[Ste M]

Hello just wondered how you all turn up to jobs, do you all have sign written vans or cars and all logo'd up clothing? I am just about to order some polo shirts and also jumpers for the winter and i was wondering if this is how you all operate or do you just turn up in your old clothes like i have been doing for the last few years.

Do you think your appearance makes a difference to how your customers see's you? Do you use busines cards as well?

sorry for all the questions but small things can make a big difference

ste

[jonnyald]

old clothes?  like "jim royal"   ?

[matt]

look a pro -- be a pro


think big -- be big

and other pooty silly statements

most will not care if you shave daily, most will not care if you wear jeans and most will not care if you drive a car or a van

[Sean Dyer]

I think it makes a big sub conscious impression if you look neat and well presented, logod van and signed clothing helps too i reckon although i still need to get that done we wear black polos and black sweaters though and black trousers/waterproofs but i am going to get some embroidered once part timer does more days

Getting a van in january too so that will be signed from day one and i will be much happier about appearance then

[A+CleaningService]

If you look like a pro, you can charge like one too .

[vacman]

Saw a guy in the toilets at Morrisons today......left without washing his hands  Logo'ed polo shirt.....went ouitside and carried on cleaning the windows.

Regardless of his appearance, i still had him down as disgusting after seeing that. Sometimes i think it's your conduct that counts more.

[mark dew]

I think there is some merit in looking pro and feeling pro.
I drive a non-signwritten, white dispatch and i do feel better than when i turned up in my old escort van. Throw a high vis vest on and i'm the man.  

If you look like a pro, you can charge like one too .

I think so too. I have very few quotes queried nowadays.

most will not care if you shave daily, most will not care if you wear jeans and most will not care if you drive a car or a van

This is also true.

[ronnie paton]

look a pro -- be a pro


think big -- be big

and other pooty silly statements

most will not care if you shave daily, most will not care if you wear jeans and most will not care if you drive a car or a van

this maybe true for SOME residntial but commercial is differnt and it defo counts now some may sa commercial is crap in todays climate but that is bull poo my business has turn over has increased nearly double in 9 months all commercial.

one of he reasons is image, Uniform, sign written vans, ID cards<, employees having respect for ther surroundings and th employees being NVQ trained hasnt hindered my process......

[matt]

look a pro -- be a pro


think big -- be big

and other pooty silly statements

most will not care if you shave daily, most will not care if you wear jeans and most will not care if you drive a car or a van

this maybe true for SOME residntial but commercial is differnt and it defo counts now some may sa commercial is crap in todays climate but that is bull poo my business has turn over has increased nearly double in 9 months all commercial.

one of he reasons is image, Uniform, sign written vans, ID cards<, employees having respect for ther surroundings and th employees being NVQ trained hasnt hindered my process......

do they really care ? ? ?

i turn up at commercial quotes in my VW golf, they might see me arrive and park in the car park, they might not ( my guess is they dont ) i wear a tidy T-shirt ( normally of a surf brand ) and in the summer a pair of knee length shorts ( in the winter a pair of jeans ) i give them the spiel about the H&S side of things, hand over my standard RA and MS sheets, the waffle about how long i have been trading and my methods and what i expect from my side of things, then hand them the quote ( or walk around to look at job )

they do not see my van till i arrive to clean, i honestly think they have more important things to do than look around a van with a tank in it, they just want the job done and no fuss for themselves, just a invoice / cheque to sign

[GWCS]

If you want to do local low price terraced, semi homes, shop fronts, industrial units etc then fine wear what you like..

However if you want to start doing real big homes million plus and large office blocks and the like then you need to look, act and be a professional. No one with money is going to look at you and say yes please scruff working from a beat up van/family car clean my windows.

Its all down to how you deal and how you want to take your business.

First impressions count every time.. you may have all the experience and H&S training etc in the world -  but people are gonna remember you if you look dodgy.

[TonyD]

I think first impressions count, so I always have company logo branded clothing, van and paperwork/correspondence.

I think this helps when pricing domestic, for the customers who appreciate a professional job anyway.  (And more importantly the customers who are willing to pay for it)

Definitely for larger jobs and commercial work.

It costs me about £6 for a nice polo shirt with company name/logo embroidered on.  Cheaper than buying standard shop bought clothing so why not
From here by the way, very good, and everythings properly embroidered on in with the great prices -
http://www.eliteindustrial.co.uk/

[windowashing]

I think first impressions count, so I always have company logo branded clothing, van and paperwork/correspondence.

I think this helps when pricing domestic, for the customers who appreciate a professional job anyway.  (And more importantly the customers who are willing to pay for it)

Definitely for larger jobs and commercial work.

It costs me about £6 for a nice polo shirt with company name/logo embroidered on.  Cheaper than buying standard shop bought clothing so why not
From here by the way, very good, and everythings properly embroidered on in with the great prices -
http://www.eliteindustrial.co.uk/

You say that, but £6 each, if you buy 15 or more! So that's £90, for horrid poly/cotton shirts, granted they have yr logo on. 


However, I buy 100% cotton polo shirts, as many or as few as I like, for just £4 a shirt.  Okay, not logo'd, but always same colour so uniform is recognisable.  Also, 100% cotton is a lot more comfortable than sweaty man made! 

I also don't wear jeans anymore, and I do feel more professional, so that will come across to customer.

[TonyD]

I think first impressions count, so I always have company logo branded clothing, van and paperwork/correspondence.

I think this helps when pricing domestic, for the customers who appreciate a professional job anyway.  (And more importantly the customers who are willing to pay for it)

Definitely for larger jobs and commercial work.

It costs me about £6 for a nice polo shirt with company name/logo embroidered on.  Cheaper than buying standard shop bought clothing so why not
From here by the way, very good, and everythings properly embroidered on in with the great prices -
http://www.eliteindustrial.co.uk/

You say that, but £6 each, if you buy 15 or more! So that's £90, for horrid poly/cotton shirts, granted they have yr logo on. 


However, I buy 100% cotton polo shirts, as many or as few as I like, for just £4 a shirt.  Okay, not logo'd, but always same colour so uniform is recognisable.  Also, 100% cotton is a lot more comfortable than sweaty man made! 

I also don't wear jeans anymore, and I do feel more professional, so that will come across to customer.

The clothing I buy from the link I posted is very good quality, comfortable, long lasting and looks good.  For about £6 each that's a bargain.   About 2 years ago I bought a logo embroidered fleece from them (it was a Regatta brand) can't remember exactly but about £20, I'm still wearing it now and it's very nice.   I even wear my branded clothing when not working, it's a good advert and helps get your name around / market awareness. 

[TonyD]

Ohh, and on that site, embroidered polo shirts from £3.95.

[windowashing]

Ohh, and on that site, embroidered polo shirts from £3.95.

Yeah, but you have to buy  100!!!! 

[TonyD]

Ohh, and on that site, embroidered polo shirts from £3.95.

Yeah, but you have to buy  100!!!! 

   Ok, £6 then   Just seen the £3.95 price and thought it was a good point to make, should have researched my facts lol.
Still, I think for the price you can get logo embroidered workwear I think it's worth wearing.  I have fleeces, polo shirts, short sleeved shirts, a couple of caps and all sorts.
If I'm turning up for a quote I like to have company branded workwear on, along with the paperwork/cards.
Obviously for a very large contract you wouldn't wear a polo shirt, more like a shirt/jacket. 

[GWCS]

I think first impressions count, so I always have company logo branded clothing, van and paperwork/correspondence.

I think this helps when pricing domestic, for the customers who appreciate a professional job anyway.  (And more importantly the customers who are willing to pay for it)

Definitely for larger jobs and commercial work.

It costs me about £6 for a nice polo shirt with company name/logo embroidered on.  Cheaper than buying standard shop bought clothing so why not
From here by the way, very good, and everythings properly embroidered on in with the great prices -
http://www.eliteindustrial.co.uk/

You say that, but £6 each, if you buy 15 or more! So that's £90, for horrid poly/cotton shirts, granted they have yr logo on. 


However, I buy 100% cotton polo shirts, as many or as few as I like, for just £4 a shirt.  Okay, not logo'd, but always same colour so uniform is recognisable.  Also, 100% cotton is a lot more comfortable than sweaty man made! 

I also don't wear jeans anymore, and I do feel more professional, so that will come across to customer.

logo'd clothing can be put down as advertising and some can be put a PPE when doing accounts.

Normal clothing cannot be claimed. So there is also a tax advantage to having a professional looking uniform.

However if you are just looking at the money cost of a uniform, rather than the benefits it brings to you, i think you have already made a decision about your business and how you want others to see you.

[matt]

If you want to do local low price terraced, semi homes, shop fronts, industrial units etc then fine wear what you like..

However if you want to start doing real big homes million plus and large office blocks and the like then you need to look, act and be a professional. No one with money is going to look at you and say yes please scruff working from a beat up van/family car clean my windows.

Its all down to how you deal and how you want to take your business.

First impressions count every time.. you may have all the experience and H&S training etc in the world -  but people are gonna remember you if you look dodgy.

looking dodgy, who mentioned looking dodgy

its funny how many people survive without the logo's, you mention "real big homes million plus and large office blocks" funny really as i wear a RL fleece and i have them mentioned jobs, infact a few very nice big houses, the type with swimming pool and tennis courts, oh i allso so the "local low price terraced, semi homes, shop fronts, industrial units" that you seem to look down your nose at  :


some customers want the local guy who has built a name for himself, they dont want the shiney van and uniform ( i know i think it smacks of franchise )

for the record, i have printed T-shirts from vista print, but people only really see it in the summer

[ronnie paton]

surviving in business and growing in business are totally different......i prferethe latter

[matt]

surviving in business and growing in business are totally different......i prferethe latter

most window cleaning business grow's, its the nature of doing a good job and getting recommended by customers

then again, when you are at a point you cannot expand anymore, thats where i currently am, and i am 100 % happy with that as i have no wish to employ, i guess that makes my business a failure in some eyes

just out of interest, when i phone windowcleaningstockport and your guys turn up from the last job being done by rcwcleaningservicesltd with the rcwcleaningservicesltd logo on, do they get changed ? ? ? ? or do you have magnetic signs for the van and velcro logo's for the uniform ? ? ?  ( is it anything like the bucks fizz eurovision song contest outfit change ? ? ?


edited with thanks to john tomkins for pointing out the error, buzz fizz, i dont know