[ants]

Im about breaking even at the moment but am getting a bit concerned about how many people are canceling .
Ive got over 330 custies is it normal to get a lot of people stoping i.e the more you have the more you will lose.
Still getting plenty of referals but as I say about breaking even.
Any thoughts?

[simon knight]

Truth is that most customers don't really want regular cleans. In their ideal world they'd just call you when they can't see out of their windows...and naturally expect you to charge the same as if you cleaned them regularly.

It's simple maths that the more customers you have the greater the number you will lose. That said, what I found that given time you get a bedrock of customers who actually do want 'em cleaned regularly and these become your bread and butter customers who get the star treatment... and you look after the newcomers as a one-off until they "prove" themselves.

Note here that many on this site will charge more for the first clean...sensible boys!

[cozy]

Well said Mr Knight!! Personaly I've found that after 3 to 4 months of cleaning say; a new area with about 15 new custies I start to lose about 5% or so as the novelty has worn of or some such reason.( Maybe cuz' I'm crap) However, those I still have left in that area tend to be, as Simon said, your bread and butter lot.

I think if were more than 5% I would find out why..................

[Steve CM]

Well said Mr Knight!! Personaly I've found that after 3 to 4 months of cleaning say; a new area with about 15 new custies I start to lose about 5% or so as the novelty has worn of or some such reason.( Maybe cuz' I'm crap) However, those I still have left in that area tend to be, as Simon said, your bread and butter lot.

I think if were more than 5% I would find out why..................

5% loss of new custys? never in a million years!! i have spent tens of thousands on getting work canvassed and if i only lost 5% i would be twice as rich in work!!

[cozy]

What do mean Steve, you lose more?

[simon knight]

Ooooh! I reckon personally that for every 5 customers I pick up 3 are really one-off merchants and it's just the remaining 2 that are "genuine"...so in my case a 60% lose rate.

But all those 2 genuine merchants add up to a solid bedrock of customers...the other 60% are just a bit of bunce 

[cozy]

I didn't mean to sound so stupid but I thought this was normal. As you may know, I'm in Germany so my Brit custies are sqaudies, I thought they were the same sort of custies you get in UK.

Maybe it's abit better for me then as they don't have so many windies to choose from so they keep me even though I am crap :

Hang on, I'll shut up, just ignore my drivvel :

[davids3511]

I have just looked in George now. I set up august 2007 and now have 310 active jobs. In suspended there are 94 so I lost about 25%. The round was built from scratch with no customers bought in.

[kenaltobelli]

as i have stated befor from yellow pages and picking new custys up 6 out of 10 are no
good and dont last a year

[ftp]

What do you click on in George to get the number of custies?

[simon knight]

as i have stated befor from yellow pages and picking new custys up 6 out of 10 are no
good and dont last a year

Absolutely...your findings match mine.

Am I bovvered?  Not really...I know what I need to earn to keep body and soul together and as long as I earn it I don't particularly cares who pays.

[davids3511]

What do you click on in George to get the number of custies?

I just do a 'round valuation' from 'reports' in George. It give a total of active and suspended.

[Wrekin C S]

Ooooh! I reckon personally that for every 5 customers I pick up 3 are really one-off merchants and it's just the remaining 2 that are "genuine"...so in my case a 60% lose rate.

But all those 2 genuine merchants add up to a solid bedrock of customers...the other 60% are just a bit of bunce 

Thats why I ask now when pricing a new job is it a one off clean or a regular window cleaner that your looking for and if they say one off then its double for the first clean but if they are going to be regulars and the windows arn't mega dirty then I just charge normal which I think is fair, I have been caught out a few times getting all the muck off for the normal price only to be dropped as im sure everyone on here has.

[tomy jackson]

o yes we have

[Dave Turley]

"oh no we haven't"....... lol

only joking!   

[Pureandclean]

It depends on how you get the new customer, if it is by refferal and within your work area, then it is unlikely that you will lose them, unless you make a right mess of the windows. Having said that, I have just had a right nana, wanted to know why I hadn't cleaned the conservatory roof , I only charged her £12.00 for the whole house and conservatory.
 But if it is someone that has looked you up from an advert, then you have to be much more careful, and qualify them to the best of your ability. After all it is your time they are after, so be careful who you take on.

[ants]

Some great replies ,thanks.
Ive suspected for a while that some get a bit bored with the regular 4 week clean and start making excuses,Im suprised to see it can be as high as 60 % loss though.

[pingu]

Since Oct 06 I have had around 23% drop rate but this includes those who have dropped us, those I dropped and those who have moved.

In a way these losses are a good thing as they help to keep the fledgling business fresh and allows reviews of working and pricing structures.

Personally I am happy to replace new with old and they keep it all fresh...

Cheers
Dave.

[Londoner]

I like Simons expression about gradually building up a bedrock of good customers. Many more fall by the wayside for different reasons. Its part of the refining process, a sort of natural selection.

[pingu]

FTP...go to Reports then click on Round valuation...

Cheers
Dave.