[peekeclean]

Im thinking of getting a backpack and just want a cheap as chips one as i only have 2 houses that have no access to the back,so was thinking of wc-warehouse own one.

who has one and how do you rate them?

cheers joe

[Tim Rose]

Save yourself the money and drop the houses and only clean houses with 100% access. You'll learn to sift the dross out of your round sooner or later, so why burden yourslef with more kit?

[cat9921]

peekeclean I know you might think I am taking the mick but I got a hard pump backpark from Ebay 20.00..

Thats all. I have just one or two windows where I have to go through peoples backs or nip across the road for one house.. If there is just the odd one or two its great 

[matt]

i have a handpumped type, it was how i started out in WFP

i have a house that has loads of steps up to the rear, i just carry my pole and the backpack and pump it up on the floor and clean away till the pressure has gone and pump again, clean and then the job is done, i do the rar of the house on 2 pumps

ideal for the odd house

[[GQC] Tim]

Save yourself the money and drop the houses and only clean houses with 100% access. You'll learn to sift the dross out of your round sooner or later, so why burden yourslef with more kit?

If you have good reliable customers your shooting yourself in the foot by just dumping them, just because it takes 2 more minutes, and you need a backpack.

Rosy, in a lot of posts I see the same negative 'dump all customers if you even have one tiny hint of discomfort', not the way to run your business professionally. You should strive to do the best service possible, sometimes that means going a little out of your way for good customer service.

So what you need to get your backpack out of the van.

[Tim Rose]

Save yourself the money and drop the houses and only clean houses with 100% access. You'll learn to sift the dross out of your round sooner or later, so why burden yourslef with more kit?

Nuts, if you have good reliable customers your shooting yourself in the foot by just dumping them, just because it takes 2 more minutes, and you need a backpack.

Rosy, in a lot of posts I see the same negative 'dump all customers if you even have one tiny hint of discomfort', not the way to run your business professionally. You should strive to do the best service possible, sometimes that means going a little out of your way for good customer service.

So what you need to get your backpack out of the van.

Wrong wrong wrong.

You are so wrong.

I'm not being negative for the sake of it, it's (for ME) about sifting and sorting the wheat from the chaff.    When youre new, like it sounds you are, you take on all kinds of junk, a few years down the line you realise what's been happening (like I do) and just insticntively know you have to cut the crap out from the round.    You have to aim for perfection, yes, but to me that means getting the customers perfect (no locked gates, cash payment etc blah etc. etc.), it doesn't to me mean charging more and putting up with locked gates, dog poo over hoses, stroppy people, rose bushes and all the other complaints.

I'm being serious here. I'd rather have a nice working life than be a slave to these people.

[[GQC] Tim]

(no locked gates, cash payment etc blah etc. etc.), it doesn't to me mean charging more and putting up with locked gates, dog poo overhoses, stroppy people, rose bushes and all the other complaints.

No I'm not new, but ^ that is just silly really. Give people a call the evening before you come, or give em combination padlocks, I got a few customers like that, and they are top money. Rose bushes? Cash Payment? Dog poo okay, but the rest is stupid. Sifting out bad customers okay, but people having a side gate, are not bad customers per se. You say for a £50 job, you can't be bothered calling the evening before that?

Like I said, the fear having to do the tiniest bit of customer service/working 10% harder for 5min, and you dump them. lol Nice way to run the business.

[Tim Rose]

(no locked gates, cash payment etc blah etc. etc.), it doesn't to me mean charging more and putting up with locked gates, dog poo overhoses, stroppy people, rose bushes and all the other complaints.

No I'm not new, but ^ that is just silly really. Give people a call the evening before you come, or give em combination padlocks, I got a few customers like that, and they are top money. Rose bushes? Cash Payment? Dog poo okay, but the rest is stupid. Sifting out bad customers okay, but people having a side gate, are not bad customers per se. You say for a £50 job, you can't be bothered calling the evening before that?

Like I said, the fear having to do the tiniest bit of customer service/working 10% harder for 5min, and you dump them. lol Nice way to run the business.

Not trying to be difficult here, it's just that you obviously are prepared to put up with some thigns I wouldn't anymore.  I've done all the phoning around (excpet for TWO premium jobs i do), and I dont do locked gates.  I hate anything  that slows me down at work.  I don't GIVE customers combination locks either!  How fanciful!  The gate lockers aren't bad custies per se, by why waste a minute waiting for them to find the key or unlock the bottom bolt.  I don't mind a top bolt, but padlocks.  NO!!!

I think there are somethigns that I put up with that some other people wouldn't but its all just relative.

[Pj]

Well here's a case in point on how i deal with things:

Woman I have been doing too cheap for a few years has been complaining almost every time, something is not right every time (maybe because she's from yorkshire ).  
To add insult to injury she says I don't want them done every time.  So.....I'm well aware that we are a service to the customer, not the other way round, but I've had enough, I left her for a couple of months and fitted her in when it siuted me..she moaned again that i used too much water!  Thats it!  I took the money and didn't go back.....3 months later she sees me cleaning as I do either side of her and I've been missing her out, now she pleads with me to do them every month at an increased price.  So now I do them on my terms for 3 times more a year than she was paying 6 months ago.

Lesson learned

[Tim Rose]

Good man.  See the 'Wheat from Chaff' thread for more on this important subject.