[james44]

Wezzy32 good luck on your knocking on doors! we found weekend canvassing best as most people are at work during the week but hey you don`t know until you try.

[chopsie]

Do you door knock saturday or sat and sunday?

[james44]

Sat mornings from 11am to about 4pm

Sun 12 to about 4pm

[groundhog]

Sorry James, but you are going about this in totally the wrong way!! I made similar mistakes when I built my first part time round many years ago!! Put the ladders away, get yourself some good quality leaflets, deliver them to high end properties in good areas, and follow up by knocking the doors a few days later dressed in your company uniform.

Never ever offer one off cleans, many will ask for this anyway, but they are just a waste of time unless they are prepared to pay a very large premium for the service ie at least double the normal price, probably more! even then its not really worth it. I normally offer 1 or 2 monthly, if its a nice big house I will go to 3 monthly. And finally set yourself a decent minimum price! £8 is ridiculous!! Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm just trying to help.

[james44]

looks like martin lewis has started the ball rolling for dial-a-clean!

[Window Washers]

looks like martin lewis has started the ball rolling for dial-a-clean!

lol

[james44]

Well been getting quite a few calls from customers saying that their window cleaner has not come back and can i come and do their windows,

now i did not target these customers this is work from the non regulars that i have been targeting so dial-a-clean is bringing in regular work after all

[james44]

Ok update as what has been happening with my dial-a-clean

well it is taking off faster and better that i first thought,

Why well i have been getting customers phoning me up to book in a clean and to say it`s a service that a lot of customers have been crying out for,
Other customers will still be happy to have them cleaned on a regular basis as i have quite a few myself,

i am going to be setting up a website for the dial-a-clean customers on it will be the areas that we will be covering and when we will be in that area as for prices in my area i have a mixture of £5/6/7/10 houses to give you an example:

£5 every 4 weeks
£7 every 8 weeks
£9 every 12 weeks

now after a period of time i will end up with a mixture of 4/8/12 weeklys
i am also targeting 12 weekly customers as this will almost double the amount i would take for 4 weekly cleans my target is to have 300 customers a month on 12 weekly cleans this will take time i know but it can and will be done what you have to remember is these customers in effect will become regulars on a 12 weekly clean yes it will mean
A target of 900 new customers 75 a month canvassing 6 nights a week to gain 3 customers a night working during the day helps as well as this adds to your target in effect what you are doing is earning £2700 a month for the same amont of customers  as to £1500 you would get for the 4 weeklys at £5.

I am picking up new customers every day that i am out because one of us is canvassing the streets we are in and the streets close by as well it is hard work but it will be worth it in the end,

Even just one new customer a day every day for a year will give you 300+ new customers a year

I am building a team of 3/4 so as i will be doing 4 weeklys an other the 8 weeklys and the other the 12 weeklys the other guy will be doing all the guttering that we have been getting in then we plan to swap our jobs on a rota basis so as we don`t get bored with the same old houses as you all know this happens from time to time

[s.hughes]

I havent read all the posts so it may be mentioned, but all custys are happy for a regular clean

[james44]

No steve not all customers are happy with a regular clean if they were i would not be picking up so many customers as i am now, even some of your regular customers are now changing from 4 to 8 weekly cleans!

Whos fault is this the simple answer is us,

when we set about selling the wfp some told the customers that the benefits where frames cleaned and windows stay cleaner longer which is true,
 Customers are now seeing this for themselves and are acting on it,

8/12 weekly could be come more common than 4 weekly a lot of places including my own used to be 2 weekly that is now long gone, then it all became 4 weekly for how long? we know just how good wfp can be ,how long will it take for your customers to notice this,
some will still want it 4 weekly but not all! 

[actualcleaning]

Sounds interesting,i would like to see how it does take off as i believe as well that customers would like a service that was either more longer than normal or just to call you up and book you in.
The trouble with starting a website would be that you would get customers maybe from miles away,and you wont want to bother with those unless you have someone who can cover the area.I suppose you could then sub the work out or something similar....

[james44]

actualcleaning

I am hoping to pass the work on to people that i know and to members on this site,(if they want it that is)

I have already had people ask if there was a dial-a-clean around their area or someone who is willing to do 8/12 weekly

I have been busy spreading the dial-a-clean around and i kid you not today i have had a request from a customer 200 miles away now this sort of work i will pass on to members on this site,

so for anybody who wishes to get invloved add your contact details here

[R W C™]

Was that on the money saving website,
Good luck but ill stick to regulars so for that reason Im out.

[james44]

Yes   r w c and i am getting quite a few emails

Good luck but ill stick to regulars so for that reason Im out.

[actualcleaning]

Yes   r w c and i am getting quite a few emails

Good luck but ill stick to regulars so for that reason Im out.

Whats you website address?

[james44]

actualcleaning

the website is not up and running as yet will be in about a month or so lots to do have to get it right!

Have had quite a few emails regarding this sevice from a posting that i did on an other site

[james44]

The trouble with starting a website would be that you would get customers maybe from miles away,and you wont want to bother with those unless you have someone who can cover the area.I suppose you could then sub the work out or something similar.

Actualcleaning when the website is up and running it will be set up within my working area to start with people will be able to see the areas that we will be working in and when,

They then can book and pay online thus will do away with having to collect there will be a price list for different cleans ie:4/8/12 weekly and prices will reflect the area that they are in,

The reason that we are setting up the book&pay method is it will do away with customers just wanting a quote if they really want them done they will book and pay online, as they will know what the price is and if they book then they are happy with the price,
 

[actualcleaning]

How will you promote your website?
Do you think that potential new customers will be aware of your services or will it be just an information site for existing customers?
I kind of like the idea....not sure how it will work......mind you i would change the picture on the website to something more window cleaning related,although it does say under construction.

[james44]

actualcleaning that is not my website that is someone elses

[james44]

actualcleaning

There is a lot of things we are working on at the moment,

ie: free monthly bottle of wine,

Then at christmas we are thinking of a food and wine hamper as a prize and other small prizes

Then looking ahead to next easter a prize of a weekend for two in paris,

now through out the year and at christmas i do pretty well with tips this will all go into a pot to finance this and of course this will be tax deductable!

This is just some ideas we have been thinking of we have loads more which we will use in due course.

ps. we have already started with the wine and believe me it comes as a welcome suprise to customers!
which is good for us because they are telling their neighbours.