[roundbuilder]

door knocked last sunday 2 hours 9 new jobs om the day 3 phoned up since all £10 jobs did on monday all paid no probs you cant beat knocking you see them they see you

spot on mate. well done a good turn out.

[Window Washers]

so you drop 5000 leaflets (which i did recently) got 10 cleans i know for a fact if you knock on 5000 doors you gona get 350 cleans or more.

doesnt that figure of 4990 anoy any leaflet guys?
im sure at least 30% of that figure would most likley think about using us and half of those would most likly be cleaned but they just dont pick up the phone!

To knock 5000 doors and get an answer would probably take 6 months full time door knocking.

about 2 to 300+ doors a day for one person in an average area terraced semis etc
speak to about 50+ people? 1 in 5 get cleaned so 10 days 100 cleans and about 2000+ doors knocked i think i said 350+ take into acount better days dont think it will take more then a month. but that would be good going 6 days a week.

also you could do it faster with more man power.
hard work and lots of messing about and realisticly could go a couple of months
going home early and stuff dont forget its an anoying job...
1 in 5 people you talk to become a custy. Is that right? Seems like a large percentage.

thats nowhere near the truth, I wish it was I would be loaded

[Ian Lancaster]

how much % approx are you getting steve?
or what would you expect from a 5k drop these days?

I only leaflet myself when I am not busy. I don't monitor that closely to be honest, but I have definitely picked up less work this year from leafletting. I door knock sometimes around houses I am cleaning and when people are in the rate is quite good, but I hate the fact that I don't feel able to charge extra for the first clean when I knock.

We never charge more for the first clean.  We make a point of telling the customers there isn't any 'first time premium' because we don't do one-offs, we expect an on-going arrangement.

If you charge an extra 50% on a £20 job you make an extra £10, but if you do that £20 job every month for a year, you make £240.  Why worry about not making that extra £10?

[Steve Sed]

how much % approx are you getting steve?
or what would you expect from a 5k drop these days?

I only leaflet myself when I am not busy. I don't monitor that closely to be honest, but I have definitely picked up less work this year from leafletting. I door knock sometimes around houses I am cleaning and when people are in the rate is quite good, but I hate the fact that I don't feel able to charge extra for the first clean when I knock.

We never charge more for the first clean.  We make a point of telling the customers there isn't any 'first time premium' because we don't do one-offs, we expect an on-going arrangement.

If you charge an extra 50% on a £20 job you make an extra £10, but if you do that £20 job every month for a year, you make £240.  Why worry about not making that extra £10?

Because experience tells me that a percentage of minging first cleans will not last as most likely they were minging because they were happy to let them become minging. Also, I don't enjoy doing an hour's work on a minger for half or less my target hourly rate. I also charge according to the extent of their mingingness. If they aren't too bad it generally means that they want their windows kept clean and I won't charge any extra at all. Also, most of my work is two monthly.

Also, I will do one-offs and charge between 100% and 300% more depending on how bad\desperate\irritating they are.

So you see our businesses both involve cleaning windows, but in just about every other respect they are different. So what works for you doesn't work for me.

[CLEANCARE WC]

how much % approx are you getting steve?
or what would you expect from a 5k drop these days?

I only leaflet myself when I am not busy. I don't monitor that closely to be honest, but I have definitely picked up less work this year from leafletting. I door knock sometimes around houses I am cleaning and when people are in the rate is quite good, but I hate the fact that I don't feel able to charge extra for the first clean when I knock.

We never charge more for the first clean.  We make a point of telling the customers there isn't any 'first time premium' because we don't do one-offs, we expect an on-going arrangement.

If you charge an extra 50% on a £20 job you make an extra £10, but if you do that £20 job every month for a year, you make £240.  Why worry about not making that extra £10?

Because experience tells me that a percentage of minging first cleans will not last as most likely they were minging because they were happy to let them become minging. Also, I don't enjoy doing an hour's work on a minger for half or less my target hourly rate. I also charge according to the extent of their mingingness. If they aren't too bad it generally means that they want their windows kept clean and I won't charge any extra at all. Also, most of my work is two monthly.

Also, I will do one-offs and charge between 100% and 300% more depending on how bad\desperate\irritating they are.

So you see our businesses both involve cleaning windows, but in just about every other respect they are different. So what works for you doesn't work for me.

IM WITH STEVE ON THIS ONE

[richard jagger]

   I never uses the term "FIRST CLEAN"it sound like its a ripoff the first clean. Say "deep clean" then explain what will be different with this clean to the other cleans. The next cleans will be a maintenance cleans. Then tell them why these cost less. You will be able to always do more deep cleans say after the winter at the higher rate.
    I also think its better to knock as the customer meets you and can see if you a dodgy, we do not have a good image out there due to some cowboys practices.
    Its sad to thing that we are judged by the lowest standard in out industry not the best.
Till some some guys realized they are all part of one  industry this bad image will never change.

[Mike #1]

Good point Slumpy dog , I was just thinking about the same thing yesterday as i was cleaning a couple of mingers , think i will start explaining to new custys a bit more when deciding to charge them extra . Mike

[Steve Sed]

What I say is "that will be 18 every 8 weeks but because they have not been cleaned for some time (real meaning because they are blimmin' minging) it will be 25/30/35 (depending on how minging) for the first clean as they will take quite a bit more time".

The point is though that this is much more difficult to do on a knocked door.

Having said that, I have been thinking a lot recently about the future. A local window cleaner developed lung cancer and wasn't even able to sell his round because of no accounts. But even if he did have accounts he would have been lucky to get five times its monthly value. I had been content to just slowly build with leafleting and develop a nice living.....

[Crystal-clear]

1-5 on average become a first clean I didn't say customers. Maybe 1-8 go longer term

Ian, I totally know you have hit the big time, n u know what u r doing but in my experience ,going round saying you only do regular for the same price for the customers who only want a one off will lie to your face and use any excuse under the sun to sack you,ie husband,bad job,anything  

I used to do it but people just don't care and will bullpoop you.now I don't know if your areas people are better and maybe more honest.

I now treat new customers only as one offs I'm not expecting them to stick nor do I quizz em on the door i make em aware the option of sticking to an 8 weekly clean. BUt it's something we will speak about after 2 weeks of the clean,charge the most you can on average 50% More n treat it as a numbers game,I've had horrible people on the doors become my number one customers and screaming ravers become one hit wonders.