[Londoner]

You see, that where we disagree. You say you are driving your business but I say you are shooting yourself in the foot. I have several customers who drop out every winter but come back on stream once the weather picks up. Their money looks just the same in my pocket as everybody else's.

I need more customers in the summer and less in the winter so you just go along with it.

[geefree]

You lot are too sensitive, I wouldn't want to pay to have my windows cleaned this weather. In fact my windows won't get cleaned before the spring.
The customer may be a PIA but they are still the customer and hand you lots of money when you do clean the windows so why blow it.

I think this illustrates the difference between someone who drives his business or someone who lets his business drive him.

If I have a custy who plays the "not this time" card I lose, say £12.50 every time they do it. Now if they do that four times in a year then I've lost £50 ... and the next clean will take a little longer and so I lose time/money there too.

So how do I tackle it?

I politely explain that

"my business is to provide a regular service to my customers and that to keep their windows clean I call on a regular basis and most appreciate this; but if they don't want me at the agreed frequency they can either be dropped from my regular round and go onto an as and when reserve list on a different pricing scale or we can part company. Which would you prefer?"

Now, time baing short and tempers getting "over sensitive" means this occasionally comes out as

"I can't be arsed dealing with idiots like you, so goodbye for ever!" 

Lo,

well explained, thats what i was beginning to explain to the lady, after telling her it was a lovely sunny day...which it was, abeit with snow on the ground

but in the end she simply said leave it and went inside, no mention of a happy xmas, which would have been nice , after providing this service all year round,

one more little thing which niggled me, since it was xmas, and with a couple of days to go to get my wages earned...i was out there in cold conditions for her ...and myself.

i suppose i should not expect the customer to think this way. but i do.

this morning the paper lad dropped the paper, i collared him, gave him a xmas tip...and thanked him for coming so early every day.

..but in every walk of life people are different.

how many times have you had a door shut in your face when following someone through?

me too, yet i would never do that to anyone.

its ignorance and up their own arse type of people, who think only of themselves.

Yes , this lady is dropped,i dont need her or people like her

the phone rung last night, so i guess she will already be replaced today.

[sparklebright]

Getting angry because of someone else's rudeness is a waste of your life.
I agree just let them drop off for a few months the cash will be useful in the spring, and you can't get as much done in the winter anyway...

I am amazed people have there windows cleaned every month as it is.
I never did before I was a windy,
but maybe I'm a bit of a slob!

[Gleaming windows]

Fully understand your thinking Gazza.

My missus is gob-smacked by the way some custards behave/speak to me/treat me. Its not WHAT they say, its HOW they say it.

Each 'request' by a custard is treated on an individual basis so far as Im concerned.

[stephen s]

yes you should dump her, silly cow

WHY ?

[1wayno]

some peope jus dont get window ceaning,i dont think they realise that if we dont work we dont get a wage,simple. i dont like rude custies,im usually quite a patient and nice guy even when sum1 is tlkin to me like crap,but if im in one of them moods i jus dont have the time for people like that,and i tell em what i think about em. sum people think they can tlk to us how they want jus coz we're a window cleaner,and it makes my blood boil sumtimes when custies tlk and treat us like crap,they no need for it,this is our livelyhood at the end of the day,and i think we deserve a little respect for workin on these peoples windows all year round in all types of weather,and besides,they have asked us to provide this service in the first place,if they want em doin every month,then they shud have em dun every month,no moanin coz that what the agreed frequency is. sum people jus do my head in! 

[stephen s]

some peope jus dont get window ceaning,i dont think they realise that if we dont work we dont get a wage,simple. i dont like rude custies,im usually quite a patient and nice guy even when sum1 is tlkin to me like crap,but if im in one of them moods i jus dont have the time for people like that,and i tell em what i think about em. sum people think they can tlk to us how they want jus coz we're a window cleaner,and it makes my blood boil sumtimes when custies tlk and treat us like crap,they no need for it,this is our livelyhood at the end of the day,and i think we deserve a little respect for workin on these peoples windows all year round in all types of weather,and besides,they have asked us to provide this service in the first place,if they want em doin every month,then they shud have em dun every month,no moanin coz that what the agreed frequency is. sum people jus do my head in! 

innit 

[1wayno]

anyone gives u jip,jus backhand the b*st*rds! crazy fools! lol

[JRDEasiReach]

way i see it is this, if the windows on the houses are dirty on the outside what shapes their kitchen in etc? 

if you went to mcds or kfc and the outside windows had even the slightest bit of dirt on them would you go in?  I wouldnt so next time any of my custies f*** me about then this is what i will be saying to them

[stephen s]

way i see it is this, if the windows on the houses are dirty on the outside what shapes their kitchen in etc? 

if you went to mcds or kfc and the outside windows had even the slightest bit of dirt on them would you go in?  I wouldnt so next time any of my custies f*** me about then this is what i will be saying to them

I wouldn't go in Mcdonalds or KFC even if the windows were spotless,  if fact I wouldn't even go in there for a P**s         then again I'm fussy where and what I eat

[JRDEasiReach]

well i just used them as an example, hardly going to mention my local restaurant as none of you would know it lol

[wizard]

I always think a customer does not have the right to cancel once you arrive at a job its cost you money to get there, its such bad manner , such a lak of respect I WOULD ASK FOR PAYMENT. If they do not pay I would drop them and I would tell her that .Because if oyu do not arrive the next due date she will blame you and this undustry of been unreliable.So alway tell them it will make them think.

[mark dew]

Getting angry because of someone else's rudeness is a waste of your life.
I agree just let them drop off for a few months the cash will be useful in the spring, and you can't get as much done in the winter anyway...

Agree with this. 

I've had a good as gold customer for the last year and a half stop me halfway through last month and asked me again to leave them this month 'if i could please' and see next month.
Now this situation would immediately have her dropped, but she has been good as gold, pretty old (not that i place too much weight on this) and she is very appreciative of the standard of my work.
I will see next month and if she doesn't want them done i will leave february and go back march, i think? 
The wind could well change direction between now and then , but she has been the perfect customer in my eyes for 18 months or so. Until last month it was pouring when i was there and snow this time round.
I doubt if i will burn bridges with her over this.

[Frankybadboy]

why o why do you lot worry about it,more to worry about in life then a custy who says not today love.

move on do next house.


get real 

[Frankybadboy]

way i see it is this, if the windows on the houses are dirty on the outside what shapes their kitchen in etc? 

if you went to mcds or kfc and the outside windows had even the slightest bit of dirt on them would you go in?  I wouldnt so next time any of my custies f*** me about then this is what i will be saying to them

we know where you eat mate,that nice sandwich shop down the road from you,where you get the extras.















I wouldn't go in Mcdonalds or KFC even if the windows were spotless,  if fact I wouldn't even go in there for a P**s         then again I'm fussy where and what I eat

[leapstallbuildings]

Getting angry because of someone else's rudeness is a waste of your life.
I agree just let them drop off for a few months the cash will be useful in the spring, and you can't get as much done in the winter anyway...

Agree with this. 

I've had a good as gold customer for the last year and a half stop me halfway through last month and asked me again to leave them this month 'if i could please' and see next month.
Now this situation would immediately have her dropped, but she has been good as gold, pretty old (not that i place too much weight on this) and she is very appreciative of the standard of my work.
I will see next month and if she doesn't want them done i will leave february and go back march, i think? 
The wind could well change direction between now and then , but she has been the perfect customer in my eyes for 18 months or so. Until last month it was pouring when i was there and snow this time round.
I doubt if i will burn bridges with her over this.

That's all very well but she has now established a new "norm" from her perspective and this makes the situation more likely to occur again.  Bit late for this time but maybe if she does it again an explanation of how you work may be in order - then she has the choice of whether or not to accept or reject your way of working.

[prestige cleaners]

managed to get out yesterday in the big freeze, started two 1/2 million pound house's both next two each other, £25 each 1hr total clean time, wife starts easy windows, i start 3rd storey, anyway 10mins later, husband comes out and says we dont want them done this time, (they're on 8weeks)

so i said ive already started 1/2 the house, well im not paying you, (blood starting to boil) so i said we had an agreement with your wife, (whos sitting in the car ready to go out) and he said, what in writing, no i said a verbal contract, i dont think so he said, you dont just turn up and start cleaning peoples windows without asking,

i said ive been coming here for 6 months, with no problems, - well im not paying you. so i just stood there. in the end i said lets talk to the wife is it? so i went over, hello, didnt we have an agreement to clean your windows, every 8 weeks, - is it 8 weeks already? no its 9 weeks, im late actually! oh can you come you back later for the money? well cant you send it in my freepost envelope? no i'd rather not, oh here you are, heres a chq! (husband says nothing thru all of this!) can you believe this, absolutely rolling in it, and they treat us like this!

maybe the husband was quiet as he thought, yeah i will be cancelling that later!

joys of window cleaning! glad i got that off my chest, oh and my system froze too.
better go and do some i spose! only made £150 so far this week!