[herbiefatboy]

SINCE MOVING OVER TO WFP HAVE ANY BODY ELSE OUT THERE LOST ANY CUSTOMERS BECAUSE I HAVE LOST 2 IN THE LAST WEEK ANY RESPONSE WOULD BE GREAT THANKS

[Sarah Sarill]

What was their exact reason for cancelling ?

Sarah

[garry]

iv been wfp about a year now and lost 7 but gained many more because of wfp so i wouldnt worry about it

[windows_chepstow]

Herbie,

More information is required.

Are you doing 100% ground and first floor WFP?

Are you losing these customers on their first WFP clean, 2nd or 3rd?

Do you give each customer an explanation letter (see David St Ives's)?

What are your customer's problems with your work?

This is my second week using a WFP, 1st floor mostly, but I'm impressed with the general standard of the windows I do.  

I know the standard of work is high, because when I finish a clump of houses, I still get my ladders off and check a random sample.  

I'm sure I'm overdoing it though with the 'scrubbing the frames' bit and rinsing.  But I'm sure I'll slacken off next month.

Also, if a customer 'complains', be really nice (as long as they complain in a decent manner) and check out the complaint the next day; even if it's a weekend and sort out the problem.  

Give 'em a bit of 'flannel' and tell them that it's not the equipment, it's a case of 'user lacks experience' and thank them for the feedback.  It's the only way you can learn.

But, boring as it is, you have to educate your customers with regards pure water cleaning and your WFP.

[herbiefatboy]

hi one did not like all the water being thrown about and the other got a window cleaner who is using a ladder it does start to worry me when i lose a customer p.s it was about their 3rd clean i do tops and bottams with wfp

[marc al]

  You win some and lose some, if the customers are going to complain about the amount of water and want someone with a ladder don't fret too much about it, they would have used another excuse given time. Most people will realise that it works and is safer than ladders, you will pick up more jobs with it eventually and can make a killing doing facias with it.

  Marc

[thewindowcleaner1]

As I,ve said on similar post's when you first start to use WFP although YOU know that it works you are just as unshure as the customer about it, Leaving the windows wet ect.
As you use it more and start to return to customers for the second clean you will become more confident and this will show in your attitude and will make your customers more at ease with the system that you are using,
As for the customers with cells missing between the ears don't let them get to you.
YOU WILL pick up more work at better prices
YOU WILL be able to do nearly twice as much in the same time
YOU WILL NOT feal as tired at the end of the day

[thewindowcleaner1]

PS. I,ve been losing a few customers over the last few weeks this is down to a couple of new guys starting up, but in the main although they come out with loads of diffrent reasons the truth is that some people think its a waste to have thier windows cleaned in the winter (Bad weather, dark nights ect) What I do if they ask me to start again in the spring is up thier price by at least a £1 and make them gropvel. (or more often than not tell them I can't fit them in and forget about them)

[Moderator David@stives]

in the end you will just be left with good customers ,just let them weed themselves out

[Andrew McCann]

in the end you will just be left with good customers ,just let them weed themselves out

EXACTLY!!!!  Couldn't agree more. Replace the crap with the good it's a process of elimination. They will use a thousand and one reasons. I had one the other day who said..  you can't leave my windows wet like that. I want them drying and polishing.  I said well.. they have been done that way for the last 4 or 5 times and you haven't complained so they must have been fine and anyway even when I did them up a ladder I didnt polish the glass. I did and still do get it clean though. To which she replied.. I don't like my windows wet!!!...  I laughed and said you should move to the Sahara desert then. Then it came out...  err well..  I don't want them done in the winter.  She will be looking for another window cleaner next spring 

I follow up any cancellations through the post with payment with a phone call to find out the real reason even if they have explained it. ( Say they are moving etc ) I haven't found one yet that has been down to problems with the clean. As long as that stays the case then I am happy.

Andrew

[rosskesava]

We're just 6 or so weeeks down the wfp road. We've yet to do any repeat jobs with wfp so as yet, I don't know what the future may hold in terms of cancelations.

I think we will loose a few due to the way the customer responded when we did the windows but the way I see it is that in the main the places where we favour wfp are the real pigs of a job anyway.

I've still mixed thoughts about wfp so maybe the customer is subtlely picking it up from me in some way.

Having said that, there is one huge market that so many seemed to have missed.

There are so many places, houses, offices, etc around that cannot be done traditionally and so many places with odd windows that can only be done with wfp.

Over the last few weeks as we're been driving around I've been keeping a note of them. Last Tuesday (I think) I did a bit of canvasing and picked up 8 jobs where the customers were just happy to have their windows done even if it was not a particularly good job.

One lady had spent 4 years trying to get someone to do her windows and she wasn't worried about 'clean' - all she wanted was 'just get the dirt off'.

So what can be seen as a problem - losing customers due to wfp, is an advantage in another sense. Look out for those impossible to clean places and just knock on the door.

Then any lost customers will not be so important although I do understand the pride in 'doing a good job' and persuading the customer about wfp, but sometimes money is more important. If a customer won't accept wfp despite trying, what else can you do? Go back to traditional methods?

Cheers

[Londoner]

Just the fact that its a change will unsettle some customers. I'm told the same problems happened years ago when squeegies first appeared replacing the old shammy and scrim.

Also, the winter is approaching and people are a bit skint so who knows what the truth is?

Actually, i'm suprised the level of customer response seems relatively low.

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

when i 1st started wfp 6 months ago i lost a couple of calls, this is to be expected.

this was not due to bad workmanship, it's the thing about water dripping down from the sills.

heaven knows what these people do when it rains?

now i have gained so many it's hard to find the time to get around.

stick with it and don't worry about those customers who don't like changes.

[matt]

i picked up a new house last time around, they had just moved in (i used to do the house for the people B4) anyways, the job went great, got paid, arrived this time and the guy says "i dont want it done anymore"

 

anything wrong with the service i provide i asked (keep in mind it was my first day back after a bad back and i was in pain)

Hmmmmmm yes he said, i cannot see how that machine works, and you got my GRASS wet with it  :

i said "GRASS"

yes he said, i dont like it dripping on my grass as it gets muddy

 

Ok, fair enough, cheerio you looney

[Sarah Sarill]

Matt,

Talking about grass..............

We had a very posh customer a few years back (who ironically lived in no 10) she was very direct, straight to the point etc but very posh.  Lived in a nice housing estate with swimming pool etc etc.

When we turned up for the first clean she came out of the house and gave my hubby 4 rubber backed carpets.  When he asked what they were for (as you do) she replied that it was to ut on her grass under te ladder to stop holes.  Why 4 asked the hubby - one for each move so you dont take the dirt with you !!!

He had to give her each one back after use - she put on her marigolds and washed them before putting them on the line to dry - CAN YOU COPE !!!!!

She inspected every window as he was doing them and checked the grass too !!!

Took her cheque and never went back.

GRASS - brought back that memory.

Sarah

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

i picked up a new house last time around, they had just moved in (i used to do the house for the people B4) anyways, the job went great, got paid, arrived this time and the guy says "i dont want it done anymore"

 

anything wrong with the service i provide i asked (keep in mind it was my first day back after a bad back and i was in pain)

Hmmmmmm yes he said, i cannot see how that machine works, and you got my GRASS wet with it  :

i said "GRASS"

yes he said, i dont like it dripping on my grass as it gets muddy

 

Ok, fair enough, cheerio you looney

hi matt,
you should have asked him what he does when it rains?
cover the grass with tarpauline?

[brett walker]

All this talk of grass is making me dizzy    and i don't even smoke !

Seriously though i am new to wfp and im a bit concerned about losing customers because of change, the 2 main things i can see are dripping water and leaving the windows wet but we all know the end result will be perfect.  After doing traditional for 14 yrs its going to be a big change for them but i will give them the letter and explain the best i can, surely the customers will prefere us not to put the ladder up at the window and peering in their bedroom.  This will give them their privacy back.

There's note as funny as folk !  :

Brett

[pjulk]

Seriously though i am new to wfp and im a bit concerned about losing customers because of change

I was a bit like you when i first started worried about losing customers, What they would think about the dripping water and leaving the windows wet.

So what i did was if the customer was in i would clean the downstairs traditionaly.

I also think you are still worried about the system yourself whether it will do what it says, I was and think most of the others on here were.

I had a few comments, I could do that with my hose pipe, you've left my windows wet.
There water still dripping from my windows.

I then asked the one's who said something.
Did you readthe letter i gave you telling you about how it all works and most said NO.
I then said if you read it. It will explain how it all works and what to expect.

I only lost one customer as she did not like her decking getting wet.

But i have picked up loads more since then.
Now i don't go into detail with the customers how it works i just tell them

Im not like traditional window cleaners i don't use ladders,
I use specialised cleaning system with purified water and when i have finished, your windows will still be wet but will dry clear.

Don't have any problem with that.

The one's you lose are not really the one's you want anyway.

Paul

[windows_chepstow]

I've been using the WFP for two weeks now.  The majority of my customers don't seem to notice.  They see me cleaning their neighbors, then come out and pay me; saying 'we're going out'.

I give each one David's (of St Ives) letter of explanation and I bore every customer with an expanation too; if they dare ask.  I even threaten to get my hand-held TDS meter out and show them the difference between ordinary water and my water.

Some ask questions; some don't bat an eye-lid.  But on the whole the feedback I've received has been 99% positive.  One lady even put her price up from £9.00 to £10.00 she was that pleased I could do an awkward window; missed prior; and said they were 'looking good'.

I originally thought when she said 'looking good', that she was referring to me, and was dissapointed to find out she meant her windows (she's a bit of a flirt - but knocking on a bit; a good bit)!

The only complaint I've had was unfounded and I think this customer is one of those 'eccentric types' who would prefer me to risk life and limb to clean her windows.

If any customer got 'anti', I would use a tip given by Roy Harding.  He told a customer not to pay him at the time; but to send a cheque if they were happy with the results.  Three days later a cheque hit his doormat.

I'm still WF Poling and getting the ladders off to check my work; ironic I know; but I'm pleased with the results.  Clean frames and windows with a 'sheen'.

I'm getting confident with my small system; and I'm sure that helps too.

[Andrew McCann]

Tosh wrote

I'm getting confident with my small system; and I'm sure that helps too.

If you give the customer ANY feeling at all that you may doubt the effectiveness of WFP they pick up on it.

At the start of my foray into WFP it was so unnatural to walk away and leave windows wet I felt uneasy and yes like Tosh I did go back and check a few.. only if there was no-one in  However now on my 5th time around I have no problems at all. WFP technology isn't a magic wand. It's just another tool of the trade and once you get used to it you will trust it. So, if anyone says you left my windows wet I now just calmly say yes I have.. give a quick explanation and say "As always my work is guaranteed so if you have any problems at all with the END RESULT ( not the method ) let me know and I will get it sorted for you. Haven't had one call to complain so far.

Andrew