[Clever Forum Name]

Text the night before.

Mention you try and do unlocked gates first.

Customer could leave padlock unsnapped for you to resnap

[dazmond]

At a guess i would say that 20 - 25% of our customers have bolted gates which are easy to unbolt although it takes a little time.

I know of a cleaner who decided to dump every customer he couldn't get straight access to the rears of as it took too long messing around unbolting the gate - time = money lost.

For the occassional padlocked gate I also use an A frame ladder with a high apex and straddle the gate. Yes, it takes time and effort, but I probably only get it out 3 or 4 times a month for that.

same for me spruce.i do text a few customers here and there every week the night before though.i very rarely get a "not today" from a text the night before and if i do its because of holidays/building work etc.

to the OP its time you started taking control of your business and tell your customers how you work and keep to your agreed schedule.i have loads of compact work on estates that take 4 or 5 days to clean.they get cleaned from a-z in roughly the same order.i never get "can you come next week" malarky.if they dont want them cleaned they get missed until im next due on that part of my round.

as you pick up more work and get busy you wont have time for customers that mess you about.


good luck


dazmond

[dazmond]

At a guess i would say that 20 - 25% of our customers have bolted gates which are easy to unbolt although it takes a little time.

I know of a cleaner who decided to dump every customer he couldn't get straight access to the rears of as it took too long messing around unbolting the gate - time = money lost.

For the occassional padlocked gate I also use an A frame ladder with a high apex and straddle the gate. Yes, it takes time and effort, but I probably only get it out 3 or 4 times a month for that.

same for me spruce.i do text a few customers here and there every week the night before though.i very rarely get a "not today" from a text the night before and if i do its because of holidays/building work etc.

to the OP its time you started taking control of your business and tell your customers how you work and keep to your agreed schedule.i have loads of compact work on estates that take 4 or 5 days to clean.they get cleaned from a-z in roughly the same order.i never get "can you come next week" malarky.if they dont want them cleaned they get missed until im next due on that part of my round.

as you pick up more work and get busy you wont have time for customers that mess you about.


good luck


dazmond

[SeanK]

First thing is not to contact customers the night before, just turn up and clean.

I used to think that was the way forward, but now I think it's a case of when you take a customer on, you make sure that they know what they are signing for. A clean every x weeks. "If you want to think about it, do so and then call me because I only take customers on those terms." Total clarity.

I think you are misreading what I mean, I'm not talking about before you have sorted and agreed terms I'm talking about
repeat cleans.
If you have agreed to clean a property every four weeks then you turn up every four weeks and clean it, there's no need to
contact the customer the night before hoping to get permission to clean it.

About a year ago I bought a ladder just to hop gates because I was fed up with texting but it's just too much hassle. I don't want to hop gates. Around half of my customers have locked gates. I text them to unlock them. I suspect most wcs have lots of customers with locked gates. What's your solution? Don't take them on?

To be honest I wouldn't have that many, some that used to lock their gates don't now and so on.
When starting out I was finding that when I contacted them to unlock gates were still forgetting to do so, I had two
choices either dump and replace or find a way to get safely and quickly over the gate.
But I would like to make one thing clear these were not messers who just didn't give a dam if the gate was unlocked or not
they were busy people who while getting the kids out to school and getting ready for work just forgot to unlock them.
My solution was to find a safe and as easy a way as possible to get over the gate and that's what I did.
Is it my imagination or has WFP produced a new generation of shiners that expect their customers to do all the work for them.

[SeanK]

For closed gates without a padlock I use one of those gadgets for picking things off the ground
works brilliant but just take the weight off the gate slightly as this can free up a tight bar.

[Leeds]

For closed gates without a padlock I use one of those gadgets for picking things off the ground
works brilliant but just take the weight off the gate slightly as this can free up a tight bar.

?

You carry one of those with you?

[Dave Willis]

It's called a wife.

[Leeds]

It's called a wife.

 

[8weekly]

First thing is not to contact customers the night before, just turn up and clean.

I used to think that was the way forward, but now I think it's a case of when you take a customer on, you make sure that they know what they are signing for. A clean every x weeks. "If you want to think about it, do so and then call me because I only take customers on those terms." Total clarity.

I think you are misreading what I mean, I'm not talking about before you have sorted and agreed terms I'm talking about
repeat cleans.
If you have agreed to clean a property every four weeks then you turn up every four weeks and clean it, there's no need to
contact the customer the night before hoping to get permission to clean it.

About a year ago I bought a ladder just to hop gates because I was fed up with texting but it's just too much hassle. I don't want to hop gates. Around half of my customers have locked gates. I text them to unlock them. I suspect most wcs have lots of customers with locked gates. What's your solution? Don't take them on?

To be honest I wouldn't have that many, some that used to lock their gates don't now and so on.
When starting out I was finding that when I contacted them to unlock gates were still forgetting to do so, I had two
choices either dump and replace or find a way to get safely and quickly over the gate.
But I would like to make one thing clear these were not messers who just didn't give a dam if the gate was unlocked or not
they were busy people who while getting the kids out to school and getting ready for work just forgot to unlock them.
My solution was to find a safe and as easy a way as possible to get over the gate and that's what I did.
Is it my imagination or has WFP produced a new generation of shiners that expect their customers to do all the work for them.

Yes, I just pull up roll out the hose and the custy cleans. Easy £70 an hour. 

[PoleKing]

I charge the same price whether they remembered to unlock the gate or not.
Once I brought this in, about 4 or 5 years ago, it was amazing how many persistent gate forgetters haven't forgotten since.

[8weekly]

I charge the same price whether they remembered to unlock the gate or not.
Once I brought this in, about 4 or 5 years ago, it was amazing how many persistent gate forgetters haven't forgotten since.

I will do this.

[SeanK]

I charge the same price whether they remembered to unlock the gate or not.
Once I brought this in, about 4 or 5 years ago, it was amazing how many persistent gate forgetters haven't forgotten since.

I will do this.

So what would you do if a window cleaner called at your door asking for the full price when he had only done the
fronts ?
Ill tell you what I would do, give him half the money and tell him not to come back then ring the next guy in the book
and ask him how does he clean if the gate happens to be locked.
Judging by your attitude towards customers I would say you would do the same but wouldn't be as polite as me.

[PoleKing]

I charge the same price whether they remembered to unlock the gate or not.
Once I brought this in, about 4 or 5 years ago, it was amazing how many persistent gate forgetters haven't forgotten since.

I will do this.

So what would you do if a window cleaner called at your door asking for the full price when he had only done the
fronts ?
Ill tell you what I would do, give him half the money and tell him not to come back then ring the next guy in the book
and ask him how does he clean if the gate happens to be locked.
Judging by your attitude towards customers I would say you would do the same but wouldn't be as polite as me.

No mate, I say to the customers when I get them that it's the price whether they remember to open the gate or not.
I never get any ag at all.
Most of my customers are on govardless anyway.
I've never gone collecting.
Just 'cause you wouldn't have it as a customer doesn't mean it won't benefit you as the service provider.