[Mike 108]

You’re behind with work. The sun is shining. You want to work.

You’ve done a few houses and are thinking “Looks like the forecast is going to be right”

You ring up your next customer (for access) and they say   “Haven’t you seen the forecast. It’s going to be blowing a gale later. It’s not worth cleaning the windows today. Can you leave it ‘till next week/next time?”

This happened to me today.  I reluctantly agreed but was a little ‘put out’/angry.

However, I am now sat at my computer looking at the local wind speed (live feed) indicator and it is indeed showing ‘gusts’ of 25 mph.

I know from experience that, because I live by the coast, those windows that I have cleaned today WILL be filthy again tomorrow.

I now feel sorry for those people whose windows I have cleaned!

Should I have insisted on cleaning the windows of the person who did not want them doing?
Should I have offered her a ‘Clean on request quotation’
Or
Should I have ‘used some common sense’ and not bothered going out in the first place?

Thanks

Mike 

[chrisyg]

you have a regular clean to keep them clean at a "maintained" level. If you didn't keep going they would be really stinking.

Up to the customer if they want a regular maintained window cleaning service, or a as and when service. You charge then as they want the windows to be cleaned.

In the uk, we have an approx 4 weekly clean as standard.

In the US they have a yearly clean as standard.. obviously going to be a hell of a lot dirtier, and a more expensive clean..

Now explain that to your customers, if you see where im coming from.

I have set my prices that way, i say i charge "x" amount for a regular 4 weekly clean, i just turn up and do it, or they can have an appointed clean at obviously a higher price and charge "y" amount. I tell them why the difference in price, and allow them to choose what they feel will suit them.

I dont force them to use either one but if they choose the 4 weekly then start messing about i will advise that the price charge was for a 4 weekly, and now they have changed the clean regularity to an as and when this will be the new price.. I explained my reasons to them in the first instance so they knew what my charges would be..

Im honest to my customers i explain why they have problems in finding a regular WC, as its most likely they keep saying not this time, not this times when agreeing a regular monthly clean price, and the window cleaner decides to drop them..

if they dont like that, then they are open to find another window cleaner.

I feel honesty is the best policy.

[matt]

all the replies will be " ditch her, she is trouble "

yet i disagree, she pays you, she has a right to say " its not worth it today as the winds will make the dirty in a hour or 2 " which you agree will happen, so she is not saying it just for the sake of it

so personally i would accept she has that right and leave it at that, dont bother feeling "little ‘put out’/angry " as its pointless now, i personally feel you did the right thing, your customer relations will be good now, if you had just done them, told her that its your way or the highway etc etc she would have found some1 else

anyways, get the board out, you are bound so have some swell with some nice winds

[Mike 108]

Matt

I surf in a kayak!

I live in Fleetwood and have to travel (3 hours) to Saltburn-by-the-Sea to get any decent 'swell'.  Been doing it for 25 years - so I don't hit the 'boardies' anymore and we get on OK.

Great set of lads at Saltburn - No 'aggro'

Regards,

Mike

[Mike 108]

chrisyg

Thanks for the reply.

My difficulty is that my 'Terms' are that I wiil clean monthly (4 or 5 weeks, depending on the weather).  To me, that is being practical.

However, because I do not promise to be there on a particular day - I could be accused, by them, of 'picking and choosing' and so why shouldn't they?

They could accuse me of 'only going when I want the money' (which isn't really the case but might appear so).

Mike

[Niall McAllister]

if she messes you about regularly, then explain your price is for that reg service. if it is only once in a while then it is better for you to bend a little.
i try to go with a, "would i be happy if i was paying for the job i did?" outlook.

if it's only about the money, you will loose out long term

[ftp]

Oh god - a Goatboater!

[chrisyg]

chrisyg

Thanks for the reply.

My difficulty is that my 'Terms' are that I wiil clean monthly (4 or 5 weeks, depending on the weather).  To me, that is being practical.

However, because I do not promise to be there on a particular day - I could be accused, by them, of 'picking and choosing' and so why shouldn't they?

They could accuse me of 'only going when I want the money' (which isn't really the case but might appear so).

Mike

well thats fine leave all the current customers as they are, and take a newer view (the one im doing) with the others.

See how that works... You cant please everyone, but you can have a number of ways to do business.

Personally i try to be in the same road the same day every 4 weeks, they then know, oh, chris should be around today. So you are not seen to be picking and choosing when you are doin it , as you turn up the same day.

If its a case of phoning them to arrange then i will fit appointments in around days i have spare.

Of course its down to how you run and schedule your business, im not telling you how to do that, but you did ask for advice, and im just advising how i do mine.

[Mike 108]

chrisyg -  Cheers

ftp - 'Goatboater' - I know it's derogatory      but you'll have to explain that one to me   

Mike

[chrisyg]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Goatboater

goatboater    
   
one who is a surf kayaker.....UK term....
he who paddles out into the big waves nice and warm vs those stand up surfer freezing their nuts off

did you see that helix that goatboater threw???

[ftp]

Not paricularly bad, have you not heard that term before? There is a Goatboater site somewhere. Boardsurfers tend to dislike Kayak surfers and call them goatboaters. Think it dates back to the days when kayakers used to have facial hair.
Have to say untill a couple of years ago i was a Goatboater in my Mega Slingshot
Surfers were always called 'speed bumps'. I came close to fistycuffs with one at Croyde a couple of years back.

[Mike 108]

chrisyg/ftp

Thanks for the explanation.  Never had any problems with board surfers at Saltburn - maybe because there's plenty of room for everyone - the cold water and cloudy skies keep most 'normal' people away!

Mike

ps.  I'm 62 now - hope to still be 'surfin' when I'm 70 (Stoked, man!)

[matt]

Not paricularly bad, have you not heard that term before? There is a Goatboater site somewhere. Boardsurfers tend to dislike Kayak surfers and call them goatboaters. Think it dates back to the days when kayakers used to have facial hair.
Have to say untill a couple of years ago i was a Goatboater in my Mega Slingshot
Surfers were always called 'speed bumps'. I came close to fistycuffs with one at Croyde a couple of years back.

i was going to say, i thought you used to do some floating about in a big shoe or something

[Mike 108]

Matt

Thanks for your earlier reply.  There's sense in what you said.

Mike

[mlscontractcleaner]

That's just a breeze; when the gusts get to 65mph it's time to go home 

[Rob.Hall]

I agree with Matts reply.

However it it happens on a reg basis then I might re assess.

[mci services]

That's just a breeze; when the gusts get to 65mph it's time to go home 

have to agree 25mph is nothing when its gusting at 50-70mph then its time to worry, i listen to the radio in the morning and if the forth road bridge is closed to high sided vehicles chances are its to windy

[G O A]

iallot of my work on the coast of wales and constantly have worked in roughly upto 40 mile an hour winds where the windows get terouble but all customers are pleased to see them done

[chris@c.m.s]

I did work today and if anyone had said that to me I'd have excepted it,
I knew what the forecast was but would have played dumb, then if their not out of the way next time out I'd have moved them to then, if they was then Id have skipped them till next clean.   

[bwoofie]

Whatever the wind speed is, I just get the pole out, crack on and keep earning money, Its ruddy rain i cant stand