[nathankaye]

Not many will agree with this, but I have found this to work a treat.
All my new customers will be given a welcome pack, in an envelope with my business logo stamped on. The welcome pack, comprises of a welcome letter which goes over most of what I tell them at the door. Ie, every 4weeks, I work in the rain and payment is by direct debit etc etc.  This is in addition to some other bits n bobs as well,  but it I prints in their minds that I have a legit business and it's here to stay!
I also ask them, if they are happy with their first clean to leave a review on my Facebook page and as a thank you, their next clean is half price.
This again gets them to think of the positives and confirms a legit business and not just for beer money etc.  It also ensures that at least for the next clean they will stay with me

[Shrek]

I never understand anyone offering two cleaning schedules like four or eight weeks🤔

I’m stacked with work so can’t possibly mess about with bimonthly cleans. I do six week cycles and still can’t do them on time. Messrs just get dumped or pushed to the back of my priority list until they fade away.

Because you can charge more for the longer frequencies

[Dave Willis]

Maybe, but then aren’t you overbooked when the bimonthly work is due and short of work when on the monthly cleans?

[SB Cleaning]

Dump them both.

No ifs no buts just dump them, when you go to quote you agree a cleaning schedule they havent stuck to it so get rid.

Quality customers will come mate.

[Shrek]

Maybe, but then aren’t you overbooked when the bimonthly work is due and short of work when on the monthly cleans?

Nah , they all fit nicely together. Today , I had mostly monthly + one 3 monthly. Tomorrow Iv got mostly monthly + a handful of bi monthly. Wednesday just monthly . If no 3 monthly or bi monthly due , then just fill your day with monthly . Iv worked like this for years and it works really well

[James Styles]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

[nathankaye]

Maybe, but then aren’t you overbooked when the bimonthly work is due and short of work when on the monthly cleans?

Even though I use squeegee app, I also like old school and have  a notebook with all my work in.  However, like this month, I have needed to rewrite my book out and so I have organised it slightly different. This is because from month one (4 wkly) to month two (which I include all my 8 wkly work on top) there is a difference of £800 of work.
This isn't a problem as I can can easily include all my 8wkly work in the time allotted to it, but financially its a big difference.   So a little reshuffle of splitting the 8wkly work up, balances the finances better.
So provided its organised more efficiently, it shouldn't be an hassle to take on 8wkly work nor over worked.

[Shrek]

I don’t have all bi monthly and three monthly cleans in separate months , everything’s mixed so iv got a good mix 12 months a year

[Don Kee]

Maybe, but then aren’t you overbooked when the bimonthly work is due and short of work when on the monthly cleans?

Not if half of the bi-monthly’s are (for example) in January and the other half in February. (Might not get it exactly 50/50 but there abouts)
You’d have the same amount of work each month that way.

[tlwcs]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

And that mate, is exactly how its done 

[CleanClear]

wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

Count it when you've been paid. You had £30 on it this morning that you never got !!   

[dazmond]

Maybe, but then aren’t you overbooked when the bimonthly work is due and short of work when on the monthly cleans?

i have 4 weekly,6 weekly,8 weekly,12 weekly,26 weekly(twice a year)jobs.......most of the time my work balances out over the course of the month but this week ive got a slack week so only working wed/thurs/fri this week so a 4 day weekend....

this doesnt happen very often as i usually have a few add on jobs booked in but not had many lately so just take the time off....

[robbo333]

8 weekly for me.
A few 4 weekly and one 12 weekly.

[robbo333]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

I don't wish to be negative, but let's see how many of those are messers!
I reckon 1 in 5 calls are good for me at the moment. My friend Dan is starting up and he gets the other 4.

I get:
first floor flats,
second floor flats,
one off cleans,
I'm moving cleans,
can I have them done by Sunday (bbq) cleans,
I think I might want them done again cleans,
student house cleans,
my window cleaner stopped coming cleans (some of these aren't bad),
old people cleans, actually very old, (where you have to repeat yourself 3 times for every sentence),
terraced, you have to come through the house cleans,
we look after a managed property and would like a quote for 3 times a year cleans,
out of my area cleans,
I was recommended cleans (by a customer I dumped 2years ago),

Perhaps I should just turn my phone off! 

[Crystal-clear]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

I don't wish to be negative, but let's see how many of those are messers!
I reckon 1 in 5 calls are good for me at the moment. My friend Dan is starting up and he gets the other 4.

I get:
first floor flats,
second floor flats,
one off cleans,
I'm moving cleans,
can I have them done by Sunday (bbq) cleans,
I think I might want them done again cleans,
student house cleans,
my window cleaner stopped coming cleans (some of these aren't bad),
old people cleans, actually very old, (where you have to repeat yourself 3 times for every sentence),
terraced, you have to come through the house cleans,
we look after a managed property and would like a quote for 3 times a year cleans,
out of my area cleans,
I was recommended cleans (by a customer I dumped 2years ago),

Perhaps I should just turn my phone off! 

Made me laugh .

By the way well done on the canvassing that's what it's about going out putting the hours in.
Just try not to get too sucked in don't assume £80 are added to the round. Somewhere in that £80 there is definitely someone who only wants a one-off.And they'll get out of it by any means necessary husband going to do it now sons going to do it now my best friend going to do it now, we are away a lot so can we call you in the future.

If you are canvassing you should have the mentality that one offs are common try to charge more on the first clean consider everyone with a first clean charge regardless.

The truth will only come out in the wash

[James Styles]

Are you doubling the first clean now?

I charge extra but not double more like 50% on top

[James Styles]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

I don't wish to be negative, but let's see how many of those are messers!
I reckon 1 in 5 calls are good for me at the moment. My friend Dan is starting up and he gets the other 4.

I get:
first floor flats,
second floor flats,
one off cleans,
I'm moving cleans,
can I have them done by Sunday (bbq) cleans,
I think I might want them done again cleans,
student house cleans,
my window cleaner stopped coming cleans (some of these aren't bad),
old people cleans, actually very old, (where you have to repeat yourself 3 times for every sentence),
terraced, you have to come through the house cleans,
we look after a managed property and would like a quote for 3 times a year cleans,
out of my area cleans,
I was recommended cleans (by a customer I dumped 2years ago),

Perhaps I should just turn my phone off! 

Made me laugh .

By the way well done on the canvassing that's what it's about going out putting the hours in.
Just try not to get too sucked in don't assume £80 are added to the round. Somewhere in that £80 there is definitely someone who only wants a one-off.And they'll get out of it by any means necessary husband going to do it now sons going to do it now my best friend going to do it now, we are away a lot so can we call you in the future.

If you are canvassing you should have the mentality that one offs are common try to charge more on the first clean consider everyone with a first clean charge regardless.

The truth will only come out in the wash

Cheers mate. Yeah I expect I will get a messer or two in there I’m just pleased I got an extra £80 Friday after losing out on £30 earlier.
I am certainly learning that with canvassing you get about 30% messers/bad customers, it’s gonna be a long battle for me to get a good solid round but I am determined to get there, it should in theory get easier each year.

[Splash & dash]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

I don't wish to be negative, but let's see how many of those are messers!
I reckon 1 in 5 calls are good for me at the moment. My friend Dan is starting up and he gets the other 4.

I get:
first floor flats,
second floor flats,
one off cleans,
I'm moving cleans,
can I have them done by Sunday (bbq) cleans,
I think I might want them done again cleans,
student house cleans,
my window cleaner stopped coming cleans (some of these aren't bad),
old people cleans, actually very old, (where you have to repeat yourself 3 times for every sentence),
terraced, you have to come through the house cleans,
we look after a managed property and would like a quote for 3 times a year cleans,
out of my area cleans,
I was recommended cleans (by a customer I dumped 2years ago),

Perhaps I should just turn my phone off! 

Made me laugh .

By the way well done on the canvassing that's what it's about going out putting the hours in.
Just try not to get too sucked in don't assume £80 are added to the round. Somewhere in that £80 there is definitely someone who only wants a one-off.And they'll get out of it by any means necessary husband going to do it now sons going to do it now my best friend going to do it now, we are away a lot so can we call you in the future.

If you are canvassing you should have the mentality that one offs are common try to charge more on the first clean consider everyone with a first clean charge regardless.

The truth will only come out in the wash

Cheers mate. Yeah I expect I will get a messer or two in there I’m just pleased I got an extra £80 Friday after losing out on £30 earlier.
I am certainly learning that with canvassing you get about 30% messers/bad customers, it’s gonna be a long battle for me to get a good solid round but I am determined to get there, it should in theory get easier each year.

Again I don’t want to be negative but we just don’t get this messers  due to goid communication when quoting I don’t take on all the jobs that we are asked to do , and we don’t get all the jobs we quoted but we don’t get more than two or three messers per year tops , that’s not by accident it’s  beacause of   carful quoting , you need to stress your terms and  conditions if they hesitate walk away they will be a pain customer

[Stoots]

Well because I finished a bit earlier due to the two cancellations I did a hour canvassing when I finished today and picked up 6 new customers that I will be doing on Friday, so losing out on those two cleans wasn’t so bad in the end as I picked up £80 worth of work that is added to my round 

I don't wish to be negative, but let's see how many of those are messers!
I reckon 1 in 5 calls are good for me at the moment. My friend Dan is starting up and he gets the other 4.

I get:
first floor flats,
second floor flats,
one off cleans,
I'm moving cleans,
can I have them done by Sunday (bbq) cleans,
I think I might want them done again cleans,
student house cleans,
my window cleaner stopped coming cleans (some of these aren't bad),
old people cleans, actually very old, (where you have to repeat yourself 3 times for every sentence),
terraced, you have to come through the house cleans,
we look after a managed property and would like a quote for 3 times a year cleans,
out of my area cleans,
I was recommended cleans (by a customer I dumped 2years ago),

Perhaps I should just turn my phone off! 

Made me laugh .

By the way well done on the canvassing that's what it's about going out putting the hours in.
Just try not to get too sucked in don't assume £80 are added to the round. Somewhere in that £80 there is definitely someone who only wants a one-off.And they'll get out of it by any means necessary husband going to do it now sons going to do it now my best friend going to do it now, we are away a lot so can we call you in the future.

If you are canvassing you should have the mentality that one offs are common try to charge more on the first clean consider everyone with a first clean charge regardless.

The truth will only come out in the wash

Cheers mate. Yeah I expect I will get a messer or two in there I’m just pleased I got an extra £80 Friday after losing out on £30 earlier.
I am certainly learning that with canvassing you get about 30% messers/bad customers, it’s gonna be a long battle for me to get a good solid round but I am determined to get there, it should in theory get easier each year.

Again I don’t want to be negative but we just don’t get this messers  due to goid communication when quoting I don’t take on all the jobs that we are asked to do , and we don’t get all the jobs we quoted but we don’t get more than two or three messers per year tops , that’s not by accident it’s  beacause of   carful quoting , you need to stress your terms and  conditions if they hesitate walk away they will be a pain customer

It has nothing to do with quoting or if he drives a car.

What a load of rubbish.

He's getting messed about because he texts ahead

You said you don't text anyone and don't get Messer's

Do you not see the correlation?

James don't listen to that rubbish, Messers are part and parcel of growing a round. People will mess you about no matter what you tell them.

The thing to take is that hardly anyone will turn you away to your face if you just turn up, people just don't have the nerve. Text is an easy way for them to mess you about, but if they have locked gates you have no option.

[dazmond]

i agree adam....it doesnt matter whether your using a car or van for work(what a stupid comment! ).....its to do with canvassing new customers.....you always seem to get more messers when your building your round....

even after 26 years i get the odd one or two a year but normally most are great customers....also the work i pick up these days are usually walk ups and other existing customers passing my number on,these tend to be better customers once ive agreed a frequency/price and payment method.......BUT NOT ALWAYS!some get dumped within a couple of cleans....

also james only text customers who have access issues or large stand alone jobs(courtesy text)....its far easier to chop and change and reschedule during your working day then(when you get busier)...... "turn up and clean" is 75% of my work.....