[Stuart Webster]

...............to WFP.

Been using the pole for nearly 2 years but still have a few I do off ladders. However due to a few dizzy spells brought on by very low blood pressure, i'm converting the rest of my work to the pole.

What would you recommend I say to these customers prior to cleaning, health issues or not?

I did have a very detailed letter which I gave to my customers 2 years ago, however after being ripped to bits on here I don't want to use that letter. (A cirtain member was horrid, so i'm going to keep his rubbers as hostage untill he says sorry!!)

Any help much appreciated, even from Tosh

Bear

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

H&S just about covers it tosh

[ScrimShady]

i had some like that and i said i am gonna do there house wfp and if you didnt like it i will find another cleaner that will do it trad. they have been fine with it

[brightnclean]

Do NOT give them a long winded explantion letter all about switching over.

Just do it and take a brief well worded printed sheet explaing about H&S as mentioned above. After all you want to get off ladders so will probably just do the climb windows wfp anyway.

I bet u a pound to a penny those u do who aren't in when u do them wont notice at all. I am expanding my customer base very quickly  and apart from the odd one that would moan about the least thing I have no problems at all. When I changed over from trad I just did it. I didnt give out leaflets warning them of the change to the dark side and out of over 400 custies I lost only 5 or 6.

All that will happen if u do put leaflets thru the door brfore u change is the 1st time u do them and put ur winows have been cleaned slip through they will go round every window looking for any small probs.

[Stuart Webster]

Your probably right.

I do have a tendency to be longwinded though so may need some help with wording.

By the way I have now taken the ladders off my truck, so there is no posibility of giving in.


Bear

[matt]

i agree

a quick note, explaining about the H&S side of it, even add a bit of personal stuff that you have low blood pressure and it can cause black-outs

most will understand, and then that dont, they either moan and cancel or they moan and pay

[marc]

if i was in your boat i would say you have to do the tops coz of h&s then once they are used to it say 4or5 months i would just start doing the bottoms as well if they havnt moaned or have got used to you doing tops it wont be so bad getting them to acept the bottoms and you could also say you are so happy with the way the tops are coming up that is why your now doing the bottoms that way too hope this helps         marc

[LWC]

tell them that you cant be bothered going up ladders any more, cant be bothered with trad any more and wfp is much easier and makes you much more money in less time

i think that will go down well

[HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy)]

so let me get this rite........if you go back up a ladder there is a possibility your family will be left without a breadwinner?...added to that they will lose someone they love and that takes time to play with the kids and cares for a whole host of other duties that a paragraph on here could'nt cover......AND YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A CUSTIE YOU ONLY SEE ONCE A MONTH?. :

[windowwashers]

Your probably right.

I do have a tendency to be longwinded though so may need some help with wording.

By the way I have now taken the ladders off my truck, so there is no posibility of giving in.


Bear

I would just give a quick note, saying: due to health and safety we will no longer be using ladder to clean your property. We will be using pure water fed poles, if you need to ask me anything please feel free to call me, our good service and finish on your windows will not change only the methods we use to clean them.

Ian

[Stuart Webster]

so let me get this rite........if you go back up a ladder there is a possibility your family will be left without a breadwinner?...added to that they will lose someone they love and that takes time to play with the kids and cares for a whole host of other duties that a paragraph on here could'nt cover......AND YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A CUSTIE YOU ONLY SEE ONCE A MONTH?. :

I have tablets for the stress!!!

[elite mike]

tell them that you cant be bothered going up ladders any more, cant be bothered with trad any more and wfp is much easier and makes you much more money in less time

i think that will go down well

LOL
mike

[xxmattyxx]

I am currently changing my setup to WFP, and find going down the H & S route coupled with Public Liability/Personal Insurance garb the custy dont have much of an angle to dispute why you are changing the method with which their windows are cleaned. A few huff and puff and come out with such things as 'cuh, cant scratch ur arse now without health and safety doing summit bout it' I just laugh along with them, but then clarify my point by saying 'If I fell off my ladder whilst cleaning your windows the Health and Safety Exec would come out to inspect the site, and my insurance would be invalidated because I hadnt used WFP when I could have'.

Matt

[MatthewStanley]

SunshineCleaning

I'm 37 and I'm in exactly the same boat as you - got a heart problem and I'm on Beta Blockers for it but this makes my already low blood pressure even lower.  Doctor told me to stay off of ladders.

All my customers know I've been unwell with my ticker so I've just turned up with my pole and carried on as usual - if they've been home, they've come out and said that they're glad that I don't have to go up a ladder now and I've briefly explained how the system works, and if they've not been home, I've just done them with the pole and made no mention of it on my 'Windows Cleaned' slip and (I'm not exaggerating) I've had so many letters with the cheques saying how they've never looked cleaner (obviously because the frames are now clean).

I've faffed around thinking about changing over for two years now worrying what my customers would think but I've got to a stage where I either do it or find another job - so I've just gone for it.

The only things I've said to my customers are that everyone has been happy with the new system and really supportive (and they have), it may take a couple of cleans to come up perfect as I've got years of detergent to get out of the frames and the only difference they will see is that I leave them wet, but they dry clean.

Everyone has been so supportive.  I think there is a case for giving letters of explanation, but I think you can over complicate it for customers.  If you've got a good set of customers, they'll be fine.

Hope this helps.

Matt.

[williamx]

When you first started out cleaning windows did you explain to your customers that you would be using ladders that might make big holes on their nice laid out lawns.

Did you say that you will at times turn up with a bucket of dirty water to clean their windows.

Did you expalin that some windows you cannot reach and cannot clean, but you are still going to charge them full price.

If so, then write them a letter explaining why you are changing over, but really none of your customers will care.

All they are interested in, is having their windows cleaned by someone they know and trust.

You could also mention that you will now be able to earn loads more money and have more holidays than they do.

[Londoner]

To be honest I wouldn't say anything at all I would just do it. Williamx is absolutely right, the customers won't care even if they notice.

I don't even tell my new customers how I am going to do their windows. I get a few comments initially and two have said they dont like it but my attitude these days is "some you win, some you lose"

Any explaination is going to sound more like an apology.

[Stuart Webster]

True Vince, no apologies!

Here goes...........!

[Stuart Webster]

Cleaned on small village this morning. Everyone outraged that I would think of going up ladders if I have health problems!!

I think the Pub will be lost though, nothing wrong with the windows, so dont know whats going on there.

See what this afternoon brings.

[Dean Aspects]

Sometimes we are our own worsed enemies building things up out of all proportion just clean the windows and if any customers ask about the new method explain to them in simple terms and leave it at that

Dean

[Alex Gardiner]

I have never given out any printed material when changing over.

I just go along with my current method and explain if needed. Only ever lost one client and that was not specifically because of WFP.