[Mike George]

I've been out leafleting again today. I don't bother knocking, just leave a flyer with a price, and I got four bookings for later in the week, but I also got two strange calls...

First was a very cross man wanting to know why I wanted to charge £8 when I'd always done it for £4 before. I tried explaining I'd never cleaned his windows before and it must be a different window cleaner, but I don't think he believed me.

Then a woman rang to ask why I'd quoted £8 for her house, but ony £6 for her friend over the road. She was a bit deaf and it was hard work trying to explain all the reasons why the price might be different, and I don't know if she would have booked it at £6 but as it was she just hung up.

Oh well, you can't please everybody!

[windows_chepstow]

Mike,

This is the hardest part of window cleaning when you start a round from scratch.

You have to communicate with a multitude of new customers; mostly normal-decent types but you'll get a few who are not only strange, but unfair too.

When I first started I went beyond the call of duty when it came to cleaning windows.  I was to cheap too.  Yet I had quite a few cancel on me within a few cleans; which hurt.

After a year (or two) it'll settle down though and it'll be a rare occurance when you get messed around. 

My advice is not to take on any customer who you think will give you any trouble.  When you've got a couple of hundred of customers; you haven't time to be messed about.

I've got one on my answer phone now.  She left a message wanting me to clean her windows on Friday afternoon, anytime after 3.00 pm, or Saturday Morning!  It almost sounds arrogant.

So I'm not going to bother replying!

[clifford123]

hi tosh
i'm not a window cleaner, but maybe she wants to be at home when you do her windows...at least she will pay cash on the spot and may turn out to be a good regular customer and recommend you to others....just a thought
cheersdave

[jeff evans]

Oh yes Tosh i used to get that a lot, but mine was always for collection, some used to want me to make an appointment to go and collect the money they owed.

And they would always be at weird times like when you were not even working in that area, soon dumped these types of client  

Jeff.
,