[Tom.m]

Apparently a customer of mine is disgusted with my firm because we let ourselves in his back garden without contacting him prior.

He's giving it the big one because he's a solicitor.

Do I just demand payment tell him to do one or write it off?

[duncan h]

Is it a new customer? Did he say you can go round back without letting him know?

[steve rix]

How did he think you were going to clean the rear? Hover?

[Smurf]

I would not argue with a solicitor as people can get very funny about someone being on their property unannounced especially when gate and fence hopping.

[steve rix]

I would not argue with a solicitor as people can get very funny about someone being on their property unannounced especially when gate and fence hopping.

They are not as clever as they think they are. Most try to intimidate you. If you quoted to clean and he accepted he wont have a leg to stand on UNLESS he said something on the lines of only do them when I am there/let me know first

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I had a falling out with one of my custies bout eight years ago over a locked gate. I'd made arrangements with her to leave it open and she didn't. So I let myself in (Bolt was at top of gate) and did the job but it seems she thought that by leaving it locked it would somehow convey to me that she had decided she didn't want her windows cleaned anymore. She then accused me of trespassing. There was no note or anything, just a bolted gate.

[Smurf]

I remember reading that someone gate hopped to clean the back windows and as a favour moved the washing off the line and then got accused of playing with the woman’s underwear. The funny thing was the chap was an x police officer so should have known better   

[Tom.m]

I've been cleaning his windows for about 3 months. I've also pressure washed his patio and cleaned all the carpets in his house.

Can't understand why he's so offended. I usually send him an email reminder for the gate but this time I didn't. It's not like I booted the gate through.

My business partner wants to just let him have it as a freebie but I'd like to go round and speak face to face. (obviously a keyboard warrior)

[steve rix]

Face to face with the t*sser

[Tom.m]

Bloody ambulance chaser.

"I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the way you gained access to my property without notice or my consent. Irrespective of there being “no padlock,” you are professionals and one does not expect a firm of your quality to be acting in such a fashion.

 

I’m terribly sorry Tom but this incident is worrying and even more shocking if is this your firm’s standard practice. With respect, it amounts to trespass.

 

I don’t want to argue over such a nominal amount, but the situation is not satisfactory as it currently stands, and I therefore hope an amicable solution can be agreed.

 

I really do not want this to tarnish what high regard I had for your firm."

[CleanClear]

Can't understand why he's so offended. I usually send him an email reminder for the gate but this time I didn't. It's not like I booted the gate through.

My business partner wants to just let him have it as a freebie but I'd like to go round and speak face to face. (obviously a keyboard warrior)

Your customer facing skills suck. You've obviously told him you'll pre notify as you've been doing that. Even if you didn't tell him that by virtue of the fact you have been pre notifying then thats how its goes, your relationship with him. Thats what he expects from you, and thats why he does not expect a firm like you to act that way. He's taken aback.
 You want to go and see him "face to face"?

Me however would of said..i'm really sorry i did send a text, i always do. Did it not come through ? Somethings gone wrong i'll look into it.

Ignore your business partner who wants to do anything sensible, just go front him, tell him how it is. Don't be spoken to like that by a wannabee Ambulance chaser, dump, and get some more. Its your business, drive it foreward, don't ever worry about customers, just put them in their place.  Face to face preferably and you'll go a long way.

[Tom.m]

The way I see it, he's agreed to have his windows cleaned on a monthly basis. I only emailed him so I don't have to jump the bloody gate.

[AuRavelling79]

@Clean Clear

You are joking I hope.

I have never in 20 years had any one of my customers make such a palaver over opening an unlocked gate and walking through and cleaning their windows.

The solicitor is being precious and demanding. I believe he is insulting in the way he is communicating and all this high-falutin whiny "I view your firm in high regard but am disappointed" is a load of passive-aggressive tommy-rot.  Who views window cleaners in "high regard"? Get a grip lawman.

I wouldn't work for a muppet like that. What's next? "You left foot prints on my lawn, you trespasser you - gimme compensation?" I would dump on the spot and never respond.

 

[Tom.m]

Oh did mention that he had a for sale sign outside his house.

[nathankaye]

Your choice to keep him or not. But doesnt the law also imply that if a window is left open and unsecure that if a intruder comes into the house.  It can be turn/twisted in legal terms that he/she was invited into the property!
He knowa as well as we know, verbal agreements are not held as legal prove. However there is an angreement which exists for the windows in entirety are to be cleaned by you or a representative of your company on a fixed time scale for a fixed amount. Every thing else is subsidiary to this

[AuRavelling79]

A letter to the lawman. 

Dear Sir,

I am very disappointed you hold my firm in high regard and believe me to be professional; I am not. I am a window cleaner you supercilious fool. Window cleaners typically "tip up" at their customers "gaffs", clean their windows to a good standard and expect to be paid promptly.

Window cleaners do not wish to be held in high esteem and do not care whether their customers get their panties in a bunch because they have walked onto a customers property at the previously agreed schedule.

If I had pee'd on your roses or taken a dump over your drain I could understand you getting upset. If I had happily entered your back garden and caught you sunbathing in skimpy clothing I could understand some slight embarrassment all round but nothing that couldn't be humorously dealt with by all parties.

If I had shown up at your lounge window and seen the risque stuff you were watching on your computer or disturbed you in an act of endearment with your dearly beloved wife then maybe you would have a point; but I knocked the front door and rightly guessed you were not at home so cleaned your windows. How shocking for you. Go and lie down with an ice pack on your head and don't forget to make a whiplash claim.

Now pay up you miserable tight-assed little QC or I will report you to the Law Society for bringing your profession into disrepute by your treating a minion like me so badly that I feel a PTSD claim coming on.

Your obedient servant,



Windy Washer to the gentry.

[the king]

ide e.mail him back and say something on the lines of dont bother paying me and find a nother wc if ur guna be so pety about a freging gate 

[Ste b]

Please copy and paste mr golds reply and send it to him, i would love  to see his response

[kempy]

It is petty of him .

If you have enough work then just dump him politely .
He may then ask you to arrange a time etc fir your next clean and pay .

[CleanClear]

@Clean Clear

You are joking I hope.

Not sure what makes you think i'm joking  ?  I'm not.  I'm not going to go into the whole thing of pre notifying as its been done to death here. I do both, some i pre notify and some i don't. I know the pro's and cons from my side and the customers side, so we don't even have to go there.

Regards the OP, he has been pre notifying. In my experience, when i have turned up at a customers that i usually pre notify and i havn't this time, due to an error or some such...they have been most perplexed. I've had  a phone call the same evening from customers i've never spoken to for years to ask me................."how did you get over"? And i've also a big aggresive guy come up to a co worker sitting in the passenger seat of my fully sign written van and ask him "you got a problem, what you want what you doing here" ? Until he seen my face, then he said.......never knew you where coming today Mike, i usually get a message? Bottom line is some people take their security seriously.

Notify, don't notify...........do what you like. But i'd be miffed if someone said they'll let me know when they're coming then turn up willy nilly without letting me know. The Solicitor is miffed, like most of my customers have been when i've done it. So thats my first hand experience.  So no, i'm not joking. Mind you where i live they all have CCTV, Alarms, posts in the drive so you can't get the car out without un locking it etc..........

You may live in Camberwick Green with Windy Miller making flour and delivering eggs around the village and the postman going about his business in his little red van, and the window cleaner going about his business from house to house, some of us live in the 21st Century.