[Splash & dash]

I would never take them on again once dumped always dumped end of

[Slash]

Anyone got any stories of customers coming back to them after a few years?

Just had one today, quite a large quarterly house in woking, £80 job. I used to clean her windows 4 years back when she moved into the house from the prev owners, whom i also cleaned for several years before then.

She had 2 cleans, and hadnt paid her bill.so i chased her until eventually she paid the bill and cancelled, accusing me of harassment and was very abusive and rude i remember it well as it affected me quite badly.

Went to see her today, she was very apologetic, I asked her why she decided to contact me again. Turns out that 3 of her friends have all recommended me to her as  since she cancelled and threw a strop attack at me and hasnt been able to find a decent window cleaner since.

So i havr her back on the books, now on go cardless aswell.

🙄😁

I would have told her exactly where to go.
It's the principle,I've had that before and told them basically to #### off..
That's just for late payments and messing me about,let alone being abusive to me.
It felt great and to me that was priceless.
Each to their own I suppose.

[Richard Groves]

Anyone got any stories of customers coming back to them after a few years?

Just had one today, quite a large quarterly house in woking, £80 job. I used to clean her windows 4 years back when she moved into the house from the prev owners, whom i also cleaned for several years before then.

She had 2 cleans, and hadnt paid her bill.so i chased her until eventually she paid the bill and cancelled, accusing me of harassment and was very abusive and rude i remember it well as it affected me quite badly.

Went to see her today, she was very apologetic, I asked her why she decided to contact me again. Turns out that 3 of her friends have all recommended me to her as  since she cancelled and threw a strop attack at me and hasnt been able to find a decent window cleaner since.

So i havr her back on the books, now on go cardless aswell.

🙄😁

I would have told her exactly where to go.
It's the principle,I've had that before and told them basically to #### off..
That's just for late payments and messing me about,let alone being abusive to me.
It felt great and to me that was priceless.
Have some self respect.

He is trying to grow his business though.
3 friends of hers are all customers and recommended him.

[dazmond]

I lost 2 customers around 20 years ago due to me putting my foot through a garage flat roof...i did go round to offer to fix it(3 days later)he wasnt best pleased...in the end i told him to f*** off and gave him 2 fingers(the neighbour also seen this and cancelled too!)

fast forward all these years later and ive been cleaning theirs again for a few years now.they ve seen me turn up month after month for many years to clean all the houses around them and figured id grown up and become a tad more professional....

[Walter Mitty]

I will always return to a customer if they've cancelled in the right way and not been a messer.  I've had customer's lose their jobs, cancel the window cleaning, and contact me months or a couple of years later when they've become re-employed.  No problem with that.
But I won't return to someone who has regularly messed me about.  It's not about punishing them for the past, it's about protecting myself in the future.

I've even had a non-payer ask me to return.  I reminded them of the debt, stated that I wanted payments in advance, and guess what, they declined.  Not only that but they even denied ever owing the money.  I simply said, "Please don't ask me again."  No point going into a strop - it won't change anything.

[NWH]

I had 1 a couple of years ago I did the previous house and then the new 1 they moved too,they got a new housekeeper in she soon got the person in she new got rid of me. The homeowners were never there and they were unaware this had happened as she sorted out online payments etc,about 2 years later they realised she was on the fiddle then found out she’d sacked me off had a call from them asking me to please please come back as it was nothing to do with us we didn’t know she’d got rid of you. I was happy to go back to that 1 as it is 250 + every 6 weeks.

[NWH]

They were also charging for some inside work but never did them,IMO no different to stealing.

[cleaniac]

What a cheek.

[Stoots]

I won't take a Messer back on.

I learnt the hard way not long ago.

A customer who I clean a few times, then started to leave the gate locked and be a pain. I dumped her

Anyway I let it go and fast forward a year she approached me in the street and I explained I used to clean hers and she was a Messer...she apologized and I decided to start cleaning again, first clean got paid second clean turnes up to be told not today by her mother...anyway I called again next time, cleaned them and never got paid.

Dumped her again .

Shame on me.

[NWH]

I only took this back on because I knew initially there was something dodgy about me being stopped the woman was always a bit odd as soon as she took over,the owners gardeners etc all told me they were unaware so I know it was genuine + a good job for the time I’m there.

[jonboywalton75]

I used to work with some obnoxious managers and workmates.
Now I can choose who I work for, if don't like them, I don't work for them
They are free to do the same with me

[NWH]

There are the odd couple I would never go back to but it’s difficult to turn away certain jobs again especially if it was just down to crossed wires.

[cleaniac]

Well I think its important to give customers a second chance, am i expecting her to cancel again? , well yes i suppose i am, and if/when she does, then i will tell her to not ask me again to clean the windows on a regular basis, and i will only accept one off cleans from here on at £185 a clean subject to free schedual time and will not be a high priority, to be paid before the clean on credit/debit card or find someone else. 

But i have to prioritise the business, always leaving an option for the customer to use my service, dispite what i i think of them. Thats called maximising your potential, also just think about the damage if i tell her where to go, she can tell everyone that im an ass h becouse she cancelled the clean, which by the way isnt anything bad, or wrong, she is entitled to cancel or come back as many times as she likes..like i said im just going to reflect it in my pricing..she comes back and becomes a headache, thats ok, ill adjust my service to suit me and make more profit from her.

Thats how to do it

[deeege]

There’s a lot of contradictions in there again Marc. Hope it’s works out, but I usually find once a messer always a messer.

I tend to use the iphones ‘block’ function on any messers. It saves me trying to justify (to myself) reasons why I should take them on again. Works for me.

[AuRavelling79]

I won't take a rude or abusive customer back on but I like to think I am reasonable. (Don't we all?  )

Had one who I dropped due to tardy payment compounded by a bounced cheque. Funny mix. Lovely looking lady about 40 (runs a landscaping/gardening business), if she was in she always made a me a cup of coffee and was pleasant but never had a cheque book or did "on-line" and would always send it late or after two (8 weekly) cleans.

About three years ago after I sorted out the bounced cheque and bank fees and got paid I dropped her. She noticed and after about a year she was driving down the lane in her Range Rover and she smiles at me sheepishly and prettily from under her fringe. She gets out wearing her business uniform of tee shirt, shorts and green wellies! (It worked rather well on her I thought)

"I am so sorry for messing you about over payment" she purred - "If I promise to set up a standing order will you take us on again please?"

I almost caved without setting out terms but mustered up enough strength to say "OK - I will, but I won't start cleaning until after the money goes through and prices have gone up to £25.00 (from £20)."

"Fair enough!" She says - all whitened teeth, curls and dimples -  and she has been on the books again for the last two years. All's well that ends well!