[Moderator David@stives]

Its not rocket science is it.

Knock a few doors post a few leaflets, get a full round, refining your prices as you go, to get the maximum each customer will pay. If you have them sucking through there teeth, you know where the point is they are prepared to pay.

 you can always come down a pound or 2 at the point of "how much" while pointing out the benefits of using you.

It must be the simplest business model on the planet.

If I can do it anyone can do it.


You can over analyse something to a point where you see nothing but problems.

[Ian101]

Its not rocket science is it.

Knock a few doors post a few leaflets, get a full round, refining your prices as you go, to get the maximum each customer will pay. If you have them sucking through there teeth, you know where the point is they are prepared to pa

It must be the simplest business model on the planet.

If I can do it anyone can do it.


You can over analyse something to a point where you see nothing but problems.

couldnt have put it better meself .... thats why i love this business so much as its so simple and straight foward effort in = reward unlike car sales (my background) which could have u working all week and get nowt apart from crappy low basic.

[Perfect Windows]

I don’t always disagree with people and I certainly don’t always agree with people.

I will always disagree with idiotic comments, like yours.

It’s a bit like window cleaning, its not rocket science.

[kate1]

To be honest

The fundamental basics are the same

Its what you do after that retention and expansion

Im no expert by any means, but it sounds like a very competative market

[Clive McDonald]

The difference between us all seems to be  growth.Growth becomes harder to manage as you get bigger.Many talk about turning down work because they have too much, or dropping some of their poorer work, or making things more compact.

Some business models, corner shops, print works, pubs, don't work anymore, window cleaning does work but to do well is hard.And to do it very well is even harder.

My way is by breaking it down- using business books- to pinch percentage points in every area.I want the most productive van,  a business that markets itself with the most innovative processes and systems that excites and impresses my customers.Once that's in place the idea is to scale up.

Some customers won't want to do business with me- that's okay too- because the best customers do.

[Moderator David@stives]

Heres a Economic lesson

Had a customer charged her £45.00 from the beginning, had her for 5 years, job takes approx 1 hour for 1 person.

I sent 2 staff to clean her last week, she phones me in a really bad mood, says my lads were there for 12 mins and charged her £45.00 and she wasnt happy and sacked us before I could offer her a free re-clean etc.

I checked the tracker and the guys were there 25 mins, both fast workers who dont hang about. with a 10 mins each way drive.

Lesson is- dont always assume the customer is happy with what you charge, the price hasnt been an issue in 5 years, It just became an issue when they finally realised how long the job took.

We had one recently who timed us and said "£10 in 15 mins, my husband doesn't even earn that".

Funnily enough we never have any issues where our work equates to £20 - £25 p/h.

Dave

[Clive McDonald]

I get that- losing customers when i feel it genuinly isn't my fault.One phoned up- left a slip for ten pounds but you haven't been round the back because the gates still locked.

I drove back having done it about forty five minutes before.I had had to unbolt the gate, and when i closed it i was able to use the latch even though it was broken.(that's probably why she thought i hadn't done it because the latch was on and she probably couldn't close it from the outside and get the latch on, but as you know we get good at this stuff).

She's ready for me and has more arguments.You didn't come round the back because it's dry, i know you did the front because it's wet.I tell her that this is because it faces the sun and it's a hot day.I also point out that the sun umbrella wasn't up(it is now) when i was doing it and the two downstairs openers which are now open were closed.

She goes looking for faults and finds a very small speck of matter, possibly bird muck, and on one of the window frames that is now open a cobweb,(the cobweb was from underneath the opener, so wouldn't have been visible when closed- which they were when i cleaned them.

She runs her finger along a bottom rubber.Look she says,( her finger is clean)

I promise her that i cleaned them, she insists that i didn't.I know it's an argument i can't win and a few days later she phones up to cancel

[mci services]

I get that- losing customers when i feel it genuinly isn't my fault.One phoned up- left a slip for ten pounds but you haven't been round the back because the gates still locked.

I drove back having done it about forty five minutes before.I had had to unbolt the gate, and when i closed it i was able to use the latch even though it was broken.(that's probably why she thought i hadn't done it because the latch was on and she probably couldn't close it from the outside and get the latch on, but as you know we get good at this stuff).

She's ready for me and has more arguments.You didn't come round the back because it's dry, i know you did the front because it's wet.I tell her that this is because it faces the sun and it's a hot day.I also point out that the sun umbrella wasn't up(it is now) when i was doing it and the two downstairs openers which are now open were closed.

She goes looking for faults and finds a very small speck of matter, possibly bird muck, and on one of the window frames that is now open a cobweb,(the cobweb was from underneath the opener, so wouldn't have been visible when closed- which they were when i cleaned them.

She runs her finger along a bottom rubber.Look she says,( her finger is clean)

I promise her that i cleaned them, she insists that i didn't.I know it's an argument i can't win and a few days later she phones up to cancel

lol we all get that, I had one that pont blank refused to believe I had cleaned her windows, when I gave her the date they were cleaned(two weeks prior) she then said I must have drove the 14 mile round trip and put the slip through last night, this went on for ages : even when I offered to print the details from paypal from the date her neighbours paid, she still insisted I was lying

[dazmond]

stu i now have tickets that i fill the date in if their not in.if they still dispute i print out a statement of account for that days cleaning.i must admit i dont get many problems like this anymore.


regards


dazmond

[mci services]

yes I added the date after that incident and yes its not often that happens

[gewindows]

I agree with perfect windows its all about supply and demand for window cleaners.

By way of explanation, note that my "do not feed the troll" was aimed at the inimitable Ewan, who then deleted his ludicrous post.

Vin

Ive just been looking through your posts PW and noticed this

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=22750;sa=showPosts;start=120

No comparison to Ewan then 

[Perfect Windows]

I agree with perfect windows its all about supply and demand for window cleaners.

By way of explanation, note that my "do not feed the troll" was aimed at the inimitable Ewan, who then deleted his ludicrous post.

Vin

Ive just been looking through your posts PW and noticed this

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=22750;sa=showPosts;start=120

No comparison to Ewan then 

I am Ewan.

[gewindows]

That wouldnt surprise a few on here.