[Oliver James]

Like most window cleaners, I've struggled with houses that have access issues.

This summer I implemented a '3 strikes and you are out' rule.

If we can't get access on the day we don't do the work.

If we can't get acccess 3 times, we write the customer a polite letter, and let them go,

I am going to potentially build some technology that will allow customers to get scheduled appointment times for access issues houses (by 'access issue', I mean houses that do not have clear, open air access to the back via a garden gate).

How it works is that the customer can see on a booking screen when the vans are in their postcode area.

So, for example, if the customer lives in B17, then the screen will show that the vans will be in that postcode area for 10 days at the start of the month.

The customer will see 10 open booking slots (for the first job of the day), for the 10 days that the vans are in his/her area.

Then they will be able to book their homes onto the existing van routes.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about giving the customer appointment times or bookings that the vans have to travel miles to do.

I'm proposing that access issue customers (that do not have clear access) will be able to  'hook' or 'slot' their home onto existing routes, and get the back of their home cleaned AS THE FIRST job of the day, WHEN the vans are already in their postcode area.

On a scale of 1-3 how interested are you in this?

1 - not interested
2 - indifferent
3. Interested.

[KS Cleaning]

-1. You make it all sound so complicated, it’s only window cleaning, simple window cleaning. As for building technology? 😂😂  a simple text would do the trick👍

[cleaniac]

Do what i do.

Leave a next clean date on the bill, and put a clause on the bill that if access is not made on the due date, we cannot guarantee to be able to return at a later date, but in all instances full payment is still due.

They only forget once. I rarely get issues, and if i do i still get my full payments

[Richard Groves]

1

[Oliver James]

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my post.

Access Clear: Clear, open air access to the back via a garden gate
Access Issue: Does  NOT have clear, open air access to the back via a garden gate.

I'm NOT talking about the situation where the house has clear, open air access to the back, and the home owner forgets to open up the gate.

I'm talking about

houses where access is through the house or through a garage / covered side passageway,

So the home owner needs to be IN for you to clean the house (and they are not happy about the front only being cleaned, they want the front and the back).

In other words, these are 'Access Issue' houses where the homeowner wants to book an appointment time, so they can be at home to give you access to the back.

One in every 4 customers that calls us needs to be IN the house if they are to get the back cleaned / has an access issue. (and generating these 'inbound' 'phone calls is expensive).

IF you could just 'slot' these "access Issue" houses into your day, ON THE SAME DAY as you are already cleaning houses in the area , then how interested would you be in technology that does this?

For this to work, you need to be delivering the service on time, or just a few days early / late. (otherwise, you'll be travelling to do the work).

How would it all work?

The technology would provide booking slots for the customer, so what the customer would see is a set of 'available' times for you to do the work, and these times would be the same time that your van is in the area (assuming you are running on time or just a few days late.) We would probably offer the appointment time to be the first job of the day, so you could get this job out of the way and then go and do the rest of the houses nearby. OR you could do the work in the afternoon, between 12 and 5, so you don't get snarled up in rush hour traffic.

On a scale of 1-3 how interested would you be in technology that does this IF it meant:

a) that you spent less time scheduling work because there was a system in place to put booked jobs onto your worksheet
b) you got paid a premium for doing this type of work so that this work was just as profitable as the rest of your work
c) You weren't turning away, or saying: 'It is going to be front only, and we'll do the back if your in the house when we call' to 25% of the people that call you.

On a scale of 1-3 how interested are you in this?

1 - Not interested
2. Indifferent
3. Interested

[alank]

1

[Simon Trapani]

1

[Splash & dash]

We wouldn’t take on a job like that there is more than enough easy work out there why do jobs like that ??

[Oliver James]

Thanks for the response, I'm in the same boat as you - we don't need this type of work, it is too much time / too much work.

So we don't do work with access issues.

We've been trading for 7 years, two vans.

In our early days, we did loads of this type of work.

Out of curiousity, how long have you been in business?

[dazmond]

i find i usually only have these problems on  estate work....what i do is if their in then they get the backs cleaned,if not then just front only.....you cant get simpler than that!

i have got one larger "access through the garage" job that i text the night before and make sure its the first job of the day...

other than that the vast majority of my jobs DONT have access issues....and i dont take on any new work that does......

[Splash & dash]

Thanks for the response, I'm in the same boat as you - we don't need this type of work, it is too much time / too much work.

So we don't do work with access issues.

We've been trading for 7 years, two vans.

In our early days, we did loads of this type of work.

Out of curiousity, how long have you been in business?

Twenty years , but still refining what we do , anything with the potential for access issues we won’t do unless we have a key or code for locked side gates , so much time can easily be lost costing a small fortune I want to turn up do the job and move on as quickly as possible to be efficient and maximise earnings

[KS Cleaning]

Thanks for the response, I'm in the same boat as you - we don't need this type of work, it is too much time / too much work.

So we don't do work with access issues.

We've been trading for 7 years, two vans.

In our early days, we did loads of this type of work.

Out of curiousity, how long have you been in business?

Well that’s a bit of a contradiction on your opening post is it not? One minute you’re going to build technology to eradicate access issues, then the next minute you don’t want work with access issues. Tripped over yerself there!

[Bungle]

Thanks for the response, I'm in the same boat as you - we don't need this type of work, it is too much time / too much work.

So we don't do work with access issues.

We've been trading for 7 years, two vans.

In our early days, we did loads of this type of work.

Out of curiousity, how long have you been in business?

Well that’s a bit of a contradiction on your opening post is it not? One minute you’re going to build technology to eradicate access issues, then the next minute you don’t want work with access issues. Tripped over yerself there!

Yeah but his customers pay top dollar to have his services. I've seen his pricing leaflet 

[Oliver James]

I don't do access issue work (work with no clear, open air access to the back via a garden gate).

I'm proposing to potentially build software that will allow window cleaners to book homes with no clear access (ie. homes that need bookings) onto their existing rounds.

There is not much point in building this tech if it does NOTHING for window cleaners.

A lot of you are highly successful window cleaners.

Building a successful round is not easy.

Only one in 10 companies succeed.

I might be wrong, but I'm getting the impression that successful window cleaners aren't interested in access issue houses. They have cracking rounds, so why would they bother with jobs that are a hassle?

So, I guess this question is more for window cleaners that aren't yet at the top of their profession

It is for the window cleaner who is STILL  building a round of 'cream' work.

This question is for the window cleaners on here who are billing LESS than £225 a day.

IF we built technology that meant YOU could add 'access issue' houses to your existing work, and it was effort-free to schedule, and it was as profitable as the rest of your work, then on a scale of 1 to 3 then how interested would you be in using this technology?

1 = Not Interested
2= Indifferent
3 = Interested

[james peters]

Only one in 10 companies succeed.

what is the definition of success.?
a window cleaner may have been cleaning for years ... saved hard , bought a house ... savings in the bank... no loans ...own a van outright...have no financial difficulties, but only be on £25 -£40 k a year
with low turnover? is he then not successful?

[Smudger]

Sounds complicated to me and your relying on the customer to fill in this thing on line as well

as mentioned - at the time of the clean give them a next clean date - if they bu@@er off out then they don't get cleaned, or its front only

If the customer has special needs ( we have a dozen or more like this ) where they need to let us through the house then before cleaning regularly I discuss the situation and find out if they will be in, and if not what happens - ALL of these customers are in and ready to let the lads in or in the case of garages we are given a key or the code ( electric doors/gates ) - you have to bear in mind we DO run to the date on the card so if a customer is a Monday THEY WILL BE CLEANED 4 or 8 weeks on a Monday ( depending on service )

we have no issues doing this so interest in the booking app is ONE

Darran

[John Mart]

1

[Stoots]

1.

I can't do with fanning about/hassle and any houses like this are both.

Don't do them at all.  Fronts only or not at all.

[windowswashed]

It's a lot of hassle with access issues. Easier to find more convenient work and let the access jobs fall to someone else. If you aint doing awkward access jobs then someone else is and will have less time to find easier jobs.

[dazmond]

im certainly not bothered if i can only clean the fronts on the odd property because their out on ultra compact estate work(i get to finish even earlier or squeeze a few more jobs in depending on mood/energy levels)...

swings and roundabouts...it has zero effect on my earnings overall over the course of a month or so.....

so im personally not interested