[Paul Coleman]

Well I did a first clean on a house yesterday and got a phone call today cancelling - and saying that he's not paying.  He said there were spots, water marks, a piece of bird's mess and he reckoned I hadn't done the back door.
Spots and runs maybe.  I did scrub hard on some birds mess though and it looked like it had gone from ground level.  As for the back door - I know I did that.
The bit that peed me off was that he wouldn't let me put the job right. Fair enough not paying if I've done a c rap job but an opportunity to put it right would have been more reasonable.  I would have done it the trad way to make sure I got a close-up view of where I went wrong.  He doesn't like the fact that his dog goes ballistic while I'm there is the reason given for not wanting me back.  Pity he didn't think of that to start with.
This WFP lark is going to take a bit of getting used to for me I think.  The windows involved are very new ones as they were only fitted a few months ago.  They didn't seem to want to sheet at all and just kept beading up.  I did get it out of the customer that he used washing up liquid on them when he cleaned them a while back.  I suspect that the glass was coated too.  It's not so much doing a bad job that bugs me - though I do try to work to a reasonable standard.  It's more to do with not being allowed back so that I can figure out what went wrong.  Without that, it can be hard to learn new stuff.

[macleod]

i had a similar experience
old bloke doesnt think wfp can clean windows hence doesnt want windows cleaned using wfp.

however you are better off having customers that 'love' wfp than are dubious about it. the dubious ones always moan - and do you relly want to have to pacify a moaning goat....?

anyway upshot was i said if it left a mark i wouldnt ask for money... the windows were perfect - but i still dropped the house...

there's so much work dont worry... you will probably pick up a house thats worth double!

kev

[Andrew McCann]

I know it's hard but don't let this one bother you. He is a bad customer I think. Any reasonable person would give you the chance to put it right.

Chin up and move on.. for every bad one like him WFP will get you 2 or 3 good ones.


Andrew

[squeaky-clean 1]

i have found that old men dont like wfp.

old laddies do like wfp .

this is because old men think that it should be done with ladders just because thats the way its always been done (victor meldrews).

old ladies like the fact that you are useing clean water to wash thier windows and not the dirty water you have used on lots of house before them.

i have found that young profesionals dont need convinsing as they know how important H&S is in the work place.

old men dont like change.

Belinda

[macleod]

he he he

its true

[Andrew Streetley]

Stay with it shiner.

It's true, everyone who has expressed doubt to me has been male. I had a (male) customer who told me that he was concerned that his thirteen year old mastic around his windows would suffer with me splashing water over it and could I do it the 'old fashioned way.' Who knows the age of their mastic on their property I ask you?

Regarding the beading problem, I can normally still get a good finish on first cleans on new windows if I scrub like a nutter and rinse rinse rinse. However I do take 45 minutes on an average first clean (14 windows). Third week of wfp and it does get better.  I could have cried on the first week..honest. I was at one customers house for over two hours after the frames would not stop milking down the panes. I think as long as you show that you want to do a good job then you won't have any problems.

I sent letters to all my customers warning them of the change (I only have a small round). Then on the first clean I would tell customers to let me know if the finish was not good and I would come back and rinse them again. I had two callbacks who both offered to pay me again! Haven't lost a customer yet.

On the plus side I picked up two more customers who saw my highly visible pole and trolley and inquired about it. It was actually three but one was the mother-in-law so that doesn't count. Come to think of it, she still hasn't paid me. 

[gsw]

how many times has it been said on here, drop them anyway, good customers aren't hard to find, good window cleaners are!....... I dropped 1 moaner on tuesday and picked up 3 new ones yesterday!
let the moaning g i t go through four or five more wc's until he gets himself a reliable regular service!

[classic]

what i do is this ,
                        when i first clean wiht wfp i include with the bill a leaflet explaining how the system works  etc .also a questionaire  .(please return with your cheque ) asking the following 3 things,

1 are you happy with the new system of cleaning     y n
2 are there aspots on the glass  y n
3 are the frames noticably cleaner  y n
 
+any other comments

 this puts the onus on the punter to make an inspection and also gives them the oppurtunity to make constructive comment or otherwise . i have had 98% positive comments
 this information can then be used positivley ie in a marketing way

[Moderator David@stives]

I just got a job today £140 a fortnight because of wfp .
I would not of touched it otherwise it is mostly first floor windows and half of them are georgeon.

I did it 6 weeks ago and had given up on getting the contract then the confirmation came through today .It took me 4 hours on the first clean and reckon i can knock 30 mins of that tommorrow.

Dave

[gaza]

shiner:tell him to go for a walk and chill out,cus shortly he will not ave a w/c who does it  trad.[believe me you are going in the right dirrection] isnt  he BRETT,PITY WE DONT LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO GO DO IT ON THE SLY EY BRETT,love to see his face when we put a letter through his door stating damage repaired and stick your money,Ijust love people who carnt see the wood for the trees.Shiner:head towards any 3 storie buildings that are being built everywhere and you will be amazed at the welcome you get of the owners of them.2 visits to new building sites 3 new building sites on my books,my flyers are going in their welcoming pack and the women in the marketing suite is giving me the nod when they move in,do their show home and two patio doors for £38 squid 12  windows + dooors now that higher priced than London but they have to use a cherry picker if Iwasnt able to do them,over keen h/s rep Im in his good books cus he reconds he can have a extra cup of tea when Im on site

Dont say sorry to anyone,just do your job to the best you can and walk away with you head held high,if they dont like it, get rid they will soon be replaced.

  gaza

[AuRavelling79]

what i do is this ,
                        when i first clean wiht wfp i include with the bill a leaflet explaining how the system works  etc .also a questionaire  .(please return with your cheque ) asking the following 3 things,

1 are you happy with the new system of cleaning     y n
2 are there aspots on the glass  y n
3 are the frames noticably cleaner  y n
 
+any other comments

 this puts the onus on the punter to make an inspection and also gives them the oppurtunity to make constructive comment or otherwise . i have had 98% positive comments
 this information can then be used positivley ie in a marketing way

Classic - you're a brave man!

[brett walker]

I've only just finished my first cleans with water fed and had no cancelations yet, starting my 2nd clean tomorrow.

Everyone ive spoke to seems happy so far, picked a customer up today traditional with ladders only 3 windows upstairs, she told me her last window cleaner had a wfp she did not want her windows cleaned by the wfp methord again.  He had made such a mess - puddles of water everywhere mud drips all down her door, i explained he was probably not doing it right or some kind of cowboy!
Told her when it is done correctly you have excellent results but she has made her mind up no wfp, it just goes to show if it is not done properly it puts customers off big time.

I will continue to clean her windows traditionally as i consider myself wfp and ladders-  different tools for different jobs ! with safety in mind 

regards

Brett

[AuRavelling79]

I will continue to clean her windows traditionally as i consider myself wfp and ladders-  different tools for different jobs ! with safety in mind 

regards

Brett

With safety in mind? With dosh in mind more like!

[brett walker]

I will continue to clean her windows traditionally as i consider myself wfp and ladders-  different tools for different jobs ! with safety in mind 

regards

Brett

With safety in mind? With dosh in mind more like!

   

[Paul Coleman]

I know it's hard but don't let this one bother you. He is a bad customer I think. Any reasonable person would give you the chance to put it right.

Chin up and move on.. for every bad one like him WFP will get you 2 or 3 good ones.


Andrew

I don't have an issue with his complaint.  I am a novice with WFP and he probably had a fair point re spots and water marks.  I would even have put the job right and not charged him.  It's a matter of professional pride.

[Paul Coleman]

i have found that old men dont like wfp.

old laddies do like wfp .

this is because old men think that it should be done with ladders just because thats the way its always been done (victor meldrews).

old ladies like the fact that you are useing clean water to wash thier windows and not the dirty water you have used on lots of house before them.

i have found that young profesionals dont need convinsing as they know how important H&S is in the work place.

old men dont like change.

Belinda

Funnily enough, the customer I refer to is quite young.  (Victor Meldrew jnr. ) 

[Paul Coleman]

how many times has it been said on here, drop them anyway, good customers aren't hard to find, good window cleaners are!....... I dropped 1 moaner on tuesday and picked up 3 new ones yesterday!
let the moaning g i t go through four or five more wc's until he gets himself a reliable regular service!

He will be doing them himself apparently.  No problem.  I've kept my side of the street clean by offering to put the job right free of charge.  I was going to suggest that he donate the price of the job to a charity but he wouldn't let me put the job right.

[Paul Coleman]

what i do is this ,
                        when i first clean wiht wfp i include with the bill a leaflet explaining how the system works  etc .also a questionaire  .(please return with your cheque ) asking the following 3 things,

1 are you happy with the new system of cleaning     y n
2 are there aspots on the glass  y n
3 are the frames noticably cleaner  y n
 
+any other comments

 this puts the onus on the punter to make an inspection and also gives them the oppurtunity to make constructive comment or otherwise . i have had 98% positive comments
 this information can then be used positivley ie in a marketing way

I don't have a questionnaire but I do have a brief info sheet explaining the basics of WFP and why I now have to use it.

[T_W_CONTRACTS]

you will get complaints 9 times out of 10 when using wfp domesticaly.

i only use the wfp on commercial contracts unless the domestic job you are doing has no alternative other than the pole   (difficult access) and even then you have to make the customer fully aware of the end result of the pole work, that way they cant complain as you have informed them of the advantages and disadvantages of the wfp.

for window cleaners who use the wfp out of sheer laziness then you cant really moan when you start losing work  :

[T_W_CONTRACTS]

double post.