[gto]

i just received an email from a customer.
we have had the chance of a traditional window cleaner so no longer need your services.

this bugged me because, they know my parents for a start. so would have thought there may be some loyalty.
they have never had a problem with my work and all is spotless.

then they have windows that can't be done from ladders, one is over a flat roof, made from perspex.
the other is over a conservatory that i have to do from both side with my 25ft pole fully extended at an akward angle. as the ground aroung the cony is 3ft lower than the house.
and they have a fish pond in front of the conservatory.

anyway feel better now.

[Positivity]

Got similar text last week. "You know I have never been a fan of your system. I have found a window cleaner who does them with cloths. So will no longer need your services." They are leaded good luck to him!
Was going to reply "Let's hope you can do the windows above the conservatory from inside, because he wont be able to do them off ladders!" Decided not worth wasting a text on.

[chris turner]

It's the name of the game m8.

I was going to start a thread as iv lost 3 customers on one estate today but may as well have join you for a moan here instead

Had 13 houses planned today, all on a fairly new build estate that iv been doing for a while. All these houses have small cons at the back which I clean top to bottom as well as the windows, 6 weekly, all around £15 -£17 each.
I thought I was being very reasonable with my pricing including full con cleans each time. I would never normally do this but as the estate is fairly new the cons are in good condition and pretty easy to clean, so I didn't mind.
First 3 houses today all dumped me, been offered a cheaper price  and the other windie has also offered to clean all the cladding on the front of the houses included in the price.
So windows, cladding and entire conservatory for less then £15..
I didn't argue with any of them, just said if it's cheap your after then your probably going to get what you pay for. You have my number, call me when this other guy relealises what he's doing is unsustainable and either gives up or whacks up the price.

Was slightly annoyed about being undercut in such a way but that's life, customers come and go.

[EandM]

What they mean is that they really don't care about you and your personal safety - better off without them.

[ChumBucket]

Better off being rid now, customers like that usually turn out to be a pain in the *ss!

I had one a few years ago, I had converted her to wfp & they were perfect every time. Been wfp'ing them over a year when she said she wanted to go back to mop & blade. To cut a long story short, after her admitting that they were indeed perfect with wfp it turned out it was because she watched me do the house opposite traditional & thought it offered better value as I was there longer & actually looked like I was cleaning windows! Even her husband couldn't believe what she was saying & trundled off back into the house with his eyes rolling. The house opposite was more expensive & couldn't actually all be done wfp so was easier for me to trad anyway. Needless to say........ dumped!!  Don't waste any time over stupid customers!

[wpclean]

Some people will just not be happy with you waving a big stick, and spraying water on the windows !        We had a few over the years, and they will stick with you until a ladder monkey turns up, and they can't wait to tell you to sling your hook 

[Mick Kent]

I here it every day whilst canvassing. Everyone wants a trad guy.
Also when canvassing for trad guys i have minimal cancelations to deal with. In customers eyes traditional is far superior.

[Rich Wilts]

How come you think they're clever? They sound silly to me.

[NWH]

Even if i didn't want it,it still bugs me a bit but not as much as it once did. You still think about it for a while until another replaces it and how often does that happen,someone moves etc and you pick another 1-2 up in the same week or so. Clean with confidence with WFP you have no control over what customers say or want,if they like you and can trust you it will go a long way to whether they get rid of you. I have converted many doubters over the years with WFP.i tend to get they are much cleaner than the last bloke,he just used a dirty old cloth and he never used to do those awkward windows lol

[dazmond]

i just received an email from a customer.
we have had the chance of a traditional window cleaner so no longer need your services.

this bugged me because, they know my parents for a start. so would have thought there may be some loyalty.
they have never had a problem with my work and all is spotless.

then they have windows that can't be done from ladders, one is over a flat roof, made from perspex.
the other is over a conservatory that i have to do from both side with my 25ft pole fully extended at an akward angle. as the ground aroung the cony is 3ft lower than the house.
and they have a fish pond in front of the conservatory.

anyway feel better now.

i had the same the other week.the customer in question had been with me for years!switched cos he was £3 cheaper.he has to climb on 2 sloping roofs to clean some upper windows!plus i have 4 days work on this estate.i dont think she was happy paying £10 to have her windows cleaned(2 monthly as well!) .oh well she ll be asking me back in 6 months i reckon!

[simon knight]

The trouble with wfp is that it's so damned fast compared to trad.  So you're there 15 mins and charge £15 and custy does the sums and thinks "he's on £60ph".  I think for their £15 they like to see a bit of time consuming graft. 

[Shane sharples]

What happened to the unwritten rule of NOT UNDERCUTTING other windys? They are just lowering the hourly wage for other windys!!!! @$$holes

[Spruce]

i just received an email from a customer.
we have had the chance of a traditional window cleaner so no longer need your services.

this bugged me because, they know my parents for a start. so would have thought there may be some loyalty.
they have never had a problem with my work and all is spotless.

then they have windows that can't be done from ladders, one is over a flat roof, made from perspex.
the other is over a conservatory that i have to do from both side with my 25ft pole fully extended at an akward angle. as the ground aroung the cony is 3ft lower than the house.
and they have a fish pond in front of the conservatory.

anyway feel better now.

I know its easier said than done but don't take it personally.  I wouldn't even let this cancellation spoil the relationship you have via your parents.  No good will come from getting them involved and probably embarrassed by the situation - I wouldn't even mention it to them.

You can smile to yourself as they don't know the full import of what they have done - if in fact they have done it. You may not be privy to what's actually going on. Price is usually a factor with this, or they have a relative starting up that they feel more loyalty toward. Or it may be an excuse for money issues etc.

We did a customer wfp for 4 years before she found out we didn't do them properly (she was home that day).  Never had a problem before that and they were always happy when we collected payment on the Friday. She was very disappointed that day. He cancelled us soon after that as they had got a trad cleaner. I smile every time I'm in the street as the only way to access the bathroom and toilet window is to walk on their tiled roof extension over the integral garage. What happens in winter? What happens when tiles get broken?

 Oh, that's not my concern. 

[8weekly]

It's the name of the game m8.

I was going to start a thread as iv lost 3 customers on one estate today but may as well have join you for a moan here instead

Had 13 houses planned today, all on a fairly new build estate that iv been doing for a while. All these houses have small cons at the back which I clean top to bottom as well as the windows, 6 weekly, all around £15 -£17 each.
I thought I was being very reasonable with my pricing including full con cleans each time. I would never normally do this but as the estate is fairly new the cons are in good condition and pretty easy to clean, so I didn't mind.
First 3 houses today all dumped me, been offered a cheaper price  and the other windie has also offered to clean all the cladding on the front of the houses included in the price.
So windows, cladding and entire conservatory for less then £15..
I didn't argue with any of them, just said if it's cheap your after then your probably going to get what you pay for. You have my number, call me when this other guy relealises what he's doing is unsustainable and either gives up or whacks up the price.

Was slightly annoyed about being undercut in such a way but that's life, customers come and go.

I don't think people worry too much about quality if it's cheap.

[Spruce]

What happened to the unwritten rule of NOT UNDERCUTTING other windys? They are just lowering the hourly wage for other windys!!!! @$$holes

The world is a totally different place to what it was 10 years ago.

[wpclean]

I can remember using a chamois leather, and a chamois mop   

[chris turner]

It's the name of the game m8.

I was going to start a thread as iv lost 3 customers on one estate today but may as well have join you for a moan here instead

Had 13 houses planned today, all on a fairly new build estate that iv been doing for a while. All these houses have small cons at the back which I clean top to bottom as well as the windows, 6 weekly, all around £15 -£17 each.
I thought I was being very reasonable with my pricing including full con cleans each time. I would never normally do this but as the estate is fairly new the cons are in good condition and pretty easy to clean, so I didn't mind.
First 3 houses today all dumped me, been offered a cheaper price  and the other windie has also offered to clean all the cladding on the front of the houses included in the price.
So windows, cladding and entire conservatory for less then £15..
I didn't argue with any of them, just said if it's cheap your after then your probably going to get what you pay for. You have my number, call me when this other guy relealises what he's doing is unsustainable and either gives up or whacks up the price.

Was slightly annoyed about being undercut in such a way but that's life, customers come and go.

Update-

One if the customers that dumped me this morning called me this afternoon and asked if I could carry on doing hers as well
She had a think about what I'd said and decided it probably was to good to be true. Also she thought it was a bit strange that this other guy offered to do everything for £15 even though he hadn't actually had a look around to see exactly what needed doing.
So rather then risk switching to the other guy and messing me about if she wants to come back, she decided to stick with me.

I can understand her thought process, a window cleaner knocks on her door and offers what seems a fantastic deal so she goes for it. But on further thinking she then relealises if something is to good to be true, it normally is..

Speaking to my other customers on this estate today and learnt that this other guy has been knocking every evening and offering every single house £15 for everything, without even looking around.
By everything I mean everything, fascias, cladding, windows, conservatory the lot.

Seems to me he's either incredibly desperate or incredibly stupid.

[Shane sharples]

What happened to the unwritten rule of NOT UNDERCUTTING other windys? They are just lowering the hourly wage for other windys!!!! @$$holes

The world is a totally different place to what it was 10 years ago.

I never undercut anyone, I get all new customers , if they've got a window cleaner, I leave them alone and I'm still managing to pick up 3-6 new cleans a week!

[Dave Willis]

Gutters and fascias for £15 
Get him working for you.

[David Deer]

Gutters and fascias for £15

Transit van, Harwich docks, 4 a.m. , twenty illegals, £5 a day cash. Bob's your uncle