[Joe Shanahan]

I want to change my custies to 4 weekly from 6 weekly- anybody done this & how did you handle customers?  Anybody put any prices down to please awkward/ well priced customers?  I know it's business suicide putting prices down but can't see how some £30 6 weekly customers will be happy with going 4 weekly?

[Smudger]

Why do you want to change frequency?

We are 4, 8, and sometimes 12 weekly and I often feel I should have done 6 and 12 weekly for WFP


Darran

[dazmond]

dont do it joe!if you have some well priced 6 weekly jobs i dont think they will be pleased if your coming around more often!

if you need more work then get out leafleting and canvassing.most of my work is monthly and 2 monthly although i do have some good paying 6 weekly jobs slightly out of my main area of work.

ive never changed the frequency of my customers to earlier.i did change my fornightly work to monthly around 10 years ago though!

also look out for dirty fascias and conny roofs on your existing customers properties and offer to clean them if you need to fill a few more days with work.

best wishes


dazmond

[Tom White]

What Daz said.  Stick to your original agreement with your customers.

[tlwcs]

Get more 6 weekly work is the answer
Tony

[Joe Shanahan]

Cheers Lads

I know what you are all saying but it makes me virtually full if I was to go 4 weekly from 6- I used to be 4 & 8 but I got the hump with having to look at book to see which houses to skip that time round!  I Know the answer is to get more customers really but I want to be full now!

[roundbuilder]

Just tell the customers you will be going to go 4 weekly instead of 6 because you notice how dirty there windows and frames get leaving them so long, you cant beat 4 weekly maintance work and as you say by having them at 4 weekly you will be near full up. I do this with 8 weekly saying to them "wouldnt you rather me clean yours 4 weekly like the rest of my round to keep them clean all year round as at 8 you get left with bird muck/dust"etc. its amaizing the amount that change from 8 to 4 when you talk them round, just do the same with yours most wont care or bat an eyelid and maybe the few who do have them as 8 weekly so you will have the round all in sync.
Joe i still have that pole if you want it mate.

[supernova77]

But you won't be full now if the you change the frequency because you will loose some customers.. Then you will have to go out canvassing anyway - so you may as well just go out canvassing and pick more customers up now.

Andy

[supernova77]

Just tell the customers you will be going to go 4 weekly instead of 6 because you notice how dirty there windows and frames get leaving them so long, you cant beat 4 weekly maintance work and as you say by having them at 4 weekly you will be near full up. I do this with 8 weekly saying to them "wouldnt you rather me clean yours 4 weekly like the rest of my round to keep them clean all year round as at 8 you get left with bird muck/dust"etc. its amaizing the amount that change from 8 to 4 when you talk them round, just do the same with yours most wont care or bat an eyelid and maybe the few who do have them as 8 weekly so you will have the round all in sync.
Joe i still have that pole if you want it mate.

Mick,

What is your average priced job though?

Can't see that working for £25 / £30 + customers...

Andy

[dazmond]

joe ive picked up customers in the past who have complained to me that their previous window cleaner came around too often.these were mainly fortnightly though and are happy for me to clean them monthly.some thought monthly was too frequent so 2 monthly suits them.

so you have already changed frequency before?

round software would help you manage your frequencies better.

at the end of the day its your round so its up to you but i wouldnt do it.

[Joe Shanahan]

Yeah I do use aworka now but I just don't see the point in having multiple frequencies ie 4,6 & 8-  what happens if you are on a road and a 3rd want 4 weekly, a 3rd want 8 weekly and a 3rd 6 weekly.  Are u gonna make the trip to that road 3 times?  That's why I chose to go from 4 & 8 to 6 weekly as it was a happy medium.

I think I'm just going to build up another 4 weekly round and then when that's got enough custys change all customers to 4 & 8 weekly and any that aren't happy sell them on

[Rayleigh Window Cleaning Services]

Joe

The reason for several visits to an area is because people are different.

Mrs Jones type like 2 or 4 weekly/ good regular lady.

Mrs Smith type 6 weekly no earlier/ bread and butter girl, good regular lady.

Mrs Hall type every other month/ likes them done but not want to see you for at least 8-9 weeks, good regular lady.

Mrs last of all, every 3-6 months/ its a big event for her, but she don't require you so much, but can still be a good lady.

It comes down to pricing right for the frequency.

Trying to get a full round of 4 weekly regular and reliable takes some doing, but nice if it works out.

Good luck with it mate.

Steve



 

[supernova77]

Having different frequencies also makes your round flexible.

For example I turned up at an 8 weekly job last week - they were having some building work done - looked on Aworka there and then and saw that I had a 12 weekly due a week later 2 miles down the road so went and did that instead - so I did the 12 weekly one after 11 weeks but the customer didn't mind and I still met my days turnover target.

Andy

[Ian101]

If you really wanted to go 4 weekly then just do it without telling them as most wont notice - remember whilst window cleaning fills our heads for most of the working week for customers it fills approx 0.0000000001 % of their heads

however

for the big jobs give them the option of 4 weekly or 8 weekly as well as any of the smaller jobs that notice - any that do notice just tell them that due to customer demand you have gone over to 4 weekly.

however

on a 5 week month you will be scheduled to clean some jobs twice in the same month so best not do this for a while yet.

[Smudger]

For me offering 4 6 and 8 wky are too many options and can't be run smoothly. 4 and 8 or 6 and 12 can be as you visit the road every 4 weeks - one visit maybe for 5 houses the next time 7 usually I manage to stagger 8 weekers so overall we clean the same number of houses in a road just different ones

As with eight weekers you should be getting better pricing for 6 weekers over a four weekly clean.  And yes some may not notice or care but a certain percentage will - what that percentage that is I can not say.

Darran

[dazmond]

ive got to admit most of my work is monthly and some  2 monthly.the 6 weekly work is slightly out of my other areas.i wouldnt offer 6 weekly on my monthly/2 monthly work.

i also have some 3 monthly well priced jobs and a 6 monthly big church.i can always fit them in when they are due.and i always seem to find time for the add on jobs as well.this is with over 360 regular customers mostly monthly.

my round is running VERY smoothly!as always!as im over organised!!!

[dave0123]

Surely offering 4-6-8 weekly around your current round would cause a bit of inconvenience in the long run driving all over the place using more fuel??

4 and 8 weekly sound better to me maybe even 12 weekly then it all stays in a better "route" order

[dazmond]

dave i put around £15 of diesel in my van every week.averaging £60 a month in fuel bills.

[DG Cleaning]

For me the cleans have got to be in synch it would have to be 4,8 or 6,12 I wouldn't want to visit a house just on its own to do a 6 weekly in between 4's and 8's on the same street.

[dave0123]

For me the cleans have got to be in synch it would have to be 4,8 or 6,12 I wouldn't want to visit a house just on its own to do a 6 weekly in between 4's and 8's on the same street.

that's my point of view, not so bad if your a new starter and haven't got much work but as you get more busier it will just end up being a pain.