[pingu]

I have a good customer, I have cleaned for them for the past 2 years, very little trouble from them and generaly they pay on time...nice people though..

Well he has just emailed to say...hard times are with him and that I should clean on the next due date which is in November but from then on in he says that the choices are for him to cancel or for me to go 16weekly vice 8 weekly .....

The price is nice...normally do the house in around 45 minutes...no parking or dog pooh issues and I get around 60 euros for it.

These people had me cleaning at their old house and when they moved to this big detached place they took me with them to clean the new place.

What would you do?

Cheers
Dave.

[daz1977]

i would go 16 weekly until it picks up, as 60 euros is better in your pocket than his,  and just add 10 - 20 euros for the extra hard work and just fill the other slot with a other job,  they like your work as they took you with them,  they could of said bye bye,   you never know things might pick up in future

[LWC]

If its a good price dont worry about it. Everyone will say bump it up, but if it not going to take you longer which in my experince it wont, dont worry about it, reply with no problem, 16 weeks is fine. Better to keep a customer happy than to loose one.  

[AuRavelling79]

I have a good customer, I have cleaned for them for the past 2 years, very little trouble from them and generaly they pass on time...nice people though..

Well he has just emailed to say...hard times are with him and that I should clean on the next due date which is in November but from then on in he says that the choices are for him to cancel or for me to go 16weekly vice 8 weekly .....

The price is nice...normally do the house in around 45 minutes...no parking or dog pooh issues and I get around 60 euros for it.

These people had me cleaning at their old house and when they moved to this big detached place they took me with them to clean the new place.

What would you do?

Cheers
Dave.

Guessing that 60 euro's is about £45/£50 for 45 mins work then I'd make an exception to my "my way or the highway" Malc Gold rule of abrasive customer relations on this one  and do it in November and think about the ramifications then. (After all he is fully admitting to falling on hard times financially...)

If he goes to 4 monthly will it be doable in 45 minutes then or will it take two hours to get the same standard? Or will he get 45 minutes worth of cleaning and get a lower standard? Or as mentioned above - he gets a higher price for as and when request cleaning?

[pingu]

Would you credit it...just as I am reading your great replies...another email has come in from an area I do...and another word of mouth quote request has just popped up in the inbox....

The thing about this forum is that most of the time when we post up questions we generally have our own opinion but it is so good to hear of peoples opinions..

I reckon that I would be able to do it in an hour with 16weekly cleans...one side of the house is full of spiders this time of year..so that'll be fun.

Cheers for taking the time ..

Dave.

ps. Gold at tonights rate 60euro's is £55.98...oh the pound should be put down like the dying dog it is.

[martinsadie]

you dont go on holiday to europe do you Malc 

[AuRavelling79]

you dont go on holiday to europe do you Malc 

Not a lot. My M-i-L lives on Tenerife and tells me the Euro is doing well against the pound and my wife and kids visit her a bit but I haven't been abroad in 5 years and to Europe in seven!

[matt]

the time is takes to do it will not be that much difference between 8 and 16 weeks, its still the same time and motion

do it

[martinsadie]

you dont go on holiday to europe do you Malc 

Not a lot. My M-i-L lives on Tenerife and tells me the Euro is doing well against the pound and my wife and kids visit her a bit but I haven't been abroad in 5 years and to Europe in seven!

2 weeks since in Kos swopped £100 for 105 euros 

[matt]

the quid against the dollar isnt going well either, down allmost 20 cents in a few weeks

[Sean Dyer]

you dont go on holiday to europe do you Malc 

Not a lot. My M-i-L lives on Tenerife and tells me the Euro is doing well against the pound and my wife and kids visit her a bit but I haven't been abroad in 5 years and to Europe in seven!

2 weeks since in Kos swopped £100 for 105 euros 

thats bad

i remember going to usa and getting double rate, and everything was half price, it was like quadrupling your money, i reied to spend it and still came back with over a 1000 dollars lol

[cozy]

It's still a good rate at that time and price Dave. By the way, new vehicle coming soon, so I can drag my pikey wagon down to your place for a visit, getting the Mitsubishi l200, so I can bring all my family and we can set up a site near your place. Hope you have a grassed area nearby, so we can get all the other caravans in there.

As soon as my dole money goes in the bank, I can fill the tank. Should make it all the way to Brabant.

[Blue Frog Systems]

Dave.....

I think his honesty with you is a good sign that they like you and the quality of your work. It seems they don't want to loose you. Everyone goes through hard times and I think its very good that he has told you his options rather than just cancelling your services.

Personally I would email him back and say that as being a loyal customer over x years that you understand his situation and are willing to continue to clean his property.

Make a note that you are unable to stretch the clean out any longer than 16 weeks though.

Just my thoughts if they have been good customers in the past to you