[sparklebright]

I had a customer get me to do the insides of his house and his daughters. Have been cleaning their windows for 5 years.
On the day they got me to do the insides when I turned there was a mobile phone just lying on the floor by the car, which I naturally took in and gave to him.
Afterwards I wondered if it was some kind of test.

Some people take a long time to trust someone, you have to get over it, just charge a premium price for the front.

It's nothing personal so you shouldn't take it personally.

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I have customers that I phone to see when they are in, we make a date and call. They like to be in, no problem, they pay a premium for it but they are happy, so am I.

[LSB]

if its front only every month ( and occaissionally the whole house ) , and i was already doing work in the road , then no problem !!
if you have to go out of your way , only to this customer , then probably wouldnt bother !
however the car scenario wouldnt bother me in the slightest !

[chosker]

Trust, in a lot of people's view needs to be earned. It's all very well hearing other's talk about how good someone is, but sometimes people want personal contact themselves first. Perhaps, in time the lady would have been happy to leave it unlocked or give keys but perhaps it's a little much to expect automatic trust when someone doesn't know you (even if there have been referrals etc).

Just my opinion!

[mark dew]

Trust, in a lot of people's view needs to be earned. It's all very well hearing other's talk about how good someone is, but sometimes people want personal contact themselves first. Perhaps, in time the lady would have been happy to leave it unlocked or give keys but perhaps it's a little much to expect automatic trust when someone doesn't know you (even if there have been referrals etc).

Just my opinion!

Mine too.
I expect to have to earn it.
I would apply a minimum charge to this particular job though. Something that makes getting the whole house cleaned value for money, compared to just the front that is expensive for what it is.
Same for those that have asked for just the tops cleaned.
Trouble is i don't always ask these questions before giving a quote. 

[leapstallbuildings]

Easy answer:  Assuming it's a £20 job.

Price for full clean:   £20.
Price for front only:   £20.

I've had a different part clean situation before where they wanted tops only.  I just told them that by the time I've set my equipment up, tops only is the same price as a full clean.  I didn't get it but I didn't care.  I do realise it wasn't personal as they probably just wanted to save money by doing part of the work themselves but it did feel like they were taking the pee a bit so I merely reciprocated.

[macmac]

now me, i look at times a little scruffy, i dont shave every day 

It's a shame you're not a supplier, windowwashers would love to do business with you!

[ftp]

Supplier of what? could explain Matts laid back attitude man.  The high life and the posh cars.

[Window Washers]

now me, i look at times a little scruffy, i dont shave every day 

It's a shame you're not a supplier, windowwashers would love to do business with you!

[macmac]

now me, i look at times a little scruffy, i dont shave every day 

It's a shame you're not a supplier, windowwashers would love to do business with you!

You don't buy from men in suites, remember? :

[dai]

They have to trust decorators though don't they? A decorator maybe there working for days, are they going to stay there and watch him all the time.
I trust that they will pay me when I have done the job, how often have I been let down?
I have never deliberately missed a single window, even if I know the owners are away for 3 months.
Trust me, or find someone else.

[Window Washers]

now me, i look at times a little scruffy, i dont shave every day 

It's a shame you're not a supplier, windowwashers would love to do business with you!

You don't buy from men in suites, remember? :

I do sometimes, I think I was having time of the month that day 

[RO-Sheen]

If her neighbours were customers too then fair enough, just do the front seeing that you are already set up but if you had to set up just for her fronts I probably wouldn't bother (unless it was a minimum of £10 for the fronts)

[Pureandclean]

Over the years, when I have been training lads up to clean windows, I have explained to them, that running a window cleaning round, can at times be like gardening.
  Awkward customers are like weeds, if you don't deal with the situation, then just like weeds, this attitude will spread.
 I had noticed when trad. if you allowed one customer in a street to just have their upstairs done, then soon after one or two others would try it on as well. As we normally worked as 2 man teams, one doing the upstairs and the other downstairs, this would mean that one of us would not be working, so I came to the conclusion, that we would refuse to do just upstairs.
  Funnily enough, once I explained my reasons, most people agreed to have all round done. So I soon eradicated any upstairs only work from my round.
 Once you are booked up, it is easy to explain that you only take on full houses, then it is their choice.
 It may be that you feel a bit embarasssed to start with, but you have to learn to run your round, otherwise your round will run you.
 The whole idea is that you clean houses on a round, that you clean everyone at the same time, and therefore are able to charge a certain price.
 Therefore I also refuse to take anyone on, at a different interval, they either have their windows done each time we come around, or they don't get on my books.
 I have taken over rounds where the window cleaner was all over the place because some people wanted their windows cleaned on a wednesday afternoon, others when they felt like it, others wouldn't want them done because it looked like it was going to rain, and the window cleaner wondered why it was he couldn't make a decent living.
 Yes we are in a service industry, but it is your business, it is not a hobby. To maximise your income, you have to work in the most efficient way, and no-one pays you for driving here, there and everywhere.

[lee_dewing]

great post pureandclean.

i try to do things the same way,
it can seem to the customer that your dictating, but if you take the time to explain calmly and politely, and they take offence or won't understand then tough.

with the odd customer that xmas tips makes tea then i will go out of my way abit for.

i.e custy weds was having carpet fitted and guys had stuff laid out in garden, asked if i'd come back next week, no problem

FTP: regarding lady she shot herself in the foot their if she just said front all the time backs occasionally, that wouldn't be a problem for me.

i am now full up and think i will now make a £10 min charge so 3 bed semi£13 all £10 front they can forget to open the gates all they like

had a custy thursday £20 allround detached house; 4 bed i think.
i always do front £10 and back when asked i've done back 3 times now but last time she allround today please, and gave me £15.

sorry but it's £20 i said
no it's not i have always paid you £15, there's less glass at  the back!

no there's not there's more windows down both sides and back. she finally paid me £20 but insisted still she had always paid £15 and said she was not prepared to pay another price increase again.

once i finished i put a polite note through the door saying that was her last clean and i couldn't belive what alow opinion she had of me and why would i charge 50% less than front to do sides and back that would be dirtier than the front, as only cleaned now and then.

my mrs laughs at me when i write my little notes, and prehaps i am wasting time and ink?

but i just had to get it off my chest without knocking again, as she wasn't listening, feel better for having last word

some people all i ever do is a good job be polite never more than a few days late and there still not happy;
my dad reckons i should have given her a quote in writing for custy; maybe he's right
but i'm sure the custy would have convenantly misplaced it.

i use to think that every problem when dealing with the custy could be overcome

but i have given up beliving that you can't please all the people all the time;
 and if you try you will make yourself despretately unhappy and eaen less money.

I suffered alot of "MESSERS" when building up my business and thankfully them days are now behind me.

intresting post everyone
thanks lee
out to price 3 new ones today

[leapstallbuildings]

Over the years, when I have been training lads up to clean windows, I have explained to them, that running a window cleaning round, can at times be like gardening.
  Awkward customers are like weeds, if you don't deal with the situation, then just like weeds, this attitude will spread.
 I had noticed when trad. if you allowed one customer in a street to just have their upstairs done, then soon after one or two others would try it on as well. As we normally worked as 2 man teams, one doing the upstairs and the other downstairs, this would mean that one of us would not be working, so I came to the conclusion, that we would refuse to do just upstairs.
  Funnily enough, once I explained my reasons, most people agreed to have all round done. So I soon eradicated any upstairs only work from my round.
 Once you are booked up, it is easy to explain that you only take on full houses, then it is their choice.
 It may be that you feel a bit embarasssed to start with, but you have to learn to run your round, otherwise your round will run you.
 The whole idea is that you clean houses on a round, that you clean everyone at the same time, and therefore are able to charge a certain price.
 Therefore I also refuse to take anyone on, at a different interval, they either have their windows done each time we come around, or they don't get on my books.
 I have taken over rounds where the window cleaner was all over the place because some people wanted their windows cleaned on a wednesday afternoon, others when they felt like it, others wouldn't want them done because it looked like it was going to rain, and the window cleaner wondered why it was he couldn't make a decent living.
 Yes we are in a service industry, but it is your business, it is not a hobby. To maximise your income, you have to work in the most efficient way, and no-one pays you for driving here, there and everywhere.

Pretty much the way I do things.  I learned early on that many customers assume they are your only customer and that you should be grateful to them for letting you clean their windows.
If a customer wants a special service then they can get that service elsewhere or pay a very special proce for it.