[Londoner]

Picked up a customer a while back on a recommendation from a neighbour. Her old WC had gone missing and she wanted me to do them.
Out of the blue this evening I get a phone call. Her old window cleaners come back and cleaned her windows so she doesn't want me to come again.

OK luv thats fine but what are you going to do when he goes missing again?.

I'm not bothered, she was a funny old girl anyway but the way some people carry on, and where has her window cleaner been these past six months?

I have been getting a few of these lately and its not the same window cleaner that has gone missing and then reappeared each time. The fact that its nearing the end of March and summer is on its way I think has some bearing on it.

Another factor, I know, is because I am always a lot dearer than the previous bloke but talk about messing you around.

I am thinking about the idea of charging double for the first clean and then keeping them so they have always paid one clean in advance or something like that but can't really get my head round how I could make it work.

Does anybody do something similar?

I am not happy about being the winter caretaker for someone elses round.

[L.J.Thorpe]

not a bad idea that if you can get em to agree
i have now started charging first clean a good deal higher than regular,but not double......yet
it was one of my first big mistakes to assume that everybody wanted to be a regular customer and that i could take a loss on the first clean for the sake of a new regular customer,i got stung on that a couple of times 

[Paul Coleman]

Picked up a customer a while back on a recommendation from a neighbour. Her old WC had gone missing and she wanted me to do them.
Out of the blue this evening I get a phone call. Her old window cleaners come back and cleaned her windows so she doesn't want me to come again.

OK luv thats fine but what are you going to do when he goes missing again?.

I'm not bothered, she was a funny old girl anyway but the way some people carry on, and where has her window cleaner been these past six months?

I have been getting a few of these lately and its not the same window cleaner that has gone missing and then reappeared each time. The fact that its nearing the end of March and summer is on its way I think has some bearing on it.

Another factor, I know, is because I am always a lot dearer than the previous bloke but talk about messing you around.

I am thinking about the idea of charging double for the first clean and then keeping them so they have always paid one clean in advance or something like that but can't really get my head round how I could make it work.

Does anybody do something similar?

I am not happy about being the winter caretaker for someone elses round.

I don't charge in advance but I do often charge 50% more for a first clean and go around it twice.  I've had the old window cleaner has come back scenario too occasionally.  It usually means that he's cheaper.

[p1w1]

The same thing has happened to me a few times to be honest i dont let it bother me anymore i just put it down to one of those things that this business brings and just take it on the chin at least i've earnt some money off them, it can be annoying tho. I just make sure i give them a price i'm happy with I have in the past charged double on the first clean and tell them i will refund half after 3 cleans say if the house is £10 i'll charge £20 and give them £10 back after the 3rd clean.

[LSB]

vince ,   i dont often do it anymore , but i used to charge more for first cleans ,
 up to double and explain it takes longer first time and that we only do it regular ,
very few moaned , and those that did were probably the type of customer that your talking about ,
i cant see you having a problem in your areas !
i still do it if i think the new customer isnt being honest with me ,
who are all these w/cs that have winter off etc ?  !

[peter holley]

she may come back ...when he lets her down again....then yoy tell her asd she is not a regular all year round customer you have to charge more!!!!!! ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

[Feen]

That was a lot of £££ I'm pretty easy going when it comes to awkward custies. I do have 2 rules though. If you're rude, you're sacked. If you dump me, I don't go back (for any money). 

[windowwashers]

Picked up a customer a while back on a recommendation from a neighbour. Her old WC had gone missing and she wanted me to do them.
Out of the blue this evening I get a phone call. Her old window cleaners come back and cleaned her windows so she doesn't want me to come again.

OK luv thats fine but what are you going to do when he goes missing again?.

I'm not bothered, she was a funny old girl anyway but the way some people carry on, and where has her window cleaner been these past six months?

I have been getting a few of these lately and its not the same window cleaner that has gone missing and then reappeared each time. The fact that its nearing the end of March and summer is on its way I think has some bearing on it.

Another factor, I know, is because I am always a lot dearer than the previous bloke but talk about messing you around.

I am thinking about the idea of charging double for the first clean and then keeping them so they have always paid one clean in advance or something like that but can't really get my head round how I could make it work.

Does anybody do something similar?

I am not happy about being the winter caretaker for someone elses round.

Always charge double on the first clean, beats the one-offs and the problems your having.

Ian