[dougster]

I went and cleaned a house yesterday, just as i have done for the last eight years. And this old bloke comes out and says he has had a telephone call last week from a windowcleaning firm in blackpool offering to clean his windows for cheaper than his normal window cleaner, thankfully he declined and said he was perfectly happy with the current windowcleaner as usual.

And the old chap then passed me the phone number for this firm, so i was considering sending them on a wild goose chase.

Has anyone else heard of this firm trying to poach there work

[Dave hook]

Get your mrs to ring them and arrange for them to clean a house on the same road as the old guy. wait till their up there ladder then go kick it from under them! If they can get up and walk away bet they wont canvass that area again!

[pylofm]

Great reply...I suppose you're the type that believe's they 'own' an area.  :

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=32937.0

[poleman]

I agree, Dave is just as bad as the poacher  well at least the poacher wont be on a manslaughter charge! 

Andy

[steve k]

yeh Dave...of course

nothing like a quick prison stretch to clear the mind of such worries

[Dave hook]

I dont think I "own" an area but I do know I "own" a house and I "own" a child that needs feeding and I feel strongly about window cleaners just turning up and trying to under price you on work youve cleaned for years! Of course I wouldnt kick a man off a ladder thats stupid but its an example of how frustrating canvassers are. I get on fine with every window cleaner near my work and often stop to chat, but there is 1 company in macclesfield that constantly goes round canvasing mine and the other nearby wc work!
   Twice ive told them to bugger off and each time they poop there self and appologised but still come back! What do I do???

[JM123]

nothing wrong with canvassing, thats how most rounds are built at one point or another - the thing that has me well cheesed off today is a local shiner who cleans next door to one of the houses I do knocked their door last week, told them that he will do the windows for £1 less than what I do them for!!  He knows I clean that house, I've spoke to him before while he's been up the ladders and I've been whizzing past him with the pole - well they took him up on his offer so I've a good mind to undercut him on a few of his just to show him how much it can p people off.

[pylofm]

Dave, undercutting is bad...but your first comments were all I could see, so what sort of reaction did you think you would get???

Dave

[Dave hook]

Had a bad day at the the office on the day of my 1st post! haha.
 Im a friendly chap once you get to know me!

[windolene]

Hi,


I am very suprised that the customer changed her window cleaner for the sake of £1. Surely it cant have been just to save a £1 a month or whatever.!

Kevin WINDOLENE.

[JM123]

has to be, I always do a really good job on the windows.

[pylofm]

Dave...Hands-up for me too...Suppose we were both having a bad day...lets make-up and be friends

Dave

[Mr.G]

I dont think I "own" an area but I do know I "own" a house and I "own" a child that needs feeding and I feel strongly about window cleaners just turning up and trying to under price you on work youve cleaned for years! Of course I wouldnt kick a man off a ladder thats stupid but its an example of how frustrating canvassers are. I get on fine with every window cleaner near my work and often stop to chat, but there is 1 company in macclesfield that constantly goes round canvasing mine and the other nearby wc work!
   Twice ive told them to bugger off and each time they nuts there self and appologised but still come back! What do I do???

Dave, how do you mean, nuts thereself?

[Paul Coleman]

I dont think I "own" an area but I do know I "own" a house and I "own" a child that needs feeding and I feel strongly about window cleaners just turning up and trying to under price you on work youve cleaned for years! Of course I wouldnt kick a man off a ladder thats stupid but its an example of how frustrating canvassers are. I get on fine with every window cleaner near my work and often stop to chat, but there is 1 company in macclesfield that constantly goes round canvasing mine and the other nearby wc work!
   Twice ive told them to bugger off and each time they nuts there self and appologised but still come back! What do I do???

Dave, how do you mean, nuts thereself?

Nuts is a word that is used by the automated censor on this site.  On of the words it replaces is the word for the brown stuff.

[lucymulligan]

i just started out a few weeks ago .... ive knocked on doors of people who already have window cleaners and i just smile and say "ok well is it ok if i leave a card and if your normal guy dosnt show ,then you know i am here" .... its there choice ... but i am to provide a good friendly reliable service ..so anyone thats not going to provide that will lose out ........... having said that  i have got a house to clean on saturday and yesterday i saw the chap and he said .." ive just had a flyer from a WFP company who will do my windows (same price as me ,but i am Trad ) but it says that it will take a couple of cleans to get clean maybee even 3 ! so i will stick with you "  ...... im not bothered but ive only just started and i already got competion . you never know if the house you knock at already has a window cleaner

[Dave hook]

The answer to that is simple lucy, buy a round

[dougster]

I agree with dave , as i have spent thousands on rounds in different areas. And when i first go to buy a round/ area one of the first things i do is ask is there any other windowcleaners on this patch. if they say yes, i say i am not interested. as i want to buy an area.which is mine.   around my area there is always rounds for sale in lancashire, and the understanding i have is that if it is a new build good look to the first windowcleaner to get in there. Hence why i and others do builders cleans so we can get the job of cleaning the windows.

[lucymulligan]

urm what if there is no round to buy what if it is all just odds n sods area you gotta pave your way right

[lucymulligan]

what oyu mean buy a round

[zeusjazmin]

i have been canvassing many years ago,if i went to an estate and ,5 or 6 of the first doors chaped had a window cleaner i just walked away,that was my way of doing it
i know we dont own areas but,in the past i have been asked to go to a certain area to clean a house,if i know there are regular cleaners in the area i dont go.
i have passed on work quite a few times because of this