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RPCCS

  • Posts: 1021
One shot wonders
« on: December 11, 2017, 01:29:14 pm »
This is the rime of the year when all the one s(otters come out of the woodwork.
The ones who never bother withnyou from one year to the next, but because its comin* up to Christmas, they see you in the street and expect you to drop everything and go and do their windows.
No chance! I got bitten that way a long time ago, was asked to do someone’s windows,  filthy they were, took memages, but just charged normal rate, went back next time and was told not to bother, they only wanted them done for  Xmas. I thought tou t**t, if I had known, would have charged you triple. Told him not to ever dare asking me dor work again. Nowadays if anyone asks, I say, I can fit them in come January, but nit before, if they are foing to be regular, they will say ok, if they’re just one offs, they will say it doesnt matter..
Cheers Rich

alank

  • Posts: 653
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2017, 01:48:13 pm »
Anyone asking this close to Christmas either waits until next year or pays a high first clean price .

Shrek

  • Posts: 3931
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2017, 01:54:52 pm »
Anyone that rings me or messages me gets told it’ll be after Christmas before I give them a price. With days like today , you don’t need one offs to get you even more behind in work

dazmond

  • Posts: 24430
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2017, 08:55:04 pm »
ive had 5 or 6 over the last few weeks.i give them a card so they can text me their details.not one has got back to me after me saying "i cant fit you in before xmas but ill clean them in january for you". ;D ;D
price higher/work harder!

windowswashed

  • Posts: 2625
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2017, 09:07:32 pm »
One hit wonders ....... tell them I look after my regular customers first and happy to take them on in January if they care to let me have their details, that sorts out the one hit Xmas chancers  ;D Occassionally I do get some December enquiries start in January who are genuine so it does pay to be polite but truthful with possible new customers  :)

Slacky

  • Posts: 8425
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2017, 10:01:49 pm »
I’m glad I don’t run my business the way some do on here. I don’t care what time of year it is, it’s the money that counts.

alanwilson

  • Posts: 1885
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2017, 10:04:09 pm »
Same here,  we book them for January.

If they want xmas as well we take full payment for xmas and January up front.
I've never been to bed with an ugly bird but I've woken up with loads!

mufcglen

  • Posts: 1507
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2017, 11:01:51 pm »
Same here, you want them doing you wait until January regulars come first!!
A few years ago I would have grabbed them knowing they’d be one off’s, charged accordingly but nothing more I hate than one off cleans on very grubby windows much prefer sticking to regular cleans.
Suppose if you need the work fair enough ;)

davids3511

  • Posts: 2506
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2017, 11:40:19 pm »
I’m glad I don’t run my business the way some do on here. I don’t care what time of year it is, it’s the money that counts.
Don't know Slacky, I run this way and have about 30% more than I can handle. If I do the one offs a regular gets left till January. That  doesn't seem fair to a good year round customer, I get it that you'd go in steep and bump the regular but that's not my way.

Slacky

  • Posts: 8425
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2017, 12:09:29 am »
Keep your options open, especially this time of year, the way the weather is.

I’ve got a weeks inside work for a long forsaken customer that rang me out of the blue. She’d moved to Singapore but is now back in the country. Last week she rang me to see if I could take her back on. She reckoned there was two days work, insides on a refurb she’s doing. She agreed to pay my day rate over the phone, knowing this weeks weather forecast was not good it sounded like a good idea to me.

I got there today, now to me there’s a weeks work there. She’s happy if it takes that long as we discussed the work once I was on site.

I’d far rather be doing a weeks inside work for a very good rate than dodging the snow, cold, ice and general dismal feeling working in this weather gives because I thought I owed my customers some sort of allegiance. 


Shrek

  • Posts: 3931
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #10 on: December 12, 2017, 07:12:05 am »
I’m glad I don’t run my business the way some do on here. I don’t care what time of year it is, it’s the money that counts.

Il do one offs in most months of the year but when it’s icy and cold , you know yourself that it’s very uncomfortable to work in and a lot more difficult, I like to do as little as possible during these months.
Not only that , you get a lot more liars this time of year saying they want a once a month clean when really they just want them done once for Christmas.
Not a problem if you have staff or not enough work

Jonny 87

  • Posts: 3512
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2017, 07:31:48 am »
Keep your options open, especially this time of year, the way the weather is.

I’ve got a weeks inside work for a long forsaken customer that rang me out of the blue. She’d moved to Singapore but is now back in the country. Last week she rang me to see if I could take her back on. She reckoned there was two days work, insides on a refurb she’s doing. She agreed to pay my day rate over the phone, knowing this weeks weather forecast was not good it sounded like a good idea to me.

I got there today, now to me there’s a weeks work there. She’s happy if it takes that long as we discussed the work once I was on site.

I’d far rather be doing a weeks inside work for a very good rate than dodging the snow, cold, ice and general dismal feeling working in this weather gives because I thought I owed my customers some sort of allegiance.

Bit of a different scenario there slacky.

I’m sure you wouldn’t take a one off external house clean this close to Christmas when you’ve got lots of regular well paying customers wanting their windows cleaned.

How often does a week long internal
Job pop up.  :o

Vision Technician / Visual Engineer /  Vision Enhancement Operative /...........................................................OnlyUseMeWFP AkA Jonny the Windy Wesher

Slacky

  • Posts: 8425
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2017, 07:55:44 am »
Not often, but going by what others are saying they would've turned the job away once the customer had reminded them who she was and that we used to clean her windows years ago.  'Oh, you're an old, defunct, abandoned, customer who stopped having her windows cleaned because she wanted to; I'm sorry I've replaced you with two more and a couple of your sisters for good measure".

Jonny 87

  • Posts: 3512
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2017, 08:05:33 am »
Not often, but going by what others are saying they would've turned the job away once the customer had reminded them who she was and that we used to clean her windows years ago.  'Oh, you're an old, defunct, abandoned, customer who stopped having her windows cleaned because she wanted to; I'm sorry I've replaced you with two more and a couple of your sisters for good measure".

 ;D
Vision Technician / Visual Engineer /  Vision Enhancement Operative /...........................................................OnlyUseMeWFP AkA Jonny the Windy Wesher

Walter Mitty

  • Posts: 1314
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2017, 08:21:16 am »
It's not something that's really been an issue for me.  Sure, I've had the occasional one-offer pretending they want a regular clean to get me to do the job, but that's not usually in mid-winter.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6353
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #15 on: December 12, 2017, 08:30:08 am »
You get Messer's, one offs and non payers etc all year round. It's all a lottery until they've been onboard a few months you don't know what they are like. I take on work anytime if I can fit it in and take the chance on it being regular. Win some lose some but you have to take risks to build a business.

dazmond

  • Posts: 24430
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2017, 09:13:53 am »
I’m glad I don’t run my business the way some do on here. I don’t care what time of year it is, it’s the money that counts.

i very rarely clean a new job straight away whatever time of year it is.
price higher/work harder!

davids3511

  • Posts: 2506
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2017, 11:28:20 am »
Keep your options open, especially this time of year, the way the weather is.

I’ve got a weeks inside work for a long forsaken customer that rang me out of the blue. She’d moved to Singapore but is now back in the country. Last week she rang me to see if I could take her back on. She reckoned there was two days work, insides on a refurb she’s doing. She agreed to pay my day rate over the phone, knowing this weeks weather forecast was not good it sounded like a good idea to me.

I got there today, now to me there’s a weeks work there. She’s happy if it takes that long as we discussed the work once I was on site.

I’d far rather be doing a weeks inside work for a very good rate than dodging the snow, cold, ice and general dismal feeling working in this weather gives because I thought I owed my customers some sort of allegiance.
Absolutely, common sense has to come into it.

Steve Newres

Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #18 on: December 14, 2017, 08:09:56 am »
I detest doing insides. It’s hot, steamy and fiddly. I got drenched yesterday. There’s something life affirming about working in that kind of weather and going home wet knowing you’ve earned £400!  ;D

RPCCS

  • Posts: 1021
Re: One shot wonders
« Reply #19 on: December 14, 2017, 09:59:06 am »
Seems like most of you are on the ball like me.  Slacky, your first post, thats a different kettle of fish, a former customer who moved away, I was on about  the absolute  messers, who literally just want the job done for Christmas and never again, until,same time next year. I had one yesterday, but turns out they will be genuine, asthey are happy to wait until January.
Cheers Rich