[Grafters Cleaning Services]

About a year ago I picked up a load of new houses on an estate 3 of them were next door to each other no’s 11, 13, and 15.
6 months went by with no problem when 1 day I pulled up outside no 11 and the lady came out and said “I’m going to cancel you and so is no’s 13 and 15.

This is a close knit community on this estate and found out later from another customer that another w/c had been canvassing and offering to do them £1-00 cheaper than me, because of this I lost 3 calls. This did not upset me as I have work coming out of my ears.

So the story goes on, after being cancelled by these 3 I then pick up several more on the estate including no 9 next door to no 11, I’ve now been doing no 9 for 3 months when to my surprise no 11 comes out and says to me “can you do mine please” to which I reply “sorry lady but I’m too busy with my REGULAR customers”
She then goes on to say “ the other w/c has now packed in and we would like to have you back, perhaps you can call on me next month”
to which I reply “ I doubt very much that I will have time to fit you in as I’m so busy”


I must say I got a great deal of satisfaction from turning her down as she cancelled for the sake of £1-00
my mate who was with me said I should have taken her back but charged her double.
 
What would you have done? 
Jay

[callum macleod]

I suppose it would depend if i needed the work or not but i would if in your case just let her stew for a while and put price up 

[Paul Coleman]

About a year ago I picked up a load of new houses on an estate 3 of them were next door to each other no’s 11, 13, and 15.
6 months went by with no problem when 1 day I pulled up outside no 11 and the lady came out and said “I’m going to cancel you and so is no’s 13 and 15.

This is a close knit community on this estate and found out later from another customer that another w/c had been canvassing and offering to do them £1-00 cheaper than me, because of this I lost 3 calls. This did not upset me as I have work coming out of my ears.

So the story goes on, after being cancelled by these 3 I then pick up several more on the estate including no 9 next door to no 11, I’ve now been doing no 9 for 3 months when to my surprise no 11 comes out and says to me “can you do mine please” to which I reply “sorry lady but I’m too busy with my REGULAR customers”
She then goes on to say “ the other w/c has now packed in and we would like to have you back, perhaps you can call on me next month”
to which I reply “ I doubt very much that I will have time to fit you in as I’m so busy”


I must say I got a great deal of satisfaction from turning her down as she cancelled for the sake of £1-00
my mate who was with me said I should have taken her back but charged her double.
 
What would you have done? 
Jay

Hard to say but I probably would have done as you did.  However, I would have done so NOT because of what happened in the past but because she would have been more likely to do it again in the future.  I realise that it is business and not personal but it's not nice feeling that I'm a stopgap till someone cheaper comes along.  Having said that, it does depend on the type of job.  Larger business jobs are less personal so I would respond differently to such a situation.

[ronaldo]

I would have done exactly the same Jay. Lost 4 houses in a row last year because another wc dropped the price by 2 quid, he cleaned them twice and never came back again and surprise surprise they all rang me back.                                                   And it gives me great pleasure when i,m doing my others in that street and i look at theirs and theyre minging.                                                                                              I always say to them now the cheapest will always be the cheapest, but not nessacerily the best and most importantly wont be around for long.

[Tim Morton]

I've always had the view that if a customer leaves me and then later wants me to clean them again that the price goes up by a pound or by 10%, whichever's greater. If they ask why their neighbours are getting it cheaper then tell them that you reward loyalty!!
Tim

[stuart webster]

I've always had the view that if a customer leaves me and then later wants me to clean them again that the price goes up by a pound or by 10%, whichever's greater. If they ask why their neighbours are getting it cheaper then tell them that you reward loyalty!!
Tim

I agree, but would raise them more!

[dai]

Don't dump them outright, Just tell them that you are so busy they will have to go on your waiting list. If you do take them back tell them that the price has gone up for new customers. Dai

[stuart webster]

Don't dump them outright, Just tell them that you are so busy they will have to go on your waiting list. If you do take them back tell them that the price has gone up for new customers. Dai

Best idea yet!

[windows_chepstow]

I've always had the view that if a customer leaves me and then later wants me to clean them again that the price goes up by a pound or by 10%, whichever's greater. If they ask why their neighbours are getting it cheaper then tell them that you reward loyalty!!
Tim

I agree.

But it would also depend on how I was 'originally' dumped; the sensitive soul I am.

If they were nice about it, then I'd take them back on, but if they were the tiniest bit rude, or indignant that I was a pound more expensive; or whatever; then no; they'd stay dumped.

Recently I had a 'not this month, mate' customer ask me to re-start cleaning his windows (I drop them if any of my customers do this to me without good reason). 

I agreed and said I'd start next month because I was 'super busy'.

I haven't cleaned them yet.  I'm just winding him up.  I can't wait for him to ask me again, so I can say, 'Not this month, mate', and just walk off without an explanation.

It's what he did to Wor Lass.

You need these small victories!

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

nice 1 tosh i love that 1

anyway some good input in the replies thanx guys

jay