[Joe Bromley]

I want to get my head around how and why people sell their regularity.

What makes you go for monthly?

What makes you go for 8 weekly? Or...

What makes you go for 6 weekly?

Joe

[bobplum]

4 weekly.....maximising income, 13 cleans
6 weekly.....charge a little more, windows probably just starting to look like they a need a clean
8 weekly.....charge even more.windows really do need cleaning

With 8 weekly you tend to get less cancellations, in my opinion as opposed to say 4 weekly.
Must admit if i was starting again i would go for 6/8 weekly, probably 8 weekly but of course it takes longer to build

[G Griffin]

What makes you go for 8 weekly?

It's his runners' legs.

[Darranvps]

For Domestic
You MUST go 4 weekly
When you are full up - your business will be worth something.

You will be able to employ lads and teach them 4 weeks worth of your rounds - easy and simple

13 cleans per year - pay your lads monthly = 1 bonus clean for you :-)

[dazmond]

20 years ago most window cleaners around my area were 2 weekly/the odd 4 weekly so thats how i started out.over the years more and more wanted 4 weekly so i changed frequency about 12 years ago now to all 4 weekly.then as things have progressed,larger houses etc 6 weekly and 8 weekly.

most of my work is 4 weekly and 8 weekly,some 6 weekly.

i will not do 6 weekly on my 4 weekly/8 weekly areas for obvious reasons.

with holidays/bad weather  etc i dont get 13 cleans in a year on 4 weekly work.12.

some work is 12 weekly and some just 2 cleans a year!but these are churches or domestic jobs not on my normal runs of work.

[dazmond]

i find i can charge more for 6 and 8 weekly.most posher larger houses accept this frequency and price.

for example i picked up a 5 bed house the other month thats a bit out of my way to my regular work(only 2 miles or so).4 weekly id charge £30 but i just offered 8 weekly at £40 as im pretty full up with work and dont want to take much more work on unless its at decent prices.he went for it.

it took me 45 mins (first clean) but that job will take 30 mins on regular cleans.he actually spoke to one of my other customers before i cleaned them and said "i dont care how much he charges just tell him to clean them!"he d had a bad clean from  another window cleaning company in the area(who i know by the way! ).

ive picked up a few off this company lately.i think the problems are he employs part time staff and sends them out on their own or in twos and sometimes they dont do a good job.

[Paul Coleman]

When I started in '91, it was monthly.  But plenty wanted 2 monthly and a few wanted 3 monthly.  It could get a bit complicated as computers weren't about so much then.  I used to get plenty of "not todats" on monthly.  So I put everyone on 6 weekly with a few at 12 weekly.  To the regular cancellers "not todayers" I made it clear that I could no longer work that way but if they wanted 12 weekly, it would cost more per clean with no short notice cancellations (I didn't say I would drop them but I think they guessed ).
So, 6 weekly for the customers who want a regular clean.  12 wseekly for those who don't mind limited dirt build-up and are prepared to pay a bit more.  I only offer 6 (and 12 if they aren't sure).  Anything in between would have me doing to much driving for too little reward.  For VERY large jobs (by my standards), I will occasionally go 6 monthly or even yearly.  These are at premium rates though and will only be supplied for jobs which are a long half day (charged at a full day) upwards.

[SeanK]

Same reason as Dazmond, I charge more for 6 and 8 weekly so more money for the same work.
Plus I found customers got the feeling I was calling every couple of weeks instead of 4.
Most of my work is 6 and 8 weekly, have a few that insist on 4 which I don't mind.
I also find that even at 8 weeks the windows aren't overly dirty, one of the plus points in using wfp methods.
The downside is it takes more customers to build a full round.  

[8weekly]

What makes you go for 8 weekly?

It's his runners' legs.

[mlscontractcleaner]

The vast majority of our work is 4 weekly as that's how we started in 1992. A few are 8 weekly; we have twice weekly shops; daily night clubs, etc, etc. A bit of everything really!!

[Tony dunmall]

6 weekly  and 12 weekly

On 6 weekly less likely cancelation can charge more than 4 weekly

12 weekly charge 50% more than 6 weekly never get cancelations

Find works well for me that way, worked this way 16 years on wfp

[robbo333]

I'm in Dorset.
I started off offering 6 weekly but I couldn't sell it; most of the custys wanted 8 weekly. So I thought 'why battle with the custys!'
I now offer 8 weekly and it works great; the pricing is good and in 8 weeks custys are happy to see me.
It does take longer to build an 8 weekly round so (rather than worry about 4,6 or 8 weeks) I worked out how to build a round! 

[duncan h]

My sisters street, still does every 2 weeks...traditional

[Simon Mess]

I do per calendar month only. The reasons for this are as follows:

1, I like to keep everything simple, keeping everything on the same regularity does just that.

2, Doing work per 4 weeks means customers are going to expect you every 4th wednesday or whatever. Per calendar month, unless i work 7 days per week, means that the customer will not be expecting me on a particular day, giving me a bit of flexibility for days where the weather is crap, or i need to take a day off for some reason.

3, Due to the flexibility mentioned, if i want to take a week, or even up to 10 days off, i can, weather permitting. I decide where i want my 'gap', then over the course of a few months, i do the stuff beforehand a bit earlier, and the stuff after, a bit later. I realise that eventually, due to volume of work building up, i will not be able to do this as frequently or as easily as i do now, but for the time being, it works a treat.

4, Again due to the 2 previously mentioned points, in winter, i never miss out parts of my round. If i get pushed back, it is not a problem, i just start back when i can, and crack on. My customers are ok with this, and when it has happened in the past, it has never taken too long to get back on track.

[tlwcs]

I do per calendar month only. The reasons for this are as follows:

1, I like to keep everything simple, keeping everything on the same regularity does just that.

2, Doing work per 4 weeks means customers are going to expect you every 4th wednesday or whatever. Per calendar month, unless i work 7 days per week, means that the customer will not be expecting me on a particular day, giving me a bit of flexibility for days where the weather is crap, or i need to take a day off for some reason.

3, Due to the flexibility mentioned, if i want to take a week, or even up to 10 days off, i can, weather permitting. I decide where i want my 'gap', then over the course of a few months, i do the stuff beforehand a bit earlier, and the stuff after, a bit later. I realise that eventually, due to volume of work building up, i will not be able to do this as frequently or as easily as i do now, but for the time being, it works a treat.

4, Again due to the 2 previously mentioned points, in winter, i never miss out parts of my round. If i get pushed back, it is not a problem, i just start back when i can, and crack on. My customers are ok with this, and when it has happened in the past, it has never taken too long to get back on track.

Do you use any round software for this method Simon?

[Simon Mess]

I do per calendar month only. The reasons for this are as follows:

1, I like to keep everything simple, keeping everything on the same regularity does just that.

2, Doing work per 4 weeks means customers are going to expect you every 4th wednesday or whatever. Per calendar month, unless i work 7 days per week, means that the customer will not be expecting me on a particular day, giving me a bit of flexibility for days where the weather is crap, or i need to take a day off for some reason.

3, Due to the flexibility mentioned, if i want to take a week, or even up to 10 days off, i can, weather permitting. I decide where i want my 'gap', then over the course of a few months, i do the stuff beforehand a bit earlier, and the stuff after, a bit later. I realise that eventually, due to volume of work building up, i will not be able to do this as frequently or as easily as i do now, but for the time being, it works a treat.

4, Again due to the 2 previously mentioned points, in winter, i never miss out parts of my round. If i get pushed back, it is not a problem, i just start back when i can, and crack on. My customers are ok with this, and when it has happened in the past, it has never taken too long to get back on track.

Do you use any round software for this method Simon?

'Fraid not Tony, i'm strictly analogue in that respect, everything is organized with paper and pencil

[Steven Biggs]

Simon I only do 4 and 8 weekly . I think you have got points 1 , 2, 3, and 4 wrong but otherwise ok .

[Mike #1]

Some Custys have a misconception that because the term Monthly was and has been used for years they expect you once a month but in fact it has typically always been a 4 weekly cycle .

Custy of 12 years came out the other day to insist he only wanted his windows cleaned per calender month despite having them cleaned since day one on a 4 week cycle . We parted company as not prepared to travel to his house at different times to his neighbours .

As above 4 weekly is more money and far easier to organise and for over 14 years in business it has always been this way , I do offer 8 weekly to those who request it and charge 50% more i tend not to do 6 weekly but will if needed it all depends on location and proximity to other work . Mike

[Simon Mess]

Simon I only do 4 and 8 weekly . I think you have got points 1 , 2, 3, and 4 wrong but otherwise ok .

Each to there own Steven, but as to being wrong on points 1 and 2, really?.

Point 1, are you saying it is easier to organize your round doing work both 4 and 8 weekly, than doing everything once per calendar month?, that doesn't make any sense. It might not be especially tricky, but surely it isn't going to be easier.

Point 2, Your 4 weekly customers don't expect you on the same day of every 4th week do they?. That doesn't make any sense either.

[SeanK]

There are no rights and wrongs, some people work in areas where customers prefer 6 and 8 week
intervals.
Some work in areas where customers would rather have them cleaned monthly.
Some window cleaners prefer longer intervals because it allows then to do extras like fascia, conservatory roofs
and solar panel cleans.
Just work to what suits you and your customer base.