[Paul Coleman]

I did a very full day's work yesterday (Saturday).  Nearly all the work was concentrated in one Close - fairly large houses.  Anyway, I was doing one house and the guy next door came out.  He wished me a Happy Xmas, gave me a fiver and asked me not to clean his windows that time.  He had loads of people visiting so cars were under some of the windows, there were Xmas lights dangling down from the windows too.  It was doable due to using WFP but would have been tricky.
Now this guy and his wife have  been customers for maybe six years and have never messed me about.  They are what I would term good, reliable customers and very courteous too.
Just posted this to show that there are occasional "not today thank you"s that are not even worthy of a yellow card never mind a red.
The exception the proves (or maybe even probes  ) the rule.

[Clear Vision]

I think you did quite well! £5 for doing nothing

Under the circumstances thats absolutly fine but if it was a customer that has messed you around before I would have told em where to go!

[Paul Coleman]

I think you did quite well! £5 for doing nothing

Under the circumstances thats absolutly fine but if it was a customer that has messed you around before I would have told em where to go!

That was the view I took as well.  A fiver for nothing and it helped me get finished a little earlier too for Xmas.

[rosskesava]

I wish it was like that with commercial work.

Last Wednesday we did the front of a sizable office that had just had the fronts repainted etc and all the glass had to be done with a mop and squeegie from the scaffolding with us all trusted up in fall arrest harnesses.

On two of the floors they were having the office party and we didn't even get one 'merry christmas'. I spent most of the day frozen solid.

Not one commercial place said 'not this week and here's a tip'. 

Still, a fiver for doing nothing sounds ok.

[jeff1]

We all get to know the customers who mess us about and those that don't, in you case it sounds like they had a Genuine reason not to have it done. and a fiver for your trouble.

[steveaqua]

i had a not today about 3 weeks ago, he said hes mother died and that family were round, that was an exception to the normal rule...he just better not make a habit of it
(only joking before i get abuse for it :)

[Sir Squeaky]

Plenty of decent people around Shiner.

Watch out though, Tosh will be here telling you to slash his tyres and burn his house down. :

[Paul Coleman]

Plenty of decent people around Shiner.

Watch out though, Tosh will be here telling you to slash his tyres and burn his house down. :

It would take me longer to do that than to clean his windows.  He and his wife have got three cars between them 

[AuRavelling79]

This happened to me a couple of weeks back. I do the fronts of a small terraced house for a fiver. I took the initiative (another exception to the well proven rule ) and suggested I leave the upper windows due to fairy lights etc and that I do the downstairs trad.

He said don't worry mate and gives me a fiver, then goes and gets a bottle of wine for me too!

Result.

[Londoner]

Lights on the outside of the house is a growing trend. Years ago, because we are quite close to an American Base if you ever saw a house with lights on the outside you knew it was Yanks living there. Now every other house has them and its one more thing to deal with when cleaning windows this time of year.

Have you noticed the houses that leave them up all year ? There is a house directly opposite us that does that.

[gaza]

with daylight running short one day Ihad one customer to do ,but previously I had explained I maybe a week late she replied that suits me fine even if you were two weeks late it wouldnt matter,, so guess what she how she likes 8 week interval suited me as well

  gaza

[fishman]

I cottoned on to the lights for xmas brigade and started offering to put them up for people, what a moneymaker, an average house one side only, twenty minutes max.All for £25 not bad at all, i tell you guys money can be made at any time if you see the need!

[windows_chepstow]

Plenty of decent people around Shiner.

Watch out though, Tosh will be here telling you to slash his tyres and burn his house down. :

If I'm given a good reason why the customer doesn't want their windows cleaned, then that's fine; no problem.

And that includes, 'Look, I'm a single parent, struggling to cope with bills and stuff; could you give me a miss?'

But if I ever get a curt, 'Not this month, mate', with no explanation, or the weather cited as a reason then yes, I slash their tyres and burn their house down.

Common-sense prevails.

Once after going out of my way and trailing a bucket full of water, a double ladder and an A-Frame upto a customers house I was told, 'Not this month, Mate'.  It was HOT and I was tired and sweaty.  I asked why and was told, 'because my Missis hasn't cleaned the insides'.

I bin these types straight away, and so should you.

I think it's been about six months since I've had a customer ask me not to clean their windows and that was the example I cited above.

[Paul Coleman]

Plenty of decent people around Shiner.

Watch out though, Tosh will be here telling you to slash his tyres and burn his house down. :

If I'm given a good reason why the customer doesn't want their windows cleaned, then that's fine; no problem.

And that includes, 'Look, I'm a single parent, struggling to cope with bills and stuff; could you give me a miss?'

But if I ever get a curt, 'Not this month, mate', with no explanation, or the weather cited as a reason then yes, I slash their tyres and burn their house down.

Common-sense prevails.

Once after going out of my way and trailing a bucket full of water, a double ladder and an A-Frame upto a customers house I was told, 'Not this month, Mate'.  It was HOT and I was tired and sweaty.  I asked why and was told, 'because my Missis hasn't cleaned the insides'.

I bin these types straight away, and so should you.

I think it's been about six months since I've had a customer ask me not to clean their windows and that was the example I cited above.

Yep.  I walked from three jobs a few months back.  I've been very unprofessional and not told them yet.  It is an area where I do six jobs in close proximity.  On the basis that familiarity breeds contempt, three of them stopped me cleaning that time.
1.  Having a bit of building work done - yet again (replacing a window that I don't even clean as it's even out of reach for WFP).
2.  Recently retired and can't afford it often.
3.  It's been raining a lot recently (this was true but it was dry at the time with no imminent rain threatening (though it did rain that night)).

Next time around none of them were in.  No 1.  never sends a cheque anyway.  No 2. I didn't know if she could afford me this time as I'm not a mindreader.  Number 3. It had been raining a fair bit prior to that visit too so thought I better do him a favour and not clean 

I still do the other three within sight of those houses so one day, the brown stuff will hit the fan when there is a sighting (of me).

The only trouble is that one of the people is exceptionally nice and it could prove tricky. However, I am fighting for my financial life and I can't afford to service deadwood work any more.

[Andy@w.c.s]

When we get a stop like that we look at the customers record
1 how long since we put it up
2 when did they start on the round
3 do they send on the money quickly
 even down to if we like the job
if any of us feel that it to much hassle
then its dropped ,then what usualy happens is that they either come out and ask if we are going to clean them today on the next clean ,or if this has gone on for a few months and then they ask  we say yes , but its now gone up inline with the new work that we have taken on since we haven't been cleaning there windows
to ways to look at this you losse a customer that was c..p
or regain a customer at a better price

win win

some will some won't so what who's next

[fishman]

Had one customer pre xmas who asked me to clean only when he is at home! in other words i dont trust you to do them, despite the fact i leave a comp slip.
Needless to say he was wished a merry xmas and good luck in finding a new shiner in the new year!
WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN!

[Paul Coleman]

Had one customer pre xmas who asked me to clean only when he is at home! in other words i dont trust you to do them, despite the fact i leave a comp slip.
Needless to say he was wished a merry xmas and good luck in finding a new shiner in the new year!
WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN!

I won't do these ones either.  Whether the customer trusts me or not is not relevant to me.  The fact that they expect me to knock on their door on the offchance they will be home is sufficient - irrespective of the reason.
What they are basically asking is "Will you spend time driving to my house and knock on my door in case I want my windows cleaned even though you could spend that time earning guaranteed money elsewhere?".  It's a no brainer isn't it?

[fishman]

See your point, the truth of this situation is that he is on a compact round i clean 30 houses on the road, but he still wont be cleaned unless he accepts my terms! his neighbours even allow me access to his back garden and are willing to tell him when i have cleaned and its still not good enough for him.

[Clear Vision]

I won't do these ones either.  Whether the customer trusts me or not is not relevant to me.  The fact that they expect me to knock on their door on the offchance they will be home is sufficient - irrespective of the reason.
What they are basically asking is "Will you spend time driving to my house and knock on my door in case I want my windows cleaned even though you could spend that time earning guaranteed money elsewhere?".  It's a no brainer isn't it?

Shiner I totall aggree with you!!

I have a customer way out in the sticks who I clean regulalry and she asks me to call in at her neighbour who is half a mile down the road when i'm om my way home. Sometimes she will say yes and sometimes she says no. Now, if she say's yes it's a £20 job which takes 20mins. Because im so far out I don't mind but if stopping for her.

This is a one off