[lee_dewing]

Bah humbug 😑

Customer 10 yrs +
Monthly £40 has started playing up

Big house nearly an hours work
Sometimes slightly more.

House probably £1.5 million
Nice cars etc

Never text but earlier this year asked if I could send text message and they would leave garage door unlocked for access

Always got over side extension flat roof easy enough

This year husband has retired he’s got a business in the clothing industry.

Had a leave it this time going away

Then a text reply another time of is it 6 weeks already?

Which I replied  I’m a week late
I call calendar month  always have 😁

Last two visits husband has been in
I’ve now met him 4 times in 10+ yrs

3rd week  October he moaned about weather even though sun was out he commented how it had rained that morning and didn’t think I would have been working

Made a joke and carried on

End nov clean he’d escalated to
Not you again feels like yesterday you were here

Explained monthly always had been but running a week late

Husband said no point cleaning windows just March to October

I calmly explained I’m monthly do you want me to carry on or do you want to give someone else a go?

He replied I like you and want you
I’ll open garage up don’t trip over anything

I don’t want you suing me 😳

Husband let me clean windows but he didn’t appear happy

They usually pay same day online but haven’t 🤔
Last Thursday (not long ago I know)

I sent a text a few days later but no reply

Text message below

Alternative window cleaning schedule:

Hello Arlene

Lee window cleaner

If it suits Stewart and yourself

I can clean your windows every other month so:

Feb apr June August October December

(So six cleans a year)

It would be £50 per clean as it would take me a bit longer to clean

You currently pay £40 for a monthly service

I do run late and get to you 10 or 11 times a year

Hope suggested schedule works for you?

I can fit another customer on the other six months of the year.

So hopefully a win win situation

Have a good weekend thanks
Lee

If anyone is still awake after reading
This 🤭😁

Where would you go from here
Wait 2 weeks for payment then polite text? If no payment?

Also mention alternative cleaning frequency?

Wait till January to clean and mention payment and frequency

I think I doomed to a kick up the ar5e whatever I do with this one 😐

Maybe I should have given in to a more casual frequency earlier on
Read the signs 😳

Don’t be sad it’s over; be happy that it happened 👍

[Shrek]

Underpriced - sack it off 

[nathankaye]

Lol, its always us fellers who end up being the mardy arses!

Every time a bloke has to pay, its either the wife saying the hubby is going to start cleaning them or the hubby says its too expensive etc etc etc.

[NWH]

If that’s an hours work as said it’s underpriced but it depends if you like or need the job,that’s how it starts with the odd comment from them she’s obviously not giving him a bollocking when he goes indoors and moans about your frequency.
I’ve had this when all of a sudden the husband retires,the wife normally shuts em up then all goes back to normal. A month soon comes round especially if they are home all of a sudden more often.

[alank]

I would say that the warning signs have been there for a while. If it was one of my customers they would have been back of the queue for a while and replaced as soon as possible, I wouldn't waste any more time trying to accommodate them to be honest.

[NWH]

Yeah they sound like they no longer want them doing,I would just go to every 6 weeks and see where that takes you if you get anymore comments I’d then say something and either agree on a cleaning basis or just not bother to go back.
I’ve had customers like this in the past when they say about the other cleaner they used to have all of a sudden they stopped coming for some reason,that reason is the one that you are experiencing.

[Stoots]

You know what i hate doing larger houses, i always seem to underprice them

Access issues and snobby people.

give me £10 - £15  semis all day long

[dazmond]

all my £40+ jobs are  8 weekly....personally i think monthly is too often for these type of jobs.....i send them a "courtesy text" the night before too so they know im coming......ive never had a single problem with these jobs.....

[Bungle]

OP, you're sounding desperate to me. They haven't paid for the last clean yet and then you send a text asking if they'd prefer a longer gap between cleans. Your priority is to get paid for the clean and then offer a longer frequency if it suits. The husband sounds like a cokc. He's going to make sarcastic comments every time. Nip it in the bud. You either clean for them on the agreed frequency or they find themselves another shiner who will put up with them.

[dazmond]

You know what i hate doing larger houses, i always seem to underprice them

Access issues and snobby people.

give me £10 - £15  semis all day long

im the opposite!some of my larger domestics earn me £80 an hour......i also like the fact i only have to clean a few of them to reach my daily target....i never have access issues as they provide electronic gate codes when i take them on,as for wealthy customers,some of my best brews come from these types of people(really good coffee and luxurious biscuits!) ..and some of the landscape views from their large gardens are breathtaking...

[Spruce]

Bah humbug 😑

Customer 10 yrs +
Monthly £40 has started playing up

Big house nearly an hours work
Sometimes slightly more.

House probably £1.5 million
Nice cars etc

Never text but earlier this year asked if I could send text message and they would leave garage door unlocked for access

Always got over side extension flat roof easy enough

This year husband has retired he’s got a business in the clothing industry.

Had a leave it this time going away

Then a text reply another time of is it 6 weeks already?

Which I replied  I’m a week late
I call calendar month  always have 😁

Last two visits husband has been in
I’ve now met him 4 times in 10+ yrs

3rd week  October he moaned about weather even though sun was out he commented how it had rained that morning and didn’t think I would have been working

Made a joke and carried on

End nov clean he’d escalated to
Not you again feels like yesterday you were here

Explained monthly always had been but running a week late

Husband said no point cleaning windows just March to October

I calmly explained I’m monthly do you want me to carry on or do you want to give someone else a go?

He replied I like you and want you
I’ll open garage up don’t trip over anything

I don’t want you suing me 😳

Husband let me clean windows but he didn’t appear happy

They usually pay same day online but haven’t 🤔
Last Thursday (not long ago I know)

I sent a text a few days later but no reply

Text message below

Alternative window cleaning schedule:

Hello Arlene

Lee window cleaner

If it suits Stewart and yourself

I can clean your windows every other month so:

Feb apr June August October December

(So six cleans a year)

It would be £50 per clean as it would take me a bit longer to clean

You currently pay £40 for a monthly service

I do run late and get to you 10 or 11 times a year

Hope suggested schedule works for you?

I can fit another customer on the other six months of the year.

So hopefully a win win situation

Have a good weekend thanks
Lee

If anyone is still awake after reading
This 🤭😁

Where would you go from here
Wait 2 weeks for payment then polite text? If no payment?

Also mention alternative cleaning frequency?

Wait till January to clean and mention payment and frequency

I think I doomed to a kick up the ar5e whatever I do with this one 😐

Maybe I should have given in to a more casual frequency earlier on
Read the signs 😳

Don’t be sad it’s over; be happy that it happened 👍

I like your analogy, like fruit, in time they all turn bad. I will try to remember that one.

Sorry to say, but as others have said, it sounds like its all over. 

Someone has his calculator out and calculated that you are earning £320 a day. That's £1600 per week, £6400 a month,  £76800 per year and you are just a window cleaner.

Push for your money respectfully and then stop cleaning them. Don't enter into any further correspondence and see if they react. The old sales adage; whoever speaks first looses.

[NWH]

Some of them do think like that as far as money is concerned but most people that are earning ridiculous amounts won’t blink at 50-60 quid for the windows,as said once a month I think personally is to often for the houses I do I’d rather leave it slightly longer and charge far more than a monthly price.
Who’s the person with more common sense the person that cleans 2 25quid jobs a month in an hour and a 1/4 or the person that cleans 2 50 quid jobs in the same time every 6-8 weeks,don’t have to be that clever really to see that less often and more per clean pays better.
I’ve always said if you have 1 50 quid job what’s stopping you getting a round full,it’s not how many you clean a day.

[AuRavelling79]

Bah humbug 😑

Customer 10 yrs +
Monthly £40 has started playing up

Big house nearly an hours work
Sometimes slightly more.

House probably £1.5 million
Nice cars etc

Never text but earlier this year asked if I could send text message and they would leave garage door unlocked for access


I would have said no. If they didn't like it tough.

Always got over side extension flat roof easy enough

Wouldn't dream of doing this.

This year husband has retired he’s got a business in the clothing industry.

Had a leave it this time going away

Bye, bye.

Then a text reply another time of is it 6 weeks already?

Which I replied  I’m a week late
I call calendar month  always have 😁

Last two visits husband has been in
I’ve now met him 4 times in 10+ yrs

3rd week  October he moaned about weather even though sun was out he commented how it had rained that morning and didn’t think I would have been working

"It's England mate. If I stopped working if it looked like rain then I'd be on the dole."

Made a joke and carried on

End nov clean he’d escalated to
Not you again feels like yesterday you were here

"Do you want your windows cleaned or not, pal?"

Explained monthly always had been but running a week late

Husband said no point cleaning windows just March to October

"Bye!"

I calmly explained I’m monthly do you want me to carry on or do you want to give someone else a go?

He replied I like you and want you
I’ll open garage up don’t trip over anything

I don’t want you suing me 😳

Husband let me clean windows but he didn’t appear happy

They usually pay same day online but haven’t 🤔
Last Thursday (not long ago I know)

I sent a text a few days later but no reply

Text message below

Alternative window cleaning schedule:

Hello Arlene

Lee window cleaner

If it suits Stewart and yourself

I can clean your windows every other month so:

Feb apr June August October December

(So six cleans a year)

It would be £50 per clean as it would take me a bit longer to clean

You currently pay £40 for a monthly service

I do run late and get to you 10 or 11 times a year

Hope suggested schedule works for you?

I can fit another customer on the other six months of the year.

Words fail me.

So hopefully a win win situation

Have a good weekend thanks
Lee

If anyone is still awake after reading
This 🤭😁

Where would you go from here
Wait 2 weeks for payment then polite text? If no payment?

Also mention alternative cleaning frequency?

Wait till January to clean and mention payment and frequency

I think I doomed to a kick up the ar5e whatever I do with this one 😐

Maybe I should have given in to a more casual frequency earlier on
Read the signs 😳

Don’t be sad it’s over; be happy that it happened 👍

[AuRavelling79]

Sorry to sound harsh but what you've got is "newly retired husband-itis" going on here.

You have to be firm and train them; if they won't be trained you dump them.

I had one last week.

Him: "How often do you call on us?"
Me:  "Every 8 weeks."
Him: "Can you do a longer frequency?"
Me:  "No, not really - the round will get out of sync."
Him: "Can't you do every 16 weeks?"
Me:  "No." (Silence and me looking directly at him waiting for his response.)
Him: "Why not?"
Me: "I don't want to, thanks."
Him: "Okay. I suppose you'd better carry on then."

[Splash & dash]

Simple as far as Ime concerned the reply would be thanks for your custom I wish you all the best in your retirement , get paid cross  off list

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

i found this quite common when were worked in the uk , with the bigger houses , they drop off full time high paying work and dont have the income to keep up with the cost of a massive house and all its out goings , 

the house may be paid for but over time the up keep goes down hill fast , we had alot of houses where they didnt get painted every two years , drives stopped getting cleaned every year ect ect and after 15 years it starts looking tried and worn  which is ashame

then they wait to long to sell it and get a good few quid less then they should all because of the memories then some young high flyer buys it the this is all repeated in 20 years times when they retire

[Slacky]

Him: "Can't you do every 16 weeks?"
Me:  "No." (Silence and me looking directly at him waiting for his response.)
Him: "Why not?"
Me: "I don't want to, thanks."

Class 

[Dry Clean]

Guys who retire from running their own business can be a nightmare, they think they can treat you like one of their employees.

[NWH]

I did 1 house for about 15 years he retired and was always there,he says to me 1 day don’t forget to do the velux windows round the side I said are you the new gardener genuinely lol,he wasn’t happy she came out and said just ignore him he’s getting on my nerves already he’s only been retired a couple of months.
The woman of the house gets annoyed too they’ve had there own routine ruined when blokes retire especially if they’ve been on the train at 6 and home at 8,she actually said to me he hasn’t a clue how this house has run for years.

[nathankaye]

I did 1 house for about 15 years he retired and was always there,he says to me 1 day don’t forget to do the velux windows round the side I said are you the new gardener genuinely lol,he wasn’t happy she came out and said just ignore him he’s getting on my nerves already he’s only been retired a couple of months.
The woman of the house gets annoyed too they’ve had there own routine ruined when blokes retire especially if they’ve been on the train at 6 and home at 8,she actually said to me he hasn’t a clue how this house has run for years.

I like it!  Might use that one day.