[Wayne Thomas]

I lost loads in the first half of this year. Replaced them with better ones but it has been a real struggle to get decent priced replacement customers.
I have never paid for advertising in 10 years window cleaning because of recommendations from word of mouth, but thought it time to bite the bullet and cough up £600 for some advertising to make sure I have plenty of work for the next year to come.
Times are getting hard IMO but maybe I'm just unfortunate because of where I live.

[johns window kleen]

Only lost one in recent months. Still picking up new ones nearly every working day. If I get a bit bored I do a bit of door knocking.
 Recession hasnt bitten here yet, but I do expect it to as the media are stirring it up and putting on specials re how to save money on household expenditure.
I am sure this is all some sick ploy, how do so many big banks who've been in business for over 100 years all go tits up so quickly and  without warning?  

[prestigeclean]

went canvassing with my daughter  today picked up £140.00 of work in 3 hours , i always target the rural stuff much nicer to work on imo and not lost any maybe i,m just lucky regards alan

[jaykie]

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

[STEVE-UK]

i havent lost any yet , but the phones gone a bit quiet

[spark1]

Ive had one commercial go from every twice a month to 3 monthly £180 a clean ouch.

[NWH]

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.

[Captain Scarlet]

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.

when i started out wcing i defined my ideal customer, its a rich retired individual!!! and the commercials are people who dont want to compromise on quality. I have VERY few customers with children at home. Infact its less than 20!!

[Captain Scarlet]

I even aimed my sign writing at older people, making it with huge lettering, and the phone number over sized. Reason being, my target customer usually is a little hard of sight ( being 55+ and more disposable income ) and very often wear glasses.

[NWH]

How many you lose will only determine what type of customer you have and nothing else,all normal income familys on the whole will drop the WC.We are in the process of looking for a new house at the moment and 7 out of 10 of them are being repossesed or in the process,this is the chance your taking when you take on work just for works sake you need to be selective to avoid the constant worry of being dropped.

[Captain Scarlet]

How many you lose will only determine what type of customer you have and nothing else,all normal income familys on the whole will drop the WC.We are in the process of looking for a new house at the moment and 7 out of 10 of them are being repossesed or in the process,this is the chance your taking when you take on work just for works sake you need to be selective to avoid the constant worry of being dropped.

very true. Unless thing turn VERY bad then people with a "richer" round should be ok.

[AuRavelling79]

No probs here yet but I'm expecting it on commercials.

However Friday picked up an £12 job and today an £11 job. In amongst the rest of one of my compact ex council house estates.

[Dale Smith]

We have lost a few over the last 2 months, but have picked up treble that so we are not worrying yet...... picked up 4 today while we out working...superb 
Also had another w/cleaner ask us if we would be interested in taking over his round, so interesting times ahead hopefully...

[dai]

I even aimed my sign writing at older people, making it with huge lettering, and the phone number over sized. Reason being, my target customer usually is a little hard of sight ( being 55+ and more disposable income ) and very often wear glasses.

SAGA window cleaning, that could turn out to be a good idea.

I lost two just yesterday, one had moved out owing me £12, the other cancelled saying that there was a run on her window last time, now there may have been, the PVC frames on this estate are chalking on the side that faces the sun. I'm fallible just like every one else, but no verbal, written, or final warning here, one mistake and your sacked.

Imagine their boss treating them like that after 10 years service, they would be screaming unfair dismissal and seeking a tribunal.
I checked her windows after I had done them yesterday and they were perfect.

That's people for you, if you know them well enough and for long enough, they will seldom fail to disappoint you.

[baldeagle]

Just cleaned one for the third time, and lost it at £7-50, because she said "This water pole thing is no good, and you did a rubbish job last time"
Funny that, because halfway through the last time, she was so impressed, she asked if I could go to another part of Stafford and clean her Mothers house - and she didn't comment until I'd finished this time!
So I put this down as daughter cannot afford my price, but pensioner parents can.
Last Week and this week, got two new ones at £14-00p each, both terrace houses, and a Cottage at £16-00p, so bit of a mixed bag, really.
Baldeagle

[simonwonder]

i feel better now i had thought it was something i was doing having lost most of my round over the last few months feel better nowing it is the climate economically speaking and not me after all  servival of the fittest  and all that
going older and deep rural from now on

[macmac]

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.

Trouble is, there isn't enough of "your type of work" to go round the whole nation of w'cers. If there was, there wouldn't be a problem, would there? there is only so much cream to go round so many cat's!! People can't just go out & get a full round of "cream" man, think outside your own little world for once! Remember, it took you AND your family YEARS to get what you've got!!!

Tony

[Chris Galloway]

Only lost one in recent months. Still picking up new ones nearly every working day. If I get a bit bored I do a bit of door knocking.
 Recession hasnt bitten here yet, but I do expect it to as the media are stirring it up and putting on specials re how to save money on household expenditure.
I am sure this is all some sick ploy, how do so many big banks who've been in business for over 100 years all go tits up so quickly and  without warning? 

Because they dont actually have money! The financial sector is based on a virtual world. Working with money they dont really have. When they need the money in their pockets as it wer, and then dont have it, like now, they go belly up.

[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.

[NWH]

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.

Trouble is, there isn't enough of "your type of work" to go round the whole nation of w'cers. If there was, there wouldn't be a problem, would there? there is only so much cream to go round so many cat's!! People can't just go out & get a full round of "cream" man, think outside your own little world for once! Remember, it took you AND your family YEARS to get what you've got!!!

Tony

Has your Mrs kicked you up the other end of the room again lol.