[Don Kee]

less than 10 customers on my round and that due to locked gates

keep it simple,

How do you make a living with only 10 customers on your round? They must be big jobs...

[robbo333]

I text all my customers the night before and I don't really have a problem.
I get the odd customer on holiday or having work done, but that would be the same whether I text or not.
And I certainly can't be bothered to climb gates. I don't even do any awkward access or anything that needs a backpack!
I get the odd one ask 'what time' but that's usually because they want to be in, to pay me, or have a quick chat. Sometimes I may offer AM or PM.
Yes, you do get messers, but I think texting is a good way of weeding them out.
I only want customers who WANT their windows cleaned regularly and that's pretty much what I've now got.
Also, customers use texting as the preferred method to contact me about FSG, conny, patio, wall cleans etc, so it sort of works both ways.

[Stoots]

Good thing about texting is i dont feel obliged to knock the door to announce my arrival, which i tend to do on ones i have just turned up on if its obvious they are in...

[Dazzler3370]

I offer the service to all my customers but only the ones who need to leave their gates open have ever requested it.

I don't see the point in texting all customers.....!!

Dazzler

[dazmond]

Good thing about texting is i dont feel obliged to knock the door to announce my arrival, which i tend to do on ones i have just turned up on if its obvious they are in...

i never feel obliged to knock their door before i start,ive never done it,i just turn up and clean for the vast majority of jobs.....

i usually end up scaring a few customers esp in the winter months as im usually wearing a deerstalkers hat so they dont recognise me....they just see a dark 6 ft 2in shadow at the window,with my pole in my hand i can sometimes look like the grim reaper!

[Dave Willis]

I think there’s a law against that 

[G Griffin]

A deerstalker?
Do you smoke a pipe 'n' all, Daz?

[Bungle]

A window cleaner friend of mine goes round his customers for the next day after he's finished his day's work and leaves a note to say he's coming round tomorrow. I'm only guessing he doesn't give his number out and no one will cancel because of this and that they'll leave payment out so he doesn't have to collect.

I text about 50%. If a customer cancels with a pathetic excuse after I've texted and access is good I'll put them on a 'turn up and clean'