[Carl2009]

Cleaning in the rain divides people on here. I'm wfp and have been since I started in 2009. I was determined to clean in the rain at first, but within a few months I changed my mind. 2 reasons - a) I didn't enjoy it, and b) comments from my custies.

Now before you all jump on me I live on a (non-profit making) smallholding 900 feet up in the Preselis, west Wales. I'm well aquainted with all types of precipitation, most of which falls horizontally, and I don't mind it - to a point. More seriously when my custies started exclaiming "You're not going to clean them in THIS are you" I had to reappraise my business approach.

I am a window cleaner but I see myself also as being in the customer service business - I want my customers to be happy to see me every time - so getting the frequency and price right and doing a good job every time is essential. Before this I worked in travel, planning all types of adventure holidays all over the Middle East and Asia. If people told us that they didn't like an aspect of a trip, or a hotel we listened and changed things, even if we didn't agree with their opinions or if it removed some of the adventure from the adventure trip they booked.
Similarly if my custies are going to begrudge paying me for cleaning windows if it was raining I had to listen. I upped my prices a little and built in wet days - like today - it's raining right now and here I am on CIU. If it stops i'll go out. Incidentally I find I have very few people comment "Leave it, it's going to rain".

Whatever people on here say rain can make windows dirty. It depends on the location of the property, how close the frontage is to a road, how busy that road is, the time of year and whether it's been warm/hot and dry for a while, and which way the rain comes from. I'd love someone to offer me a rain guarantee on my house - i'm on a main road where traffic does 50/60mph. We are 40 feet back from the road, but the spray blown on our windows would mean any WC offering such a guarantee would never be away at some times of the year. Again, if there is a hot dry spell and a southerly wind brings rain holding dust from the Continent, well you might get some spotting, like on cars. It would be fine i'm guessing on your average housing estate, with little, slow moving traffic - you could train your custies as lads on here say and get away with it.

At the end of the day it depends on each individual and there needs - there is no one size fits all business models.

Personally I prefer to stay dry-ish. I clean in light rain, but as soon as it's anything more than that and I rethink things, taking into account the jobs I have on. When it was hot in July I turned up at someone's place and she said "You're not going to clean in THIS are you?". I asked what she meant and she said, "It's too dry and hot". I really had to bite my tongue but I just laughed it off and carried on.

I use this website and find it very accurate - better than Metcheck and Netweather: http://www.yr.no/ You'll have to choose English and put in your location. Explore it, it's good. Also useful is this: http://www.rain-alarm.com/?from=sidebar  It's a rain radar showing where rain is moving.

Cheers

[C o z y]

Just tell them our bills don't stop because it is raining so why should I !!

Strange attitude really mate. You make some very good points on here and give good advice, but in this case, a strange answer to this situation.
As a customer, I want clean windows. I'm not the least bit interested in your financial status. I'm not a windy, so I think that rain makes my windows dirty as soon as it rains. So I don't want them cleaned when it's raining etc.
Now if you explain to me that rain doesn't make them dirty and that there's a guarantee of a re-clean if there's a problem, I'd be happy.

Otherwise, it sounds like you're saying, "I don't care if it rains and screws up the windows, I need to pay my bills".
That's not the idea of any service.
Nobody gives a shyte if their windy has bills to pay, they pay you to clean the windows, and if they think rain makes them dirty, you have to educate them, not tell them you have bills to pay, so you're cleaning them anyway.

[C o z y]

Good post Carl

[TomCrowther]

I worked in the pouring rain this morning, no problem at all. You need to tell your customers from the outset that you clean in all but the most extreme weather and if there is ever a problem after you have cleaned in the rain/wind/snow to call you and you will visit to reclean whatever is needed.
You want them to be happy customers, who will recommend you to their friends, family etc. They won't do this if they think they are wasting their £10 this month because it was done in the rain.
Rain is not dirty, all it does is show up and move the existing dirt on the glass.
You are the professional and have invested in expensive equipment that allows you to provide a regular, reliable service all year round. This is the type of customer we all want {all year round}.
This week I have picked up four new customers who saw me cleaning neighbours windows in the rain. Most customers want the reliability factor and don't mind if it's sometimes not perfect spring weather when you call 

[home6442]

Good post Carl

+ 1 excellent.

[Simon Mess]

Excellent post Carl, you have the right attitude. I will work in light rain, but only up to a point. Ultimately as we rely on customers for our income, we have to take their wishes into account. I can understand window cleaners who only or mostly do commercial jobs working in all weather, but my work is 99% houses. One time when I was working in one of my furthest away areas, it started chucking it down when I was nearly finished and only had 2 houses left. Both the customers were in, so I explained the situation and asked if they minded my doing their windows in the rain, and if they were unhappy with the results, I would do the next clean free. Neither minded, but I felt happier having spoken to them about it.

[Bay View WCS]

Excellent post Carl, you have the right attitude. I will work in light rain, but only up to a point. Ultimately as we rely on customers for our income, we have to take their wishes into account.

But the problem is that their wishes are, in the main, based on incorrect assumptions. In this country it is simply not possible to avoid cleaning in the rain and your approach should be to allay any concerns or misconceptions.

Both the customers were in, so I explained the situation and asked if they minded my doing their windows in the rain, and if they were unhappy with the results, I would do the next clean free. Neither minded, but I felt happier having spoken to them about it.

And that is the point - explain to the customer that there will be no problem with the result and you are free to continue to clean in the rain if that suits you.  Stopping cleaning in the rain should only be done if it will affect the clean (or you are sick of getting wet) - we are not dictating our terms to the customer but educating them as to the benefits and limitations of WFP (or WPF)  

Cheers, Tom

[PoleKing]

Depends in the customer too.
Some-I have a like it or lump it attitude.
Majority-I go out if my way to keep them happy.
If one needs the cash, like it or lump it isn't going to get you paid each time.

[dave f]

imo its a long standing thing you dont clean windows in the rain simples, ive tried to explain till im blue in the face to the point ive gave up they just look at you has if you are trying to get one over on them.plus it puts extrem presure on you to get the job bang on.no doubt some the custys will be checking every window, having said that every body is different end of the day its down to the windy . you dont know what the custy is thinking and may tollerate it for a while get fed up ive come across this my self so i stoped after a few comments.plus side ive picked up a few because the old windy cleaned in the rain

[8weekly]

imo its a long standing thing you dont clean windows in the rain simples, ive tried to explain till im blue in the face to the point ive gave up they just look at you has if you are trying to get one over on them.plus it puts extrem presure on you to get the job bang on.no doubt some the custys will be checking every window, having said that every body is different end of the day its down to the windy . you dont know what the custy is thinking and may tollerate it for a while get fed up ive come across this my self so i stoped after a few comments.plus side ive picked up a few because the old windy cleaned in the rain

It is a long standing thing for you. 

If the customer isn't happy, part company. There are plenty that don't mind as long as it is a good job.

[dave f]

like i said you dont know what some are thinking.i tend to edge my bets to keep custys .too much of a risk for me only having a couple of hundred custys and a small town flooded with windys i think its a oldfashend thing but hey ho ,you do what you have to do

[home6442]

like i said you dont know what some are thinking.i tend to edge my bets to keep custys .too much of a risk for me only having a couple of hundred custys and a small town flooded with windys i think its a oldfashend thing but hey ho ,you do what you have to do

Totally agree with you to a point.
I don't clean in the rain at the moment but I find that Im constantly falling behind with my cleans and therefore not as
reliable as I could be.
This is something that customers also don't like so what do you do?
The thing is you could clean from 8 till 3 in dry weather and it could still be pouring down when your customers get
home from work.
I personally will never clean in stormy weather or when snow is falling but we get too many wet days not to clean in
the rain at times.

[dave the rave]

John i agree  with you .The other thing i tell my clients is that if i clean them in the rain or bad weather with the pole and they are not happy i will come back and re do the windows .Not once have i been ask back

[dave f]

may try that one ,its alright saying dump the non conformists aint that simple when you have an abundant suply of windys in your area why make life harder.having to go out trying to find even more work, wheres logic

[Lee13]

It could rain an hour after you've cleaned them... Makes no difference.

If a quick shower made windows dirty people would never have them cleaned.

Rain water is 99% pure, it's not like tap water.

[G Griffin]

I only clean in the rain in the middle of the night. They don't usually get out of bed to complain.

If it rains during the day, I wrap up and think Gimme Shelter..........oops, wrong thread.

[8weekly]

may try that one ,its alright saying dump the non conformists aint that simple when you have an abundant suply of windys in your area why make life harder.having to go out trying to find even more work, wheres logic

The irony is that if you did go out and find more customers you wouldn't have to wory about the odd customer that will dump you for leaning in the rain.

[dave f]

it aint gonna happen

[AuRavelling79]

it aint gonna happen

Sounds like dave f isn't convinced and so to prop up his view dave f says we can't clean in the rain. Darn! That means I'll have to stop cleaning in the rain. There's me with dozens of window cleaners around me and me doing what I think is best and I've been wrong all this time.

I've even told custies I'll go back if the rain affects their windows within 24 hrs and they've agreed. I've parted company with custies that insist I do things their way and they've gone elsewhere. I even tell them I (shock horror) won't use a ladder anymore and sometimes they go elsewhere.

Wish you'd told me earlier dave f, I've been stupidly following my business model and cleaning in the rain when I feel like it and refusing to climb ladders when I want to for the last six years. Silly me.

I wish I'd known because my round keeps on growing and I might have to employ someone else to refuse all the unreasonable customers' whims now.

 

[dazmond]

just clean in the rain,wind,sleet,snow unless its really really bad.customers get used to it.anyone who doesnt want them cleaned(which is very few and far between by the way)get missed till next time.

if they insist you dont clean them in the rain even after an explanation and it happens regularly get dumped.

once you have done this for a few years you find most customers dont even mention the bad weather and pay up there and then even in pouring rain!

you have to work in bad weather sometimes if you have a fullish round otherwise you lose money and get behind with work which is no good at all.

obviously during really bad weather then you get some downtime sometimes but its only a few times a year as it has to be a near hurricane to stop me when im in work mode!