[Wayne Thomas]

I dont think its luck Alan just dont think its effected the south just yet as ive not lost any either (touches wood) , priced up a job today and got 2 tomorrow, NWH if your reding have you lost any.

Chris

I havn`t lost 1 customer and we learnt from the early 90`s,if your a WC and your losing work at a silly quick rate your round is so easy to picture in my head.In this current climate the last thing you want is middle aged custies with 2.4 children you will lose tons of work within 6 months i reckon,and my last 2 penneth worth to cheer up people on here is those who have custies that pay through paypal,if i was you i would stop doing it that way at least for the next year or so,it`s so easy to drop the WC an email and tell him not to bother anymore rather than telll him to his face.It might seem like a good quick way to get paid but not the way things are at the moment.

Customers can just as easily cancel window cleaning by including a note in with their cheque when posting your SAE. It's just as easy for them to cancel by email without the need for face to face communication or by telephone. Paypal won't make any difference if their gonna drop you. I use paypal as it's just another method of collecting payment, especially as banks are trying to get away from issuing cheque books where possible.

[NWH]

Asking them to pay through paypal within X amount of days is like badgering them,if they think as soon as you come they only have 7-14 days to pay the bill it will stress them at times like this.I don`t call to often and i never keep on at them to pay the bill for the clean i`m doing,i sometimes say pay me next time if your in a rush or i can leave a ticket.I know some WC`s can`t do this but i can and it`s the way i`ve groomed my work,if the customer is happy i`m happy and if they like i said before trust you they won`t be quick to get someone else at the very worst they should just say can you put me back a few weeks further in your diary.

[peter holley]

NWH is right about young families with 2.4 children. Reflecting back on my losses, most of them were young families. Although they were better prices than regular, reliable OAP's, they came with the risks that window cleaning would be one of the fiirst things to be cancelled when budget gets tight.

Luckily for me I have a very wide diversity of customers, areas and types of properties to minimise the risks.

Got caught out once before having 10% of my work tied to one housing association spread out through three council boundaries. Learnt my lesson the hard way and vowed I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket ever again.

I like to keep a nice mixture where possible, but when work is getting harder to find, have to be cautious and maintain sensible prices, otherwise it's a waste of time picking them up.

i understand what your saying! but i have a lot of families on my round that are doing just fine! i myself am afamily with 3 kids and a 4 bed detached house....i go abroad 2 times a year... i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy... does that mean that i would be abad custie???

[seandyer2003]

NWH is right about young families with 2.4 children. Reflecting back on my losses, most of them were young families. Although they were better prices than regular, reliable OAP's, they came with the risks that window cleaning would be one of the fiirst things to be cancelled when budget gets tight.

Luckily for me I have a very wide diversity of customers, areas and types of properties to minimise the risks.

Got caught out once before having 10% of my work tied to one housing association spread out through three council boundaries. Learnt my lesson the hard way and vowed I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket ever again.

I like to keep a nice mixture where possible, but when work is getting harder to find, have to be cautious and maintain sensible prices, otherwise it's a waste of time picking them up.

i understand what your saying! but i have a lot of families on my round that are doing just fine! i myself am afamily with 3 kids and a 4 bed detached house....i go abroad 2 times a year... i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy... does that mean that i would be abad custie???

4 takeaways a week.....Id be about 20 stone if i did that, as much as id like too i have to limit it to quite a bit less than that

[Wayne Thomas]

NWH is right about young families with 2.4 children. Reflecting back on my losses, most of them were young families. Although they were better prices than regular, reliable OAP's, they came with the risks that window cleaning would be one of the fiirst things to be cancelled when budget gets tight.

Luckily for me I have a very wide diversity of customers, areas and types of properties to minimise the risks.

Got caught out once before having 10% of my work tied to one housing association spread out through three council boundaries. Learnt my lesson the hard way and vowed I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket ever again.

I like to keep a nice mixture where possible, but when work is getting harder to find, have to be cautious and maintain sensible prices, otherwise it's a waste of time picking them up.

i understand what your saying! but i have a lot of families on my round that are doing just fine! i myself am afamily with 3 kids and a 4 bed detached house....i go abroad 2 times a year... i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy... does that mean that i would be abad custie???

You wouldn't be a bad custie mainly because you are in business for yourself.
You have to bare in mind that I live in South Devon. It has the second lowest wages in the country. It has three extremes. 1. Well off OAP's who come down here to retire.  2.  Second home owners   3.Poverty stricken youngsters who are lucky if they can get a minimum wage job that isn't seasonal relying on the tourist trade.
Then the run of the mill young families who struggle to get by on poor pay in relation to high house prices (on average eleven times their income so most property is rented nowadays by this age group).
Also the small businesses who start up down here mainly in the service sector who are more reliable, except that this credit crunch scare mongering and rise of inflation is hitting us here harder because of lower wages in general compared to the rest of the UK,  hence why I'm probably losing more than some of you in better off areas. Most builders around here are really stretching out jobs and are home more than they are working, that's fact, not just an opinion.

[peter holley]

i do need to lose weight

[Russell Macdonald]

i do need to lose weight

3 takeaway a week 

[peter holley]

NWH is right about young families with 2.4 children. Reflecting back on my losses, most of them were young families. Although they were better prices than regular, reliable OAP's, they came with the risks that window cleaning would be one of the fiirst things to be cancelled when budget gets tight.

Luckily for me I have a very wide diversity of customers, areas and types of properties to minimise the risks.

Got caught out once before having 10% of my work tied to one housing association spread out through three council boundaries. Learnt my lesson the hard way and vowed I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket ever again.

I like to keep a nice mixture where possible, but when work is getting harder to find, have to be cautious and maintain sensible prices, otherwise it's a waste of time picking them up.

i understand what your saying! but i have a lot of families on my round that are doing just fine! i myself am afamily with 3 kids and a 4 bed detached house....i go abroad 2 times a year... i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy... does that mean that i would be abad custie???

You wouldn't be a bad custie mainly because you are in business for yourself.
You have to bare in mind that I live in South Devon. It has the second lowest wages in the country. It has three extremes. 1. Well off OAP's who come down here to retire.  2.  Second home owners   3.Poverty stricken youngsters who are lucky if they can get a minimum wage job that isn't seasonal relying on the tourist trade.
Then the run of the mill young families who struggle to get by on poor pay in relation to high house prices (on average eleven times their income so most property is rented nowadays by this age group).
Also the small businesses who start up down here mainly in the service sector who are more reliable, except that this credit crunch scare mongering and rise of inflation is hitting us here harder because of lower wages in general compared to the rest of the UK,  hence why I'm probably losing more than some of you in better off areas. Most builders around here are really stretching out jobs and are home more than they are working, that's fact, not just an opinion.

i have young families on my round... a university lecturer that i was in school with.... a developer...VERY WEALTHY.......etc...etc  you can not generalise.....but i agree with the original comment

[cottonbud10]

your not the only one,ive lost about `£150 worth of work per month, so far,and where i was getting about 4-8 calls per month for quotes, thats down to  0-1,it,s hard but try not to let it get you down to much,as long as you,ve got enough to live on thats the main thing,and i,m sure things will get better for all of us....kev

[Moderator David@stives]

Wayne

You wouldnt want to live in Penwith in Cornwall then, it has got the lowest wage to property price ratio in the country, the avarage wage actually went down £1.00 last year with nearly everyone on minimum wage.

[Tosh]

i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy...

LOL. 

You're not quite there yet.  According to the Royal Family (the Scousers on TV), you're rich when you can afford a take-away every night of the week!

We've had about three takeaways this year, but that's got nothing to do with how much-or-little I earn.

[seandyer2003]

i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy...

LOL. 

You're not quite there yet.  According to the Royal Family (the Scousers on TV), you're rich when you can afford a take-away every night of the week!

We've had about three takeaways this year, but that's got nothing to do with how much-or-little I earn.

Imagine being that rich lol every night!! Wow....the only time i do that is when the missus is away

[simon knight]

Wayne

You wouldnt want to live in Penwith in Cornwall then, it has got the lowest wage to property price ratio in the country, the avarage wage actually went down £1.00 last year with nearly everyone on minimum wage.

And Cornwall (much as I love the County) is as expensive if not more so than London.
I'm not talking so much property prices, more about fuel, council tax and general shop prices.  I filled up my car a few weeks back just outside of Wadebridge for
the return trip to London. 115p per ltr they were charging against Londons average of 110p. I had no choice as they were the only petrol station within miles and miles...so they milk it!  And cream tea for 3 in Padstow?...blimey remortgage time!

[Wayne Thomas]

Wayne

You wouldnt want to live in Penwith in Cornwall then, it has got the lowest wage to property price ratio in the country, the avarage wage actually went down £1.00 last year with nearly everyone on minimum wage.

Even if I only keep my cream work I could manage on 2 days a week to pay my bills. I'm still on a full 5 day a week despite my illness. Don't give up me, quitting's not in my vocabulary. I'm still picking up from word of mouth (slowed down a lot),but want to make sure I've got plenty in a years time. My safest work is my commercial (touch wood), others have tried to pinch it but the owners are sound as a pound as I've done them for so long in general.

Dave I like living in South Devon. Window cleaning gives me access to some private land and views that the general public will never get to see.

[simbo]

i prefer to think of it this way, some not all have a window cleaner, usually the ones that don't either aren't bothered or its somethig they just would not pay for. Anyway the ones that could not afford it in the first place would never ask you anyhow, so in my case paying me every 6 weeks not really a prob as long as they don't lose their jobs.
always get more just takes time
simbo

[peter holley]

i have 4 take aways aweek, and my buisness is very busy...

LOL. 

You're not quite there yet.  According to the Royal Family (the Scousers on TV), you're rich when you can afford a take-away every night of the week!

We've had about three takeaways this year, but that's got nothing to do with how much-or-little I earn.

what i was trying to say was that just because i have 3 kids and a big mortgage doesnt mean i cant afford a wc at a tenner or £15 a month when i waste money on non essentials like takeaways etc.
i started preparing for this recession in march by leafleting and canvassing and advertising etc... i have lost 3 and about 3 have gone to every 8 weeks since the spring, but since june i have been picking up a steady increace of 3 new jobs a week...i am pleased with this , but i am still anxious about the next few months, and so in november i am going to have another intense leaflet drop , door knock , advertising campaign.... i appreciate that things are bad but we have to search out the ones who have no mortgage or surplus money left each month... :

[dai]

lost another one today, but the house is up for sale anyway.
For the first time in 15 years I'm losing more than gaining customers.
I am well over subscribed so can take the hit, I would be worried if I was just starting out though.

[Tim82]

in the last month,i lost a 5quida 6.50,5,6,5,but this week got two 7quids and a 7,50 and two six quids,so nothing lost realy,one said there were cob webs,other said husband lost job so he will clean them.other said they were still dirty,one got another window cleaner other said i was hit or miss

well if you look like you do in your pic i dont blame em! 

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I Managed to go to work yesterday and not loose any, in fact I did a first clean on one.  I think that where most of my work is, it's a bit more susceptible as people own expensive houses and travel into London to work.  It seems to be the families that I'm loosing more of.  cottonbud10 is in roughly the same area and looks like he's lost about the same as me.

I think the problem is enhanced by lots of new wcs starting up and offering to do them cheaper.  I'm pretty sure I won't go out of business, but I've never lost customers at this rate before.  I had in mind that next year I'd be up on earnings again, but I might actually be down a little.

Simon.

[s.hughes]

I havent lost any custies yet in fact I am picking up a lot but the payments are slow in coming