[roundbuilder]

Deleted so dont cause an argument.

Sorry, i wasnt looking for an arguement, apologies for coming across aggressive.
Just gets a little irratating for people who are genuinely thinking of possibly looking at a canvasser and all they see is constant nitpicking.
I agree with alot you say, and by the sounds of it you've built a great business so again, my apologies

Its cool mate, your right.

[Don Kee]

I cover a 100 mile radius of Dudley.

With reference to cancellations ..  if cancelled in the week of canvassing i refund off the following days canvas, at the end of the canvas run leave with an extra 10% work free of charge to cover any potential messers. Should the following month more than this 10% cancel then i canvas to top up, or if booked on repeat business gain this work before charging again.

the only thing you must understand fella is cancelation is normally around 50% could be better sometimes but really around half the people who pay could end up being one offs i know sometimes it could be better but i think prepaire for the worst hope for the best, how would you handle this situation?

also as you know being an X windie in that first week you dont really get cancelations infact you dont get cancelations till the first clean has been done,that said you are up northstick rates are better i know that window cleaning is an easier job up north however i was cheaper those days and maybe that was a contributing reason,

i also heard of a canvassing company who gets £7 full houses but charges 3x cleans well for that price you will have a low cancelation and the canvasser still walks away with £21 for a few seconds while the window cleaner grafts away

Cancellation is normally around 50%.....?
You're joking right?

yes for canvassed work im talking the real serious customers....
also depends on the window cleaner
would you do a £10 appointment must be 2pm must be 8.05 then you will keep more, will you give them ladder work? will you be botherd if they want to skip this month,will you collect? all these things add up and make the rates higher

or do you want a regular income that you can turnup no collecting,online banking only.....and charge the going rate then yes id say 50% is quite reasonable

Fair enough.
Do you mean 50% from work got from a canvassing company, or would you say its still 50% if you canvassed work for yourself?

Reason i ask is  most of my work is canvassed, pay by bacs, 4weekly etc....and cant say ive lost anywhere near 50% (canvassed by myself)

To be honest with you I think its similar (provided the canvasser was doing a fair job)
I think the rest is down to all the other factors also price and area.

Fair point, i guess that work canvassed yourself is more likely to stick as they deal with you from the start and so know you t/c's??
Interested as i see canvassers on the forum and they seem to bring in a fair amount of work in a shorter time than if i was to do it on my own, but i guess the work/time ratio evens out if you account for the different cancelation rates...

[pdale]

the only thing you must understand fella is cancelation is normally around 50% could be better sometimes but really around half the people who pay could end up being one offs i know sometimes it could be better but i think prepaire for the worst hope for the best, how would you handle this situation? ...

I have never had a 50% cancellation rate, not for myself, nor anyone else.

If the job is canvassed properly then window cleaned properly there is no reason for there to be this sort of cancellation rate. All the jobs i canvas are set up as regulars, if anyone mentions they want a one off only I charge more for the job (50%-100%), give it to the window cleaner and don't charge a canvas fee for it.

Whilst I understand that it's a numbers game and people change their mind, etc, there will always be cancellations, some on the day for which i take account for at the end of the canvas run, some the following month which if it comes to more than the 10% bonus work I haven't charged for i'll come down and canvas to replace.

I have canvassed over many years, set up 3 rounds of my own through mainly canvassing and now canvas for others in the same way as I canvassed for myself ... covering cancellations is quite a simple process and not as difficult as is sometimes made out on these forums.

[Don Kee]

I would have thought cancellations are more the customers fault rather than the canvasser provided the canvasser has aquired the customer 'properly' i.e priced well and told them frequency etc...?

[pdale]

You can't avoid cancellations, many customers are potential messers if you let them as we all know but providing it's set up right from the off these should be the exception rather than the norm.

[roundbuilder]

When i canvassed i found it to be the cleaners fault rather the canvasser or customer!
First cleans are so important when it comes to new work and no window cleaner admits poor workmanship so always blames it on canvasser so he wont make a loss!!! 1 of the main reasons i got sick of canvassing for others... When for myself i take pride in all canvassing and cleaning and maintaining a good customer relationship which maintains a good retention rate overall.

[8weekly]

Paul,  how  do you advertise your business,  do you have a website? 

On here by conducting surveys or giving info on how to identify a rogue canvasser (as whizz biz does)