[JM123]

I usually give them a couple of chances, 3rd strike and your out etc.  I wouldn't dump them just yet, some of my best customers have come by way of customers you lot would have cancelled on.  Besides, everybody is skint from time to time.

[pete albion]

i had one last week, the lady told me that it always seemed to rain after i cleaned her shop and so she had been cleaning her own windows 2 or 3 days later (well the ones she could reach)
so she asked if i could only clean the hard to reach ones, once every few weeks !

yea whats she think my middle name is, dumbo or something 

i told her i was'nt going to come back take twice as long to clean really dirty windows and charge her less because i was cleaning fewer windows

anyway she said carry on cleaning as normal and she decide what to do.

[Templar]

I don't always have to get the better of people or win, and I'm sure that you don't either Simon.

Give her a break, perhaps she really can't afford it.

[Paul Coleman]

Had one yesterday cancel due to "rain".  It was a dry day.  It rained hours later though.  First offence but job underpriced anyway.
Dumped.  I told her I wasn't cleaning again for her but she still kept talking about the next time I call on her.  Didn't seem to get the message.

[seanmcshane]

had a customer who just before Christmas came out to pay me and I told her she hadn`t sent me the cheque for the previous months clean. She said she never thought I would have done them as it was raining (it wasn`t by the way!)
I told her I clean in all but the heaviest rain as I like to keep to a regular schedule.
She then asked if I could leave it till March or April
I told her there is no way as I have to pay my bills every month and she would have to find another window cleaner.
This is a woman who when she approached me, said it was impossible to find a decent window cleaner. Now I know why!
The funny thing was, it was the week before Christmas and I had had a tip off every other customer in the street. As I walked away from dumping her, she shouted down the street after me -"and a happy Christmas to you too!"
I was laughing all the way home

[pylofm]

Had a lady tell me she was on holiday and could I come a week later. this I did, then she says "says it's now only 3 weeks until my next scheduled clean so please skip me until the next clean"

Another last week in the heavy storms...I decide that I will not be able to do a good job so I leave her a note saying that I will call the next day....she then gives loads of twoddle about not leaving the back gate open etc, etc....she then says "skip me until next time" despite me offering many further days.

I know alot of people will say I am soft and yes I am at present but turning down money is not something I can afford.


I feel constantly on the back foot at the moment as money is obviously tight...I long for the day that I can be a little more stronger but I am trying to run a business which makes money..not turn it away

[Paul Coleman]

Had a lady tell me she was on holiday and could I come a week later. this I did, then she says "says it's now only 3 weeks until my next scheduled clean so please skip me until the next clean"

Another last week in the heavy storms...I decide that I will not be able to do a good job so I leave her a note saying that I will call the next day....she then gives loads of twoddle about not leaving the back gate open etc, etc....she then says "skip me until next time" despite me offering many further days.

I know alot of people will say I am soft and yes I am at present but turning down money is not something I can afford.


I feel constantly on the back foot at the moment as money is obviously tight...I long for the day that I can be a little more stronger but I am trying to run a business which makes money..not turn it away

It will happen.  I was too tolerant (read desperate) when I first started so I let them get away with murder.  I don't have a full workload even now thanks to getting around it a lot quicker with WFP but I need to put up with being messed around.  If the day comes when I do need to put up with it for a while then so be it but not at the moment.
Hardly a week goes by without me declining to quote for jobs because they won't trust me with a garden gate key or won't use a combination lock and tell me the number.  I have about 20 jobs on my "dump when replaced" list and there are about 20 more where that is less urgent.