[Splash & dash]

i agree adam....it doesnt matter whether your using a car or van for work(what a stupid comment! ).....its to do with canvassing new customers.....you always seem to get more messers when your building your round....

even after 26 years i get the odd one or two a year but normally most are great customers....also the work i pick up these days are usually walk ups and other existing customers passing my number on,these tend to be better customers once ive agreed a frequency/price and payment method.......BUT NOT ALWAYS!some get dumped within a couple of cleans....

also james only text customers who have access issues or large stand alone jobs(courtesy text)....its far easier to chop and change and reschedule during your working day then(when you get busier)...... "turn up and clean" is 75% of my work.....

It’s not a stupid comment I know several people that started working from there cars  people don’t take you seriously, and think they can say not today , turn up with staff uniform and sign written van and they view you as more professional, I proved that I started out with a Renault Clio. , so I know what ime talking about , again it’s a case of being straight when quoting then if they say not today remind them of the verbal agryyou made at the time , it’s not rocket science , I have built up a very  sucksesfull  buisness  with several vans this way and we don’t get this situation so it is avoidable

[AuRavelling79]

Well S&D I used to clean out of a Volvo Estate and then a Honda Accord Estate IME you are attributing a lack of respect to the wrong thing. What James is experiencing again IME is that a large proportion of those he canvasses are other window cleaners cast offs or "the as and when" brigade. The good news is he can train them and if they refuse to be trained he can dump them.

I had a no cancellation on the day policy, a no cancellation for holidays policy  and a pretty stringent dump'em policy which I still adhere to.

They didn't care if I turned up on a unicycle as long as they got reliable service and clean windows.

Edited to add: In fact when I got a brand new van (both times) I would occasionally get the odd sly comment about making too much money even though I didn't change my prices at the same time. However I do agree that a uniform or embroidered pole shirt works wonders.

[nathankaye]

If like me, I did trad for 14 yrs and used a car through out all that time, apart from a couple of years using my bicycle to carry the ladders on (5 mile work back then for some rounds) whilst I walked at the side. When I got to my round it was chained up for the day as I walked the round.
So either walking with trad gear or walking with a wfp trolley, people are not really going to know what you drive when you turn up at their door! 
So yes, a silly assumption to be made and the fact that I actually got more admiration when I used my push bike which I wasn't expecting.

The fact of the matter is, that there will Always be the messers trying it on, either with newbies or experienced people.  The difference is, that with experience, you can pick up on the signs more easily and have learnt to deal with this in a way that suits your needs.  Whereas  James, sadly your on this learning curve and it won't stop any time soon mate

[Dave Willis]

Another sign of a messer is the walkup and ask for a card. I never give one out because you know it’s going to be a one off clean.

Heavily pregnant women with filthy windows too ...... always swerve!

[dazmond]

i agree adam....it doesnt matter whether your using a car or van for work(what a stupid comment! ).....its to do with canvassing new customers.....you always seem to get more messers when your building your round....

even after 26 years i get the odd one or two a year but normally most are great customers....also the work i pick up these days are usually walk ups and other existing customers passing my number on,these tend to be better customers once ive agreed a frequency/price and payment method.......BUT NOT ALWAYS!some get dumped within a couple of cleans....

also james only text customers who have access issues or large stand alone jobs(courtesy text)....its far easier to chop and change and reschedule during your working day then(when you get busier)...... "turn up and clean" is 75% of my work.....

It’s not a stupid comment I know several people that started working from there cars  people don’t take you seriously, and think they can say not today , turn up with staff uniform and sign written van and they view you as more professional, I proved that I started out with a Renault Clio. , so I know what ime talking about , again it’s a case of being straight when quoting then if they say not today remind them of the verbal agryyou made at the time , it’s not rocket science , I have built up a very  sucksesfull  buisness  with several vans this way and we don’t get this situation so it is avoidable

i worked from a car for 15 years when trad....your talking nonsense......

i hope you get someone in to spellcheck for you as your spelling is atrocious.....

[dazmond]

Another sign of a messer is the walkup and ask for a card. I never give one out because you know it’s going to be a one off clean.

Heavily pregnant women with filthy windows too ...... always swerve!

thats a really sweeping generalisation mate....i always hand out a business card when i get a walk up and tell them to text me their name and address and ill pop round sometime and give them a quote....some do,some dont....obviously the ones that dont are not really serious about having a window cleaning service,the ones that do often turn into good solid customers IME.....

[SB Cleaning]

Another sign of a messer is the walkup and ask for a card. I never give one out because you know it’s going to be a one off clean.

Heavily pregnant women with filthy windows too ...... always swerve!

thats a really sweeping generalisation mate....i always hand out a business card when i get a walk up and tell them to text me their name and address and ill pop round sometime and give them a quote....some do,some dont....obviously the ones that dont are not really serious about having a window cleaning service,the ones that do often turn into good solid customers IME.....

9 out of 10 people who walk up to me and ask for a card never get in contact, some people have just got nothing better to do

[dazmond]

Another sign of a messer is the walkup and ask for a card. I never give one out because you know it’s going to be a one off clean.

Heavily pregnant women with filthy windows too ...... always swerve!

thats a really sweeping generalisation mate....i always hand out a business card when i get a walk up and tell them to text me their name and address and ill pop round sometime and give them a quote....some do,some dont....obviously the ones that dont are not really serious about having a window cleaning service,the ones that do often turn into good solid customers IME.....

9 out of 10 people who walk up to me and ask for a card never get in contact, some people have just got nothing better to do

id say around 5 or 6  contact me out of 10 when i hand my card out to a walk up.....

[Dave Willis]

Once James gets to the stage where people ask him to clean rather than the other way round, that’s when the rate of messers drop off.
After that he needs to keep weeding and tending to his garden of flowers.

I get very few messers, don’t do a welcome pack, never worn a uniform and despite turning everything away still get enquiries most weeks. No landline and the website should be gone. Do the best you can at realistic prices and your hard core of regulars generally stick with you for years.

[robbo333]

James

I agree with Nathan, you're always going to get messers and when you're starting out it can be very demoralising.
Personally, I don't think it matters what you drive, or whether you text or not; you simply don't want messers.

I had one today, she called me last week, very local, said she wanted it regular but perhaps not every 8 weeks.
I could sense she was a messer!

However
I turned up today, the windows haven't been cleaned for a year (maybe 18 months), but the place was fairly tidy.
She was very polite and her young daughter was also polite. Chatting away, she is a single mum.
Turns out she is a teacher at our local school for extremely disabled children (most are wheelchair bound).
So she went from messer to 'good deed for the day'.
She made me a cuppa, I gave her a fairly cheap price, did a top job and she said would I do them every 16 weeks. I said, give me a ring when you want them done again. She took some leaflets and said she would put them up in the staff room for me.

As you get busier, it gets easier to deal with messers.
Also your attitude will change and they won't bother you so much.
And sometimes...you may even do a good deed!

[dazmond]

James

I agree with Nathan, you're always going to get messers and when you're starting out it can be very demoralising.
Personally, I don't think it matters what you drive, or whether you text or not; you simply don't want messers.

I had one today, she called me last week, very local, said she wanted it regular but perhaps not every 8 weeks.
I could sense she was a messer!

However
I turned up today, the windows haven't been cleaned for a year (maybe 18 months), but the place was fairly tidy.
She was very polite and her young daughter was also polite. Chatting away, she is a single mum.
Turns out she is a teacher at our local school for extremely disabled children (most are wheelchair bound).
So she went from messer to 'good deed for the day'.
She made me a cuppa, I gave her a fairly cheap price, did a top job and she said would I do them every 16 weeks. I said, give me a ring when you want them done again. She took some leaflets and said she would put them up in the staff room for me.

As you get busier, it gets easier to deal with messers.

your too soft......every 16 weeks for a domestic customer?not a chance...i also wouldnt do it for a cheap price if the windows were filthy either....."give me a ring when you want them doing again" is also a no no in my book......

i used to be too soft years ago but you dont make any money doing people favours.........whoever they are.....

[robbo333]

Daz

Doing a favour every now and again, makes me feel good, it's my business, I'll do what I like.
Also, I earn enough that I can do it.
I think she was genuine and I don't care if she never contacts me again.
Sometimes people need a leg up! 

[dazmond]

Daz

Doing a favour every now and again, makes me feel good, it's my business, I'll do what I like.
Also, I earn enough that I can do it.
I think she was genuine and I don't care if she never contacts me again.
Sometimes people need a leg up! 

i do agree with you to a point......however i save my good deeds for my family or elderly customers who ve been with me for years....

also if she does hand out your leaflets to other teachers theyll all want the same cheap price as hers! ....rod for your own back mate....

[James Styles]

Thanks for all the advice guys much appreciated. My round is growing each day, I’m getting more and more phone calls, got a very hectic day Monday, think I must be near 85-90 customers, once I hit the 100 mark I think I’ll treat myself to something nice as it will be an accomplishment for me 

[capn sparkle]

Thanks for all the advice guys much appreciated. My round is growing each day, I’m getting more and more phone calls, got a very hectic day Monday, think I must be near 85-90 customers, once I hit the 100 mark I think I’ll treat myself to something nice as it will be an accomplishment for me 

You've done well James and in a few years time you'll look back at the advice given on this forum and chuckle. Not because it's good or rubbish but because the people on here were willing to give up their time to assist you (someone they've probably never met or ever will).

Hopefully in the near future you'll be advising the next batch of newbies - I for one will look forward to that.