[pjdcleaning]

None for me yet

[Londoner]

I work the London commuter belt suburbs so quite a lot of my customers are city slickers. Lost a few to the credit crunch and whats going on. Nothing desperate but a constant erosion of the jobs market is taking its toll.
The thing to do if you want to be safe is spread yourself about so you have a broad customer base.

[Rob.Hall]

Ive done that Vince.

Before Xmas I got a little worried.

Picked up 6 jobs in the last few weeks and taken a suspended job back on.

Decided some time ago not to be to picky.

I have benifited.

[tonylee]

Hi
Since Xmas I have lost 11 and replaced only 5 of them.
Seems to be tough times.
Tony

[peter holley]

our target customers should be retired ,semi retired, no mrtgage.....
i have piched up 28 new ones this year. lost 2

canvassing in the day usually finds this sort ....... although you will find more canvassing in the evening!.... but i am targeting the type of custie as above! and they are usually at home in the day.

[gary evans]

I am almost all commercial & we have been hit. Lost large contract on tues £500+ per month.

Frequency is the main area of cutbacks we are down a lot from apr 08, by the end of this year mar 09 could be as high as 30k in total, had large summer job cancelled 2 weeks for min 4 blokes

Adding up all the time so hopefully can cope with it all as it happens.

Gary

[peter holley]

I am almost all commercial & we have been hit. Lost large contract on tues £500+ per month.

Frequency is the main area of cutbacks we are down a lot from apr 08, by the end of this year mar 09 could be as high as 30k in total, had large summer job cancelled 2 weeks for min 4 blokes

Adding up all the time so hopefully can cope with it all as it happens.

Gary

have you started targeting cash rich domestics?  i started planning for this mess last march!

[gary evans]

Thought originally to just downsize, lose van & employees etc, always done commerial withemployees,but, looking tochange to domestics now if van doent go sunday.

Gary

[peter holley]

i;v got a scudo too 1.9d on a 06 plate....paid 8,500 + vat from new.... have a diy system.
its still only got 15 k  on the  clock , but i dread to think of how much its devalued.... still i plan to keep it a few years yet

just go for good domestics m8... you can still make a good living... and domestics are loyal.

i do medium to large domestics... my lad does the backs with a backpack, and i do the fronts with van mount... i collect or put a bill through , and do the paperwork while he puts it all away. its a good method that works well.

[Londoner]

Never reduce price, increase the time instead.

[Londoner]

our target customers should be retired ,semi retired, no mrtgage.....
i have piched up 28 new ones this year. lost 2

canvassing in the day usually finds this sort ....... although you will find more canvassing in the evening!.... but i am targeting the type of custie as above! and they are usually at home in the day.

The retired are excellent customers and form a good solid base to build a round on. Once you have been a few times they stick with you through thick and thin. They come from a generation where having a window cleaner was the norm and take it for granted as one of life's necessities.
Also, as you say they are normally in during the day and haven't usually built massive extensions that restricts your access. Also they don't usually have three cars in the front garden.

Only draw back - rose bushes, they love their rose bushes. I hate rose bushes.

[peter holley]

and you cant do them to quickly

[peter holley]

and you cant do them to quickly

[simon knight]

Only draw back - rose bushes, they love their rose bushes. I hate rose bushes.

And pyracantha.