[windowswashed]

Could have been worse if Mr Bit showed up instead of Mr Clean 

[AuRavelling79]

I’m not getting anywhere with this dude , he must be a politician

So was Mr Clean cleaning the windows too?

[robbo333]

And did 'Mr Clean' offer to provide a regular window cleaning service?

I would have done.

[jim bean]

I had one today.

So, I picked up a bungalow job last week. However, in the 23 years Ive been doing this job Ive never had to phone the customer before hand to let them know Im coming. Text, yes: phone, no.

I was reluctant but took it on anyway, because of the calling beforehand scenario.

So, this week, I was going to pop round to them. Called three times, no answer. Popped round once, no-one in.


Eventually this morning they answered the phone. The old boy responded with, 'is that the man that was going to clean our windows this week, well, you haven't been round all week. You can go away, we don't want to use any more, you disgust me...!'.

Puts the phone down.....


I was feckin' seething....

Some old people don’t text and aren’t willing to learn hell maybe they’re even scared of it. They are the majority of the time who can’t ‘work the internet’ LOL . You Have to be flexible if you want the work what’s a minute phone call at most? If it’s a job you want and is priced and located well to you why not? I have to call a handful of people . All of which are old and all numbers are landline numbers
Ain’t a problem in my book

[james peters]

I had one today.

So, I picked up a bungalow job last week. However, in the 23 years Ive been doing this job Ive never had to phone the customer before hand to let them know Im coming. Text, yes: phone, no.

I was reluctant but took it on anyway, because of the calling beforehand scenario.

So, this week, I was going to pop round to them. Called three times, no answer. Popped round once, no-one in.


Eventually this morning they answered the phone. The old boy responded with, 'is that the man that was going to clean our windows this week, well, you haven't been round all week. You can go away, we don't want to use any more, you disgust me...!'.

Puts the phone down.....


I was feckin' seething....

Some old people don’t text and aren’t willing to learn hell maybe they’re even scared of it. They are the majority of the time who can’t ‘work the internet’ LOL . You Have to be flexible if you want the work what’s a minute phone call at most? If it’s a job you want and is priced and located well to you why not? I have to call a handful of people . All of which are old and all numbers are landline numbers
Ain’t a problem in my book

sometimes it pays dividends . often they appreciate it and recommend you.
my retired customers are so valuable . they are the most reliable. pay cash on the day .

[mjm]

ive just counted 18  people i text for gates and call 3 to say iam coming  its £450 altogether

i have actually told every customer they will get a text before iam coming  because some are fronts only and backs have been getting missed off for ages so more money for me if they know iam coming then they can be in as some are terraced and access is difficult

[jim bean]

I had one today.

So, I picked up a bungalow job last week. However, in the 23 years Ive been doing this job Ive never had to phone the customer before hand to let them know Im coming. Text, yes: phone, no.

I was reluctant but took it on anyway, because of the calling beforehand scenario.

So, this week, I was going to pop round to them. Called three times, no answer. Popped round once, no-one in.


Eventually this morning they answered the phone. The old boy responded with, 'is that the man that was going to clean our windows this week, well, you haven't been round all week. You can go away, we don't want to use any more, you disgust me...!'.

Puts the phone down.....


I was feckin' seething....

Some old people don’t text and aren’t willing to learn hell maybe they’re even scared of it. They are the majority of the time who can’t ‘work the internet’ LOL . You Have to be flexible if you want the work what’s a minute phone call at most? If it’s a job you want and is priced and located well to you why not? I have to call a handful of people . All of which are old and all numbers are landline numbers
Ain’t a problem in my book

sometimes it pays dividends . often they appreciate it and recommend you.
my retired customers are so valuable . they are the most reliable. pay cash on the day .

Yep they’re always in always paid on the day best ones in my book. Prob lose 5 mins as they love a natter but hey ho. They aren’t the sort to turn you away under any circumstance
Which reminds me I was turned away today as they had plasterers in the house. Couldn’t stop myself from laughing as I said bye lol custy looked bewildered she won’t be getting kitchen inside done for free any more after that crap
 Most recommendations I found are old folks as they’re the type to ask a neighbour or a local Freind because they don’t have a big network or know that many people
Only Downside is they tend to die. I must have had 40-50 that have passed away now

[Simon Trapani]

Slacky said he phoned them three times & called round once. What more should he do? That’s already above & beyond. Lesson learned. Why would you all want customer’s like that? They’re a ballache no matter the price.

[Slacky]

Exactly.

[P @ F]

I don’t call or text a single one , don’t think I ever have , I just tell them I don’t do it  .

[P @ F]

I’m not getting anywhere with this dude , he must be a politician

So was Mr Clean cleaning the windows too?

Nothing was wet other than 2 pencil jet trails from window to window !

[P @ F]

I couldn’t leave it without digging a bit further for the truth and leaving it in a less hostile situation, his last comment was actually funny if it was true 

[P @ F]

.

[mike1986]

P&F it could be because as you stated you don’t bother to text the day before coming and Mr Clean has probably offered to do this. I know lots of new customers I get are often impressed that we text the day before. (Sometimes it’s because they have pets that get distressed etc) Also you sound like the type of guy who would want to argue back and forth if they texted you and told you the actual reasons why they changed cleaner and probably cba with the hassle.

[AuRavelling79]

I "never" text beforehand. But being a softy over the years I I have relented on one or two if they have exceptional reasons. It always ends up badly.

The last one was last year when an 80 year old chap who was a bit slow on his feet and asked me to phone him - so he could put the dog in if it was out in the back garden and unbolt the gate (which I could reach over to unbolt anyway). I set out my store of no on the day cancellations and he agreed.

Got to the third clean and out he comes with a "can you leave it this time?"  (with no good reason) which led to me informing him it would be a permanent cancellation to which he said "well that's it then old son" and concluded the call.*

I have too much work on with people that I agree terms with and who keep to them to worry about the idiosyncratic, the eccentric, the idiotic and the thoughtless.

*It didn't stop him asking me earlier this week asking me to resume. 

[AuRavelling79]

P&F it could be because as you stated you don’t bother to text the day before coming and Mr Clean has probably offered to do this. I know lots of new customers I get are often impressed that we text the day before. (Sometimes it’s because they have pets that get distressed etc) Also you sound like the type of guy who would want to argue back and forth if they texted you and told you the actual reasons why they changed cleaner and probably cba with the hassle.

So you don't believe what the customer has texted either and yet you berate P&F for exactly the same?

[Richard iSparkle]

We never text people to say we’re coming.

We do give an expected clean date on our calling cards

And if we turn up on that day and can’t access the back we still charge them full price

Done that for 10 years now

[dazmond]

I very rarely get any messers old or young....and I dont get messers just because I send a text to some customers the night before either!sometimes it's for access,sometimes it's a courtesy text...

I find some of my larger stand alone,longer frequency jobs really appreciate a text so they know I'm coming rather than just turning up out of the blue...

[deeege]

I very rarely get any messers old or young....and I dont get messers just because I send a text to some customers the night before either!sometimes it's for access,sometimes it's a courtesy text...

I find some of my larger stand alone,longer frequency jobs really appreciate a text so they know I'm coming rather than just turning up out of the blue...

What if you turn up a day late/early and can’t get access? Still charge them?

I’d personally hate to be tied to such a strict schedule, I simply couldn’t make it work with my workload.

[KS Cleaning]

I very rarely get any messers old or young....and I dont get messers just because I send a text to some customers the night before either!sometimes it's for access,sometimes it's a courtesy text...

I find some of my larger stand alone,longer frequency jobs really appreciate a text so they know I'm coming rather than just turning up out of the blue...

What if you turn up a day late/early and can’t get access? Still charge them?

I’d personally hate to be tied to such a strict schedule, I simply couldn’t make it work with my workload.

I think you’ve replied to Dazmond instead of Richard by mistake? I was actually thinking the same thing, surely you can’t charge full price if you can’t access the back because you are a day or two later than the expected date?