[jay moley]

People crack me up.

Got a lady call today asking for a quote, gave her the quote, fine she accepted.

I text her later with the clean date and said I'd be there between 8am and 12.00pm. She immediately texts back asking what time. So I again tell her between 8am and 12.00pm.

She says that's fine, then asks for a text on the day 30mins before we come. I reluctantly agree but say we can't do that on future cleans, she has to leave her side gate open if out. She says she can't do that.

I say we can't help her then. She texts back "Why?". I explain we can't come at her convienience as we are only in certain roads on certain weeks. She text back "I don't understand" so I just said find another cleaner.

She text again saying I don't understand. I didn't reply.

I actually found the whole thing quite amusing.

Mad what people expect.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

I don't understand your post

[SB Cleaning]

I've had loads like that...just block their number and move on.

[lal]

 To be honest jay saying you will be there between 8 and 12 is a big window of 4 hours for someone to have to
 hang around for you to turnup, when I'm very busy my max window is an hour which most  people accept,
but 4 hours is half a working day for most people.

[jay moley]

 To be honest jay saying you will be there between 8 and 12 is a big window of 4 hours for someone to have to
 hang around for you to turnup, when I'm very busy my max window is an hour which most  people accept,
but 4 hours is half a working day for most people.

My ideal is turn up and clean, no time given. I give a time, 4 hour window, as you say for first cleans only, if needed.

Don't wanna get tied down to customers dictating [modded]

[nathankaye]

A couple of things I thought here.

It's a trust thing and it goes two ways. Yet that's hard to do if you don't meet.
Ive had a handful of first cleans who want to be In on the first clean so they can can to meet the person visiting their home at times when they may not be in etc. To some this can be a scary thing, cause let's face it, the information we can collect on our customers can be very lucrative if applied in a wrong way.   So I personally respect this, at least for the first clean and make this clear in my communication with them.

Normally when that is sorted, they don't have a problem and go on to be great customers.  Let's face it, to a certain extent,they are not and in this case, I don't feel they were being unfairly demanding as made out to be.

I've also for  arious reasons text a customer as I've finished a job to let them know I'm on the way next.  Granted, this is for the first cleans and I don't repeat this again afterwards, but is it that hard to do?

[James Styles]

I’ve had quite a few like this wanting to know the exact time you will be there, I had one this week asking what time I’ll be there I said between 10-11 and she text me back saying can I make it no later than 10.30 as she wants to go out... I felt like replying “are you taking your windows with you?”
I just say I cannot give an exact time and leave it at that

[jay moley]

A couple of things I thought here.

It's a trust thing and it goes two ways. Yet that's hard to do if you don't meet.
Ive had a handful of first cleans who want to be In on the first clean so they can can to meet the person visiting their home at times when they may not be in etc. To some this can be a scary thing, cause let's face it, the information we can collect on our customers can be very lucrative if applied in a wrong way.   So I personally respect this, at least for the first clean and make this clear in my communication with them.

Normally when that is sorted, they don't have a problem and go on to be great customers.  Let's face it, to a certain extent,they are not and in this case, I don't feel they were being unfairly demanding as made out to be.

I've also for  arious reasons text a customer as I've finished a job to let them know I'm on the way next.  Granted, this is for the first cleans and I don't repeat this again afterwards, but is it that hard to do?

I have no problem with people wanting to be in on the first clean and to an extent I think it beneficial in developing a relationship.

But I'm not being messed around.

In other areas of my business my existing customers have too much control. I've shared as much on here before.

[P @ F]

😆😆😆😆😆
My lord , talk about jumping through hoops for a tenner !
Feck all that nonsense , mine are all told 4 or 5 weekly depending on weather , no days , no times , no calls , no texts , if I can’t get to back under my own steam then they should be finding another cleaner , I am in and out and paid online within 72 hours .
Harsh but it’s just  the way it is !

[robbo333]

You would have made your life much easier, if you had mentioned the gates when she first called you.

[Crystal-clear]

These are customers that usually lost within the realms of window cleaners.. it's a £12 job.... she will eventually find someone else who surprisingly won't be able to give her an exact time as well then she might come round or she may not.

The only difference I would do is if she was picky arrange it first thing in the morning so first job.
No exact times
However I would put a first clean charge for that her behaviour is familiar to one offs but you only find out after the first clean anyway

[AuRavelling79]

I agree that meeting for the first time (when the first meet is also the first clean) is a good idea - not least so you can gauge if you are even going to be paid. Personally I'd try and aim for the start or the end of my day so I'd say "8.00/8.30" or "sometime after 2.30 but before 4.00."

But as mentioned it's good to mention stuff at the start at the outset on the phone ... so as your discussing you might say ...

"let me just set out a few of my business terms to ensure we're on the same page - I only take on regular 8 weekly customers and I don't phone or text beforehand as I've got too many customers to schedule (if it's a concern I say "you call me at about 7, 7 and a half weeks and I can look at my diary and let you know more specifically as I'm much closer to the time") - the first clean is always rather more than the regular price depending how clean they are. "

At this point I will know whether things are feeling right. If they are I go on to say ...

"As far as payment goes I prefer on line within 48 hours but can take cash or some of the elderly pay by cheque but that adds a pound to the price due to bank charges - even if you happen to be home I don't expect cash, you can still pay on line."
 (That sets them up for not being there and me just turning up)
 
If they bring up a gate issue (and it's a normal solid 6ft side gate) I say "Well most other customers are happy for me to use my special gate ladder (a 2 metre top section with ladder mitts  ) or give me a code or a key - if that's not acceptable and you're not in I just do the fronts and any accessible sides and charge accordingly.

(I even have about twenty customers in a long road of about 50 1930's semi's where most have extended or put garages on and so made access to the back difficult) I just price for the fronts at a tenner a pop and do the backs on request if they are in and can let me through the garage or open the side gate.)

TL/DR: Set out your stall and some tips as to how I do that.

[dazmond]

People crack me up.

Got a lady call today asking for a quote, gave her the quote, fine she accepted.

I text her later with the clean date and said I'd be there between 8am and 12.00pm. She immediately texts back asking what time. So I again tell her between 8am and 12.00pm.

She says that's fine, then asks for a text on the day 30mins before we come. I reluctantly agree but say we can't do that on future cleans, she has to leave her side gate open if out. She says she can't do that.

I say we can't help her then. She texts back "Why?". I explain we can't come at her convienience as we are only in certain roads on certain weeks. She text back "I don't understand" so I just said find another cleaner.

She text again saying I don't understand. I didn't reply.

I actually found the whole thing quite amusing.

Mad what people expect.

why couldnt you make her the first job of the day?thats what i would have done if its a new customer id never met previously....then on subsequent cleans no notification just "turn up and clean" or text night before if locked gate....

[Richard Groves]

People crack me up.

Got a lady call today asking for a quote, gave her the quote, fine she accepted.

I text her later with the clean date and said I'd be there between 8am and 12.00pm. She immediately texts back asking what time. So I again tell her between 8am and 12.00pm.

She says that's fine, then asks for a text on the day 30mins before we come. I reluctantly agree but say we can't do that on future cleans, she has to leave her side gate open if out. She says she can't do that.

I say we can't help her then. She texts back "Why?". I explain we can't come at her convienience as we are only in certain roads on certain weeks. She text back "I don't understand" so I just said find another cleaner.

She text again saying I don't understand. I didn't reply.

I actually found the whole thing quite amusing.

Mad what people expect.

why couldnt you make her the first job of the day?thats what i would have done if its a new customer id never met previously....then on subsequent cleans no notification just "turn up and clean" or text night before if locked gate....

Thats what I'd have done too.

[jay moley]

People crack me up.

Got a lady call today asking for a quote, gave her the quote, fine she accepted.

I text her later with the clean date and said I'd be there between 8am and 12.00pm. She immediately texts back asking what time. So I again tell her between 8am and 12.00pm.

She says that's fine, then asks for a text on the day 30mins before we come. I reluctantly agree but say we can't do that on future cleans, she has to leave her side gate open if out. She says she can't do that.

I say we can't help her then. She texts back "Why?". I explain we can't come at her convienience as we are only in certain roads on certain weeks. She text back "I don't understand" so I just said find another cleaner.

She text again saying I don't understand. I didn't reply.

I actually found the whole thing quite amusing.

Mad what people expect.

why couldnt you make her the first job of the day?thats what i would have done if its a new customer id never met previously....then on subsequent cleans no notification just "turn up and clean" or text night before if locked gate....

I could have made her the first clean of the day but she was clearly a messer. She wanted a text on the day of each clean and wouldn't leave her gate unlocked.

[nathankaye]

This is one that I had, not long back:
(the price quoted and gained was higher than the estimate, before people get hung up on that)



I thought she was going to be a nightmare of a customer, but she was OK when I got there and  I mentioned that on following cleans it will be my standard text message and not time restricted and she was more than happy with that after meeting me the first time.

[Elfyn]

To be a sucessful window cleaner you need to attack each day and clean as much as possible. Bish bosh - next job. If I'm asked when will I be cleaning a custies windows the best they're going to get is something like "next week" or "it's scheduled in for the end of the month". I explain that there are too many things that can change the time of cleaning. Equipment problems (very rare), no access to a property, parked cars, weather etc. There are so many variable and once this is explained to a custy they usually see your point.

[Crystal-clear]

People crack me up.

Got a lady call today asking for a quote, gave her the quote, fine she accepted.

I text her later with the clean date and said I'd be there between 8am and 12.00pm. She immediately texts back asking what time. So I again tell her between 8am and 12.00pm.

She says that's fine, then asks for a text on the day 30mins before we come. I reluctantly agree but say we can't do that on future cleans, she has to leave her side gate open if out. She says she can't do that.

I say we can't help her then. She texts back "Why?". I explain we can't come at her convienience as we are only in certain roads on certain weeks. She text back "I don't understand" so I just said find another cleaner.

She text again saying I don't understand. I didn't reply.

I actually found the whole thing quite amusing.

Mad what people expect.

why couldnt you make her the first job of the day?thats what i would have done if its a new customer id never met previously....then on subsequent cleans no notification just "turn up and clean" or text night before if locked gate....

I could have made her the first clean of the day but she was clearly a messer. She wanted a text on the day of each clean and wouldn't leave her gate unlocked.

Hello Jay it probably sounds like she could have been but if there's one thing about window cleaning no prejudging at all.
Ideally I would have just put her on the first job of the day personally I would have charged double for the first clean but I know that's debatable depending on how badly you need the work or competition in the area.

After it's done offer the regular price and tell her how it works at that point the ball is in her court. She could have gone the other way and cooperated completely. Of course it could have gone the other way as well and she could have just wanted a one-off. However it's best to give her the chance.

[Windy Miller]

If you can work it for first or last thing you've nothing to lose by giving it a go, some people can surprise you.
I have one lady who always insists on first house of the day, great customer.
A few others I'll give a vague am or pm but not to the hour and certainly not the minute because it would involve driving one direction to double back to accommodate them so best I can do is a rough guess which they're happy with.

I dumped one which insisted on almost to the minute 'arrive at and leave by such and such time', that was an experience! She walked from window to window pointing out areas of dirt and giving a thumbs up when satisfactory 😂

[Arnold Palmer]

A couple of things I thought here.

It's a trust thing and it goes two ways. Yet that's hard to do if you don't meet.
Ive had a handful of first cleans who want to be In on the first clean so they can can to meet the person visiting their home at times when they may not be in etc. To some this can be a scary thing, cause let's face it, the information we can collect on our customers can be very lucrative if applied in a wrong way.   So I personally respect this, at least for the first clean and make this clear in my communication with them.

Normally when that is sorted, they don't have a problem and go on to be great customers.  Let's face it, to a certain extent,they are not and in this case, I don't feel they were being unfairly demanding as made out to be.

I've also for  arious reasons text a customer as I've finished a job to let them know I'm on the way next.  Granted, this is for the first cleans and I don't repeat this again afterwards, but is it that hard to do?

You crack me up sometimes. Very lucrative, how exactly?