Hi All
I am relatively new to this WC business and trying hard to build up a customer base. I have targeted new build estates thinking some will not have had a chance to get a window cleaner as of yet and trying to get my foot in the door. Basically I leafleted the estate about a week ago and went canvassing last Thursday. Came away with three new customers for an hours work.
I had intended to releaflet and revisit in about a month as alot of people were not home and I was off to pastures new for a few weeks to basically try the same formula, leaflet and follow up with a canvass.
However, today I go a phone call for an existing WC asking if I was the guy leafleting on his round. I asked where he was talking about and confirmed I was leafleting that area. He stated that was his patch and I should keep off it. He suggested there is an unwritten window cleaners rule that patches are to be left alone. I explained I was not trying to steal his customer, I was not undercutting him and if a householder said they had a cleaner, we left them alone immediately.
Apparently this is not good enough. The whole estate, which according to him are the houses he currently cleans, the houses he hasn't got as customers as of yet and houses as yet unbulit are his 'patch'. I told him to get stuffed and that if he could mark the doors of his existing customers with a big red cross, I wouldn’t leaflet or canvass them. I asked why he was so worried if he did a good job. His reply was that it was his patch, had been for 18 months and basically he would turn all the other window cleaners against me (I don't really care if he does if they are too stupid to see through him) if I didn’t go away. I can’t believe he really though I would say ‘ohh, really sorry, back on the dole for me it is sir’.
He also stated he would target every one of my new customers and offer them 3 months free cleans. I told him 'best of luck in working for nothing' and he replied 'he could afford it'. I don't really care about this remark; if he wants to kill himself for nothing then he is welcome to it. I will make sure I get as many customers as I can so he is very busy working for free for the next 3 months.
Basically, what pes me off s that I asked how he built his round and he said he cleaned the show houses for free so the estate was his. He couldn’t understand that if he was new 18 months ago, didn’t buy an existing round, then he is doing exactly what he is angry with me for doing. He is even going to specifically target my customers’ something I am not doing to him.
Basically, I feel like going into the sales office tomorrow,asking if they recommend a window cleaner and going and having a quite word, face to face, not over a phone call where I have restricted the sending of my number like this idiot. What do ya think?
Sorry for the long winded post, by the way.
David