[LWC]

i remember once picking up a new customer given to me, did it first time round with wfp and you could see it her face, she didnt like wfp "beleive it wheni see it" type...pulled up next time went to open gate comes running out

"NO NO NO i dont want you"
"sorry?"
"you made a right mess on the floor last time with all the water!"
i shut the gate, laughed and got in the van and drove off. i have never done anything like that before and it felt so dam good lol!

[simon knight]

i remember once picking up a new customer given to me, did it first time round with wfp and you could see it her face, she didnt like wfp "beleive it wheni see it" type...pulled up next time went to open gate comes running out

"NO NO NO i dont want you"
"sorry?"
"you made a right mess on the floor last time with all the water!"
i shut the gate, laughed and got in the van and drove off. i have never done anything like that before and it felt so dam good lol!

I had a similar one a while back. The customer knew it was £35 but left the daughter £30....I let it go that time but phoned her later that evening to remind her we'd agreed £35. Next time I went daughter answers the door. Me: How much did your mum leave you? Her: £30  Me: Wish your mum good luck in finding somebody to clean this house for £30...bye!

Also the daughter used to follow me from room to room as I did the insides (presumably to make sure I didn't nick anything :)

There are just some customers you're better off without.

[Londoner]

There are just some customers you're better off without.

Thats the truth! Its not complicated its simple. If they don't fit the profile they are no good for you.
I have a silly saying almost like a motto, some of you will remember the advert on telly a few years back for tinned fish.

"Its the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best"

Its the same for customers.

[Paul Coleman]

There are just some customers you're better off without.

Thats the truth! Its not complicated its simple. If they don't fit the profile they are no good for you.
I have a silly saying almost like a motto, some of you will remember the advert on telly a few years back for tinned fish.

"Its the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best"

Its the same for customers.

So true Vince.  I've had customers (even fairly recently) who are astonished that I would rather cancel than take pot luck in getting access to the back of the house.  It's raining heavily today so I have time to post out a couple of cancellation letters.  At least I generally take the trouble to let them know these days.  Saves having to hide when I see them in the supermarket   

[johnny_h]

i have now got to the stage of telling all new customers that the price quoted is  for the address so if i turn up and can only do the fronts its the same price as if i clean the whole house that way they stay on as a regular and if they arent happy then i smile and walk away 

[Londoner]

One of the things that doesn't really get covered enough on here is customer profiling. After a while you sort of do it instinctively.

Imagine you were going to start a football team, you put a notice in a shop window and eventually you get 11 replies. So now you have a team, of sorts, but they are very much a scratch team. Some will be good but others just won't be right for you and you are going to have deal with that.

Over time you work with them, learn their strengths and weaknesses. Some stay in the team, others get dropped and a few just stop turning up.

Well, its exactly the same for window cleaning. The guys with the really good rounds have probably been quite ruthless at weeding out the no hopers and time wasters.

[pdale]

It used to do my head in when customers think they can do this. Now i just accept that it will happen from time to time but don't let them get away with it.

When starting out you would quote some who think they should only pay what they paid to the previous window cleaner.

I have one who wants me to do some houses he rents out. Granted i quoted him a high price, but he will not accept the fact that i have to travel about 2 miles just to do three houses. This went on for a couple of months with him keep phoning, yet refusing to accept my price. Eventually he offered one pond less, i aint going to say what i told him.

It is well worth weeding out these customers.

Paul

[steve.ternent]

There are just some customers you're better off without.

Thats the truth! Its not complicated its simple. If they don't fit the profile they are no good for you.
I have a silly saying almost like a motto, some of you will remember the advert on telly a few years back for tinned fish.

"Its the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best"

Its the same for customers.

 

"Its the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best"

Love it! 

[WCE]

I had one the other day who phoned me "desperate" for the windows to be cleaned. She was a little out of my way but knowing it was a large house decided to take it on. Made the arrangements 10 o'clock Friday morning. So I drove there and arrived at 9.55am. Knock on the door. "Hello" I said. "Oh we wont be needing you now the window cleaner who cleans next door is going to do them tomorrow" She replied. "ok when was this decided?" I asked "Yesterday" I was fuming I had made a 30 mile round trip for no reason "Could you not ring me and let me know then as you've wasted my time now - Thanks for nothing" I said and walked off. Anyway the phone rings Saturday evening it was her - "Hi we do need you after all the other window cleaner hasn't turned up" Before i could reply and tell her to get stuffed (I ain't cleaning her windows for a million £ after she messed me) She added - "anyway I wasn't happy with his price I will pay you £15.00 (this is a £50 min house)! I didn't even bother to answer her, I just put the phone down. Customers like that I can do without quite frankly I would rather stick needles in my eyes than clean her windows.
     

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Get rid!

I agree.

On the other side of the coin I turned up to do a job the other week and despite texting for them to leave the gate open they forgot  Roll Eyes so I did front only charged £11 received a cheque next day and note saying please except apologies and find full payment of £20 there are good customers out there but ditch the bad ones that get you down.

I also have custies like this. One where I originally quoted for for complete bungalow regularly tells me to leave the back for some reason or other but always insists on paying me the full amount because as she puts it, "I know I'm messing you about." She only has the back done about 1 in every 3 visits.

[RPCCS]

I had one the other day who phoned me "desperate" for the windows to be cleaned. She was a little out of my way but knowing it was a large house decided to take it on. Made the arrangements 10 o'clock Friday morning. So I drove there and arrived at 9.55am. Knock on the door. "Hello" I said. "Oh we wont be needing you now the window cleaner who cleans next door is going to do them tomorrow" She replied. "ok when was this decided?" I asked "Yesterday" I was fuming I had made a 30 mile round trip for no reason "Could you not ring me and let me know then as you've wasted my time now - Thanks for nothing" I said and walked off. Anyway the phone rings Saturday evening it was her - "Hi we do need you after all the other window cleaner hasn't turned up" Before i could reply and tell her to get stuffed (I ain't cleaning her windows for a million £ after she messed me) She added - "anyway I wasn't happy with his price I will pay you £15.00 (this is a £50 min house)! I didn't even bother to answer her, I just put the phone down. Customers like that I can do without quite frankly I would rather stick needles in my eyes than clean her windows.
     

You should have said"that will do for the travelling expenses", turned up, asked for the money up front ,then buggered off Ha Ha !!  that would teach the snotty cow

[AuRavelling79]

Funny old world ain't it?

Had one a couple of years back ... foreign accent, Iranian I think comes up to me and says "you do my windows!" (like a command, not a request)

I offer to come over and quote and she says "no, no I pay £10" (this is for a big  thirties, extended private semi with leaded transom bayed windows at the front)

I say, "no ,,,, I'll give you a quote."

"Don't bother" she says.

Two months later:-

Her "Are you the normal window cleaner?"

Me: "No, I'm the retarded one!"

Her "Eh? Anyway, you do my windows!"

Me: (Shortened version) "Ok, £20, regular monthly, £30 first clean"

Her "No, no! I pay £10!"

Me: No madam, with those leaded transoms and third floor extension my price is very fair"

Her "Don't bother, I find someone else"

Two months later

Her "You, Mr. Window cleaner, I pay £20; you do windows now!"

Me "You're very rude and I wouldn't do your windows for £100!"

Her "Yes I am! Don't bother!" Glad we got that sorted.

Anyway, Starion who hides somewhere on this forum has more tolerance than me and does them for about £25 and tells me she's as good as gold!

So I trained her up and he gets the benefit. No hard feelings!

[steve.ternent]

You can have 100 salt of the earth customers , and one awkward, miserable, life hating, penny pinching, non tea making, late paying , world hating indidvidual who want you to feel as miserable ! . . . . . . . .JUST SAY NO 

After reading the whole of this thread again, I just can't see why some of you get so upset...

This quote  here for instance (above) People have a right to have OFF days, just like you and I!

Don't take it personally, smile.  There is an old saying...

The customer is always right!  This is as true now as it was when it was first penned/spoken!

When you enter into an agreement  BOTH parties have to be pleased with the arrangement!

Let people have their points of view, maybe they don't make a cup of tea...BIG DEAL!

move on, BE HAPPY!
Remember people have the right to be... Miserable, hateful and damn right obnoxious if they wish!     

[mr D]

did woman last week house, ledded, trad. charged her £30. over priced bu i didnt want the job but she was desprate so i thought if she is willing to pay over the odds then fine.she then said just b4 i did it. ''next doors only pays 15 your very exspencive''. i told her to ask next doors wc to do hers. ''he wont do them said hes not taking on any more work'' (coz there leds i bet) ''well its up to you mrs but its a price not a starting bid'' she laughed ''o.k do them then after we can arange a regula thing, oh could you invoice my company name''. (doggy cow) well igets the cheque in the post with a note ''you can do them on a monthly basics for £25 ithinkthis is very rasonable as next door pays £15''. i phoned her and said my name is dean not david dickingson. good luck.

[alanwilson]

aarrrggghhhh  I hate people like that - surely it ain't illegal to 'get rid of' someone like that?

[Londoner]

I had a call from a man a while back who said "You clean my windows first and if I am satisfied with them I will pay you"

Guess what my reply was, Ill give you a clue, two words, first word four letters, second word three letters.

[WCE]

I had one the other day who phoned me "desperate" for the windows to be cleaned. She was a little out of my way but knowing it was a large house decided to take it on. Made the arrangements 10 o'clock Friday morning. So I drove there and arrived at 9.55am. Knock on the door. "Hello" I said. "Oh we wont be needing you now the window cleaner who cleans next door is going to do them tomorrow" She replied. "ok when was this decided?" I asked "Yesterday" I was fuming I had made a 30 mile round trip for no reason "Could you not ring me and let me know then as you've wasted my time now - Thanks for nothing" I said and walked off. Anyway the phone rings Saturday evening it was her - "Hi we do need you after all the other window cleaner hasn't turned up" Before i could reply and tell her to get stuffed (I ain't cleaning her windows for a million £ after she messed me) She added - "anyway I wasn't happy with his price I will pay you £15.00 (this is a £50 min house)! I didn't even bother to answer her, I just put the phone down. Customers like that I can do without quite frankly I would rather stick needles in my eyes than clean her windows.
     

i find it hard to believe you do a 30 mile round trip just to clean one house

Whys that so hard to believe? It was a big country house 15 miles there 15 miles back. Like I said this house was £50 min house. If it was a 3 bed semi then obviously I wouldn't of bothered but this was a fair sized  house and these are usually quality. I had hoped to do that one then canvass the rest to make it even more worthwhile. I have commercial work that is well paying but is upto 70 miles away   (large office blocks) I make more money traveling to these than I would if I just stuck to domestics in my local area so why the doubt? We all have our own ways of operating our businesses just because I don't operate the same way as you dosen't mean a thing. 

[Neil271052]

Just as an aside, do any of you ever negotiate a price down on anything?

Like builders, plumbers, shops etc?

Window cleaners are not exempt from being bid either. 

[AJ]

should have put £1 worth of dirt back then walked off, never to be seen again.

[Sir Squeaky]

Definately should have done the old "winding the middle finger up" sign.

(if you can picture what I mean)