[C & S]

Surely I am not the only one who texts customers in the morning I am due and NOT the night before?.

When I say text (text local sends them out at 7.45 in the morning)

This way people dont forget gates etc etc if you do so the night before they have slept i.e forgot to leave open etc.

A few customers req early texts which I know of.

Is this a common practice as its what I have always done?..

[the king]

im a gate hopper   very rare if i text to let them no im coming  i use a broom handle with a hook on it to undo the bolts the odd one here and there that have padlocks are in first thing in the morning  but if i was to text it would be the night before

[nathankaye]

I normally send night before but i have a couple who i also send early the next morninh

[KS Cleaning]

Surely I am not the only one who texts customers in the morning I am due and NOT the night before?.

When I say text (text local sends them out at 7.45 in the morning)

This way people dont forget gates etc etc if you do so the night before they have slept i.e forgot to leave open etc.

A few customers req early texts which I know of.

Is this a common practice as its what I have always done?..

Some people leave for work before 7.45 in the morning.

[Stoots]

I'm not usually up whilst 7:30 and they could leave before that. So no point.

[Dave66]

I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks   

[nathankaye]

I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks   

Its very rare that you get a customer text back to cancel and if you did it might be just the one out of many, so long term is it really that big of an issue. Compared to either jumping the gate or getting the ladders out etc etc.  Compared to spending very little time adding the days contacts to a pre typed message the night before

[Missing Link]

I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks   

"Hi Mrs Pain, we agreed a frequency of every eight weeks.  I'm afraid if we do not stick to this frequency, without good reason, then I shall remove you from our round.  I apologise if this sounds hard-headed, but we cannot maintain a business unless we stick to the terms we originally agreed."

Or something similar.

[Soupy]

I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks   

"Hi Mrs Pain, we agreed a frequency of every eight weeks.  I'm afraid if we do not stick to this frequency, without good reason, then I shall remove you from our round.  I apologise if this sounds hard-headed, but we cannot maintain a business unless we stick to the terms we originally agreed."

Or something similar.

Or...

Send it through text local. No replies! Sorted.

[Missing Link]

Send it through text local. No replies! Sorted.

Looks interesting; thanks.

[paul alan]

I never text , just gives them an excuse to say leave it this time thanks   

If a customer is not happy to have the windows cleaned on a particular day then it'll come out one way or another further down the line. You get the chance to see trouble coming if a customer informs you they wouldn't be happy about todays clean, then you can respond accordingly. If need be you can cancel them before you get cancelled off them out of blue one day.

I find with prior notification the benefits outweigh the negatives, some people appreciate it.

Besides it gives your business another USP and IMO an advantage over another that doesn't offer this part of the service.

[Simon Trapani]

We've stopped texting for new customers as it's too restricting. Hopefully we won't have to go back on it. You've got to get to the job.  If we don't get there for whatever reason we send an apology, then they get another text the night before the re-arranged date. We don't work in the rain either. It's a right pain so we only take on free access jobs now unless they're well worth it. We're pretty much full anyway so only looking to take on quality not quantity.

And that's with using text marketer, templates and Aworka. Texts go out at 6.30pm.  And like others have said it's an excuse to skip & usually it's either late at night or very early morning when you've planned your day and printed worksheets. It always the text customers we get problems with. I get why they lock their gates as I bolt mine top & bottom but then I don't need a window cleaner.

Tried gate keys but they end up in the wrong van.

If anyone comes up with a perfect solution - let me know.

[Marc Stock]

If anyone comes up with a perfect solution - let me know.

Yes i have. I give the next clean date on their bill.

[Soupy]

Yes i have. I give the next clean date on their bill.

No thanks. Too risky.

[Marc Stock]

I dont understand. Too risky for what?

Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?

I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)

Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.

I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!

Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?

[Shrek]

I dont understand. Too risky for what?

Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?

I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)

Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.

I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!

Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?

Does nothing happen between now and the next clean? As in van breaks down, your ill , weather etc ?

[Marc Stock]

I dont understand. Too risky for what?

Too risky to clean when your next scheduled to?

I dont understand why most if not all window cleaners leave it to the last minute to arrange a window cleaning time ( the night before)

Every one of my customers gets the next clean date on thier bill. All they have to do is jot it down in their dairy, all i have to do is clean the windows on the scheduled day.

I dont have any access issues, or problems with customers canceling. I have a locked gate policy, if they forget to leave access they still pay the full fee. Trust me they forget once and wont again!

Easy peasy. All you have to do is go out when you say you will. Or am i missing something here?

Does nothing happen between now and the next clean? As in van breaks down, your ill , weather etc ?

Well of course it can. If that happens, THEN you text the customer to reschedule.

But normally, i just turn up on the agreed dates, and clean. No faffing about with texts the night before. And access is all available. NO WORRIES, NO PROBLEM

[Simon Trapani]

Marc, people have better things to do than remember when we're coming next (6 or 12 weekly). They won't remember. I don't want to turn up to clean fronts for next to nothing or argue with a customer that they should pay full price because they should remember a date 6 or 12 weeks in the future.

I employ, it rains, holidays get booked etc etc. I need to be flexible with dates. I don't stay rigid to they date for lots of reasons.

Glad it works for you though.

[lee_dewing]

THEN you text the customer to reschedule.

Is this the night before marc  "joke!"

Glad you got your work in today Marc👍

[tlwcs]

Marc, forgive me but if you lost a week for whatever reason to accommodate the week you've lost, surely you have to text the whole month with new dates?
I have a next clean date on my invoice to but people expect me on or around that date and are always texted the evening b4 as conformation. None of it is last minute as you say, it's more flexible I would argue.
Tony