IMO there is no need to work in the rain, and, in fact, there's more to be gained by not working in the rain than there is by carrying on regardless.
Many people just look at the loss of earnings from not working in the rain.
When starting my business up I decided that I was not going to work in any sort of wet and blustery weather. (also strong winds on dry days in summer blowing dust around when wfp ) As a customer of a window cleaner before starting my own business, I would of not been happy to pay for windows cleaned in the rain, so why clean my customers?
How has this worked out for me?
Well 99% of our work is domestic and verbally agreed with the house holder to be cleaned every 4 weeks, this means 13 cleans a year. We never hit 13 cleans, our average across the business is 12 cleans per year. (customers NEVER complains if we are late, in fact 99% don't even notice or are even bothered)
So whats the up side to not cleaning in the rain?? It needs to be pretty good as we have lost 1 clean in the year on all our domestic customers.
So what is it?
BUSINESS GROWTH
IMO, if you are wanting to build the ultimate one/two man round, top prices, no messers, etc etc, then cleaning in the rain is fine. It's fine because you are not looking for every possible customer you can get in your area, you are only needing enough for you and maybe a helper or partner.
BUT, if you are wanting to build a large business and build it QUICKLY, one that you can manage off the tools and put your name too it, then customer service HAS too come before your own personal earnings, and, IMO, cleaning in the rain falls short on providing a quality, value for money service. Call me Steve Jobs (read the book and you will know), but that's just the way I am.
For the past few years we have asked every new customer for feed back after the first clean and what they expect from us. YOU WOULD BE AMAZED at what customers expect, AND, this is the most important bit of my novel I'm writing here, the reasons why they have changed window cleaner or not had one for a while. AMAZED. Number 2 on our list of reasons for cancelling a window cleaning service is having them cleaned in the rain.
Hope these comments help if you are reading this and trying to decide whether to clean or not to clean in the rain.
This is all fine and well but it provides a very one sided view.
Personally I never lose customers because of quality ( I always ask them the question), in fact at most I lose half a dozen a year due to moving or kicking the bucket etc. On the other hand..... I don't advertise and have never canvassed, and Ive built up to currently 400 customers on a 4 weekly schedule. Nearly all of it has come from recommendations. Imagine if I actually tried to build the business??
What sets me apart from most cleaners in my area? From the customers that I speak to they were fed up of the unreliable, not knowing when they were going to turn up previous window cleaners.
Working in "most" weathers has worked for me, and I advise anyone who wants to work through the rain..... Just do what YOU want to do. It's your business. 99% of your customers won't bat an eyelid, and you become part of the furniture because you are there every month rain hail or shine.
Plus the fact you won't lose out on any loss of income due to some rain.
If I was missing out on a months wage every year and had been since I started window cleaning purely because of some rain and wind...... That would be a lot of cash. Enough cash for someone to get themselves on the property ladder, or start buying to let properties and getting out of the window cleaning game altogether.
Money isnt the be all and end all, far from it. But a few days here and there missed because of weather really adds up.
