[matt]

I really could

day starts off ok at 7

clean pub windows inside and out

home for 8.30 sort out MP3 tunes on MP3 player, back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

notice i havent got my "your windows have been cleaned tickets" with the price increase (i am putting my prices up)

go back home, pick up tickets

back to start work at 10.00

the connection between my micro-pipe and hosepipe is leaking REALLY bad, half the water is on the floor and half on the windows, i continue for the day

3rd house in, the old dears hubby died last month, and then her dog last week, she is more upset about the dog, i stay for a chat, she wants to talk to some1 to try and get on with life

lunch time pass's i dont stop, as i am behind

get stopped by a lady whose house i am about to do "i dont want it done by you anymore, your too late" i explain its been 7 weeks because i wasnt well and had some time off, im only 1 week late (ive caught up from my 2 weeks off)
she says "youve oly cleaned them once in 5 months, you last did them a few days before xmas and only once since, i argue its not, she counts the months, jan, feb, march, april and may

this really cheeses me off and i say "you cannout count may, its only 1 week old"

i walk away before i tell her to F off

**** this is the same person, i have travelled 30 mins out of my way to unblock a downpipe the same day as she phoned --- then 30 mins home

AND

fixed a broken gutter outlet

AND

fixed a garage door

ALL as a favour to a customer  :

do a few more houses

go to start the Village idiots house (he really is) he comes out, we wont have them done this time, we are having the gutters done

now they asked me to do them in june, so i say ok

i call in and ask (because i try and please them) do you want me to call in after the gutters have been done, as they will be filthy

the wife comes and says "we will call you if we want you back"

so thats another 1 gone in the space of 10 houses in a little street i do

it seems they want a realable and loyal window cleaner when it suits them, but what about a bit of loyality back 

i could have slung the WFP in the tip and got my carpentry kit back out

on the way home i get a phone call, asking how much, i know the house in question as i do 40 odd out of the street of 50

its worth about 8 quid, i am in a back mood, so i say 10 quid, she says "oh great, see you soon, i wont see you in the day, as i work all day, how do i pay you"

so i have lost 2 houses worth 20.50 which they both talk like anything and hold me up(i bet i spend 10 mins talking to 1 and 15 mins the other, even though i try to just get paid and go, as they both annoy me, especially the village idiot bloke)  BUT gained a 10 quid house that will be nice and fast

sometimes i think, why do i bother

[matt]

oh and the first old dear who cancels me

last summer, she asked me to skip a clean as i wasnt 6 weeks, i was




wait for it


5 weeks 4 days


 :

[AuRavelling79]

Some days are just gagging for an early finish and down the pub aren't they Matt?

[sair]

another day another dollar

[Sir Squeaky]

Unlucky Matt!

....back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

go back home, pick up tickets
back to start work at 10.00

Don't you want to get some work a bit closer to home?
My longest journey is 10 mins!

[neil100]

What can I say Matt,

I had a right good belly laugh reading how your day went.

Look on the bright side, you have made me feel a whole lot better.

Nel.

[scrimit2]

I had one customer who asked me to leave the windows in January as they were away til march, they said start again in march, I did that street at the end of feb so it was april when I was there again and they moaned that I havent been for so long, I told them that it was there own doing, really I don't think those kind of people give it much thought, but we are trying to earn a living,

Matt let hope tomorrow goes a bit better for you.

[rosskesava]

When I get days like that I stop working. Go home. Have a drink and relax during the evening. Start again next day as if nothing has happened.

One day the year before last, I got fed up with the kind of run around after a day of 'not today' and complaints over nothing. The last job, when I had steam coming out of my ears, the snooty lady starts her usual 'you trod on my plants last time don't tread on them this time' and I went up like a volcano because we have never ever trod on her rotten plants. The other 2 I work with were shocked because I'm normally easy going and the lady backed off pretty quick and ran indoors.

When I got home I typed up a letter which said 'we will never be doing your windows again' and gave, I think, about 6 reasons, like

A: You moan too much

B: We turn up and you say 'not this month'

C:  You say we missed a month. WE DIDN'T. You wern't in.

and so on.

I went through our records and picked out about 20 of the worst customers, printed out the letters, addressed them, ran down the offie, bought stamps and posted them.

It was the best thing I ever done. A bit nasty but it was after that our business started to really take off because no more whingers, no more time wasters, and sorry to say it, no more favours.

As for the ones who just talk, talk, talk and think I have all day to be social, I never ever worked out how to stop that.

I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

Cheers

[matt]

Unlucky Matt!

....back out at just gone 9.00

arrive where i have the days work

go back home, pick up tickets
back to start work at 10.00

Don't you want to get some work a bit closer to home?
My longest journey is 10 mins!

too be fair, its only about 15  mins away, i got home and have a few mins with my daughter who was having a Tea party with her dolls

[AuRavelling79]

When I got home I typed up a letter which said 'we will never be doing your windows again' and gave, I think, about 6 reasons, like

A: You moan too much

B: We turn up and you say 'not this month'

C:  You say we missed a month. WE DIDN'T. You wern't in.

and so on.

I went through our records and picked out about 20 of the worst customers, printed out the letters, addressed them, ran down the offie, bought stamps and posted them.

It was the best thing I ever done. A bit nasty but it was after that our business started to really take off because no more whingers, no more time wasters, and sorry to say it, no more favours.

As for the ones who just talk, talk, talk and think I have all day to be social, I never ever worked out how to stop that.


Cheers

Yes! I love it! What a Guy!

[Morph]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

[AuRavelling79]

How about this for a letter Ross?

Dear Valued Customer,

Upon perusing my window cleaning round I have decided to "prune" several of my accounts who fall into any of the following categories:-

A) Bl**din' Whingers

B) Can you leave it this time? Merchants

C) Those who say "It's going to rain so don't bother..."

D) There were a few spots last time on that third floor velux above the brosely tiled porch....

E) Gate padlocked for the third time in a row despite requests to unlock it the night before.

F) Victor Meldrews


You will be pleased to know that you qualify for "kicking into touch" (technical term) on all six counts.

[Andrew McCann]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

Now THAT PJ is one of the most profound and correct statements I have seen in a long time.

Andrew

[brett walker]

Sorry to laugh  Matt but youve cheered me up no end, i thought i'd had a couple of bad days last week i wasnt going to share it with anyone but here goes

Go to move my van oopps locked the keys in rang the wife to bring spare keys out sat there wit my trolley and pole like a plank waiting for her to come

Next day i did exactly the same again    wife thinks i'm going mad

Guess what did the same yesterday  ::)but keep a spare key with me in my wallet now 

Theres always someone worse off than yourself we all have off days

Brett

[matt]

i am half expecting a few more to go tomorrow, as the first old dear is the local "bizzy-body" and i half expect the 2 behind her to go aswell

its not losing a few houses that bothers me, its the loyalty factor AND the fact that ive helped the pair of them out on a number of occasions

[Morph]

Actually I think we should change an overused and incorrect phrase.......

There isn't really all that much "customer loyalty", its more a case of "windowcleaner loyalty"!

We are the ones with the greater sense of loyalty.

Now THAT PJ is one of the most profound and correct statements I have seen in a long time.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I have observed that, more and more, my customers hold this "loyalty" thing like some kind of threat over me..

It's not loyalty at all when it makes me feel that way.
But I feel a strong sense of obligation when the date comes round to go clean "Mr & Mrs Smiths' " windows, in fact I worry if the weather has delayed me, or anything else...trying to get it just right for them......
For £15!!!!!!!

Oh well, I'l do the same tomorrow.  Why?  Because I have a sense of loyalty to my customers.

[mick40]

Thought i was bad.lol.yesterday i was doing a job that i badly underpriced and there was bird droppings all over the velux windows.I was really getting agitated and was talking to myself saying im f...ing never doing these again,only too look down and find that the owner was standing there .she just smiled and handed over the cash.no bloody wonder wi the price im charging her.its definetly going up next month.

[macc]

What can I say Matt,

I had a right good belly laugh reading how your day went.

Look on the bright side, you have made me feel a whole lot better.

Nel.

same here, i trust the mp3 player didnt give you any grief. 

[matt]

same here, i trust the mp3 player didnt give you any grief. 

thats the only thing that kept me from going home, feeder then the chillies

oh and the fact that ive sorted my garage out and my VW splitscreen van is finally coming home to live with me this week (instead of being 30 mins away stored in a barn)

[dai]

Matt, The best tonic for dealing with awkward customers, is tellng them that the price is going up next time. You really feel a lot better for it. Bump them or dump them.
Hope you have a better day tomorrow. Dai