[Scrimble]

Had a complaint come through from a customer that we cleaned there windows after they had moved out (they didn't bother informing us), the neighbour informed us that the property was empty mid way through the clean (its a flat so no ground floor windows) but as it was on gocardless we finished the job and requested payment,

last month a customer complained that we didn't clean his house because the house was empty and a sold sign was up, so we had to go back and clean it,

you just cant win sometimes

[mufcglen]

That’s why I always send a courtesy text the night before, customer knows I’m coming and if I do t get a reply I don’t go, don’t miss out on work as I fill it with other jobs.
I religiously went like this after I had a customer move out and got sick of locked gates too, mind they still keep the gate locked some of them

[Jonny 87]

That’s why I always send a courtesy text the night before, customer knows I’m coming and if I do t get a reply I don’t go, don’t miss out on work as I fill it with other jobs.
I religiously went like this after I had a customer move out and got sick of locked gates too, mind they still keep the gate locked some of them

Really?

Your the first person I’ve ever heard working this way.

Do you not find it a nightmare arranging work? I only text in advance for access. Other than that I just turn up. 

[bobplum]

That’s why I always send a courtesy text the night before, customer knows I’m coming and if I do t get a reply I don’t go, don’t miss out on work as I fill it with other jobs.
I religiously went like this after I had a customer move out and got sick of locked gates too, mind they still keep the gate locked some of them

i know quite a lot people who text all their customers, its not for me but works for them

Really?

Your the first person I’ve ever heard working this way.

Do you not find it a nightmare arranging work? I only text in advance for access. Other than that I just turn up.

[Stoots]

I hardly get any replys from texts . I only text if they have a locked gate, same ones usually reply all the time and same ones never reply. More don't reply than do. If I turn up and it's locked I clean what I can and bill accordingly.

[mufcglen]

That’s why I always send a courtesy text the night before, customer knows I’m coming and if I do t get a reply I don’t go, don’t miss out on work as I fill it with other jobs.
I religiously went like this after I had a customer move out and got sick of locked gates too, mind they still keep the gate locked some of them

Really?

Your the first person I’ve ever heard working this way.

Do you not find it a nightmare arranging work? I only text in advance for access. Other than that I just turn up.

no not at all, i have all my work details on aworka mobile and off my phone i send between 10-15 texts out the night before using a generic message saved in my phone, takes all of 2 minutes!
ive got my custards well trained too, they get told they dont reply back i dont go simple as that.
i do give them the option when i take them on my books though that if they dont want a courtesy text im happy to just turn up as and when if they prefer unless theres a gate but 90% of them prefer the text, ive actually picked up plenty of work by advertising a courtesy text as part of the service
one of the biggest things i hear from them was they never knew when the last guy was coming or if he'd been!

[Johnny B]

That’s why I always send a courtesy text the night before, customer knows I’m coming and if I do t get a reply I don’t go, don’t miss out on work as I fill it with other jobs.
I religiously went like this after I had a customer move out and got sick of locked gates too, mind they still keep the gate locked some of them

Really?

Your the first person I’ve ever heard working this way.

Do you not find it a nightmare arranging work? I only text in advance for access. Other than that I just turn up.

no not at all, i have all my work details on aworka mobile and off my phone i send between 10-15 texts out the night before using a generic message saved in my phone, takes all of 2 minutes!
ive got my custards well trained too, they get told they dont reply back i dont go simple as that.
i do give them the option when i take them on my books though that if they dont want a courtesy text im happy to just turn up as and when if they prefer unless theres a gate but 90% of them prefer the text, ive actually picked up plenty of work by advertising a courtesy text as part of the service
one of the biggest things i hear from them was they never knew when the last guy was coming or if he'd been!

I have a mixture of customers, some of whom I can just turn up and do, others I send a standard text a day or so beforehand.

I leave any who don't reply, but it's no problem because I have enough work to fill my days. Any non-replies that go 2-3 times are relegated to the 'call me when needed' category. By then most realize they have forgotten to reply and see the 'error' of their ways!

John

[Bungle]

You wait for a text back to say it's ok to clean? So someone forgets to text back and fancies skipping a month by this method you're the one losing out! Sounds ar53 about face to me. I only don't go if I get a text telling me not to.

[Johnny B]

You wait for a text back to say it's ok to clean? So someone forgets to text back and fancies skipping a month by this method you're the one losing out! Sounds ar53 about face to me. I only don't go if I get a text telling me not to.

I don't want my customers to be backed into a corner. If they want them cleaned, I clean, but if they don't I have no problem with this at all. I've many customers with whom I have this arrangement, and as long as I have enough customers on the books, (which I do) it actually works very well.

John

[mufcglen]

Yes I agree, if I don’t get a reply I leave until next month and let them get away with it once if they’ve genuinely forgotten to reply etc, if they’re dicking about they get relegated like John says and eventually I’ll bum them off, don’t know about some of you guys but I have work pooring out my ears and I don’t tend to have any messers but if I do they get chucked.
For me it’s all about keeping a tight ship, customers are told the rules when I take them on

[Stoots]

Sod that, what if they forget to reply, are on holiday or just fancy giving it a miss.

What if you text 20 custys and only 10 reply. Just do half a days work?

It takes all the flexibility out of the job if u text em all. What if you text em all and get rained off all afternoon, then you have to text em all back? Or if you get done early and want to do a few from tomorrows run but can't because you havent text em.

Just seems a bit of a farce way of working.

I have quite a few who I text for gates, but it's not a question, I'm telling them windows are due and I will be cleaning them. I don't care if they reply or not, unless they tell me they don't want them doing them they are getting done as we agreed a regular clean.

[dazmond]

i text a few here and there usually for access,some for notification(large domestic posh houses)but i never wait for a reply!some do,some dont!

i reckon 80-90% of my work is "turn up and clean" which suits me.

ive got one i need to text for tomorrow out of 25 jobs.

[mufcglen]

Sod that, what if they forget to reply, are on holiday or just fancy giving it a miss.

What if you text 20 custys and only 10 reply. Just do half a days work?

It takes all the flexibility out of the job if u text em all. What if you text em all and get rained off all afternoon, then you have to text em all back? Or if you get done early and want to do a few from tomorrows run but can't because you havent text em.

Just seems a bit of a farce way of working.

I have quite a few who I text for gates, but it's not a question, I'm telling them windows are due and I will be cleaning them. I don't care if they reply or not, unless they tell me they don't want them doing them they are getting done as we agreed a regular clean.

Good points but like I say I have work to jump on if they don’t reply but again as I said I’ve got my custards well trained for me personally.
I only went this way after payment issues, no excuses now and works a treat for me and I’m gaining more work from it, I was very surprised by the amount of people who said they love the text as the last guy used to turn up whenever he wanted
Definitely gets more work

[Johnny B]

Sod that, what if they forget to reply, are on holiday or just fancy giving it a miss.


A. Not a problem, I'll text them next time, and most will reply in the affirmative.


What if you text 20 custys and only 10 reply. Just do half a days work?

A. No, because it's a relative minority that I text, and I have enough customers to take up the slack on any given day.



It takes all the flexibility out of the job if u text em all. What if you text em all and get rained off all afternoon, then you have to text em all back? Or if you get done early and want to do a few from tomorrows run but can't because you havent text em.

A. If anything, it makes me more flexible in that each visit to an area will likely be different from the last, but without appreciable loss of income (yes really). As long as I make x amount, I'm happy.

If it rains, they know they won't see me that day, but the next day if workable. No retext necessary, although I use discretion if I feel I need to inform customers.

I am seldom if ever in a position to go to tomorrow's work. If I were to be up to date, I'd take the rest of the day off.

Just seems a bit of a farce way of working.

A. Maybe, but it works for me.

I have quite a few who I text for gates, but it's not a question, I'm telling them windows are due and I will be cleaning them. I don't care if they reply or not, unless they tell me they don't want them doing them they are getting done as we agreed a regular clean.

A. I don't negotiate a regular clean with any new customer. If they specify a frequency, I try to fulfil it. If they don't, they go in the 'call me when needed' category.

We all have our ways of working, and trust me, I don't find it a problem at all because I give every customer the service they want.

John.

[Stoots]

Sod that, what if they forget to reply, are on holiday or just fancy giving it a miss.


A. Not a problem, I'll text them next time, and most will reply in the affirmative.


What if you text 20 custys and only 10 reply. Just do half a days work?

A. No, because it's a relative minority that I text, and I have enough customers to take up the slack on any given day.



It takes all the flexibility out of the job if u text em all. What if you text em all and get rained off all afternoon, then you have to text em all back? Or if you get done early and want to do a few from tomorrows run but can't because you havent text em.

A. If anything, it makes me more flexible in that each visit to an area will likely be different from the last, but without appreciable loss of income (yes really). As long as I make x amount, I'm happy.

If it rains, they know they won't see me that day, but the next day if workable. No retext necessary, although I use discretion if I feel I need to inform customers.

I am seldom if ever in a position to go to tomorrow's work. If I were to be up to date, I'd take the rest of the day off.

Just seems a bit of a farce way of working.

A. Maybe, but it works for me.

I have quite a few who I text for gates, but it's not a question, I'm telling them windows are due and I will be cleaning them. I don't care if they reply or not, unless they tell me they don't want them doing them they are getting done as we agreed a regular clean.

A. I don't negotiate a regular clean with any new customer. If they specify a frequency, I try to fulfil it. If they don't, they go in the 'call me when needed' category.

We all have our ways of working, and trust me, I don't find it a problem at all because I give every customer the service they want.

John.

Quite right mate, we can all do as we please . If you are happy working like that fair enough

[RPCCS]

I only text the night before, or a couple of days before, if  need access. One I email to let them know Im coming, but other than that  I just turn up.

[Marc Stock]

I dont need to text.

I give them the next clean date on their bill and stick to it.

Job done

[G Griffin]

I don't want my customers to be backed into a corner. If they want them cleaned, I clean, but if they don't I have no problem with this at all.

John

Some of them need backing into a corner and a lot of the time it's self inflicted anyway.
If they are messing you about they have no qualms about doing it to you.
Fairness should be a two way thing in this job and if it's not then that's when the problems start.

[Walter Mitty]

I'm afraid I've become a bit of an old cynic down the years.  I started window cleaning off ladders many years back and apart from chatting for half an hour with some guy who had done it for years, I had nowhere to turn for suggestions or advice.  I had to figure out for myself what was acceptable.  I let most things go until I had a pretty full round, then realised that the messers were costing me.  I had nearly five hundred customers, and maybe two hundred of them were 'not today thanks'.  This was pre-internet and pre-mobile phone, so I didn't pre-notify apart from maybe three customers.  That's right, three customers out of nearly five hundred.
I think it's probably why I'm not so tolerant these days.  I really had a bellyful of being messed about in the early years, so I started tightening up on things.   I actually gave away (not sold) the worst hundred or so - the prices were so low I wouldn't have the cheek asking for money.

I take responsibility.  When I very first started I was on zero income due to unemployment and a major recession.  I let a lot go because I figured that even a messer's occasional money was better than none.  I didn't release the bad work soon enough.

[dazmond]

I dont need to text.

I give them the next clean date on their bill and stick to it.

Job done

i think thats even worse than having to text all your customers and waiting for a reply!

surely customers will forget if its 6 or 8 weeks until their next clean date to leave a gate unlocked for example.

also it puts pressure on you to be around that day where it could be more convenient for you to clean the day after or the day before or even rescheduling for a week later due to holidays/sickness/exceptionally bad weather etc.

IMO some of you make running a window cleaning business a lot harder/complicated than it needs to be.