[Roy Harding]

This week there was a thread that mentioned flash vans and old cars.

Lets face it we have all had older cars that are tidy and reliable, and after all having a flash van does not make you a better window cleaner.

But does it give you the edge?

This week I was asked to price a large domestic property for a monthly clean, after looking I qouted her £125.

She told me that she had allready had two qoutes, and I was considerably more expensive. But because of the proffesional image I put into my van and uniform, she said " I feel that I can trust you as the other two looked like gipsy's"

Hence I got the job, but as I have said they may have done the same job for less monney.


Whats your thoughts?

Roy

[Trevor Knight]

I don't really want to get into this one but this is how it is for me.

I do alot of large country mansions and stately homes.

This is my current situation, 2 nice newish vans both signwritten, look the dogs b*****ks and 1 n reg mondeo that is a get out of jail card should the vans breakdown and currently handles all internal commercial etc...

Anyway, when I turn up in the vans I have no problems at all, my guys all wear company issued clothing with logo's etc... the clients are happy and we get on with the job.

Last month, I needed to get some guy's with me to do the insides on this very posh mansion owend by very well to do family. So I called my lads and the first crew turned up in the mondeo. In the end, the guy's had to ring me as the gate staff didn't believe they were with me and refused them entry.

When I went to the gate the security told me that there was a couple of dodgy guy's in an old car making out they were with me. I smiled , explained they were and got them in.

The second crew arrived in the other van and came straight in.

You decide what is the best image, I am just telling you what happened.

Secondly, I was asked to clean a large house some years back, turned up in an old cavalier estate, was met by the owner who greeted me with a big smile and friendly handshake. Anyhow, we walked around the building and we discussed everything he required. When I went to leave he walked me back to my car, parked out of site and when he saw my car he turned very offish, frowned and said he will contact me. I sent in a quote and he never returned my calls or contacted me.

Again, not saying it was my old vehicle but I certainly think it didn't help matters.

Another food for thought. I clean a lot of houses in a village called Chilbolton, quite a posh area. When we used to arrive in our estate car the police were often called to us to check who we were and what we were doing, obviously the ladders and mop and blades didn't give it away!!! Since we have been arriving with our vans we have never had a visit from the police?

Well thats my bit, like I said, an not getting drawn into an argument as I started with a reliable runaround, just now finances allow me to get a better vehicle than the ones I had?

Trev

[windows_chepstow]

I take it we're talking about our image here!

We used to wear old jeans and t-shirts and stuff, but now we wear nice sign-written polo shirts, proper work-wear trousers and matching boots.

Some of our customers have made some light-hearted remarks about our appearance; but in general; I've not noticed any difference with my residential customers.  As Squeaks so elequently put it recently, they're just happy with an 'honest Joe'.

We did have a contract for a Hilton Hotel and I remember the manager remarking that his previous window cleaners just 'didn't look the Hilton', and another posh(ish) hotel we clean like the way we're always smartly(ish) turned out.  

I think if you're after some 'prestige' accounts, then image counts, but for the normal run-of-the-mill residential work, I'd say good customer skills, aka good social skills count for far more, but a SMART APPEARANCE WILL NEVER HURT.

[matt]

i know some1 local to me

he has the uniform, he has the reach and wash van with the full  kit inside

he charges the same as me

he has lost a fair bot of his resi work, as people thought he looked flash

he is now trying to get into the comecail market, which from what i gather is getting a little over crowded

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

totaly agree with you, image is a important thing if you want to get on.

if for example is was looking for a bricklayer, i would go for the guy with the smart looking sign written van as opposed to the guy who turns up in tatty jeans with a fAg hanging from his mouth driving a 10 year old escort.

why? because the first guy is displaying the fact that he is making a living from his trade and takes pride in his work.

Jay

[matt]

having worked in the building trade for many a year (im a carpenter)

that isnt true

if the smart lookign guy is crap at his job, people wont use him

on the otherhand

if the scruffbag is a top notch brickie, who does a cracking job, people will recommend him, thus he will be forever busy

dont judge a book by its cover

[abacus]

so there it is clear as mud

Image matters but what image? if you can read the mind of your client you'll get right.

it really depends on your target client
clean neat and tidy is always a must though

I put good tools above uniform but the uniform is coming soon oh but after the tax man hes getting quite persistant

regards grant

[Moderator David@stives]

I clean for one of the wealthiest guys in cornwall, he is a really nice chap changes his cars more than i change my socks Ferrari one week Porsche the next all factory custom models, I have cleaned his windows for the last 8 years and in the early days i had some right rust buckets, he wasnt interested in the cars i drove , he was just interested in my reliability and how well i clean his windows, he has his done every fortnight and as ALWAYS paid me at least 3 months in advance.
He is pleased for me that i am starting to do well, but he has never bothered about my image, he saw me for what i am an honest genuine guy.

I have never had any problem winning work,in fact i get nearly everything i quote for, I usually hit it off with the customer straight away, and always come away having had a good conversation or a good laugh with the them at the time of the quote.

One thing that works well is to talk about them, Say things like you have got a nice house or garden, or ask them what they do etc, this usually strikes up a conversation and this is the first road for them to get to like you as a person, I never come away from a quote without at least a 10 min chat with a potential customer, this gives them plenty of time to judge my character and 99.79% of the time it works.

I am afraid a uniform and a flash van will not work if you are not a likeable person in the customers eyes.

Myself will never deal with a plumber etc for my own home if i dont like them, it does not matter how they present themselves (image) it is the personality that counts.If they are arrogont or bull pooters forget it, i dont want to know.

Dave

[Trevor Knight]

Hi Dave,

I agree in principle with what you are saying and you are right, a lot comes down to personality and how you get on with your prospective customer.

But we have to be real here.

Step away from w/c and think about image in general:

Your daughter brings home her boyfiend, Scruffy lad, dyed mohican haircut, DM boots - first impression - OH MY GOD!

A football fan - has a skinhead, wears Hackett clothing, has lots of tattoo's - first impression - THUG!

Guy pulls up in a petrol station in a Ferrari, smart suit, good haircut, well presented - First impression - Hes doing alright, Flash git!

I wish image was not important, I was raised in a rough council estate in the middle of Wandsworth in London, I was a young tearaway, I have no school qualifications and for want of a better description was one of lifes undesirables.

However, now I live in a country location, 4 Bed house, successful business and drive a 40k BMW as well as a top range sports car.

The moral of my story is that I am still the same person I have just changed my appearance over the years. And its appearance you are judged on most of the time, especially in business!!

Best wishes,

Trev

[Paul Coleman]

I feel that image should not matter but, for many people, it does.  In some areas, people will prefer the poor, two bob window cleaner image and in others they will prefer the smart van/uniform.  I try to strike a balance myself.  I have a three year old van that looks reasonable, a WFP van mount, and I wear a blue, one piece boiler suit.  I didn't realise until recently but for quite a few of my customers, that blue boiler suit has become something that I have been identified with - even though it has no logo or name on it.
I do wish that potential customers were more like me in the sense that I see through the surface image more easily than most.  Unfortunately, life isn't like that.

[Moderator David@stives]

Trev

I agree it is important to up your image as you progress in your business, it is the same in any trade, when a plumber, electrician , painter and decorator etc first start out they are in the same position .running their business out of the back of an estate car, it does not detract from their work, maybe makes them look a bit cheap and cheerful.

Dave

[windows_chepstow]

I've seen one or two window cleaners whom even I wouldn't want to approach; they look that thugish; never mind little old 'Mrs Jones'.

For all I know they might be good lads, but image does count.

[sunshine windows]

I was doing a couple of cleans yesterday, both of which are either side of a house i do not currently clean for. Finshed one and started on the front of the other, but could not get access to the rear windows without going onto the middle house's land. I needed to get down her front garden about half way so i could go up and over the garage of house next door.

Anyway i was just about to help myself to access, because there was nobody home when this little old lady pulls up in her old clapped out Metro. I explained the situation to her and she said i could go through the back garden and over the fence if i wanted.

She then asked how much i charged for window cleaning and we had a really good conversation. She informed me that her daughter just down the road has her windows cleaned by someone using this wfp system and that he does a cracking job of her windows. She said she was considering using him herself but didn't really like the look of him. Not sure if he was a God fearing person or not. (I think she might be a Johova).

She told me that i have a kind friendly face and that she felt more comfortable in my presence. I know it might sound daft after she just met me, but some people like this other window cleaner can just spook people out.

Yesterday i had about 2 days stubble growth, i'm in desperate need of a haircut and my trackie bottoms are the ones i've been decorating in and have paint all over them.

Some people are just born lucky guess, in the fact that they can strike up a rapor with people almost instantly. Others who might be genuinely nice friendly people may just have that dodgy look about them.

Sunshine

[pjulk]

Im not sure image is everything.

There is a chap round my way in his 50's
Drive a right old rusty heap of an astra van with differant shades of blue on every panel.

He goes round with a roll up in his mouth and in this hot weather just shorts no t-shirt or anything.

He charges quite a good price and he is forever turning work away.
Its very rare he lose's anything.

I think what it is he is honest and reliable and that i think counts more than anything.

Paul

[Londoner]

When you create a good impression it often doesn't get noticed by the customer but never the less the good impression works.

Looking at it from the customers perspective, like the thread says. Most often its a woman on her own. To clean her windows you have to come onto her property, often into her house. If she is not sure about you she would be mad not to follow her instinct.

We all form impressions all the time about people we deal with. I often hear my wife saying she won't go to a shop near us because the man in there is rude.Its true he is a bit abrupt but my wife will never go there again because of something he said ages ago.

The point about workwear and nice vans is it makes you look professional. Not some drifter trying to make beer money or top up his dole money.