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Londoner

Very dodgy goings on
« on: January 28, 2008, 06:55:07 pm »
Last year I picked up a new customer who's old window cleaner had dissapeared. Nothing unusual about that, it happens all the time.

I've cleaned her four times now, she has to be phoned the night before to leave the gate open. Last week my wife phoned to ask her to leave the gate open but was told the windows have just been done.
I have been a bit behind because of the recent rain so my wife initially blamed me thinking I had already done her and not recorded it. But I hadn't.

Phoned her back and it turns out somebody cleaned her windows last week, climbed over the gate and then knocked that night for the money. He told her he had taken over the round, not from me he hasn't so our suspicion was from the old window cleaner who dissappeared a year ago now.

Well that was last week. Today I cleaned a house about four streets away that we picked up roughly the same time as the other house, certainly within the last year. Its a front only but the windows were clean. I've been in this business long enough to know clean when I see it. They were good too.

So I put my usual note and envelope through the door and now I'm just waiting to see what happens.

Is it reasonable for anyone to turn up after a year and expect to still be in the picture?

So if you or anyone you know has taken over a round in Ruislip / Eastcote area I need to talk to you.

LWC

  • Posts: 6824
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2008, 07:14:19 pm »
it certainly isnt reasonable to turn up after a year, did your customer not question him? surely she has your phone number to check?

Londoner

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2008, 07:20:27 pm »
No she just assumed he had taken over from me. She didn't see him till he knocked for the money. Actually her attitude is as long as somebody is cleaning them she's not that bothered.
Its the second one today thats got me wondering now.

DASERVICES

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2008, 07:21:41 pm »
That makes me  >:(, but surely customers should think something is odd and give you a bell.

There have been a few news articles your way Vince about this happening, here is one no so many miles away from you. Could be the same guy!!!

http://www.thisisbucks.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1967747.mostviewed.bogus_window_cleaner_warning.php

peter holley

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2008, 07:25:21 pm »
its a coincidence that you both charged the same,,,,,as if you had different prices she would have known he hadn't taken over from you ::)

taffy

d s windowcleaning

  • Posts: 2782
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2008, 07:32:45 pm »
why dont you go round your customers in the affected area and tell them that theres some dodgy cleaner about .
where theres muck theres money

johnny_h

  • Posts: 689
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2008, 07:36:33 pm »
if he's saying he has taken over the round maybe he has been sold a list of customers from someone it could be something like that or as you say the old window cleaner back on the scene i had something similar last year i would print off a letter saying you have not sold the round telling them not to pay anyone else but yourself then spend tomorrow going around to every one of your customers nip it in the bud now
AUDI VIDE TACE

Mike 108

  • Posts: 650
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2008, 07:43:13 pm »
I agree with LWC - your customers should have rung you (even if it was after they had paid the 'new' cleaner).

And once they had been advised that you were still operating they should have given the job back to you.

Did the 'new' cleaner not leave your customer with a telephone number that you could use to contact him.

If he didn't leave a 'windows cleaned today' card he shouldn't have been paid anyway.

Mike

Londoner

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2008, 06:59:40 am »
I have done some more checking and it looks as if this new guy has taken over the old window cleaners list. Maybe he bought it in all innocence.

On the subject of prices, I was a lot dearer than the previous window cleaner so if he's charging the old prices the customers will love him.

The previous window cleaner was an old timer who had been doing the round for years but had a fall and "packed in"or so the story goes.

 I never knew him and interestingly none of his old customers knew his phone number or where he lived even though he had been doing them for years.

I've got wind of another customer who was approached by presumably the same WC but sent him away. Unfortunately, she didn't get his details.

He's not a newbie, the windows on that second house I went to yesterday were good, and he obviously thinks he's got a right to clean the windows.

Its the old problem, often discussed on here, when is a round dead?. When is a new customer fair game? Almost every new customer has an old window cleaner who stopped coming some time back. Can he or someone else expect to move back in after a year?

steve m

  • Posts: 796
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2008, 07:05:48 am »
be careful, I bought some houses off a window cleaner a while ago and was told he'd only done them eight weeks before. When I started doing them it turned out they hadn't been done for seven months

Londoner

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2008, 07:10:35 am »
be careful, I bought some houses off a window cleaner a while ago and was told he'd only done them eight weeks before. When I started doing them it turned out they hadn't been done for seven months

Yes, I think thats whats happened here.  But a year??

steve m

  • Posts: 796
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2008, 07:17:28 am »
how many times have you lost track cos of bad weather or christmas?. Probably find the old boy needed a bit of money, sold it cheap and the new guy is just chancing his luck by going straight in

DREAM CLEAN

  • Posts: 619
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2008, 07:18:22 am »
Hi,

Send leaflets through the door explaining and this will protect you existing customers too

Nick

LSB

  • Posts: 411
Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2008, 01:50:13 pm »
vince , it happened to me last summer if you remember in the pinner / rayners la area ( nr gardens ) telling customers i had just disappeared !
also i keep hearing about a w/c who had a fall last year in s/ruislip , i believe i have spoken to a few of his previous customers , but he was ( is ) much cheaper than me , so i dont think i have knowingly ended up with many of them .
maybe he has now sold his round ! ? .

matt

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2008, 04:26:08 pm »
happened to me last year ( might have been the year before )

i got around all my work sharpish and put notes in the door explaining what was happening, it worked as i didnt lose any

Londoner

Re: Very dodgy goings on
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2008, 06:02:34 pm »
i keep hearing about a w/c who had a fall last year in s/ruislip , i believe i have spoken to a few of his previous customers , but he was ( is ) much cheaper than me , so i dont think i have knowingly ended up with many of them .
maybe he has now sold his round ! ? .

Yes Lloyd the window cleaner's name is John Salmon. He fell off his ladder and got serious head injuries. If he hadn't been found by some kid he would have died. He is still not able to work.

I think You are are right he has sold or passed on his book.