[slap bash]

I have had some medical problems lately which has led to a knee replacement. I have had quite a few customers have cancelled as I have been unable to climb over fences like I have done in the past.  It just amazes me how there is such a lack of empathy when you are injured. You serve through snow and rain and when you need a little understanding its goodbye.I don`t expect more, but it does just prove there is no loyalty.  That`s why the drop and find two more is a good policy.

[Spruce]

I have had some medical problems lately which has led to a knee replacement. I have had quite a few customers have cancelled as I have been unable to climb over fences like I have done in the past.  It just amazes me how there is such a lack of empathy when you are injured. You serve through snow and rain and when you need a little understanding its goodbye.I don`t expect more, but it does just prove there is no loyalty.  That`s why the drop and find two more is a good policy.

Trouble is Slap Dash that you just see the disloyalty of these few.

Its easy to see the small dot on a sheet of white paper than to just see the white of the paper. It's human nature. We've experienced the same thing recently.

The other issue is that as we get older we get slower as age and health play their part. At one time a round that I could easily service isn't as easy anymore.  Its the world we live in and this issue of the lack of empathy and loyalty or lack of it just doesn't apply only to our industry.

You just don't know what's next on the horizon. Customer's lives are also changing, so the good customer for many years suddenly becomes a bad payer. Maybe they get more difficult and demanding with age and all those around about them feel that.

As life gets more difficult at the rock face, people generally become more selfish - its our right to have this when we want it and if you don't give it to us then we will go elsewhere. Its the way of the world.

[ChumBucket]

Don't think about it for too long or the disloyalty will get to you. Screw them & move on!!

[wpclean]

You shouldn't have to climb over fences anyway, you are better off without them.

[martin hulstone]

Talking about loyalty, i was once approached by an asian man in manchester who asked me how much to clean his windows. I said 15 pounds per monthly clean, he replies i only pay 13, to which i replied  Yeah i know, im your window cleaner! unbelievable.

[Walter Mitty]

Get some more customers and ditch the ones who expect you to work off a trapeze with no safety net.
Seriously, I had some medical problems some years back.  I wrote to everyone.  All I asked was that if they wanted to cancel, they let me know so that I wasn't wrongly cleaning their windows when I returned to work.  Most of those who cancelled couldn't even be bothered to send an email, make a call or write a letter.  I ended up losing a big chunk of my work to part-timers who were firemen.  No problem with them as that's business but I felt pretty resentful towards the customers who didn't even bother to tell me.  I got over it though.
Since those days I have taken some of the cancellers back on - but only the ones who had the decency to contact me.  I told the others to take a hike (I was actually more polite than that) as my workload was starting to pick up again by then.
Most people were OK with waiting though - some of them for a few months.  I prefer to focus on them.

[slap bash]

I am not worried as each time I loose one I do get better around the next corner. Most of my customers I have had for 5/6 years and I think better of them than them of me. I have been around the block to many times to get up set, its just makes you consider your effort to them. Anyways cheers for the kind words. Chaps .

[Walter Mitty]

As an addendum to this (it is linked, I believe), anyone ever notice how often it is that the customers who you put yourself out for the most are the ones who tread on you the hardest?
Not always true, I know, but has happened too often to be coincidental

[NWH]

Don't think any customer is for life I've had a few over the years that i thought would be with me for as long I wanted not them if you know what I mean,put prices up as and when they should go up and always be open for more work to at least go out and look at or price.we don't really know what there like as people we just clean there windows and most customers also have that view of us,if they can save a few quid or you don't turn up as and when they won't even give you a second thought so that's how I think when I price

[duncan h]

Talking about loyalty, i was once approached by an asian man in manchester who asked me how much to clean his windows. I said 15 pounds per monthly clean, he replies i only pay 13, to which i replied  Yeah i know, im your window cleaner! unbelievable.

lol love it

[ben M]

You shouldn't have to climb over fences anyway, you are better off without them.

+1

[8weekly]

As an addendum to this (it is linked, I believe), anyone ever notice how often it is that the customers who you put yourself out for the most are the ones who tread on you the hardest?
Not always true, I know, but has happened too often to be coincidental

Yes, yes, yes. But these lessons are important reminders that your customers are not your friends. Keep a healthy, professional aloofness.

[Walter Mitty]

As an addendum to this (it is linked, I believe), anyone ever notice how often it is that the customers who you put yourself out for the most are the ones who tread on you the hardest?
Not always true, I know, but has happened too often to be coincidental

Yes, yes, yes. But these lessons are important reminders that your customers are not your friends. Keep a healthy, professional aloofness.

After my aforementioned health problem some years back (and the subsequent loss of work), I did start to change my attitude as it was a harsh reality check.   Be friendly without being a friend seems to be the way.  Also, any messing and they're gone.  In the last couple of years I've needed to put up with a few things that I stopped tolerating because my workload grew too light (I lost some decent commercial jobs).  However, I am just reaching the point where that's no longer the case.  Messers are a drag on my income.  I would rather lose a messer and get another customer who understands that my business cannot be worked to one customer's convenience.

[lal]

As an addendum to this (it is linked, I believe), anyone ever notice how often it is that the customers who you put yourself out for the most are the ones who tread on you the hardest?
Not always true, I know, but has happened too often to be coincidental

Yes, yes, yes. But these lessons are important reminders that your customers are not your friends. Keep a healthy, professional aloofness.


 Completely agree with you 8weekly, customers are not our friends, this is our business, our bread & butter, once you start
 treating customers as friends and doing favours & extras for nothing, your costing yourself money and they are taking you for granted as a soft touch.

Lal

[Matt.]

If you think there is no loyalty in domestic work you want to try ur hand at commercial,
No loyalty wot so ever.

[Johnny B]

I think that we have to look at how our customers view our service, rather than how we perceive it to be. If we all do an excellent job for a reasonable price, and in a friendly but professional manner, we would have very little to worry about.

I find that my customers are, in the main, very loyal, both residential and commercial. There will always be the occasional one who drops us, but can be replaced easily enough.

John

.

[NWH]

If you think there is no loyalty in domestic work you want to try ur hand at commercial,
No loyalty wot so ever.

I will second that one lol

[weetot]

My mate came off his his ladder and badly hurt himself.   He lost most of his domestics before he even hit the ground. Word sharp gets around with neighbours etc. One customer gets a new window cleaner cos she is worried about how her windows are going to be cleaned, then the rest follow like conformist sheep!

[Spruce]

As an addendum to this (it is linked, I believe), anyone ever notice how often it is that the customers who you put yourself out for the most are the ones who tread on you the hardest?
Not always true, I know, but has happened too often to be coincidental

This is very true.