[dudek]

Hello all,
Just wondered at what sort of rate do you lose customers when making the change?

Any tips for the transition? 

[Sir Squeaky]

They drop like flies mate.

Seriously though, always explain first, and pray they like you or have seen it done before.

I've done about 75 houses with it so far and lost 5 I think.
So I'm guessing altogether I'll lose about 10 or so...

I'm not going to use it on bungalows or shops though.
No point risking your best stuff, and it'll be no quicker on them anyway.

[aztec]

you are so right squeeks, i have lost so many customers that i know i wont change either because they are too ignorant to accept the change and i cant be bothered to explain or it is still quicker the 'trad' and in my opinion the better way domestically is to clean is still by ladders, i am not prepared to lose so many customers to 'the other bloke who still uses ladders' so i offer both services still if they cant be persuaded, a bit of a back step i know but business is business

[Sir Squeaky]

Thing is, at the moment I don't even carry ladders.

I'm going to have to get myself some small ones that fit in the van so I can do the ones on the sides above garage roofs.

Like I always said when I was trad...

There's more I can't reach with wfp, than ones I now can.

[aztec]

i am beginning to think ( i have been both trad and wfp for 5 years ) that i will still do houses by ladder and wfp commercial as i still get complaints i never got from doing it by hand, nothing like inspecting your work first hand and if you make a smear you see it on your way down the ladder >>>> you know where i am coming from mate(squeaky) , my confidence has gone from negative feedback from 75% of domestic customers, offer both services but just say the ones you couldnt do by ladder you will now pole, seems to work for me  LONG LIVE TRAD!!


 ps. i am the new non believer

[dudek]

do you get customers coming over saying 'i don't want the poles anymore i like the old way"

[aztec]

all the time mate

[dudek]

Would it not make sense to just go poles otherwise it seems a wasted investment?

[aztec]

with domestic customers i always have and probably always will still clean as i always have apart from the hard to reach windows. then you can provide the extra service of 'hard to reach windows' which you charge a premium for, no rules or regulations state that you cant use ladders anymore but just use them safely   e.g have them footed or use a safety device such as a rojack or even simpler someone footing the ladder, i think people have confused the rule and have totally banned the use of ladders which is untrue, if you have commercial clients they will understand but people have jumped on the band wagon and taken this rule to the extreme... it is not the case, ladders are not banned but just encouraged to be used safer!!!!!!!!

[a-r window cleanin]

We have been wfp for about 2 months and have not lost 1 customer.
OK we have spent ages talking with our customers and telling them the fors and against of wfp but so far everyone has been pleased with the results.
I do hope it get quicker though after the first couple of cleans because at the minute we are spending twice as long on first cleans with wfp just to get them right
Will it eventually become quicker?

[russ_clark]

I lost around 2% of my customers since converting to 100% wfp
We did spend time explaining the system and some were a mare to start with.
I think that some are under the illusion that as soon as you convert you are going to get round much quicker and therefore increase your turnover-WRONG.
The firtst two or three cleans on a property are the hardest and take the longest and I do not believe I was saving any time at all -to the contrary -it takes longer.
But stick with it and after this period providing you have wfp'd them properly-your business will increase and your work will be quicker which in turn puts your turnover up.
I have increased my business around 30% since converting and I was 99% domestic.
I now have some nice commercials too.
On the flip side I am spending out lots of £'s every month either upgrading or replacing wfp stuff.
When you are trad the £'s out are minimal.
The way I look at it is my first year wfp will hurt you in the wallet but your business would have grown to more than cover the costs.After the first year  you will see and reap the benefits.
Russ   

[LWC]

dear me you lot!

wfp is the best thing i have done ever! my windows are spotless and no complaints. out of a lot of customers, i lost two £5 houses, and one said that i made a hell of a mess with water on the floor! hate to she what shes like when it rains! i really couldnt care less. i do alot of big posh houses and they are very happy, i will NEVER go back up ladders as thats pointless in spends 1000's on equipment that i aint gonna use. and i wouldnt do them trad either, i do all my bungalows with wfp, as it DOES do a better job. if someone wants it doing the old way, go else where! and to be honest, the way things are going there wont be an old window cleaner, round here there are aroud 10 wfp'ers and 1 trad...

a r window cleaning, when the first cleans are out of the way you will be laughing yoursocks off mate, it really does get quick!

dont be daft and get your pole out...and most of all, USE IT PROPERLY!

[Sir Squeaky]

i do all my bungalows with wfp, as it DOES do a better job. if someone wants it doing the old way, go else where! and to be honest, the way things are going there wont be an old window cleaner, round here there are aroud 10 wfp'ers and 1 trad...

Rubbish does it do a better job. :
It does a reasonably good job yes, and it's enough to get away with most of the time.
But look closely, better than squeegeeing? Never.

You must be in a strange area too, because round here there's about 4 wfp cleaners and 10 or 15 trad cleaners.

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

Its strange really how you finish cleaning the window with the pole then look up and think "thats looks pretty good"........but its when you leave the house, thats when dirty water seeps out of all the little nooks and crannies.
 
This happened to me this week and Im going back today and using the ladder to go up an wipe the window with a micro because it looks THAT bad.

Another but.....the customer was still happy.

Bod

[Biscute]

I turned to wfp same time as Squeaky m8 but for me its been the opersite, people have seen me doing it in the street stoped, even crossed over and asked me about it. This normaly ends up in me giving them a quote to. I havent lost anyone with it as of yet but picked up a load more.

[AuRavelling79]

If you splash around doggy-paddling in the shallow end you'll not become a good swimmer.

Here's how I did it - and I think it is easy even now two years on to forget the pain of change. But life is soooooo sweet now!

No fear of a fall.
More income.
Less body wear.
And a better result for my customers.

Come on guys - take the plunge properly.

1. Send a letter to every customer you want to keep.

Explain that your reading of the H/S regs, means you are severely restricted in ladder use and that there may be insurance issues if a window cleaner continues trad on their property. (That will explain to the reasonable and put a bit of fear into the remaining ones - You fall - they pay because they won't let you use the safest gear is a scarey if remote possibility.)
Explain the frame cleaning etc.

1b If you've got time do a low suds gg3/gg4 clean and wipe top frames, vents and cills as your last trad.

2. Do a really thorough first clean wfp, frames and all and rinse rinse rinse - like you do for a new customer - it pays massive dividends for the future.

You will now feel cheesed off at the time it has taken - new ways - tripping up over hoses - broken ornaments.

3. The really unreasonable will leave - about 3 in my case. The rare georgian with 100 yr old leaky frames will be dropped. 1 in my case. Hooo-flippin'-ray!  

4. Reap the rewards, learn from the niggles - ask here - and don't get despondent! Go microbore and lighter poles. On UPVC and most others the results will be better by the third clean. Soap gone, technique improved. I can now bring up a first clean perfectly - it takes longer but I know what to do.
Add and charge for windows above conservatories and rooflights as you want to.

5. Be an optimistic fart like me! It's great!

Modified to add - I missed biscute's reply because I'm so long-winded - he is so right!

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

Well put Malc.

 Im finding it hard because I am rinsing sooo much and so far not lost any customers in my first 3 weeks. The reoson Im going back to this one house is pride. I cant leave a window in such a bad state.

Bod

[ronaldo]

I changed over just over a year ago and lost one customer who has since asked me to go back as the rest of her neighbours love it and the wc that was doing her house after me was crap.

All the houses i had that didnt suit wfp ie climbing over garages - gates and just general hassle jobs i gave them away approx 60 houses.

I replaced with better work and work that suits the method i now use, i used to have around 240 houses on my round now i have 160, and the round is worth twice as much as it was when i was on ladders.

On average i clean between 8 and 10 houses a day and earn good money, no stress no rush just take my time and acheive excellent results ( every time ) i dont advertise and only get work through reccomendations and alot of my work is out in the country on farms so i,m always in nice countryside and without changing from trad to wfp the work i do now would not have been possible.

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

Been back to clean the offending windows and decided NOT to use my ladders and used the pole.

Customer over the moon that I came back, after all she was happy with them in the first place(I wasn't)

I can now go to watch the Canaries with my conscious clear

Bod

[LWC]

i do all my bungalows with wfp, as it DOES do a better job. if someone wants it doing the old way, go else where! and to be honest, the way things are going there wont be an old window cleaner, round here there are aroud 10 wfp'ers and 1 trad...

Rubbish does it do a better job. :

sorry how long have you been wfp'in again? (not a dig buddy, but i thought like you in the start)