[windiewasher]

Turn round say your a all year round service.dont go back.
If you see them next year say sorry every month or not at all.

[Window Washers]

"the fact that the custy is in control of you from their perspective"

and Tosh's

"I only keep customers who want their windows cleaned at the frequency we originally agreed"

Personally I would be uneasy if I had a manager running my business and they were taking this approach.

I advertise cleans at a frequency to suit the customer, from one-offs right down to 2-weekly cleans.
I have structured the business such that I have several days off a month for bad weather and for the fact that I will lose X amount per year and some will drop off or reduce their frequency in the winter months. So far this year i've lost quite a few custies to the Grim Reaper, but have taken on more than i've lost on, so my projected turnover is the highest its ever been. I've lost one to "leave it till March" and a couple have gone from 4 weekly to 2 monthly. My business can cope with this quite easily.

If we have -20 for more than a few days, or lots of snow, or I get injured/ill that will be much more difficult to deal with financially.

As i've said before I see myself not so much as a window cleaner but in the customer service business - the customer is all important. I'm not saying sit back and let them sh*t on you, but deal with them as you'd want to be dealt with and you can't go wrong. I know i've said it before but I canvassed for 3 months in April 09 and have spent a tenner on advertising (parish mag for a year = 1 new custie). My stats show I've had 3 times as many people join me as a customer by word of mouth referral and being approached whilst working than I have by canvassing. If people are recommending you then you are doing it right. They are going to do that if you get "funny" with them (and i've had my fair share believe me).

I personally don't feel its fair (and am pretty sure it would fail the reasonableness test in a court) that a customer or service provider can't change the terms of the contract with reasonable notice. I always ask what frequency a customer wants and let them tell me. I can then price accordingly. In almost all circumstances I charge the same for an 8 weekly clean as a 4 weekly clean. If they then want to change frequency then i'm covered if its from 4 to 8. If they want to leave it over the winter in most cases its no then no problem - i'd lose, say £15 x 5 cleans = £75 at a time of the year when there is usually such poor weather and the days are so short it can be hard to get round - no big deal. If its a property that's gonna be filthy, then I tell them the first clean in March will be more.
As I say, i've only been going 3 1/2 years, but if i've lost more than 5 to this i'd be surprised.

People on here jump up and down wondering the best way to get new business, but it's easier to retain existing custies than to get a new one - you just have to structure your business correctly. You can then cope with the odd few winter drop offs.

very well explained Carl,
your right about the customer services business, but there does need to be some rules or many will take the p, I have no problem now people changing till march (i used too I have to admit), they are just charged a new customers price for that year, thats explained to them and I have no problem with doing everything you have just said as you have it imo totally right

[Carl2009]

I also see myself as being in a customer service business.  However, I can only provide that service if it's economical to do so.

Couldn't agree more. There's a difference between being messed around and being flexible so that it benefits you both. I can't tell you how many i've dropped as my business has evolved. There are usually a couple of reasons:

Bad payers or "Not this month thanks" - 2 strike rule for me here in almost cases, unless its a custie where it suits me.

Just looking back I see I have lost 34 custies this year:

I binned 8 - mainly cos they were bad payers or were messers in some other way
Can't afford it - 10 This number surprised me. Good really - down to circumstances I can't influence
Moved - 4
Died  - 5
Gonna do it themselves - 2 (recession?)
Other 5 - They got a different windie "He's local and we want to give him a chance" barstewards -1; cancelled me without reason -2; We agreed to leave it as seals were leaking black gunk down walls - 1; 'we're moving" but they didn't so assume can't afford it -1?

All in all I have a significant amount more business now as at the start of my finacial year in April.

I suppose the moral to all this is be flexible only when it suits you in the short and long term.

[windiewasher]

I had one today on facebook asking when im collecting.i say im up there thursday.
She says ok
Then i cancel till after winter and ill let you know when i want them cleaning.
I said i will see you thursday to collect money and i wont be coming back to clean your windows.
She put?
I sent back.this is my job and im a all year round window cleaner so i will collect money and not clean your windows so get yourself a new window cleaner next year.
Thats 3 ive told to do one.

[keyser soze]

I had one today on facebook asking when im collecting.i say im up there thursday.
She says ok
Then i cancel till after winter and ill let you know when i want them cleaning.
I said i will see you thursday to collect money and i wont be coming back to clean your windows.
She put?
I sent back.this is my job and im a all year round window cleaner so i will collect money and not clean your windows so get yourself a new window cleaner next year.
Thats 3 ive told to do one.

love to seen her face... thanks for the lesson guys im now gonna take a firmer stance...

[Paddy Woods]

I found that when I let customers have what they wanted, it messed my scheduling up so badly that it was costing me money.
Yes I could let customers decide the terms of the business - but it would cost them so much they would probably choose to go elsewhere anyway.
If a customer wants to re-negotiate the terms of engagement (e.g. from 6 to 12 weekly) then I also have the right to re-negotiate the price.  That is, any change of terms has to be regarded as starting from scratch with that particular customer.
I was very customer centred when I started this business 21 years ago.  I allowed myself to be messed about very badly.  It took me 2 or 3 years to start getting a bit cynical.  When it happened, it happened in a pretty big way.  I gave away (not sold) work worth over £500 a month to a new start up.  I wouldn't have had the cheek to take money because almost without exception, they were underpriced and/or messers.  I told him too but he was OK as he hardly had any work.  Bear in mind that the £500 a month was at the money values of about 13/15 years ago.  That work was holding me back.  For anyone local to me, it was all my work in Handcross and nearby areas.  I was charging £5 for a 3/4 bed semi with lots of smallish crittall windows - very fiddly.  When I put them up to £5.50 or £6, anyone would think that I'd just ran over their cats.  When the housing association installed decent UPVC windows, a couple of them even wanted a reduction as it was now easier for me.
Never again will I let the customers run my business.
I also see myself as being in a customer service business.  However, I can only provide that service if it's economical to do so.

Totally agree,sometimes you have to stand back and look at your business and see what needs changing to improve ? I went into O2 today for my sons phone,told 18mths contract at x amount or 2 years,but I asked that I'd like just 12 mths please,eh no we don't offer that anymore !! Now their business model is to make money & keep customers (oh yes & some months I don't need a phone !!)

[Rogue Trader]

it all depends how thick skinned you are.

If you take it personally that a customer wants to postpone the service til the spring then you will resent that customer and think that they are running your business, feel bad about the whole relationship with them and you will never feel good about cleaning their windows.

OR

If you take a view that all customers are different (which they are) and that some want all year cleans and some will stop in the winter AND all jobs are priced properly are you actually cutting off your nose to spit your face?

i personally have customers that stop in nov and start in march. These customers are good customers that have been with me for a number of years. The majority of them are priced as they should be and they recieve their service with a smile and are treated as all the other customers are.

I know as well as most of you that monthly and usually 2 monthlty cleans is effectively cleaning clean windows 3 monthly cleans need to be done but are still easy , i dont worry about telling people they need to pay more money , it just puts their back up , price properly in the first place and you can give the customers the choice and still run a succesful and profitable business.

I am based in the South East and our rule is that we chare £1 per 1 minute of work. If it is 1 2 3 4 or 5 monthly, the time it takes to clean a window does not change too much.

My business is built on this rule and we have lots of customers that get charged on this basis whether they stop in the winter or not.

HOWEVER

"not today" customers are a different breed and deserve to be CULLED