[D Scott]

I know this subject gets discussed quite often, but as it has been chucking it down here for most of the day it has got me thinking.

A few on this forum say they work whatever the weather, but I know if I turned up and it was raining heavily a lot of my customers would tell me not to bother. What's the secret to winning customers round so they are happy for you to work in bad weather?

I do work if it is only light showers, and my customers know and are mostly happy with this. If the rain is heavy though I just think you look a bit of a cowboy working in it.

Thanks

[stuart webster]

Trad, no. WFP yes

[Sir Squeaky]

Thankyou Andrew McCann, oops sorry I meant Bear....

[Dominic]

Depends if your wfp or trad. If your wfp just tell them that it doesn't make any difference if raining and that you will come back free of charge if they are not happy when windows eventually dry out.
If your trad tell them the only way to keep up your reliabilty and efficiency is to work whatever the weather otherwise your round will always be late etc.
If they make too much fuss change the whingers for people that do want reliability and are more understanding.
I don't see how it is possible to run a business well if you have to keep stopping for the weather all the time.
That's what we do anyway. We worked all day today and got asked three times about rain so just have to keep explaining. Didn't lose any customers though and still earnt a living. Some people will moan whatever you do though.
Don't feel like a cowboy though because you are doing people a great service and they should be greatful in my opinion.
cheers Dom

[stuart webster]

Thankyou Andrew McCann, oops sorry I meant Bear....

I can always sell you a system Squeaky

[gaza]

D SCOTT:WFP DO the ones that are out,soon gets around the estate,why didnt they clean mine, they start asking,cus you were in you can reply.
     Serious now: when I  change them over I make it quite clear that I can now clean in the rain,so I can now be even more regular[when they ask what day, I can reply what hr do you want me to do them]
      I also tell them the only reason I wont clean in the rain depends on how wet I want to get and any complaints about the finished product to air them strait away [so far not one complaint]when theve been cleaned in the rain

  gaza

[Easyclean Windows]

Same here Wfp yes Trad no.

rain water dosent make windows dirty...dirt does.tell them youve come to scrub the dirt off not the rain.

What if it was a nice bright sunny day you cleaned them and it rains the next day? do you go back and do them again? no probably not.

I dont have any customers who tell me not to clean in the rain also if they do say "its raining can you do them another day "say no and move on.You will find enough customers who want the windows cleaning come rain or shine.

In the summer when your late and they call you say sorry cant come its too hot. If they say your joking say"well you wont let me clean in the rain so why should i clean them when im too hot"

[gsw]

wfp...and i'll only stop for lightning!!

greg

[D Scott]

Some good advice. Thanks

I make a point now with new customers of letting them know straight away that I will clean even when raining, within reason. Most of my round is in process of being switched to WFP.

I just need to be a bit firmer with customers at times, my problem is i am not very good at dealing with difficult customers. Oh well, will have to try harder

[ronaldo]

If we worked round here in the rain our customers would tell us to p### off!!!!!!

[carl stanton]

    

[Sir Squeaky]

If we worked round here in the rain our customers would tell us to p### off!!!!!!

Same around here mate.
Don't listen to Tosh if he replies, he does council houses.

I don't want to work in the rain anyway?
Why get soaked?

[gaza]

THATS WHY YOU TELL THEM TO PI''' O'' FIRST,NO ITS ALL DOWN TO TRAINING YOUR CUSTOMER.

TELL THEM YOUR GOING TO CLEAN IN THE RAIN,DO IT, AND SEE THEIR FACE WHEN, WHAT YOU SAID WOULD HAPPEN HAPPENED,THEY WILL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR EVERMORE

 GAZA

[ronaldo]

THATS WHY YOU TELL THEM TO PI''' O'' FIRST,NO ITS ALL DOWN TO TRAINING YOUR CUSTOMER.

TELL THEM YOUR GOING TO CLEAN IN THE RAIN,DO IT, AND SEE THEIR FACE WHEN, WHAT YOU SAID WOULD HAPPEN HAPPENED,THEY WILL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR EVERMORE

 GAZA

Is that after theyve dumped you for anoyher wc? because they think your wasting your time and their money!

[gsw]

i tell them if they are not happy when they dry they can have the next one for free, obviously if they tried to take me up on this they would end up with a new window cleaner! as i know that with wfp the rain makes no difference at all, i'm there to clean em not dry em!


please tell me in a country as green as ours (present hosepipe ban excluded!) how you can maintain a decent turnover on only working dry days?

if you set out your terms from the start the customer cant argue.

[D Scott]

Customers are always telling me that good window cleaners are like gold dust. If you do a good job, are reliable, always friendly they will be scared to lose you. So they generally find most don't mind me working in light rain or if it is a showery day

[Sir Squeaky]

please tell me in a country as green as ours (present hosepipe ban excluded!) how you can maintain a decent turnover on only working dry days?

Easy. 

All my bills are paid in the first two days.
Yes I have cheap rent, but I've got a child, I run 2 cars, I've got Sky, Broadband, go out every weekend, golf every week, spend hundreds on photography and computer games, ....etc...etc...

You should earn enough to cover yourself without worrying about wet days.
It just means you've got a bit less spending money.

Perhaps it's because I don't have your overheads.

Rog.

[Ian_Giles]

It was absolutely hammering it down from about 7am until 10am (ish) and I worked right through it and got soaked to the skin.
But as these were weekly shops I just got on with it.
Were I still trad only there may have been a couple I couldn't do due to the fact they were georgian, but even so I would have still done most of them.

Having said that I would not have dreamt of doing domestic accounts in heavy, driving rain.
Regardless of what system I was using.
Light rain and drizzle yes, but not the stair rods we had today.

Though I had one person pull up in their car when it was pouring down, my trousers were soaking, the rain was running off my baseball cap and she asked me if I could come along and clean her windows!
I'm going to of course, but had too much on today.

Rain that is falling straight down without any wind doesn't affect much, but if you have strong winds then you are wrong [in my opinion] to clean windows in those conditions.
The rain will be driven against walls and windows and muck will run off the walls and onto the windows, or muck will be dragged up into the air off roadsides and off trees and bushes and so on, and in those conditions you WILL do a poor job.

So for me [on domestic work] it depends on the severity of the conditions, you have to use a little common sense.

Ian

[Moderator David@stives]

I cant understand the mentallity of wfp yes , trad no !!!

There will be absolutely no difference at all in the end result regardless of which way you clean.

I only stop when it gets too wet for me which is anything worse than drizzle,

I am a bit of a wimp at heart

Dave

[pjulk]

I only work in light rain/showers and most of my customers have just come round to this with a bit of resistance along the way.

The rain we had today there is no way im cleaning windows in that and have the cheek to ask for money.

But i do gutter cleaning in rain no matter how hard it is and can earn good money at it.

So for those who don't like cleaning windows in the rain get some water proofs and push for gutter cleans.
And tell the customers its the best time to clean them as you can see if the water is flowing away properly.


Paul