[homenclean]

Phone not ringing as in previous years is this across the board or have I just hit a bad spell.

Work on every day until the 20th including Saturday's but just doesn't feel like the Christmas of old, even some of regulars have booked for January instead of normal December clean 5th January onwards looks quite healthy.

 What's it like for you guys.

Seasons greetings to all
John

[Shaun_Ashmore]

How long have you been trading?

Shaun

[Darran Pryce]

We are busy mate.  Only have a few evenings left for this month(we don't work evenings unless its commercial), as all our days are booked up, unless we get a cancellation. 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I can't mention the 'c' word had 2 yesterday for this week fortunately they fill but all the planning has gone out pf the day!

Shaun

[Shaun_Ashmore]

2 cancelled for next week now! Old customers, one was honest enough to say they were feeling the pinch and the other well...I think the dog ate their homework tbh I think they were embarrassed.

Shaun

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

Whatever it is about the xmas rush,always get people wanting to cancel and rearrange at the last minute.

[mr muzzy]

full this week and next, but week starting the 15th one job in 

[Darran Pryce]

Maybe I should not have said the word cancel...Had two cancel on me... one said having to go in to hospital, other would not give a reason (not that they have to).  Both jobs to be done today... sometimes i think it's a bit fishy when they do this in two's... Competitor maybe??   Never mind... least I can finish half day.  Wife will be happy :-(

[dave123]

Phones are dead , have just 4 jobs booked for the month . Hopefully will get busy but won't bank on it . Worst start to a december in 15 years of trading

[Radek Jablonski]

after reminding about myself to all my customers, by messages send that cost me 35 euros, everyday I do have a ph calls from it (by cleanersmate), no special offers for christmass as why would you do it in the busiest time in the year
plus google adwords and can not find a free time for myself
even if not fully booked for following week/s then day or days before all gets booked as people are waiting for the last time and do not want to book much in advance
guess my competitors like cleaning doctor are even more busy
after 2 years in business I say is a success, a lot thanks to a hundreds of vouchers I was doing, was worth to work hard, regular customers on normal price now and a lot of recomendations

[Hilton]

Phones are dead , have just 4 jobs booked for the month . Hopefully will get busy but won't bank on it . Worst start to a december in 15 years of trading

Why don't you try CNN, might work for you

[wayne zabel]

I only have about 5 or 6 slots available between now and 22nd December.

Having said that I don't over book myself with jobs as personally I cant/wont work in artificial light and rarely work later than 3.45 at this time of year.

how do you others go on with losing the light early?

Is it an issue for you.

[Radek Jablonski]

wayne, why darkness bother you?
theres always ligh on the end

[wayne zabel]

I find lots of the lights in houses these days are very dim or are the type that cast shadows all over the place and I cant differentiate between shadows and stains/marks.

I know that my own carpets are clean but put the big light on and they look dirty.

It's just a personal thing and I don't feel as I can do a proper job.I go quoting in the evenings and when I go to do the job in the day the carpets are different in appearance.

Plus no one really wants you working in their houses in the evenings anyway.

[gwrightson]

"Plus no one really wants you working in their houses in the evenings anyway. "



 They do if they want them cleaned before xmas,    I thought  had a pretty slow week coming up a couple of days ago, custys gone mad last 2 days , even booked from 28th to new year with offices on shut down.


Geoff

[mr muzzy]

I only have about 5 or 6 slots available between now and 22nd December.

Having said that I don't over book myself with jobs as personally I cant/wont work in artificial light and rarely work later than 3.45 at this time of year.

how do you others go on with losing the light early?

Is it an issue for you.

i don't like working late this time of year, your right about the light wayne its no good to me think I must need glasses

[homenclean]

Sean been trading 23 years so have seen a lot of peaks and troffs, however since posting things picked up had 2 ring at 7.30 pm last night  and couple of last minute rentals to do. Indian restaurant today but that will take a couple of weeks to pay(if I'm lucky) so let's see what happens for here on.
John

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Lots of changes in my diary this year more than most, my December is 2/3rds booked up before I get there as I have old customers that book for the year after but I have noticed that there are less phone calls for this time of year albeit I'm still working 6 days a week.

There's a cleaner near ish to me that does cheap and cheerful cleaning he has 2 vans out and he's complaining that he's very quiet and he is forever marketing and advertising.

Shaun

[homenclean]

Yes times and patterns have defo changed, like you I'm 6 days a week but do a lot of rental stuff so that helps, yesterday 2 full semis plus a penthouse flat and other bits, Thursday and Friday 2 more retals. Without these and relying on public would be struggling.

18 19th commercial job, few years back these would have been full of domestic customers.

People have pulled in the purse strings a bit.
John

[Carpet Dawg]

I wouldn't worry you'll get booked up eventually. I'm booked up next week till Thursday afternoon and have all Friday and some of Saturday free. The following week i only have a few jobs booked in but I know they'll fill up.

A lot of people are saying they are fully booked for xmas in November, but personally I would hate to be that booked in advance. You'd have to let down a lot of regulars or get another van/worker on the road which isn't practical if you cant sustain the busyness throughout the year. And then some people say they are fully booked but they only work till 2pm   I'm not fully booked unless its 8am to 8pm like tonight, and yes that's at good prices.

Unnatural light has not effected me before, in fact sometimes I find its better than natural light.

I find the spring and summer much busier months and its much better working harder in those months anyway.