[supernova77]

Hi All,

Got a cheque through the post this morning from a customer along with a letter asking me not to clean their windows through the winter months, and start again in the spring.

It's only a £20 x6 weeks account. But, I'm not sure whether to reply with a letter stating that we clean all year round blah blah blah - or just leave it? To be honest I suppose its not really worth the hassle and I may aswell just drop them?

Andy

[Paul Coleman]

Hi All,

Got a cheque through the post this morning from a customer along with a letter asking me not to clean their windows through the winter months, and start again in the spring.

It's only a £20 x6 weeks account. But, I'm not sure whether to reply with a letter stating that we clean all year round blah blah blah - or just leave it? To be honest I suppose its not really worth the hassle and I may aswell just drop them?

Andy

Sounds about right.  You've now got all Winter to rehearse your answer for when they phone you in the Spring   

[steveaqua]

had one this week andy

Please come back in the spring, i told her that is she wishes to cancel then she will have to find herself a new window cleaner as our bills don't stop needing to be paid because its winter .

just wait till she contacts you in the spring and have much joy in telling to get stuffed!

[H h20]

This REEEEAAAAALLLYYY annoys me,i have had it a few times so i just don`t bother doing them again so if they ask you to start again just say NO!,Gaz

[busydaffodil]

just my humble opinion as a customer of a window cleaner...... I dont think people actually realise or consider or think about how window cleaners earn their money in winter.    I dont think its done on purpose to make you skint over winter.     
Perhaps a phonecall with a polite conversation stating that you only have 12 month a year customers on your books because you too need to earn money in winter & that if she wants to cancel over winter, you will have to stop cleaning her for good & allow another customer onto your books off your big waiting list.  Let her know your services are sought after.    She will either see the error of her ways or you lose her.   
Again, just my opinion.

[AuRavelling79]

I agree with busydaffs. (Unless you want an excuse to drop this customer.)

[supernova77]

I just typed out and posted her the following letter:

-----

Thank you for your payment of £20 for the window cleaning work we carried out on 14th November 2006.

We are a window cleaning company that works all year round, and we pride ourselves on a regular and efficient service. At present we only offer cleans on a x6 or x12 weekly cycle and not on an “as and when” basis.

With this in mind I am afraid that we will not be able to stop cleaning your windows over the winter months and then begin again in the spring. If we stop the window cleaning of your property over the winter months then the likelihood is that in the spring we will be too busy with new regular customers to resume.

We do value your custom highly though, and as such we can offer to clean your windows on a x12 weekly cycle for the time being at a price of £25? This would mean that your next clean would be in mid February 2007, and then again in mid May 2007. You could then resume to a x6 weekly cycle at the regular price of £20 after this period if you preferred to.

We look forward to hearing from you.

-----

They will probably just ignore it and try to find a new window cleaner sometime next year! But - There aren't any others in the area.

Andy

[AuRavelling79]

They'll accept that I reckon.

[simon knight]

I've recently had a call from a customer who I did in June who at the time said " I'll call you when I need you". I'm supposed to be doing his windows thursday 21st Dec at 11am.  At 10.30am 21st Dec he's gonna get a call from me " Sorry Mr Longhurst I can't come today as a regular customer has phoned and needs your slot."

Hopefully he's got the family coming for Xmas and wants his windows all nice and will then be chasing around trying to find another w/c....revenge is a dish best eaten cold

[wimbledonhandyman]

Andy,

Good reply  - you have made the effort now its up to them to see the error of their ways and sort it out if they want to retain you. If not then your better off without them.

Steve

[Paul Coleman]

I've recently had a call from a customer who I did in June who at the time said " I'll call you when I need you". I'm supposed to be doing his windows thursday 21st Dec at 11am.  At 10.30am 21st Dec he's gonna get a call from me " Sorry Mr Longhurst I can't come today as a regular customer has phoned and needs your slot."

Hopefully he's got the family coming for Xmas and wants his windows all nice and will then be chasing around trying to find another w/c....revenge is a dish best eaten cold

If you want to be really horrible you could get his surname a bit wrong too, to show him how important his windows are to you   
Evil, aren't I?
Seriously though, I agree with Busydaff that they should be notified even if it isn't what they want to hear.  I admit that I don't always do it but it's not malicious, it's just that I have problems being assertive if I'm not on top of my game so I sometimes adopt the "run away" strategy instead.

[simon knight]

Yeah...."Sorry Mrs Longhurst............"

[Pat Purcell]

Andy seeing as spring is only about 12 weeks away are you not defeat ing your own purpose by offering to go to a 12 weekly cycle and then resuming your 6 weekly cycle

[busydaffodil]

it would be your regular 6 week or nothing.  Dont compromise.  If all your customers wanted 12 weeks, you'd be skint for 6 weeks out of every 12.   

[Paul Coleman]

it would be your regular 6 week or nothing.  Dont compromise.  If all your customers wanted 12 weeks, you'd be skint for 6 weeks out of every 12.   

Totally agree with Daff here.  I do a few at 12 weekly but I only do this for the much larger jobs and only at VERY good prices.

[simon knight]

it would be your regular 6 week or nothing.  Dont compromise.  If all your customers wanted 12 weeks, you'd be skint for 6 weeks out of every 12.   

Totally agree with Daff here.  I do a few at 12 weekly but I only do this for the much larger jobs and only at VERY good prices.

I've a few quarterly....but they're big jobs and pay me £80+....for that sort of money they get what they want!

[supernova77]

I can see what you're all saying... But, I'm still in my first year of business and want to hold on to as many accounts as possible for the time being, even if they do drop to x12 weeks.

When I've got too much work I'll just drop all the "problem" ones.

Andy

[simon knight]

I've never dumped a customer (except bad payers of course). "Come back in the Spring please" gets: "Certainly Madam."

The door is never closed with me....sooner earn £60 from her in 2007 and keep her onside than say: "Sorry Ma'am find someone else"...and earn nowt.

Also I've noticed of late there's a few guys sniffing around "my patch" ...looking at em I think they may be East European. I bloody hope not....these guys would undercut their own grannies....and (shudder) might even do a better job!!!!

[busydaffodil]

opps Simon.   Good luck then.     

[simon knight]

Cheers Daff. I like to think I know my customers well enough for them to be faithfull....but not keen to have their fidelity tested.