[LWC]

i know we've had these posts before, but people are really annoying me, 4 people did it today and boiled my blood, it hasnt rained all day here

theyre just like "ah theres no point"
im like, well im still cleaning, if there any problems ill come back and do them again
"nah, no point is there"
 

and what tops it even more is the fact that these 4 people are people who didnt send the money last month, so they paid me for lat months windows and said leave it till next time, so theyve made me wait 5 odd weeks for my money, then stopped my money for another 5 weeks, great that is

i tried to make the last one feel bad and said, well ive still got my bills to pay...that didnt work

for example a £10 house, 10 people who havent sent the money or tell you "not this time" thats £100 out of pocket, not on at all this aint 

[Kev R]

You know the score, we all get it from time to time. 

I work on the two strikes system, if they cancel  twice for no good reason thats me finished with them. 

[Wayne Thomas]

Matt, if you can, try and replace them in time with more reliable, regular customers. Sounds like they may be dealing with the credit crunch

[LWC]

as daft as this sounds, i dont like cancelling...probably hence the reason im being walked all over, to me, money is money where ever i earn it.

[tonylee]

i know its a bummer.
i recon i lose 5 to 10% of my round each month with people on holls or the builders in, hospital and the not today idiots.
what works for me though is the time gained on the day by being numptybed off, i canvass real close by to replace them. when they see you working locally and say you havent been for weeks, its great to see their faces when i tell them im working for these people now as they dont mess me about
tony

[GMG]

I bought alot of my work and i find 99% have not said not today its been raining or its going to rain,or other excuses
the ones i have had problems with are the ones (not all)  that i have picked up myself in and around the
rounds i have bought i dont bother going back waste of time these ones i think are the ones the previous window cleaner has dropped in the past

[Wayne Thomas]

as daft as this sounds, i dont like cancelling...probably hence the reason im being walked all over, to me, money is money where ever i earn it.

Matt, make a point of leaving them mentioned customers until you've caught yourself up from Xmas and wait until you are ahead of yourself to clean them when you have absolutely no more work elsewhere to do. If they mess you around, either; mess them around to suit your convenience or increase their prices because 9 out of 10 times these type of customers end up cancelling within the year anyway.  I had one mess me around 3 times. The 3rd time I stopped them. 6months later they asked me back and I told them the T&C and increased the price by 50%. They are as good as gold now

[johnny_h]

tell them they are off the regular list and onto the gypsy list you will do them when you can fit them in or they catch you in the street but you always put regulars first

[williamx]

I have a simple pricing struture, on 1st cleans I charge double the rate.

So if a customers cancels without a good excuse (like they are dead ) then I charge them double the next time, in my eyes its a first clean again, with all the dirt that is now back on them.

[Andrew44]

This is something I'm worried about when I start.  After reading many posts over many months the advise i was given is to have differen prices for different frequency of cleans.  ie £10 4 weeks £12.50 8 weeks and £20 12 week.  If they say not today then the next clean will be more.  If they cancel twice on the bounce then service terminated.  I will not be turning up all the time and seeing if they want me.

If they want a regularly and reliable window cleaner, then they need to be reliable.

[Wayne Thomas]

I have a simple pricing struture, on 1st cleans I charge double the rate.

So if a customers cancels without a good excuse (like they are dead ) then I charge them double the next time, in my eyes its a first clean again, with all the dirt that is now back on them.

Hi Williamx, I'd like to see that. You getting 3 times the clean owed to you when they're dead but can't inform you of this You must be able to get blood out of a stone

[tonylee]

If they want a regularly and reliable window cleaner, then they need to be reliable.

i alway ask new customers what happened to their last cleaner.
i get some that tell me they can not get anyone reliable, i joke with them and tell them either they were not paying enough or they messed them about. i like to think they are then expecting me to be dear and will not be messed about.
for an 8 weekly clean i charge 1/5 time the 4 weekly and dont do any 12 weekly
good luck for when you start,
tony

[Andrew44]

I don't think I will offer anything other than 4 and 8 weeks with 25% more for 8.  I will make it known in the T and Cs  that if they say NTDT for a 8 week clean it willl be double the 4 week on the next 8 week clean.  I will lose a few cos of thgis and it will take me longer to build the round up but I'm not turning up all the time to be turned away half the time.  

[peter holley]

i always canvass to replace the bad custies, i don't always drop them unless they realy annoy me....bad payers  get dropped... they are a waste of time....

i always like to have more than enough work so that it makes no difference financialy if a custie doesn't want it done..... however it does realy annoy me because for all they know i could really need the work and they couldn't care less     what really gets me wound up is when youv got all the gear out and your just about to start and they sop you AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH

[HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy)]

that happened to me monday.......6 custies came out and said you aint doing them today..its raining....gave them the speel about windows wet etc...tried to explain further.....no no way.......i said ok i will leave it..........can you come back during the week when its dry?......erm no....today was your slot........so you will need to wait till your next slot..next month..........then they complained that i was a cowboy window cleaner, doin them in the rain and not gonna come back for a month.......so i excused myself........got in the van......went home......onto the computer and scored em off the list.........6 custies i cancelled......not taking that rubbish from anyone....not for 60 quid or 600 quid......no way.

[Walter Pole]

This time of year there can be alot of, 'leave it this time.' I start cleaning out of sight of main rooms, so the job is almost done before they can come out and say "the weather's going to be awful" etc.  I never knock first and ask their permission to clean....afterall they have agreed to have their windows cleaned evey 6 weeks and have my phone number (card) if not convenient.

Mark

[frames to panes]

Same here, i think money is tight at the moment and it's all doom and gloom on the tv.
I had one tonight "we don't want them done anymore - maybe we'll phone you up when the weather gets better - we've got your number. Another (nice) lady accused me of filling her patio unit up with condensation (seals gone).  :

[windowwashers]

that happened to me monday.......6 custies came out and said you aint doing them today..its raining....gave them the speel about windows wet etc...tried to explain further.....no no way.......i said ok i will leave it..........can you come back during the week when its dry?......erm no....today was your slot........so you will need to wait till your next slot..next month..........then they complained that i was a cowboy window cleaner, doin them in the rain and not gonna come back for a month.......so i excused myself........got in the van......went home......onto the computer and scored em off the list.........6 custies i cancelled......not taking that rubbish from anyone....not for 60 quid or 600 quid......no way.

I would have added in that when I do them next time there will be a 50% increase as this is the 2x clean surcharge, thast would really havce got to them,

[johnny_h]

im gonna do what my mums w/c'er does ..he walks upto the living room window covers it with suds then starts the rest of the windows if he gets a not today he would just walk away leaving a window drying full of suds  

[frames to panes]

This is my whole argument over cleaning in the rain, guarantee or not, no-one would pay to have it done given the choice. I did a few in-between the really bad days and still feel guilty when i collect. They ALL have dirt on them when i went round tonight and thats only after a week. : Just got to stick it out untill the spring.