[Spotfree]

I'm considering changing from 4 weekly to monthly because I like the idea of finishing the work over the month and taking whatever is left off.

I currently have a 4-day week schedule which gives me 16 days each month, I think I might prefer having a long week off each month to having a Friday off each week. I do any first cleans or whatever on Saturday mornings.


Has anyone changed from 4 weekly to monthly? How has it worked out?


Also, the holiday aspect could cause an issue, I take 4 weeks off each year,2 winter, 2 summer. If I changed to monthly then I would lose 1 clean each year.

[Shrek]

I’m monthly / 2 monthly/ 3 monthly. It works perfect for me , I start at the beginning of the month and take the end of the month off ( whatever is left) every month , which always works out perfect for Christmas.
I could never get my head round 4 weekly cleans , especially when you could end up going to the same house twice in one month?

[Richard Groves]

I know someone who is 4 weekly on a 5 weekly rota e.g. they work weeks 1,2,3 and 4 with 5 th week off and then repeat.

[Spotfree]

Some of the more "senior" and even not so can't get their head around it either, it's just how I started a decade ago and it's always been that way since.

I was thinking that if I wanted time off for holidays I could work say the beginning of July till alls done around the 20th and take the beginning of August off giving me nearly 3 weeks.

[alank]

Used to clean four weekly then changed to monthly as I would rather have time off in a block at end of month. I have all my big hitters done early in the month and all the jobs that involve any mileage done early on, then as the month draws to a close I'm mainly working closer to home and ready for a couple of days off

[capn sparkle]

8 yrs ago I started my round with 6 and 12 weekly options - over the years this has become 2 monthly for all customers. Dropped and or stopped taking on 12 weekly (3 monthly) changed the rest to 2 monthly.

Advantage with this method (some would disagree I'm sure) is you can take time off whenever you like as no-one is precisely sure when you're due. Only WC's are obsessed with clean schedules, most customers are happy with clean windows, a week late here or there isn't at the top of their list of worries.

And you can charge more per visit for 2 monthly   

[AuRavelling79]

Most of my residential customers are 8 weekly. All my new customers are guided towards this schedule. However I tell them when I take them on that due to Xmas, sickness, my holidays etc that it might stretch by a day or two or even to 9 weeks or that if their cleaning day falls on a bank holiday it might be a day or two less than 8 weeks.

Generally I do work to 8 weeks but this gives me flexibility so that if I take a week off I can block it out or work like Billy Whizz a day or two before I go on hols. Once cleaned the 8 weeks starts again from that date.

[Slacky]

4 weekly to monthly?

Is there that big a difference it requires addressing in an internet forum?

[Cookie]

For my 4 weekly customers I explain the service is approximately 4 weekly/monthly.
For my 8 weekly customers I explain the service is approximately 8 weekly/bi-monthly.

Keeps things flexible from my point of view and TBH (apart from the odd one or two who may comment) the customers don't even notice. I try not to be a 'slave' to my round.

[Cookie]

I know someone who is 4 weekly on a 5 weekly rota e.g. they work weeks 1,2,3 and 4 with 5 th week off and then repeat.

But as far as the customer is concerned that's 5 weekly 

[nathankaye]

I work 4 weekly, although I have introduced more 8 weekly work now as well.
However the 4 wkly work used to be one week per round or 2 rounds within the week. (I break my work into rounds, belonging to different areas).  Normally working around 4 days per week and having 3 day wknds to enjoy. However with the thoughts of moving, I now work through each week until the work is done and this is normally by the end of week 3 and week 4 is either my add on days ie render cleans etc or soon to be, canvassing days in Stirling.

[Ooooooog]

I just do mine when I get time, or if they call up asking why I’m late.

[Arnold Palmer]

I switched from monthly to 4 weekly. Didn't bother mentioning it to existing customers. Nobody noticed.

[tlwcs]

I did it. My rounds now start from the first Monday of the month.
It will cost you a months turnover from 13 to 12 cleans, but if you do 16 work days it will give time off each month.
After 18 years I enjoy the time off more than the money.
Tony

[AuRavelling79]

4 weekly to monthly?

Is there that big a difference it requires addressing in an internet forum?

Enough of a difference that several posters have added their thoughts.

Those sole operators that rigidly do 4 weeks get an extra clean in per year - adding between, what? £1K and £4K per year to their turn over?

Those that don't get to enjoy greater flexibility.

[Richard Groves]

I know someone who is 4 weekly on a 5 weekly rota e.g. they work weeks 1,2,3 and 4 with 5 th week off and then repeat.

But as far as the customer is concerned that's 5 weekly 

Yes

[Slacky]

4 weekly to monthly?

Is there that big a difference it requires addressing in an internet forum?

Enough of a difference that several posters have added their thoughts.

Those sole operators that rigidly do 4 weeks get an extra clean in per year - adding between, what? £1K and £4K per year to their turn over?

Those that don't get to enjoy greater flexibility.

All it requires is a full round to ensure you get the max possible from your work.

Go out, work a full day, come home. Repeat.

[Arnold Palmer]

The switch from monthly to 4 weekly was a 7.5% increase in turnover for us, without any further investment.

[AuRavelling79]

There you go Slacky - it was worth starting this thread - if only to receive your well thought out input! 

[dazmond]

I don't see the point....you'll lose at least a couple of grand a year switching from 4 weekly to monthly and the windows will be slightly dirtier.....

Also I move my schedule forward a week or two when its holiday time anyway so some 4 weekly becomes monthly anyway so 12 cleans a year but if I was monthly it would be 11 cleans per year....also it would knock my 8 weekly work out of sync too(that are next door to 4 weekly work on the same round)....so it would make  these jobs 10 weekly.....err...no thanks!

I reckon Id lose around 3k a year....

So that's 30k LESS in 10 years.....enough to pay for my van, grippa hot system,electric reel and xtreme poles.......