[PoleKing]

We text. Landlines too. Most get a computerised voice.
The ones that say not this time get 3 goes. Then no call. I may or may not knock if I feel like it but view it as a bonus if they have me rather than a loss if they don't

www.laneswindowcleaning.com rutland

[gewindows]

What an ill-considered and uncourteous contribution to the thread.

Hold on a sec.

And before any neanderthal numpty comes on and says it gives them a chance to say "not this time", you need to get a new set of customers because mine don't.

Isnt that hypocritical?

[rosskesava]

So why do my customers who I phone not say 'not this month' and yet for some other window cleaners, some of their customer do?

[mark turton]

i started my wc biz 4 years ago and from day 1 booked people in - if i thought my business would be just as good or better, i wouldnt do it.

time consuming, difficult to get replies from people sometimes (from text or phone) esoecially in summer when people out and about. those with bt answerphones rarely pick them up or even realise they have messages (unlike someone who has one properly set up).

i noticed on WC site in the midlands that some guy in the midlands actually charged 2quid-3quid for the service of booking people in. (i can well see why)

my customers like this service but id gladly give it up if my round was bigger or more customers just set up with my arriving on thier clean schedule.

sometimes you have too anyway other wise without them in youd never get access (side through doors with no flat roof )

i long to have have the days of just turning up around cleaning time and getting on with it as whilst i have soem really nice customers who there are many that i feel take my flexibility for granted.

[Steve Sed]

Well here is a current example of the problems. I hurt my back yesterday morning at the gym. It wasn't too bad and I am sure muscular, but gradually got worse through the day. By about 6pm I could barely move.

Dilemma: most of my work in the morning needs to be texted for access. Do I text knowing there is a good chance I won't be able to work? I did text, now this morning I wake up in serious discomfort.

There is no way that most people would consider going out to do the kind of work we have to do, but now I have an additional pressure to go out or if not I have to text again to say I can't make it which makes me look unreliable. Particularly if for one reason or another I have had to cancel recently due to bad weather for example.

So there are reaons other than being a "neanderthal" that make texting before problematic. I text for access only now, but unfortunately that does account for most of my work. I used to get quite a few cancellations, but I get very, very few now as I have culled the round of them.