[sham33]

Hi, I've been dropping quite a few flyers just lately and I am a little annoyed by how many are tricking me into a one off clean. I've started to state quite clearly over the phone is it a once every 4 or 8 week service your after? After they have stated what they want I turn up and do the job.

Now I'm one of those who believe first impressions are everything and I basically go over the place twice. Once for the frames then back for the glass. I always check my work and its always spotless. Some of them have been really minging, black soot half way down the glass type thing with black frames i always bring them back to new.

Today after a really messy first clean and after she clearly stated once every 8 weeks over the phone she starts umm and arring at the front door when I say see you in 8 weeks. Then she says we will call you when we need them done. Now Im really fuming inside but trying to think calmly and not lose my rag I say to her why don't I book you in for 8 weeks and you can cancell if you change your mind but she wasn't interested I knew then that another one had played me for a fool.

So I've decided the only way to deal with these people is to cancel the high standards I set myself for new cleans. From now on I will only do the glass on first clean and maybe clean the frames over the first 3 visits. I cant think of a better way.

Rant over.

Thank you.

[king marko]

You could always charge more for first cleans? With maybe a % reduction for say the next 3 cleans Following that
This way if they cancel after first clean you haven't lost much, if they cancel after 3/4th clean you still have made something from it

[sham33]

I know some charge for an initial clean but I've never liked asking for more. I've always been willing to take the risk of not asking more for the reward of a long time customer but these past month has been a complete joke. Im just going to lower the effort I put into first cleans. Then I wont care as its a bit of extra cash and they haven't got one over on me.

[king marko]

Imagine how the guys who offer groupon feel
Half price cleans - and I'll bet little/no return custom

Just reiterate before first clean your terms and conditions pal
You'll soon sniff out the chancers

[Jackal]

its very annoying mate sometimes if they really minging theres a reason why.... they arnt that bothered in having windows done reguarly,started one this morning a lady saw me on next door house and asks for me do hers then says can you just do the fronts as she can do rear patio door  i looked and thought what bout rear upstairs windows,anyway did one window minging inside as well as outside and black rubber was running and making a right mess so thought sod it and packed up and went,reckon she would turn into a crap custys

[EandM]

Customers lie - it's a fact of life!

My personal annoyance is when you're pricing up and you ask them if there are any windows on the end - they always say no.
I now always check because 90% of the time there are 2 or 3 windows that they had ' forgotten ' about.
When you don't clean these windows that you haven't seen or checked for their existence the customer miraculously ' remembers ' them with hilarious consequences!

[dazmond]

none of any new customers ive picked up over the last 2 years have been time wasters that i can think off.i must be lucky!

the difference is i dont go looking for new work.i let them come to me.people who approach me when working or get recommended from existing customers turn into good solid regulars from my experience.

ha i have thought of one!but i dumped her after i finally got paid(3 months after the first clean!!)

[sham33]

Yeah I'm the same normally I let them come to me from word of mouth but my round needed a quick boost so I went looking for them. Your right though getting customers from within the circle of customers you have is always better.

[AuRavelling79]

Yeah I'm the same normally I let them come to me from word of mouth but my round needed a quick boost so I went looking for them. Your right though getting customers from within the circle of customers you have is always better.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS did I say ALWAYS? ... charge 50-100% extra for a first clean.

Here's how (after telling and reminding them that you only do regular work):-

You: How long since they were last done?
Her: six months/a year/cannae remember ...

You: Well they will need bringing up to scratch and my normal monthly amount is £10 and two-monthly it's £12.50 but for the first clean it's £20.00.

RESPONSE A)

Her: Ooh err um
You: B'bye now!

RESPONSE B)

Her: That's fine
You: I hope you don't mind me saying, but I have had experience of one or two shifty customers who get me to clean the windows once or twice and then cancel because they only wanted a "one-off"; I don't mind whether you are a monthly customer or a two monthly one but those are my terms.
Her: No, I understand, carry on.

Even this isn't foolproof but instead of a fifty/fifty chance of getting a messer it will be one in ten.

[Perfect Windows]

I know some charge for an initial clean but I've never liked asking for more. I've always been willing to take the risk of not asking more for the reward of a long time customer but these past month has been a complete joke. Im just going to lower the effort I put into first cleans. Then I wont care as its a bit of extra cash and they haven't got one over on me.

I'm a little surprised that you're scared to ask for more for a first clean but you're OK with not doing a good job.

Ref your question, about 5-10% of mine are one-offs.  If you're not adding anything for the first clean, you just need to see the wasters as one of the costs of getting the remaining 90-95% that are good customers. 

Alternatively, you need to charge more for a first clean.

Vin

[Steve Sed]

Always charge more for a first clean. I make exceptions, but in general if the windows are minging, my spidey senses start tingling. Two years in and not been caught out for a while now. Even if I was, I wouldn't be too bothered as I got a good price.

[Paul Coleman]

Generally no problems for the work I pick up myself but I bought some work a few months ago and regret it due to a high proportion of messers.  I never got as far as the first clean with a few of them.  Another one wanted appointments individually suited to their personal needs (not practical at 15+ miles for a £35 job) and another one bumped me for £45.  That is particularly frustrating because the seller and myself both wrote separate letters, I received no response to either of the first two bills.  On the third bill I got an email that might as well have told me to eff off (more politely than that though).  I normally do two cleans max.  However, there are a few decent jobs and customers in amongst it all and some OK average work too.  I paid £2k.  Knowing what I know now, I reckon £1k max.  I can't see me buying work again.  I think part of the problem is that the seller was more flexible with them than I can afford to be - partly because he already had a full time income elsewhere and partly because he could run around the jobs more easily as he lives close by.  Unfortunately, they probably think the service he supplied is normal and that has spoilt it a bit for me with the ones who think my business can revolve around their shopping trips.

[Johnny B]

I would guess that 50-75% of my customers have messed me about at some point.

There are several reasons for this:
a) I am a softy. I try to be all things to everyone, but of course many don't appreciate that. My  
    fault, but there it is. It's my nature.

b) I am in Ireland! Regular domestic window cleaning is the exception rather than the rule,
    so most people are not used to it.

c) The Celtic Tiger died in 2008, meaning that most ordinary people are potless. I arrived in
    2011.

I deal with it by treating each day as if I am driving a mobile shop. If anyone says not today, or come back next week, I go back only if I have any free slots. If I am booked up, I tell them i will be back in a month or so and leave it with them.

I am still picking up new work, and eventually will have a full book. When I have, I will seize the the advantage I will have to pick, choose and cull, rather than being the beggar and taking all I can get at the moment.

John
      


  

[Cliff perkins]

I think do em and if they turn into regulars all good.if they dont its still money in your pocket and you build a good reputation.
Always try to do a good job regardless.

[Johnny B]

I think do em and if they turn into regulars all good.if they dont its still money in your pocket and you build a good reputation.
Always try to do a good job regardless.

Exactly!

John

[Paul Coleman]

I would guess that 50-75% of my customers have messed me about at some point.

There are several reasons for this:
a) I am a softy. I try to be all things to everyone, but of course many don't appreciate that. My  
    fault, but there it is. It's my nature.

b) I am in Ireland! Regular domestic window cleaning is the exception rather than the rule,
    so most people are not used to it.

c) The Celtic Tiger died in 2008, meaning that most ordinary people are potless.

I deal with it by treating each day as if I am driving a mobile shop. If anyone says not today, or come back next week, I go back only if I have any free slots. If I am booked up, I tell them i will be back in a month or so and leave it with them.

I am still picking up new work, and eventually will have a full book. When I have, I will seize the the advantage I will have to pick, choose and cull, rather than being the beggar and taking all I can get at the moment.

John
      

Sounds about right.  I put up with a lot of messing when I first started.  I took the view that I would only be at home anyway so I might as well go out and earn a bit from the ones who chose to mess about.  There were also plenty of OK customers too.  When my books got full I started to replace the customers who messed me about with ones who didn't.

[Londoner]

There is always a sorting out process with new customers. The commonest thing I have found over the years is that the novelty wears off after about three cleans and they start putting you off. But others turn out good and stay with you for years.
Thats why I prefer leaflets and always have. If they take the trouble to phone you up there is a better chance they are serious. People can just say yes to something on the doorstep more or less on the spur of the moment. No thought given to it at all.

[bobplum]

there is no easy answer to all this
isparkle gets the standing order set up first then comes and cleans them

[Ian101]

In answer to question it depends where the customers come from.

If they approach you or they come on referral from a customer then 99% of em are proper people but if canvassed then probably about 25% - 30% of em will be messers and 1 off merchants.

I know this for defo as a few months back I had a canvasser for a few weeks who got me approx 30 customers fast foward 3 months or so and 30 now about 18 -20 .... not canvassers fault just the way things are.

 .............. however I binned a few off myself as these days prob too trigger happy and now have zero tolerence to any kinda messing as in long run they would have been gone anyway ... just I now prefer to do it sooner rather than later.

[jim bean]

I always explain my conditions to every customer and only once had one have a one clean and that's it. I explain its very month or two, if not I will do a one off clean, often around 150% and I explain that they will get better each time so it makes sence to have em done regularly!