[williamx]

Dave

There are good and bad elements in all trades including window cleaning, if we all were swayed by the bad elements then you, I and all window cleaners wouldn't have any customers.

Door knocking can be a pain for house holders, I personally don't answer my door, but to completely ban something when there are alternatives seems over the top.

Also if you ban people going door to door will this include charities, the Girl Guilds, Boy scouts, political parties and all the other worthwhile people who come from your community.

What happens to you local Pizza,Indian,chinese and other small business who can't put leaflets though potential customers doors?

Would this ban also includes letters sent to potential customers, introducing yourself and you companys services?

If all of this type of advertising was banned and the only way you had left was to Yellow pages, how long before they see their advantage and increase their prices.

Dave you are allowed an opinion and you might have got a lot of work which didn't could from door to door knocking, but on the other hand there are thousands and thousands of window cleaners who do get their work from this method.

Instead of banning it. Look at ways it can be done in a more friendly manner, when I go door knocking I don't knock bungalows or houses that have signs on their doors saying No Canvassers Please, I do put my business card though their door though and I never canvass after 7 pm.

[jeff1]

I had our weekly freebie news paper through our door last night, inside it contained no less thean seven leaflets, advertising from take-aways to carpet cleaning, and our local large stores.

Rogue traders failed to mention anything to do with leaflets posted in this manner, so am I led to believe this is ok? but say a window cleaner shouldn't do it with a single leaflet?

when I do change to wfp I will be doing a leaflet drop maybe I should put it into the freebie for it to be delivered that way. One thing for sure I know most of them will go into the bin, but if I do it Singly the chances of it being read are much higher, and because of advice I read on here I will do a follow up call.

[groundhog]

Door knocking is the best way to build a round when you first start out, the most successful way to do it I found was not to cold call, but deliver a high quality leaflet to every house in the street a few days before you knock, explain on the leaflet that you will be calling and specify a date and approx time. I have had great success with this method, and find that when I knock many of them are waiting for me with leaflet in hand, and those who do not require my services know that I am coming and politely say no thankyou.

[geefree]

good idea 

[groundhog]

Of course its a good idea, it's a Groundhog idea

[DaveWilkinson]

There was a spate of rouge trader style programs over last few years and they do send out a message to be careful, however nearly every company featured advertised in the yellow pages.

I used to advertise heavily in the yellows ( in a previous life i was a plumber ) and were talking 50k ad costs per annum, the plumbing section had around 20 pages of plumbers in it and we did very well out of it however the following days after a rouge trader style program had been on boy could you tell, the phones went dead.

As for cold calling or door knocking I too get fed up of being asked if I would like double glazing or change my electric and gas supplier, however I have never had a wc knock my door and wouldnt mind at all if they did, if its something that isnt done to death most people are ok with it.

I think alot of people put up with having no wc or a poor one because of the "its my patch" history in the industry so wont even bother looking in the yellow pages, its a shame more people dont see window cleaning as the same as any other business, if you were quoted a high price from your local garage for servicing your van you wouldnt just accept it because he was the local guy. The new garage around the corner wouldnt turn around and say to you no we wont service your van because the local guy normally does.

just an outsider, soon to be insider point of view.

[groundhog]

Welcome to the forum Dave, but stay away from my patch!

[macc]

Hedgehog.

Why are you so aggressive all the time.  :

but stay away from my patch!

Do you own it, NO, so hows it your patch,  .

Kacc

[groundhog]

Hey Kacc, don't take me so seriously all the time, but watch out because I'm comin over to your patch soon

Hedgehog