wise?

Cheers 

[Tom White]

New estates are naff.  They're full of people with big mortgages and very little disposable income.  They move into their new house - they're all excited - they want a window cleaner, then six months down the line they're not very good customers because they resent paying for something as boring as having their windows cleaned when cash is tight.

Okay, they're not all like that, I have some lovely customers in some new estates; but I don't think these areas are great.

Leaflets can work to a point, but you need to get thousands-and-thousands of them out if you want a decent return.

Leafleting and canvassing works best.  And target your canvassing to areas where you get a decent return from your leaflet.

But I find my best accounts are fairly big properties out in the sticks.  To get these, it takes time, and it's normally by word-of-mouth.

[duncan h]

I have blasted quite a few newish estates. Rubbish. I give in on them now. Spent hours walking estates. Got quite a few who wanted them doing cheaper that a terrace house  I would rather do a quick semi at £8 £10 that a new detached at not much more money.
I get much more custom from your normal semi

[slap bash]

I don`t think new estates are any different as far as new customers go. As many have owned houses before. But what i do believe young customers go, they are not reliable as the more mature ones. As far a new window cleaners go we are defo over traded and many will disagree. The important thing is to look smart and be charming and you will get customers.
Having a economical down turn the last few years has taught  customer that window cleaning is not a must.

[SB Cleaning]

New estates are naff.  They're full of people with big mortgages and very little disposable income.  They move into their new house - they're all excited - they want a window cleaner, then six months down the line they're not very good customers because they resent paying for something as boring as having their windows cleaned when cash is tight.

Okay, they're not all like that, I have some lovely customers in some new estates; but I don't think these areas are great.

Leaflets can work to a point, but you need to get thousands-and-thousands of them out if you want a decent return.

Leafleting and canvassing works best.  And target your canvassing to areas where you get a decent return from your leaflet.

But I find my best accounts are fairly big properties out in the sticks.  To get these, it takes time, and it's normally by word-of-mouth.

I Agree with Tosh...

The best property's to get on board are definately the big country houses although they are hard to get

[Stoots]

I like newer houses, ones round here seems decent priced £10-£15

its the older houses i find are more stuck in the past with prices.

I know there lots of windys about but theres thousands upon thousands of houses in every city, plenty to go at.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

We normally wait for 6 months before targetting new build estates. Let all the 'alternative window cleaning services' and those constantly having to replace customers through bad workmanship show what they can do, then go in and sort it all out. (p.s not all local companies are bad) Works for us. We find the younger generation of home owners love internet payments so collecting is a doddle. 

[Clever Forum Name]

Been burnt more on new estates in the last year on unpaid debts than about 10 years put together on older work.

It's the moving house/ can't afford the mortgage/Looks a nice house but isn't their crowd you have to be careful on.

Given up on them now.

A new cleaner is targeting a few i clean on. £6 for a semi £8 for a detached. crack on lol

[slap bash]

Thousands of houses = BUSINESS, WRONG. ONLY IF THEY WANT THEM CLEANED.

[Stoots]

True. But if you cant get 200-300 custies earn yourself a decent living out of the thousands of houses in this country youre not trying hard enough.

[Danny F]

Some replies on new builds are mad... Wait for them to build, go in canvass them as they move in ... bang youl get 75% of a new area and its all compact... sort of hard to beat really.

None of this leave them till others try then go in and pick up a few here and there. get up , go and get them.

[PoleKing]

Some replies on new builds are mad... Wait for them to build, go in canvass them as they move in ... bang youl get 75% of a new area and its all compact... sort of hard to beat really.

None of this leave them till others try then go in and pick up a few here and there. get up , go and get them.

How long have you been trading, Danny?
And would you class yourself as cheap, about average, or expensive for window cleaning?

[Mike #1]

I don`t think new estates are any different as far as new customers go. As many have owned houses before. But what i do believe young customers go, they are not reliable as the more mature ones. As far a new window cleaners go we are defo over traded and many will disagree. The important thing is to look smart and be charming and you will get customers.
Having a economical down turn the last few years has taught  customer that window cleaning is not a must.

Very well said mate i totally agree , I am picking up work of new and old estates purely because in some cases even cleaners that have had my new custys for 6-years+

The custys have  got fed up off not knowing when they are going to turn up them been a bit miserable and doing a bad job all this from someone who has been cleaning over 20yrs .

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

So Danny, I go in at top price for the job, do a great job, then every man and his dog comes along and says we will do it for half our price, customer thinks we are all the same so goes with the cheap price, finds out we are all not the same and comes running back. Been there done that, every one who switched to the cheaper cleaner normally comes back too us.
So I wait now, let all the splash and dash brigade jump in first, then go and offer spot free full frame cleaned service and bobs your uncle!
Hope this helps.  

[duncan h]

So Danny, I go in at top price for the job, do a great job, then every man and his dog comes along and says we will do it for half our price, customer thinks we are all the same so goes with the cheap price, finds out we are all not the same and comes running back. Been there done that, every one who switched to the cheaper cleaner normally comes back too us.
So I wait now, let all the splash and dash brigade jump in first, then go and offer spot free full frame cleaned service and bobs your uncle!
Hope this helps.  

Most would be too embraced to ask you back, wouldn't they?

[Danny F]

So Danny, I go in at top price for the job, do a great job, then every man and his dog comes along and says we will do it for half our price, customer thinks we are all the same so goes with the cheap price, finds out we are all not the same and comes running back. Been there done that, every one who switched to the cheaper cleaner normally comes back too us.
So I wait now, let all the splash and dash brigade jump in first, then go and offer spot free full frame cleaned service and bobs your uncle!
Hope this helps.  

Each to there own of course. But i find if you are losing enough customers to the cheaper cleaners to be worried about, then theres ultimately something wrong. Of course you may lose 3/4 in an area to other cleaners but for the most part, if you go in at the beginning, give a quote you will both be happy with, do a good job, try to be on time and generally form a good relationship with the customer, then the chances of losing many to undercutters becomes slim (of course unless you are charging unrealistic prices to begin with) at least in my newly developed areas that ive been targeting this year.

Thats just the way ive found it to work. At least my way, you end up with nice compact work with little milage throughout the day. rather than pick what you can off other window cleaners maybe getting 5/6 etc

[capn sparkle]

So Danny, I go in at top price for the job, do a great job, then every man and his dog comes along and says we will do it for half our price, customer thinks we are all the same so goes with the cheap price, finds out we are all not the same and comes running back. Been there done that, every one who switched to the cheaper cleaner normally comes back too us.
So I wait now, let all the splash and dash brigade jump in first, then go and offer spot free full frame cleaned service and bobs your uncle!
Hope this helps.  

Each to there own of course. But i find if you are losing enough customers to the cheaper cleaners to be worried about, then theres ultimately something wrong. Of course you may lose 3/4 in an area to other cleaners but for the most part, if you go in at the beginning, give a quote you will both be happy with, do a good job, try to be on time and generally form a good relationship with the customer, then the chances of losing many to undercutters becomes slim (of course unless you are charging unrealistic prices to begin with) at least in my newly developed areas that ive been targeting this year.

Thats just the way ive found it to work. At least my way, you end up with nice compact work with little milage throughout the day. rather than pick what you can off other window cleaners maybe getting 5/6 etc

Spot on Danny!

Built my whole round on this principal, only been trading 5 years so mebbee I'm too new to this game...

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Saying we go in at top price for the job was the wrong way of putting it. We price for doing a proper job. We charge more than most in our area.
I was only saying how we do things. Stick to your own way Im sure it works for you.

[Mike #1]

We price for doing a proper job. We charge more than most in our area.

Exactly what i do David i i think new and old customers are realising this you only get what you pay for as the saying goes .

[8weekly]

Most of the new estates in Newbury have a high proportion of minging windows. They are either rented out, subsidised or the owners can't afford a window cleaner.