[Dw]

Just wanted to highlight how we are all learning and trying to build our business and some of the advice on here can be gold for newbies or people expanding / weeding out bad customers.... and how some of the advice ones work.

Basically I only offer 4 or 8 week cleans, that’s just how I run things and I’m trying to ensure these are the only customers I get and push my business foreword with. Before I used to get messed around by people wanting a regular clean and then changing their mind... a lady rang asking for an 8 week Clean, I booked it in this week. No probs.

On arrival at the house I see a “sold” sign. Alarm bells ring, I nearly drove off but I gave the benefit of the doubt that they may just have moved in and not taken the sign out and I had also text them saying i’d Be there so I didn’t want to get any bad reviews or a text later asking why i’d Been.

 The experience that changed was how I approached it, rather then unloading the kit and diving in headfirst to get the job done, I decided on giving them a knock and Spoke to them

“Window cleaner, I said i’d Call today”

“Ah yes brilliant, so we have the front and back, I can open the garage to let you through”

“No worries, what a lovely area to move into, are you new to the city or just moved area”

“We’re actually moving out”

“Sorry to hear that I don’t do one offs”


Yes could of charged double and all the other ideas but I want regular, so I’m off canvassing for half hour to try get a regular house instead. Know however it is you want to operate and stick to it

[alank]

I would have explained the situation and then given her a very high price if she accepted I would have cleaned there and then got paid cash up front. canvassed the neighbours and canvassed the new owners next time 

[Shrek]

Some people just can’t get it in their heads that one off cleans cost us more than a regular clean, that’s why it costs more.

[Dw]

I totally understand when people say to charge double or whatever and get the cash, in my eyes though if they’re going to mess about like that then they’re not going to entertain paying more. They showed the type of people they are after I set my stall out.. let them get messed about by cowboys turning tip to clean before they handover

[Shrek]

Years ago when I was a £6 a house kinda guy , I’d get asked by relatives of customers to do one offs for them.... and expect it for 6 squid! They couldn’t understand how I can clean their cousins house for £6 but can’t clean theirs for £6.
After doing a few one offs for £6 and experiencing how soul destroying it is after all that work and be handed £6 , I soon learned that I need to charge more. It’s £40 now and feels a lot better 

[Stoots]

I've picked up new ones before, got there to a sold sign, kept on driving.


In your case, as soon as they said I'll let you through the garage my heart would have sank as well, access issues right there.

[Dw]

I knew where the convo was going, to me I was keeping my word by knocking on the door regardless of the outcome which is what I feel I should do trying to operate a professional business.... it’s the fact I was able to ask the right questions and deal with it professionally without getting down beat or thinking “Is it just me who gets f*ck*d about” and being down hearted  or being left high and dry by someone wanting a one off..

[AuRavelling79]

While I gave a "like" to AlanK for saying charge extra, cash up front for the one-off I would say that if she was definitely told and agreed to 8 weekly then I wouldn't have wanted to do it on point of principle.

Also - even if it was looking good to be regular with no signs to the contrary I would charge about 50% more for the first clean anyway if it hadn't been done for a while and about 25% more even if it had been!

If - and only if - the customer apologised, begged me to do a one off, paid me up front and I had the time would I have possibly done it at a very high price (e.g. £40/£50 instead of £20) .

Then a quick canvass either side and remember to call on the new people to say you "are the local window cleaner" and do they want you to continue?

It's taken a long time for me not to act on emotion at times (Soupy sometimes calls me out on it when I do a "flounce") and it is often worth counting to ten.

[John Mart]

While I gave a "like" to AlanK for saying charge extra, cash up front for the one-off I would say that if she was definitely told and agreed to 8 weekly then I wouldn't have wanted to do it on point of principle.

Also - even if it was looking good to be regular with no signs to the contrary I would charge about 50% more for the first clean anyway if it hadn't been done for a while and about 25% more even if it had been!

If - and only if - the customer apologised, begged me to do a one off, paid me up front and I had the time would I have possibly done it at a very high price (e.g. £40/£50 instead of £20) .

Then a quick canvass either side and remember to call on the new people to say you "are the local window cleaner" and do they want you to continue?

It's taken a long time for me not to act on emotion at times (Soupy sometimes calls me out on it when I do a "flounce") and it is often worth counting to ten.

It's easy for Soupy to not act on emotion though because he's not the one doing the work and perhaps taking the abuse/disrespect. He's often right on these things objectively - but it's easier to be objective when you're not the one doing the minging first cleans or the extra work on skipped cleans.

[AuRavelling79]

Well, true ... but even when you are the owner/operator a quick financial decision in your favour can ameliorate the irk. 

[tlwcs]

I totally understand when people say to charge double or whatever and get the cash, in my eyes though if they’re going to mess about like that then they’re not going to entertain paying more. They showed the type of people they are after I set my stall out.. let them get messed about by cowboys turning tip to clean before they handover

In your opinion messers won't entertain paying more.
I always charge more for the first clean, always.
Always cash on completion, then I offer emailed invoice.
There will always be a percentage of messers, people who promise they want regular as their last bloke 'just stopped coming '
There's a saying in sales that goes buyers are liars.
Don't beat yourself up. Do what you did and cleverly establish the facts. What you do after that is your business.
Tony

[dazmond]

you only truly learn from your own experiences....if you need work then your in no position to pick and choose......you need each and every job(even if some of them are one offs)......cash in the pocket fast....

IMO there is no easy/quick way to build a solid window cleaning round that you can make a decent living at....it takes time(years)....lots of refining,hard work,discipline,tenacity etc......lots of qualities that a lot of people lack these days......hence they fail....

[robbo333]

Don't take it too personally.
The fact that you have turned up to a house that is sold, probably means you should have asked a few more questions on the phone!
It sounds like you are building your business and need the work, so I would have offered her a 'moving out price' fairly high and offered to do the insides as well (even more dough). Find out when the new people are moving in, canvass 3 doors either side and 6 across the road. Find out where she's moving to.
There are two types of messers: those you can make money out of and those you can't!
Everyone messes you around at some stage, learn how to relax with it.

[Spruce]

Well, true ... but even when you are the owner/operator a quick financial decision in your favour can ameliorate the irk. 

That's a first for me; never heard that word before.

[Spruce]

Don't take it too personally.
The fact that you have turned up to a house that is sold, probably means you should have asked a few more questions on the phone!
It sounds like you are building your business and need the work, so I would have offered her a 'moving out price' fairly high and offered to do the insides as well (even more dough). Find out when the new people are moving in, canvass 3 doors either side and 6 across the road. Find out where she's moving to.
There are two types of messers: those you can make money out of and those you can't!
Everyone messes you around at some stage, learn how to relax with it.

It also means that if the customer is looking for a window cleaner now, they won't have one to 'take along with them'  to their new property if they are moving locally.

[windowswashed]

The sun is out and so are the messers. Three people asked me to do one off's as they're selling, my reply to all three,  sorry love to but too busy

[CleanClear]

Don't take it too personally.
The fact that you have turned up to a house that is sold, probably means you should have asked a few more questions on the phone!
It sounds like you are building your business and need the work, so I would have offered her a 'moving out price' fairly high and offered to do the insides as well (even more dough). Find out when the new people are moving in, canvass 3 doors either side and 6 across the road. Find out where she's moving to.
There are two types of messers: those you can make money out of and those you can't!
Everyone messes you around at some stage, learn how to relax with it.

It also means that if the customer is looking for a window cleaner now, they won't have one to 'take along with them'  to their new property if they are moving locally.

It also means they where not that bothered about one before..............

[Spruce]

Don't take it too personally.
The fact that you have turned up to a house that is sold, probably means you should have asked a few more questions on the phone!
It sounds like you are building your business and need the work, so I would have offered her a 'moving out price' fairly high and offered to do the insides as well (even more dough). Find out when the new people are moving in, canvass 3 doors either side and 6 across the road. Find out where she's moving to.
There are two types of messers: those you can make money out of and those you can't!
Everyone messes you around at some stage, learn how to relax with it.

It also means that if the customer is looking for a window cleaner now, they won't have one to 'take along with them'  to their new property if they are moving locally.

It also means they where not that bothered about one before..............

True.  Good point. 

[Richard Groves]

Seems a bit strange to me to have booked a job in, turn up to it , knock at door and then state your terms, refuse job and leave empty handed. You all go on about it taking more time and costing more for a one off but you've just given your time away for free out of stubborness. I suppose though your point is she lied about wanting 8 weekly ...... It happens. But if I'd already allocated a time slot for it I'd have cleaned it regardless.

[nathankaye]

Ive decided to out an introduction video first on my facebook page, which also states that sadly I do not offer a one off cleaning service for windows.

https://youtu.be/esCQJjJveOM