[AuRavelling79]

I thought I'd share a positive experience I had yesterday - I think I've found the dream customer!:-

I was cleaning in a village in South Gloucestershire when a lady spotted me cleaning her next door neighbours house and asked me to do her front windows. Two upstairs windows that I can get to with my ladders over a small bay downstairs and a front door and sidepanel.

One off £10 - regular monthly £6 says I - meaning I'd do the 1st clean at £6 if she continued to "have" me. "Fine" she says.

I do a thorough job with a GG4 mix, cleaning the frames above (as it's wfp time come spring).

"Ooooh! that's fantastic etc - have a tenner as they were so mucky!" (they weren't too bad really)

IT DOESN'T END THERE! (Pull up a sleeping bag for the next bit!)

When I get home Mrs. Malc says "listen to the ansaphone"

The message says " I took a closer look at the windows they're brilliant - did you know you dropped £15 in my front garden which I've got here for safe-keeping, I hope that's all you've lost" (She was right I'd pulled it out of my pocket by accident and not noticed.)

I popped back today, thanked her profusely and said she'd earned herself a free clean for her honesty. "Wouldn't dream of it!" she says "I'm just glad to have found a good window cleaner."

Got any similar positive experiences?

[denzle]

Couldn't even get close to that.... hang on to this one, she's a gem.

Denzle

[rosskesava]

Last year we bought a round off someone we know (for the princley price of £250 - 60 customers plus tatty worn out equipment ) and included were some ridiculously underpriced jobs.

One of those was an old ladies 3 bedroomed bungalo. It's not a hard job but just time consuming because of bushes, trees, etc, and all for £2. Yes £2. We've carried on doing her window just because .........

But... she's obviously not really with it and we get tea and biscuits and she's really appreciative and obviously does not have much spare cash but the bungalo and garden shows signs of having been a wealthy home years ago. Now it's all a bit run down. If we're late doing her windows she phones us and alway asks if it's not to much trouble etc etc.

Bit by bit we've got more work in the same road and now have 8 very good priced jobs (wealthy customers and not one cup of tea) so this ladies house has become a welcome stop off point where we get tea and biscuits and we do her windows.

During November her son was visiting and he noticed the 3 of us and he came out and asked us, in a polite way, just how much were we charging? When we told him he couldn't believe it. He asked 'why?' and we couldn't really give an answer except she's a very nice old lady who has down her bit in the past and so on.

The son reckoned it was worth about £15 to do the windows, which was a reasonable price, and asked how long had we been doing them etc. He then asked for a business card and 4 days later a letter and a cheque arrived from the son for £85.

He also asked that we not say anything to his mother because she won't accept any help money wise and also to phone him everytime we do her windows and he will post a cheque.

Ain't that nice eh?

[denzle]

Geez some of you guys have got the greatest customers in the world.

Dennis

[gaza]

Ive a loverly customer,sometimes she gives me a full breakfast,wait for it in bed,she makes a flask up for me if shes in.The down side Im married to her.pmsl got to laugh weather been crap again today.

[AuRavelling79]

Alan Jarr says "He's making it up! "

I find that if you treat people pleasantly in a generally non-abrasive manner many will respond in a similar way; have you not ever had that experience Alan?

Malc

[Pureandclean]

One of lad's that works for me does a row of terraces by hand, first house makes him full breakfast every time he goes.

[Duke]

lucky sod...mind you, if it was me, I'd have to start at the other end...wouldn't feel like doing much with a bellyfull.....lol

[pjulk]

I wish i had customers who made me a full english breakfast.

I have one who brings me hot cross buns out with a drink every time i'm there.

I also have quite a few who make me drinks.
Which i don't mind if they make it when i arrive but they always seem to come out with it when i almost finished.

Paul

[Duke]

lol...don't they !

[rosskesava]

Hi Alan Jarr

So I'm making it up. If you think that then that's what you think.

We have a lot of really nice customers and only one or two miseries.

Last Saturday, we were given a pair of Bang and Olufsen speakers (these people have real wealth, not just money but big big money)and the lady said she'll sort out the cd player and amp for us next time we do her windows.

Do you want me to post a picture of them with me standing next to them as I'm probably making that up also.

Cheers

Ross

[windows_chepstow]

The missis and I were cleaning a house yesturday morning about nine o' clock and the lady of the house opens the door to pay us.

"Here's the money", she says, "please excuse the state of my hair, it's all sticking up all over the place".

I looked and said "I've got hair - just like that",  pulling down a bit of my trousers to show her.

She nearly wet herself laughing and gave me a Christmas tip she said she'd forgotten to give me in December!

[Ian_Giles]

Tosh,
You were cleaning windows on a sunday morning at 9am
Just the thought of that has me in need of a lie down

Ian

[rosskesava]

Sunday ...........

I don't surface till midday.

The thought of doing windows on a Sunday makes me twitch uncontrolably.

[AuRavelling79]

Alan Jarr, please explain this from your post, what does it mean?:-

.... will evaporate when they realise they don't want you anyone....

Malc

[rosskesava]

Hi Alan

You make it sound like there a just 2 choices:-

1 Earn a bunch of cash

2 Develope a cosy realtionship with your customer

Number 2 seems to imply earning a pitance.

How about number 3:-

Develope a cosy relationship ( and just what does that actually mean - being friendly? Being professional? Eyeing up the lady of the house? Sipping tea on a balmy summer's evening?) and earning a 'bunch of cash'.

'Earn a bunch of cash' sound to me like ....................

We are both friendly and professional to our customers. Every month since last May when a friend and me started working together, we have increased our business every month.

Also, how many customers have you lost that you have gone back to and asked if they misssed you cleaning their windows?

Since last May we have lost one customer and that was over a mis understanding. We have passed on a number to other window cleaners but we have lost only one. Out of 132 domestic customers and 68 commercial customers - I think is good. So I'll carry on developing cosy relationships as friendship, as well as being professional, is a powerfull basis for good business.

[AuRavelling79]

Alan Jarr has left me a pm saying (essence of) that he's had his posts deleted and that he thinks I've had a hand in it!

Not true, but he ain't here no more so maybe I missed what he said in his last posts?

[rosskesava]

To be honest, I can't really remember but it implied something about not having a 'cosy relationship' with customers because when they dump you you're soon forgotten and it's better to earn 'a bunch of cash'.

I don't recall it as being rude or similar but then I am not the moderator and I only look at some pages.

[Duke]

hmm, don't know what that's all about, but I did have one customer beg me back...she'd gone with a cheaper cleaner (who I don't know) but said he did a crap job. I put the price up and carried on with her.....she even makes tea now....ahhh, old flames....

[rosskesava]

We had one lady ask us (last summer) for a quote which we did over the phone going by the desription she gave us of her home.

She phones a few days later to say the quote was ok and that although it was £2 more expensive than the quote her husband had been given a few weeks before, she was happy. She also added that the blokes who gave her hubby a quote seemed a bunch of 'rip off sharks' or something similar.

On the day we arrive at the house and think oh no..... we've given a quote for this house before and the hubby was not happy at the cost. We did her windows anyway and met the hubby............

We looked at him and he at us. Fortunately he just laughed and said something about 'she who must be obeyed'.

We've done their house every month since.