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Poll

You have the odd job you no longer want to do, so what do you do?

Pass them on
90.9%
30 (90.9%)
Sell them on
9.1%
3 (9.1%)

Total Members Voted: 31

nathankaye

  • Posts: 5366
Pass jobs on or sell on?
« on: January 09, 2019, 12:36:01 pm »
Im well established in my areas i work and sometimes i have the odd jobs which are too much hassle to do. So for instance today i bumped into a trad cleaner who works on a street which i have done for 15 yrs. Hes recently started up within last 2 yrs and we often have a chat.
Now ive seen people come and people go and my customers are loyal for many reasons and so im not scared of loosing any.
Therefore ive passed about 4 jobs his way that ive cleaned for some years. Im not worrried he works my street either. Yep im very confident now.
However some would have sold those jobs on for perhaps a couple of cleans each?
So curious, are you the type to sell the odd job on or simply pass it on?
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Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2019, 01:05:03 pm »
I have been given customers for free in the past. Most turned out to be very good too.

I have friends who are also window cleaners. Any odd referrals that I can't or won't do I just pass on to one of them.

John
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

Cookie

  • Posts: 928
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2019, 02:03:16 pm »
If it's the odd one or two I would just pass them on - I have been doing this for some time now.

I'm quite happy to help other window cleaners "get on the first rung of the ladder" (no pun intended). I have plenty of work myself and I think it's good to encourage others. Much better than having them sitting on the dole and claiming benefits.

However if another window cleaner approached me for work or I wanted to sell a large chunk of work it's a different matter....

Shrek

  • Posts: 3931
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2019, 02:30:51 pm »
I’d rather pass them on to someone I know than me dumping them and them ringing some national company

Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2019, 04:21:42 pm »
I have been given customers for free in the past. Most turned out to be very good too.

I have friends who are also window cleaners. Any odd referrals that I can't or won't do I just pass on to one of them.

John
Me too.
I'd rather pass it on to someone I know. We help each other out quite regularly covering booked commitments be it because of van off the road or holidays etc. It can be mutually beneficial and reduce the risk of a "turf war " :D

Dry Clean

  • Posts: 8509
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2019, 04:36:26 pm »
I just walk away from hassle jobs and its madness to pass work onto other shiners as any wrong doing's will be your responsibility.

Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2019, 04:57:05 pm »
I just walk away from hassle jobs and its madness to pass work onto other shiners as any wrong doing's will be your responsibility.
Sorry Mrs Smith, I don't / no longer cover your area . Would you like the number of a cleaner I know who does or like him to contact you ? How does that then become my responsibility ?

Stoots

  • Posts: 6023
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2019, 05:54:24 pm »
I would just not take them on and let them go find someone else. I wouldnt pass work to another cleaner in my area but I would pass work on if it was an area that I don't cover.

But even then I wouldn't go out of my way to pass it on it would have to be to someone who I am friendly with.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2019, 06:07:16 pm »
i passed on a few jobs to another window cleaner who was trad at the time a few years ago(up and over flat roof garage jobs)as i couldnt be arsed with them anymore......now he s gone wfp he hates these jobs now!(just like i did!) ;D
price higher/work harder!

chris turner

  • Posts: 1488
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2019, 07:02:04 pm »
Im well established in my areas i work and sometimes i have the odd jobs which are too much hassle to do. So for instance today i bumped into a trad cleaner who works on a street which i have done for 15 yrs. Hes recently started up within last 2 yrs and we often have a chat.
Now ive seen people come and people go and my customers are loyal for many reasons and so im not scared of loosing any.
Therefore ive passed about 4 jobs his way that ive cleaned for some years. Im not worrried he works my street either. Yep im very confident now.
However some would have sold those jobs on for perhaps a couple of cleans each?
So curious, are you the type to sell the odd job on or simply pass it on?

Not worried he works your street? Do you own that street?
Just because you clean a few houses in a street doesn't make it "your" street.
I regulary clean jobs in roads where another window cleaner will be working right next door to me, I couldn't care less. It's not my patch, area or street and anyone else has the right to work, canvas or do whatever the hell they want there.

Regarding the question of selling work,  nope, unless I was selling a large portion of or the entirety of my business. Reason for the this? I wouldn't have those 4 or 5 "crappy" jobs to give away anyway.
For years now I have worked with the philosophy "if it ain't worth doing,  don't do it". Any job I have any reservations about gets immediately ditched without any thought. Selling these jobs seems pointless and possibly a route to causing trouble. If they are a ballache to me, then chances are they will be a ballache to the person your selling them to, who may want his money back.

nathankaye

  • Posts: 5366
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2019, 07:24:25 pm »
Im well established in my areas i work and sometimes i have the odd jobs which are too much hassle to do. So for instance today i bumped into a trad cleaner who works on a street which i have done for 15 yrs. Hes recently started up within last 2 yrs and we often have a chat.
Now ive seen people come and people go and my customers are loyal for many reasons and so im not scared of loosing any.
Therefore ive passed about 4 jobs his way that ive cleaned for some years. Im not worrried he works my street either. Yep im very confident now.
However some would have sold those jobs on for perhaps a couple of cleans each?
So curious, are you the type to sell the odd job on or simply pass it on?

Not worried he works your street? Do you own that street?
Just because you clean a few houses in a street doesn't make it "your" street.
I regulary clean jobs in roads where another window cleaner will be working right next door to me, I couldn't care less. It's not my patch, area or street and anyone else has the right to work, canvas or do whatever the hell they want there.

Regarding the question of selling work,  nope, unless I was selling a large portion of or the entirety of my business. Reason for the this? I wouldn't have those 4 or 5 "crappy" jobs to give away anyway.
For years now I have worked with the philosophy "if it ain't worth doing,  don't do it". Any job I have any reservations about gets immediately ditched without any thought. Selling these jobs seems pointless and possibly a route to causing trouble. If they are a ballache to me, then chances are they will be a ballache to the person your selling them to, who may want his money back.

Thats just nit picking chris. Obviously it aint my street or turf or my patch and i hoped that came across but apparantly not!  ie, we often chat and ive passed alot of work his way and on the "same street i work"  does that sound like im being teritorial  ::)roll ::)roll

Let me clarify the jobs im classing as "hassle"   some were flats which i cleaned the up flats and down but access is through an out house. Now i normally txt ahead and it aint a problem but ild sooner not have the hassle of these flats. Hes trad and can up n over a wall to do them.
The others are at the begining of the street and from several houses down I clean the majority and it is nice n compact. Then i have to pack n move for two houses. Well i cant be fussed any more and so ive passed onto this chap. They are good customers and nicely priced. Ild sooner not just drop them but replace me with another cleaner who ive got to know and pretty sure he does a good job, so the customers are good hands and thats where my responsibility ends.

Obviously this poll isnt about a collective amount of work as in selling off a chunk of your work but more in the sense of one or 2 etc.

Ive had people approach me and let me know they have a couple of customers they cant do any more and they happen to be in my areas where i work (my areas of work chris, not areas i own....just to clarify 😂). They then try to sell them to me at 3 cleans their worth and then i loose interest and think to myself, might post some flyers out on the street when im done   8) :o ;D
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Dry Clean

  • Posts: 8509
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2019, 07:54:44 pm »
I just walk away from hassle jobs and its madness to pass work onto other shiners as any wrong doing's will be your responsibility.
Sorry Mrs Smith, I don't / no longer cover your area . Would you like the number of a cleaner I know who does or like him to contact you ? How does that then become my responsibility ?


Once you have said that you know the shiner then the customer is making a decision based on trusting your judgement, how this would go down legally I dont know but if the customer has a bad experience with this shiner you can be certain that you will get blamed for the introduction, maybe not madness but not worth the risk unless 100% certain that you are recommending a reliable person.

Soupy

  • Posts: 19416
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2019, 07:56:42 pm »
Re-price.
Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it - George Orwell

PHILIP HARDY

  • Posts: 182
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2019, 08:46:59 pm »
I would pass on new enquires that I didnt fancy or were out of my ideal area but dont think I would give away a custie because they were a PITY or a slow payer, I think I would either put up with  or totally drop these type, just moving your dross on, hardly benifits anyone.
The Stupid Neither Forgive Nor Forget
The Naive Forgive And Forget
The Wise Forgive But Don't Forget

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2019, 10:08:45 pm »
Having passed on jobs free to other window cleaners in the past I won’t do it any more as it has bitten me in the bum  several  times beacause the person I recommended didn’t turn up or did a very poor job then the person blamed me , for the poor service , if asked now and I cannot do or don’t want the job I suggest they google window cleaners and pick one

robbo333

  • Posts: 2406
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #15 on: January 10, 2019, 04:34:28 pm »
I pass loads on.
"Thank you for calling: if you have a 1st floor flat, mid terraced house, lots of dogs, no parking, no side access, or no sense of humour, please press hold!
For all other enquiries, please press1"

The Jester of Wibbly

  • Posts: 2089
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #16 on: January 10, 2019, 05:42:26 pm »
Neither.  Where's that option?

Can't be bothered with all that nonsence.   
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dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #17 on: January 10, 2019, 06:40:02 pm »
Having passed on jobs free to other window cleaners in the past I won’t do it any more as it has bitten me in the bum  several  times beacause the person I recommended didn’t turn up or did a very poor job then the person blamed me , for the poor service , if asked now and I cannot do or don’t want the job I suggest they google window cleaners and pick one


this has happened to me on numerous occasions but usually with local  gardeners,gutter cleaners or odd job lads that i thought were ok but now i dont recommend them to my customers anymore.....
price higher/work harder!

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 23546
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #18 on: January 12, 2019, 05:27:45 pm »
Well ...

If it is a one off job or two I would pass it on.

If I decided to "sell" an area I would do a deal.

Now what about gutter and conny jobs from my own customers, I hear you ask?

I pass them on to Dan the Man for free. However he pays me a small (pittance) monthly sum for unlimited water and the use of MY guttervac and generator - and occasional scabbing of my Extreme 47 too!  ;D
It's a game of three halves!

james peters

  • Posts: 935
Re: Pass jobs on or sell on?
« Reply #19 on: January 12, 2019, 08:45:00 pm »
I only  pass on gutter jobs, I  don't like them .
I do a few for long standing customers , and only do them if I can make more than window cleaning.

with regards window cleaning... if the job is of no benefit to me I just decline and recommend they look on yell for another cleaner.
ponsing around selling etc  uses up time and oxygen.
I would only sell if it was a bulk of work where I could get a significant sum .

I know nearly all the other window cleaners in my town , and whilst I respect them as fellow window cleaners , they are still my competition.