[SeanK]

The evil scumbag forgot to leave the gate open, if it was me I would have had her hung drawn an quartered and even then
that wouldn't have been good enough.
You have to laugh at some of the replies you get on these topics.
The woman wasn't happy with Dave's service so cancelled, Dave handled the situation politely, she will move on and get a
shiner who doesn't mind getting over a locked gate  Dave will replace her with somebody else and both parties will be in
the right.
There are definitely some in this game that need to grow up a little.

[Walter Mitty]

Sure thing.  One way or another, both parties will get what they want - and that's fine.
Personally, I won't go over locked gates.  It's not just about getting my excessive bulk over (I already have intermittent back problems), it's about getting hose over too if it can't be fed around or under the gate.  Then there is the hassle if the connector pops off while I'm wrong side of the gate as it means two extra climbs.
I've already spent too long on osteopath couches to perform circus tricks for customers.
If someone is reasonably fit etc. then maybe, but it's not for me.

[JackieW]

Differently?

If it was me I may have simply said

''Hello Mrs Smith, I am ever so sorry but I have a minimum charge of £10.''

No explanation of the time taken setting up as it may come across as a bit condescending.

If she still replied the way she did I would permanently delete.

[gary999]

Personally I will never understand why a window cleaner cant get over a locked gate in a safe an easy manor, but that's your
choice/terms and I think you handled the situation very well.

Climb over gates no thanks done it moved on...if I have to strain myself not interested
easiest occupation ive ever had and like to keep it that way

[SeanK]

Personally I will never understand why a window cleaner cant get over a locked gate in a safe an easy manor, but that's your
choice/terms and I think you handled the situation very well.

Climb over gates no thanks done it moved on...if I have to strain myself not interested
easiest occupation ive ever had and like to keep it that way

To be honest I don't have a lot of locked gates on my round it varies between 6 and 10 some start locking them and some stop.
But there's one thing for certain if I found it in any way a strain or hassle to clean them I wouldn't be cleaning them full stop.
I'm not known as a person who chases or wants hard graft.

[davids3511]

How many times had you cleaned for her?

About 6 times. I have done the house for about 3 years but they moved in about 9 months ago.

[davids3511]

Personally I will never understand why a window cleaner cant get over a locked gate in a safe an easy manor, but that's your
choice/terms and I think you handled the situation very well.

It's a mess of rotting and missing bits of wood. Trust me, if I tried to drag myself over it we wouldn't have a locked gate at the end of it all.

[Smudger]

Differently?

If it was me I may have simply said

''Hello Mrs Smith, I am ever so sorry but I have a minimum charge of £10.''

No explanation of the time taken setting up as it may come across as a bit condescending.

If she still replied the way she did I would permanently delete.

that, is the right answer!!

I think the op handled it very well, but from experience these types of customer just feel agrieved and the longer version where you try to be reasonable don't work - are you sure you couldn't have found the time to go back?
As for locked gates, if it's locked and needs a key then we don't go over, we'll happily draw a bolt and re lock after but no climbing over as many gates are in a poor state and climbing on them will only add to the wear and tear. Also many customers have said and I've gained a few too that if it's locked stay out, previous windy has ignored this and now no longer clean the property.

As they say nowt as queer as folk.

Put it down to life's rich tapestry, hold no grudge and move on..

Darran

[pdale]

You handled it well, but I think telephoning would have been better. People misread texts all the time.

[SeanK]

Never any need to climb on a locked gate like anything its all about using the right equipment.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=08gWAo7bUbk

[TomCrowther]

Don't forget to send her another invoice for those texts plus the stress and time between texts. 
You have far too many decent customers to worry about this one. She was literally moaning over a pound when she created the problem in the first place. Jeeez!

[Arnold Palmer]

That last comment she made that she may want you again, well, I would not take her back once she had spoken so condescendingly.

I must have missed the bit where she was condescending. She asked for money off (something I do every day), didn't get it, so decided she didn't want to pay £10 for half her windows to be cleaned. Fair enough, that's her choice. Plenty others would be happy to pay.

Window cleaners don't half have an inferiority complex.

If she still replied the way she did I would permanently delete.

Why? She decided that it was too expensive, maybe on her budget it is? I never 'permanently delete' unless there has been a payment issue.

[jonboywalton75]

That last comment she made that she may want you again, well, I would not take her back once she had spoken so condescendingly.

I must have missed the bit where she was condescending. She asked for money off (something I do every day), didn't get it, so decided she didn't want to pay £10 for half her windows to be cleaned. Fair enough, that's her choice. Plenty others would be happy to pay.

Window cleaners don't half have an inferiority complex

I don't talk down to people and don't expect them to do so to me😊

[Arnold Palmer]

That last comment she made that she may want you again, well, I would not take her back once she had spoken so condescendingly.

I must have missed the bit where she was condescending. She asked for money off (something I do every day), didn't get it, so decided she didn't want to pay £10 for half her windows to be cleaned. Fair enough, that's her choice. Plenty others would be happy to pay.

Window cleaners don't half have an inferiority complex

I don't talk down to people and don't expect them to do so to me

Again, I must have missed the talking down bit. All she did was ask for money off, when she didn't get it she politely cancelled the service.

Let assume she thought the price was too expensive so wanted to cancel, how could she have handled it in such a way that the CIU faithful didn't chuck their toys out the pram?

[Walter Mitty]

I wouldn't necessarily do a permanent deletion either.  To do that, it must be a rational business decision rather than a "hurt feelings" decision.
If a customer does something that costs me time/money, I will usually explain it to them.  If I get a response that indicates that repetition is likely, then I will probably delete.  I don't want customers who are likely to be a drag on my future profitability.  That can also include having to purchase a special ladder and the time taken to use it.  I price jobs on the assumption that I won't need to do that.
The only exception to the "hurt feelings" bit is if they are abusive to me.  I don't need that.

[SeanK]

A future window cleaner www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3zQa39LAQ

[Walter Mitty]

A future window cleaner www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3zQa39LAQ

I would make him sit on the naughty step of his Little Giant ladder

[SeanK]

A future window cleaner www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3zQa39LAQ

I would make him sit on the naughty step of his Little Giant ladder

Little Giant ladder, are you trying to set him off again.

[Pete Thompson]

TBH if I had been that customer, I'd have cancelled too.  That long explanation came across as rather patronising and would have annoyed me (though I do understand why you wrote it).

This is just my humble opinion, but this is exactly the type of problem you run into when you do the whole 'back gate text thing'.

I will never understand it!  Why would you let your work be dependent on whether the customer happens to remember to unlock the gate?!  That's just an annoyance for them and a hassle for you.

In my view the more you depend on the customer to remember to do something, the more trouble you'll have.

So what do you do?

CLIMB OVER!

Get a collapsible ladder if you must. 

Right from the start tell the customer they don't have to do anything, you'll handle it all.  Easy, simple.

[Rich Wilts]

Personally I will never understand why a window cleaner cant get over a locked gate in a safe an easy manor, but that's your
choice/terms and I think you handled the situation very well.

Climb over gates no thanks done it moved on...if I have to strain myself not interested
easiest occupation ive ever had and like to keep it that way

+1. No need to climb over.