[C o z y]

and back to the original question of calling or not the night before, so far this week I would have lost £87 if I had not called.

So for 30 minutes of hassle £87 is a good little earner

The funny thing about this is that I lost £70 because I DID call.  This was two customers - customers that can be replaced by a bit of door knocking for "turn up and clean" work if I choose to go down that route.  I may well replace one of them as they seem to be turning into a serial messer but the other one seems OK (so far).  I am lost as to why anyone would prefer a "pre-notify" job over a "turn up and clean".  I realise that money can be left out but a cheque in the post or a bank transfer can soon remedy that.  Turn up and clean does mean more money outstanding generally but once you get to that position, it doesn't worsen.  This is because double payments are coming in from previous visits while some fail to pay promptly in the here and now.  The two tend to balance out once the first few weeks have been overcome.

Paul

What would have happened if you hadn't called and drove all the way to them and then they cancelled, that would be a waste of time and fuel.

I have a lot of properties where to gain access to the backs if they are not at home, would require me to parachute into their back garden, I could of course just turn up and clean the front, drop a slip and wait for payment, but I would lose money by not cleaning the backs, I would then have to start chasing payments from those who forget to send a cheque etc.

I have worked it out that if I did not call and they are not in, I would lose over £800 per month, the amount of time involved in small and yes you do get the not this time, but most of these are done within the next week to 10 days, only a very small percentage are lost from that months income figures.

I have a nursing home I do and it was due to be done next week, it takes the whole morning to do and I always drop the invoice off the week before I do it so the cheque is ready for me when I clean.

I turned up monday and the whole place is covered in scaffolding because they need a new roof and there is no way I could clean it.

It is now rebooked for 3 weeks time so I have not lost a complete clean, just 50% of it but it has saved me money by me knowing.

That's marginally more interesting than my last Sainsbury's receipt I have from last Setember.

[William McCafferty]

Hi Paul

I do on some customers have key or access codes or they have a keysafe of their property, this customer though will make sure that someone is at home when I am call the night before, the house is only 3 miles away from me and I am always passing by it every week, so I not too bothered about a special trip.

I do though have some special customers who are on my saturday round, I think about 10 and I don't like adding them unless nessasary, but this round is very hit and miss if I do it on time, it depends on the night before and what the hangover is like.

When I first started I did not call the night before, but I was finding that my income was half wat it should be and when I did finally get access to the backs they where just like a 1st clean, you cannot keep on charging 1st clean prices on regular customers.

So I started to call/text the night before and I have done it since, yes at first I did have alot who tried to pull a fast one by saying not this time, I would just say no problem i will take you off my list call me when you want them done again and I see if I can fit you in.

This stopped the not this time in its tracks, the customers who now say this are the ones who have not got the money on them or they have a appointment they cannot break, normally these can be overcome by thats alright pay me next time ot what times your appointment, I then can plan my route around this time, so they will either be moved up to number 1 or the last on the list, if this is not possible for me then I put them on the next available day, this is normally within a week.

Time wise it does not take anything out of my day, I now get into the habit of calling/texting while I'm out cleaning, so while I'm waiting for my staff to finsh I will make a call/text.

In the past I have worked for years in the Taxi and Courier trades so planning routes and multi-picks and deliveries is normal, so planning a day cleaning windows is easy.

Unlike a mate of mine who tried to give a time of day he will be there I only give a morning or afternoon or before or after a certain time.

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

[Ian101]

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

Are you asking how many windies on here earn at that level who dont call ahead ............. ive reread it a few times and not sure what you are asking.

And are you talking turnover per week ?

[Tom White]

I can't be bothered to read all this post - but have picked up a few dodgy looking comments in it - so are you guys posting nicely?  I have a feeling of getting some negative vibes off it.

You can robustly argue a point without having to get all personal and nasty about it, you know!

Now be nice to each other.

Thanks. 

[Ian101]

All postings ok .... maybe a little heated and some strong opinions but nowt for you to worry about .... maybe if it was late on a friday and alcohol fuelled then different matter.  


Nothing to see here Mr Mod  

[Tom White]

 

[Ian101]

So then Tosh do you call / text ahead for permission to clean ? 

[britishwill]

I always email my clients a week before they are due.
The reasons are below:
I let them know the date and also on the email say if there is anything else that needs attention please let me know. (At the end of the email I mention we also clean insides, powerwash and guttering). It get me loads of extra work on average 2 jobs a week.
I weed out timewasters to get my round as 'perfect as poss'
Almost all my clients remark on its good to know when you are coming, not like my old window cleaner.
Helps with locked gates being open instead of locked.

I have a database that allows me to send all the emails for that week in a single click so no faffing about.

[Dave Willis]

Hmmm, how do you predict the weather a week in advance or does that not affect you?

[britishwill]

If its terrible weather you reschedule and send another email. I work in light rain anyway

[Paul Coleman]

Hi Paul

I do on some customers have key or access codes or they have a keysafe of their property, this customer though will make sure that someone is at home when I am call the night before, the house is only 3 miles away from me and I am always passing by it every week, so I not too bothered about a special trip.

I do though have some special customers who are on my saturday round, I think about 10 and I don't like adding them unless nessasary, but this round is very hit and miss if I do it on time, it depends on the night before and what the hangover is like.

When I first started I did not call the night before, but I was finding that my income was half wat it should be and when I did finally get access to the backs they where just like a 1st clean, you cannot keep on charging 1st clean prices on regular customers.

So I started to call/text the night before and I have done it since, yes at first I did have alot who tried to pull a fast one by saying not this time, I would just say no problem i will take you off my list call me when you want them done again and I see if I can fit you in.

This stopped the not this time in its tracks, the customers who now say this are the ones who have not got the money on them or they have a appointment they cannot break, normally these can be overcome by thats alright pay me next time ot what times your appointment, I then can plan my route around this time, so they will either be moved up to number 1 or the last on the list, if this is not possible for me then I put them on the next available day, this is normally within a week.

Time wise it does not take anything out of my day, I now get into the habit of calling/texting while I'm out cleaning, so while I'm waiting for my staff to finsh I will make a call/text.

In the past I have worked for years in the Taxi and Courier trades so planning routes and multi-picks and deliveries is normal, so planning a day cleaning windows is easy.

Unlike a mate of mine who tried to give a time of day he will be there I only give a morning or afternoon or before or after a certain time.

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

I can see that in a few circumstances, pre notifying in this way is not a problem.  I even do a tiny bit of it myself.  I have a row of three pretty large house on a private estate that I clean.  One needs to unlock a bottom bolt on the gate, another has a gate in front of the drive which they are OK with me climbing over (very easy climb and barely 3 foot high).  The other one is more secluded and has very high front gates and although they are OK with leaving them open for a couple of hours while they are out, they wouldn't leave them open all day.  So the latter one is the one I have to work around.  However, I earn decent money for the three properties and can treat it as a mini round on its own.  It's about 8 miles from home and about 4 miles from my water supply.  On the other hand, there is another area where most of the houses only have access through the garage, the road frontage is narrow for a large van, and a couple of them seem to think I can live on fresh air.  I'm seriously considering dropping all I do in that road (£151 every 2 months).  It came in a batch of work that I bought so I'm reluctant but it looks like I may have to cut my losses on those ones.  It looks like I will only be keeping about 50% of the work I bought a while back.  Pity really but live and learn I guess.  I would have been better off going out canvassing for a few evenings and choosing my own work.  I paid £2k but in view of the issues I've encountered, barely worth £1k really.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Hmmm, how do you predict the weather a week in advance or does that not affect you?

He cleans when it's lashing it down & his customers love him for it!

[Tom White]

So then Tosh do you call / text ahead for permission to clean ? 

Never for permission, but I do for access.  I'm pretty firm on my terms and conditions and rarely even do one-offs if I've regular work around.  I might do a one off if I'm there and someone asks me and I stick a high price in and it gets accepted, but I'm reluctant to travel to quote for a one off.

But no, I don't ask for permission to clean; that's a given when I quote my price and frequency.

[William McCafferty]

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

Are you asking how many windies on here earn at that level who dont call ahead ............. ive reread it a few times and not sure what you are asking.

And are you talking turnover per week ?

Hi Ian

As you know I call/text the night before and I have 194 Window Cleaning customers, I just checked on George and my average income was £658 per week, I haven't checked what the supposed turnover figure should be if all had their windows done both front and back.

I keep on hearing that most windies have 300 to 400 hundred customers, so I was wondering how my part time round compares to them who don't call.

So if a another cleaner has say 225 customers and they don't call the night before but still took £600 to £675 a week on average then maybe I am wasting my time calling the night before.

If though they are taking a lot less then maybe I am doing things right for me.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

Are you asking how many windies on here earn at that level who dont call ahead ............. ive reread it a few times and not sure what you are asking.

And are you talking turnover per week ?

Hi Ian

As you know I call/text the night before and I have 194 Window Cleaning customers, I just checked on George and my average income was £658 per week, I haven't checked what the supposed turnover figure should be if all had their windows done both front and back.

I keep on hearing that most windies have 300 to 400 hundred customers, so I was wondering how my part time round compares to them who don't call.

So if a another cleaner has say 225 customers and they don't call the night before but still took £600 to £675 a week on average then maybe I am wasting my time calling the night before.

If though they are taking a lot less then maybe I am doing things right for me.

Now, is that figure for 3 days on the windows, or 5 days on windows/carpets/soloar panels etc? Is it just you or staff too?

[William McCafferty]

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

Are you asking how many windies on here earn at that level who dont call ahead ............. ive reread it a few times and not sure what you are asking.

And are you talking turnover per week ?

Hi Ian

As you know I call/text the night before and I have 194 Window Cleaning customers, I just checked on George and my average income was £658 per week, I haven't checked what the supposed turnover figure should be if all had their windows done both front and back.

I keep on hearing that most windies have 300 to 400 hundred customers, so I was wondering how my part time round compares to them who don't call.

So if a another cleaner has say 225 customers and they don't call the night before but still took £600 to £675 a week on average then maybe I am wasting my time calling the night before.

If though they are taking a lot less then maybe I am doing things right for me.

Now, is that figure for 3 days on the windows, or 5 days on windows/carpets/soloar panels etc? Is it just you or staff too?

That is the Window Cleaning figures only over 3 days

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I would though, be intersted to know how many customers, cleaners have, who don't call to take home say £650 every week not what their round says they can earn but what they are getting on average.

This will let me know whether I am getting my sums wrong

Are you asking how many windies on here earn at that level who dont call ahead ............. ive reread it a few times and not sure what you are asking.

And are you talking turnover per week ?

Hi Ian

As you know I call/text the night before and I have 194 Window Cleaning customers, I just checked on George and my average income was £658 per week, I haven't checked what the supposed turnover figure should be if all had their windows done both front and back.

I keep on hearing that most windies have 300 to 400 hundred customers, so I was wondering how my part time round compares to them who don't call.

So if a another cleaner has say 225 customers and they don't call the night before but still took £600 to £675 a week on average then maybe I am wasting my time calling the night before.

If though they are taking a lot less then maybe I am doing things right for me.

Now, is that figure for 3 days on the windows, or 5 days on windows/carpets/soloar panels etc? Is it just you or staff too?

That is the Window Cleaning figures only over 3 days

Quite good for just you but crap for more than one man.

[William McCafferty]

I totally agree with you, this figure is ok for 1 man and a van, but I am looking at building it up to £800 to £900 for 2 men in 1 van.

Thats another reason I will keep on calling the night before, any that do cancel or cannot be done will be replaced by another customer so the daily income figure is roughly £300, the excess work will be cleaned by me at first until there is enough work to start another van on a 3 day week.

Hopefully I can keep on repeating this method and grow at a steady rate, but it will take time and I have allocated 5 years to achieve what I want.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I totally agree with you, this figure is ok for 1 man and a van, but I am looking at building it up to £800 to £900 for 2 men in 1 van.

Thats another reason I will keep on calling the night before, any that do cancel or cannot be done will be replaced by another customer so the daily income figure is roughly £300, the excess work will be cleaned by me at first until there is enough work to start another van on a 3 day week.

Hopefully I can keep on repeating this method and grow at a steady rate, but it will take time and I have allocated 5 years to achieve what I want.

So what are you saying, is that figure for you & your staff or just you at this moment in time?

[William McCafferty]

I totally agree with you, this figure is ok for 1 man and a van, but I am looking at building it up to £800 to £900 for 2 men in 1 van.

Thats another reason I will keep on calling the night before, any that do cancel or cannot be done will be replaced by another customer so the daily income figure is roughly £300, the excess work will be cleaned by me at first until there is enough work to start another van on a 3 day week.

Hopefully I can keep on repeating this method and grow at a steady rate, but it will take time and I have allocated 5 years to achieve what I want.

So what are you saying, is that figure for you & your staff or just you at this moment in time?

that's me and 1 member of staff, i normally pick him up at 10am and drop him home by 3.30pm