[TVCS]

IS it just me or has the world gone window cleaning mad. 
In the last week alone I have nearly doubled the size of my round.  (slight exageration but you get my point)
This is the first week I've gone totally self employed on the windows as up until now I have done a couple of days a week labouring for a mate of mine to top up the window money.  I was worried at first, not totally confident that I could earn enough the whole month to pay bills etc but after this weeks amazing intake of work I think I might be ok.  The phone hasn't stopped ringing.
Lets hope it keeps up like this and I can stand the pressure,  time to enjoy a few beers and to rest my knackered arms. ( got to get a lighter pole)

Ant
TVCS

[Richy L]

Its not like that by me, i need all the work i can get at the moment. i've had a few jet washing jobs, well two, and about 4 new customers. Are you advertising anywhere or is it just word of mouth?

[S.A.J]

IS it just me or has the world gone window cleaning mad.
In the last week alone I have nearly doubled the size of my round. (slight exageration but you get my point)
This is the first week I've gone totally self employed on the windows as up until now I have done a couple of days a week labouring for a mate of mine to top up the window money. I was worried at first, not totally confident that I could earn enough the whole month to pay bills etc but after this weeks amazing intake of work I think I might be ok. The phone hasn't stopped ringing.
Lets hope it keeps up like this and I can stand the pressure, time to enjoy a few beers and to rest my knackered arms. ( got to get a lighter pole)

Ant
TVCS

Its like that for me down here in Plymouth work just keeps coming in.

Still cant say NO 

Stuart
SAJ Window Cleaners Ltd

[Nick_Thompson]

Ant

While I was cleaning a customers windows yesterday, the next-door neighbor asked if I could do her's. No sooner had i started cleaning her upstairs windows, when her neighbor came out and asked if I could clean her windows "with that pole thing" as she had seen the results the last time I came. So after finishing the tops of the house I was cleaning I started cleaning hers. Half way through the clean the neighbor to that house came out and said, "my last window cleaner fell off his ladder and broke his leg." It was all very traumatic, apparantly. He hadn't been back since. So I started her upstairs windows. While I was cleaning these windows with my WFP a voice from the road asked if I was a window cleaner...Yes I know, I know. She asked if I could come down the road a few houses and do her and her neighbor's windows. I said "Yes, but I hope I'm not treading on any other window cleaner's toes." She said "I've been thinking about getting rid of him for some time as there are a few windows he couldn't reach with his ladder, and he didn't do a very good job anyway." I suggested having a word with him. Perhaps there's a way he can access the windows you want cleaned, and you could point out that you weren't happy with the standard. She phoned me today to inform me that she had cancelled her old window cleaner.

Oh, I forgot to add that on that day in a different road a man wound down the window in his car and shouted "Can you do mine with that thing, I live next door. I'll be back in a minute!"

Perhaps the world has gone mad.

Nick

[Helen]

Easter is coming and it's spring time out come the customers in full force

[simon knight]

This is the "Gosh my windows look dirty" season....and we can all work flat out from mid March 'til mid-October.

It's the 5 months from Oct-March with the rain and short days that sort out your "bread and butter" customers.

Somebody on this site said: Give 80% of your time to the top 20% of your customers

I agree with this. I'm getting calls from people who I've not cleaned since autumn last year. Also from people who've got my number from somewhere....where were they Nov,Dec,Jan and Feb?

Once the 12 month a year bread and butter people are looked after then the Newbies get get a call.

[Paul Coleman]

Ant

While I was cleaning a customers windows yesterday, the next-door neighbor asked if I could do her's. No sooner had i started cleaning her upstairs windows, when her neighbor came out and asked if I could clean her windows "with that pole thing" as she had seen the results the last time I came. So after finishing the tops of the house I was cleaning I started cleaning hers. Half way through the clean the neighbor to that house came out and said, "my last window cleaner fell off his ladder and broke his leg." It was all very traumatic, apparantly. He hadn't been back since. So I started her upstairs windows. While I was cleaning these windows with my WFP a voice from the road asked if I was a window cleaner...Yes I know, I know. She asked if I could come down the road a few houses and do her and her neighbor's windows. I said "Yes, but I hope I'm not treading on any other window cleaner's toes." She said "I've been thinking about getting rid of him for some time as there are a few windows he couldn't reach with his ladder, and he didn't do a very good job anyway." I suggested having a word with him. Perhaps there's a way he can access the windows you want cleaned, and you could point out that you weren't happy with the standard. She phoned me today to inform me that she had cancelled her old window cleaner.

Oh, I forgot to add that on that day in a different road a man wound down the window in his car and shouted "Can you do mine with that thing, I live next door. I'll be back in a minute!"

Perhaps the world has gone mad.

Nick

Our work areas overlap Nick and I've had customers wanting to reduce the frequencies on my round.  I'll assume it's because I do such a great job that they don't need doing as often  
I think some of it is a matter of timing.  Some days I get a burst of work coming in, other days I get customers wanting to reduce the frequency.  I wish they would just cancel and be done with it to save me the trouble.
I've not heard of anyone breaking their leg around Horley way.  I hope they get patched up OK.
In the past week I've had three customers all ask to go 12 weekly (from my usual six).  I won't be doing it.  Also, I've got a really nice one out in the sticks.  It's a bit out of the way but should be one of those quid a minute touches once I've got past the first couple of cleans.  Also, I've been asked to quote on a decent sized job near where I live.  I'll have to be a bit stricter on that quote as I know several others will be quoting.  Thing is though that it's a three storey (ground + 2) job so shouldn't be open to ladder usage I think.

[NWH]

That last post was spot on simon,the phones gone mad since the suns come out.

[Nick_Thompson]

Hi Shiner

How are you.

In regards to the chap who broke his leg, I was cleaning in Redhill and I think the lady said that he was from quite some way away.

Nick

[Paul Coleman]

Hi Shiner

How are you.

In regards to the chap who broke his leg, I was cleaning in Redhill and I think the lady said that he was from quite some way away.

Nick

I'm doing OK thanks Nick.  Sorry to hear about the guy breaking his leg whoever he is.
It's amazing the way things have gone since I bumped into you in Horley that day.  I use a van mount now and have a place where pure water is produced.  Get through my work loads quicker too - so much so that I have gaps in it these days even though I have more work than when we first met.

I know what you mean about those days when you pick up loads of new customers.  I've not had one like that for a while but there was a time a few years ago when I went into a Close to do two houses.  I ended up there much of the day.  This was simply because I went there on a Saturday when people saw me working.

[Nick_Thompson]

Shiner

We’ll bump into each other again no doubt and we’ll catch up then.

Nick

[TVCS]

The best thing about it is I am spending £1 a week on an ad in a local shop window and that is it.  Most of the work I'm getting at the moment is from that.  The rest is word of mouth I presume. 
You can tell the sun has been shining, in the last week I have picked up 4 patio cleans, the one today was bloody HUGE. 
Leeksons, do you advertise heavily the patio cleaning?  I started with the pressure washing and had to develope a w/c round to pay the bills as I found the pressure washing had quite a short season to it. 
Ant
TVCS

[marc]

phone seems to be ringing with me at the moment taken on a dozen or so jobs over last week or so working out well i am hoping to have my nephew working with me from next month other wise i would have turned most down

[LWC]

i also have had a hige amount of newbies! i have asked cleaners around here, and they have said no, so i thought it must just be me 

now i know different...madness

[Richy L]

The best thing about it is I am spending £1 a week on an ad in a local shop window and that is it.  Most of the work I'm getting at the moment is from that.  The rest is word of mouth I presume. 
You can tell the sun has been shining, in the last week I have picked up 4 patio cleans, the one today was bloody HUGE. 
Leeksons, do you advertise heavily the patio cleaning?  I started with the pressure washing and had to develope a w/c round to pay the bills as I found the pressure washing had quite a short season to it. 
Ant
TVCS

no we dont advertise for the patio cleaning. We used to advertise in the yellow pages, but didnt get  whole lot of work from that really.

The majority of our jet washing work comes from either word of mouth, or from our window cleaning customers.
I've done a few leaflet drops, but they were nothing but a waste of time.

Do you advertise at all for pressure washing?

[TVCS]

I had the same response from leaflets when it comes to pressure washing.  Sweet F A.  The only ad I have going now is in a local Homebase store.  Took a gamble middle of last year and signed up for a 2 year advertising space in the store.  The ad didnt start to run till October so I didnt expect much then.  Hopefully it might bring in some work now spring is out of the way.  A couple of good jobs should pay for the 2 years advertising space.  The good thing about it is once you give them your flyer they keep printing them and make sure there are plenty in store.  I popped in the other day and took about 500 from the store to get delivered in the local paper. 
The jobs that I have picked up have all been from word of mouth and from some window cleaning customers. 
Any pressure washing work at the moment is a bonus, but cant complain, picked more window work today,   and some gutters too. 
Ant
TVCS