[mark mann]

Hi All

As your round grows how do you best deal with starting to line groups of customers up when they are maybe weeks apart.

ie the numbers i certain roads/neibouring roads are growing but came on at different times when i started. how flexibile do you find your customers to fit into your cycle when you migrate them into a different week or 2??

[scud]

 Either speak to the relevant customers and let them know you will be slightly early or late to get them all together - most are understanding.

  Or just do it gradually by stealth, leave one a few days late, and then do another a few days early and keep going like that until they all match up.

[Smudger]

I tried to organise my rounds from day 1 - initially this meant i had some quiet days until i built up this area
and canvassed this area the week before cleaning to keep things close together. but like all good plans you
always get last minute extras that don't line up, i simply 'bump' them along ie..  if the area i want them in is not cleaned for 5 weeks i just let the custy know that the next clean will be slightly later due do to re-organisation - most custy's are happy with this but only do it once otherwise custy will think you are mucking them about

Darran

[bobby p]

on first meeting a customer i always stress i might be a bit late if the weather messes me up- also stress to them i wont ever be early .  this then allows a week or so of "drift"  to get the diary to fit around me

[nelly]

i'd explain,that you'll have to change there week . .as ya getting more custom. . and your organising your round. . .most are fine,as you'll still be carrying out your service's

[Londoner]

Use george and put then ito different rounds. You can have as many different rounds as you like so a different round for each week or even each day. Then do a one off move, tell your customer it will be x weeks till you come again and move them.

[Jonathan Spencer]

Sometimes it can be beneficial to go on the same road/area twice or even three times a week, especially if it is at different times.  People have different schedules and might not be around the time you are there.  Then you will pick more work up.

I suppose it depends how far away from your home the work is.  My furthest is 4 miles and most opf it is within 2 miles so it is no hassle for me.

[Neil271052]

Yep, that is the advantage of a very condensed round.

My furthest job is probably two miles from my house so it doesn't matter if I go back to the same road more than once a month.

[Richard Neal]

with all your round nicely organised if you have a few days bad weather for a couple of weeks and its all messed up!
 i always say to my customers that i cannot guarantee the weather so a 4 week clean is a 4 to 6 week clean etc, if the weather is good then i will be on time, most customers just want someone to turn up regularly, one cleaner round here leaves some of his 4 week customers waiting 3 months or more!

[geefree]

This what i do ...

I go on holiday for a week, and when i come back i am behind,... so look through your round, so the ones who have caught up whilst away, and simply do the whole area together then...

Then as a new customer calls in any of your given areas... if you clean it straight away... chances are, it will again be in the wrong order !..

and so it goes on .. until your next holiday then you can tidy it up again.

[Londoner]

Yep, that is the advantage of a very condensed round.

My furthest job is probably two miles from my house so it doesn't matter if I go back to the same road more than once a month.

Most of my work is very local.