[davetherave]

what do you all do with customers who don't want their windows doing when its raining?

At the moment i just say alright i'll give them a miss and do them next month

But its beginning to annoy me coz i phoned one tonight to let her know i'm coming 2morrow and to leave the gate open and she just said she thinks its going to rain tomorrow so she wants me to give it a miss.

As you'll all know the weatherman often gets it wrong.

And it rains so much i don't see how you can make a living if you don't work in the rain. I'm lucky as not all my customers are bothered by me doing them when its raining.

And i know it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the windows as all the windows i clean are always more or less immaculate from the last time i did them even though they'll have had a months worth of rain on them.

the only windows that ever seem to get really dirty in a month, or even two months, are the ones that face onto busy roads. 

Is it best just to cancel customers who don't want their windows done in light rain and just get some more customers?

[chrisyg]

I say fine, but if they suspend 2 cleans in a row, i remove them from my regular lists and advise why. I put them on a as and when list, and if i have the time if im in the area i'll knock to see if they want it done (yes it does cost a little bit more normally around 20-30%). If they want it done they they can phone me.

If i have more than 3 suspends in a 12 month period then i put them on the as and when list too..

Customers say they want a "regular and reliable" window cleaner - so i reply, to them, im as regular and reliable as you allow me to be.

run your business how you see fit. If they dont like you for it, they can find themselves a new window cleaner, if you dont like them for it, find some new customers to replace them with..

[johnny_h]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

[windowwashers]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

[windowwashers]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

i heard you jacked in

you heard wrong  , they dont get rid of me that easy 

[barry80]

I dont clean in the rain

[Tosh]

I don't clean domestic in the rain.

But I think it's stopped raining here!

[pingu]

Have been cleaning all day in the rain...it's been the first day I have been able to work this year !!!! oh I dumped one of my "oh not today's" reason...they were decorating one of the upstairs bedrooms, when I asked could they have not telephones my..she just replied NO and closed the door..Just will not go back...not point in trying to win a fight I could never win.

Cleaning in the rain is not so bad.

Cheers
Dave.

[cybersye]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

Without wishing to be rude, If you were my window cleaner and took that attitude with me it would certainly stop me doing it again,     PERMANENTLY
I'd find myself another window cleaner, and in my town that would not be difficult

How about offering them a premium appointment only service instead ?

[johnny_h]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

If you were my window cleaner and took that attitude with me it would certainly stop me doing it again,     PERMANENTLY
I'd find myself another window cleaner

then  you can mess the next window cleaner about till he drops you and so on and you'll end up with a dole boy turning up once in a blue moon

[cybersye]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

If you were my window cleaner and took that attitude with me it would certainly stop me doing it again,     PERMANENTLY
I'd find myself another window cleaner

then  you can mess the next window cleaner about till he drops you and so on and you'll end up with a dole boy turning up once in a blue moon

maybe, but my point is that i doubt most customers think that far ahead, we are seeing this from a business point of view as window cleaners. if you were a customer and your window cleaner demanded an extra 50 % on the next visit or even a few quid because you'd cancelled by phone prior to the visit what would you honestly think ?
Tough financial times are looming if not already affecting some people, sorry if it sounds cynical but however friendly and informative this forum can be I take a lot of whats said on here with a pinch of salt
We may feel like it from time to time but how many of us would really have the balls to take this stance with our customers right now ?

[lovewindows]

As it always rains in this country - any customer who said "not while it's raining " i would explain that " i'll do them anyway and if you're not happy afterwards just ring me within a week [ if there monthly ] and i'll come and do them again for free "
If they rang me i'd do them again then do them when i felt like after, if they complained about infrequent service i'd say "sorry it was forecast to rain "  

[paulscotney]

2 refusals and sacked what is wrong with that? It costs fuel, time etc to get a no.

[crymsonpirate]

ok, rain,if your doing em wfp, and they say no ty not while its raining? duuuu?
i have bit me tongue with many of me custy`s over this,and come back the next time etc, however if your evolving yous custy base, replace said idiots, with fresh customers.
i once told one guy the truth,hell ok no prob, but if i can manage without your money in the rain, i can manage without it in the sunshine,(in my head frell you you moron!) i am ped wet thru, and your telling me not today!

[peter holley]

stop worrying about it! stop trying to get a pre concieved idea of what the custie thinks! just go out and work!

where i live in south wales, it rains A LOT. wc would not be viable if i didnt work in the rain.

[s.hughes]

I wouldnt work in the rain, only a fine drizzle

[windowwashers]

i have now stopped ringing the night before due to whats happened to you and this year im gonna put up the price of anyone who says not this month by £1 each time they do it and look to replace them im lucy i have an office clean to do ever day and will be looking to find some more this year

I would not phone them, send them a text message, you can also text a landline number.
customers that miss a month on my rounds get charged 50% more on there next clean, seems to stop them doing it again, if they call and forwarn I charge a £1 or £2 more.

Without wishing to be rude, If you were my window cleaner and took that attitude with me it would certainly stop me doing it again,     PERMANENTLY
I'd find myself another window cleaner, and in my town that would not be difficult

How about offering them a premium appointment only service instead ?

It's not attidute at all, I run a business I have over heads and staff to pay. Am I meant to tell my guy sorry no wages this week as they didnt want it cleaned because they was having there hair done or something else...
when I explain things to customers I am polite, I dont get messed about nor will I mess them about.
I charge more if they skip because it takes longer and also takes my time rebooking them in (if you think about it it is true) we all run are business in a different way and mine has worked for years so something must be working that I am doing.

maybe, but my point is that i doubt most customers think that far ahead, we are seeing this from a business point of view as window cleaners. if you were a customer and your window cleaner demanded an extra 50 % on the next visit or even a few quid because you'd cancelled by phone prior to the visit what would you honestly think ?
Tough financial times are looming if not already affecting some people, sorry if it sounds cynical but however friendly and informative this forum can be I take a lot of whats said on here with a pinch of salt
We may feel like it from time to time but how many of us would really have the balls to take this stance with our customers right now ?

Yes I would, because if you dont and the times get better you will be stuck with a load of customers that will mess you about.
And I said that I charge £1/2 if they pre warn us it costs me more money to do them it really is that simple, 50% is for customers that do it at the door with no warning, I am happy doing it, it is are terms of my services (again explianed to customers when they come on my books) I am not out to mug people, nor will I be mugged

[Ian Lancaster]

Tell them, loud and clear when you book the job that you work in most conditions, and expect to be allowed to work, BUT all your work is guaranteed and if there's a problem and they phone within 48 hours you'll come back and do them again.

Have your guarantee printed on your quotations.

When they say 'not today, it's raining' remind then they agreed to your terms when you took them on.  If they still won't let you work, drop them

[peter holley]

personally, i am amased at the amount of wc that dont work in the rain....i,m also bewildered that they often comment that they will catch up in fine weather!  HOW? 

if i didnt work in the rain i would have lost about 15 k last year!
and for 15 k extra, i believe its worth training your customers and getting wet once in a while

[peter holley]

i catch up in the fine weather by telling myself i am not behind ,i just have to clean all my work in the next 4 week and then im straight 
very sure i didnt lose £15000 in the last year,i never try to work that one out 

exactly what i mean well have to agree to disagree