[jo5hm4n]

So recently had quite a few - oh can you leave it this time, or for the bi / Tri Monthlys, oh can you skip this month and do before xmas instead.  Or some just saying not convenient right now can you skip us.

I've even had about 4 people ask to be skipped until Spring next year.  (good customers).

Normally all of this would infuriate me and get under my skin.  However we have almost doubled the size of our business in 2019 and we have too much work as it is.  So for me for the first time since starting up in 2013 it is a nice feeling almost to have a few customers ask us to skip.  It lightens the load, takes the pressure off our schedule because we are pretty much stacked until christmas as it is.

Anybody else experienced the same thing?

Don't get me wrong i love the principle of not letting customers dictate when we can and can't clean for them, but recently for the few that have tried to do so, i just dont simply dont care and welcome the skips almost!

New concept for me if i am being honest!  Have more work than you can handle i suppose may just be the way forward!

 

[Splash & dash]

No we wouldn’t accept cancellation when taking work on I explain that we work all year and in light rain , any hesitate and they don’t go on the books , Ime only interested in regular work , unless there is a genuine reason not to do like building work going on or new windows being fitted decorating or the like it’s an instant dump , reminding them of the terms and conditions they accepted before we started working for them , and we never take on old customers again that have cancelled, due to taking this stance I think we have only had two or three customers in the last 5 years ask .

[Stoots]

Yes I had a few over the past few week.

2 or 3 skippers and another couple can you leave it till next year.

Im always a week behind so It didn't bother me at all. I just said no problem.

I will take serial skippers off the round but once or twice every so often who cares.

If they say can I cancel till spring, I suspend them on cleaner planner and forget all about them and look to replace them. If they come back next year which some do and some don't I can decide whether I want to clean them or not.

As you have found out, same as I have, if you have an abundance of work these things don't bother you as you can simply get on with the next job in the list.

[Slacky]

I've even had about 4 people ask to be skipped until Spring next year.  (good customers).

I've news for you. Thats not a good customer. She might be pretty, funny and chatty with a great pair of norks. She might even make you a brew, and possibly pay promptly; but someone that cancels for a 4 or 5 month period IS NOT A GOOD CUSTOMER.

[AuRavelling79]

Unless someone has just died and the undertaker is on his/her way or they are awaiting an ambulance ( )I rarely allow a cancellation such as this. The only one in living memory is because I also clean a small block of flats for them and they were going to Australia for four months.

[Shrek]

Iv only ever had 1 ask me to cancel until spring and that was last month , I told them straight that’s not how I operate and thanked them for their previous custom and wished them all the best. No ifs or buts about it, my business is built on repeat business not 6 months a year cleans.
Iv had one that’s gone from monthly to 3 monthly which is absolutely fine because they’ve agreed on the increase in price.

[Spotfree]

I explain if the space I give you is not used then it'll have to be re-filled by someone else.

First time if I've had enough of a customer or second if I like them.

[NWH]

If it’s good money I’ll go with it but I’d they said it again October time the following year I would say I’m sorry but it needs to be regular,the thing that worked for me in the last was to say I work cleaning windows all year,you are only giving me 2-3 maximum cleans in the winter months to see me through.
The key is to have as I’ve said before way more work than you will need therefore this kind of problem doesn’t very often crop up for me,if it’s a smaller job I just say if I can’t clean you on a regular basis I will no longer be able to just clean yours as and when you require if I worked like that I’d be like a hedgehog only come out in the spring and I still have bills to pay,I’ve got less patience with smaller jobs tbh.

[S.A.J]

Had a couple of 8 weekly cleans asked to be missed this month and ask to be done next month!

No! If you skip a clean you get done next time you’re due! See you in January 

2 said oh! Do them now then please  lots of time wasters and chancers this time of year! December is a short work month so have no time to fit extra work in!

[NWH]

If you get asked for a price this time if the year nearly always it’s for a 1 off although they won’t tell you that.

[alank]

Unless it's for a very good reason "not this time"means  never again 

[NWH]

Yeah it can do also lol.

[Smudger]

this newer will be unpopular but what the heck,

if you have genuinely doubled in work this year and have too much on, then perhaps this is showing in the quality of your cleaning - maybe your rushing to squeeze it all in ? - thats a large number to start asking to be skipped IMO

Darran

[Dave Willis]

Double whammy, skip them and dump them it’s great!

[Johnny B]

I get a few this time of the year asking me to call nearer xmas, and if I am in their area before then no problem, I'll oblige. If not, I will tell them when I'm around next and leave it with them to decide. A few cancellations do me a favour as I'm stacked out with work anyway.

As I have categories for 'regular' and 'as and when required', any that ask me to leave until spring are automatically reassigned to the latter.

John

[dazmond]

Had one skipper last month(no reason given)....an 8 weekly job,very slow payer,usually dog muck down the side of house I have to dodge and awkward gate to open,underpriced too!

The only reason I've kept it on over the years is it's on compact estate work surrounded by solid jobs/customers but I've had enough now.....I'll never take them back on now......👍😛

[Stoots]

Had one skipper last month(no reason given)....an 8 weekly job,very slow payer,usually dog muck down the side of house I have to dodge and awkward gate to open,underpriced too!

The only reason I've kept it on over the years is it's on compact estate work surrounded by solid jobs/customers but I've had enough now.....I'll never take them back on now......👍😛

I bet we all have a handfull of these jobs lol, i know i have a few that everytime i do them i say why the feck am i doing this job yet i keep going back because its next door to other work etc.

[dazmond]

Had one skipper last month(no reason given)....an 8 weekly job,very slow payer,usually dog muck down the side of house I have to dodge and awkward gate to open,underpriced too!

The only reason I've kept it on over the years is it's on compact estate work surrounded by solid jobs/customers but I've had enough now.....I'll never take them back on now......👍😛

I bet we all have a handfull of these jobs lol, i know i have a few that everytime i do them i say why the feck am i doing this job yet i keep going back because its next door to other work etc.

the thing is they seem like nice,polite people too but they can sod off.....its not the first time they ve skipped either for no reason whatsoever...... ...with all the other issues (in hindsight) i should of dumped them years ago.....

[Phil J]

Daz,
The dog s**t does it for me. Instant dump (no pun intended).

[james peters]

it happens from time to time …..
I find it best not to have rules set in stone …
if its of benefit for a customer to come back in the spring , ie ,,, I benefit financialy , then why not ?
if it doesn't and its a pain , then its bye bye , or I will increase the price to make it benefit.
 I have started to sell to messers before I dump , a as and required service , if they are in the middle of a run of houses.
I charge an inflated price for this , and they have to wait until im in the area . they also have to pay cash for this on the day of the clean .
it rarely happens , but why not turn it to your advantage ?