[Rob.Hall]

Im trad and have been looking to do some jobs wfp. I do domestic only.
Last week I had to access several back gardens, some down alleys or by breaking my ladder to get over fences/gates etc.
My question is how do you wfp boys cope with all the above. I cannot see how you can save time with all the lugging of equipment, hoses etc?

[busted]

it takes seconds to reel out the hose and if i know the people leave there gate lock i give them a ring the night before

[Rob.Hall]

Do you use a trolley?

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

Rob

I use a trolley and if I know a customer will have a locked gate, I will call them the night before and ask them to leave it unlocked. If I arrive and its locked, tough luck they dont get the back ones cleaned.

Never had a prob yet tho

Bod

[busted]

no just a hose reel out of the back of my van 100 meters of minibore

[Paul Coleman]

I cope with it by not taking on work with poor access.

[mattywig]

I asked the same question on a different topic a few days ago.  Loads of my backs are locked but we either split the ladder or use the ladder to lean over and unbolt them, the thought of foning 50 customers the night before to get them to open their back gate makes me shudder!!!  I like the sound of only taking on work with easy access but what happens if youve already got your round sorted and well priced and don't really want to give up on cleaning the backs of your regular customers?  I'd lose a fortune from missed backs and its one of many things that puts me off going back to wfp even though I know its easier and safer!!  Im afraid I don't think there is an easy answer to this one!

[Paul Coleman]

I asked the same question on a different topic a few days ago.  Loads of my backs are locked but we either split the ladder or use the ladder to lean over and unbolt them, the thought of foning 50 customers the night before to get them to open their back gate makes me shudder!!!  I like the sound of only taking on work with easy access but what happens if youve already got your round sorted and well priced and don't really want to give up on cleaning the backs of your regular customers?  I'd lose a fortune from missed backs and its one of many things that puts me off going back to wfp even though I know its easier and safer!!  Im afraid I don't think there is an easy answer to this one!

I did start avoiding poor access jobs very early on so I suppose I'm quite fortunate.  I live in a large town where there is no rear access on most properties.  They are terraced houses with no back alleys or gates so the only access is through the house.  This meant that I needed to find them in before I could even get the ladder through the house.  Therefore, after about a year, I decided that I was going to travel out of town for most of my work.  At that point I made a decision that I wasn't prepared to travel out of town and end up with the same problems as working more locally.  I gave most of my local work away and only took work with decent access.  I only have maybe three jobs where I phone first and that's only because they are worth my while.  There can be a problem when an existing customer upgrades security by padlocking their gate and not wanting to part with a spare key.  I've just dropped a job I've been doing for 14 years over this very issue.  I'm not prepared to keep turning up on the offchance that they are in.  I'm not prepared to phone beforehand unless it is VERY much worth my while.  For me the best bit about window cleaning is having some degree of freedom in my work life.  Start compromising too much of that freedom to the customers and I become a slave to my business (as well as lose out on some income).  Do that and I might as well go and work as an employee.  I would dread that.  Window cleaning for so long may even have made me unemployable.

[craig jwc]

What about a Backpack?

Is there only you working or do you have someone else? If you have someone else then get them to open gates whilst you pole them.

[Paul Coleman]

I asked the same question on a different topic a few days ago.  Loads of my backs are locked but we either split the ladder or use the ladder to lean over and unbolt them, the thought of foning 50 customers the night before to get them to open their back gate makes me shudder!!!  I like the sound of only taking on work with easy access but what happens if youve already got your round sorted and well priced and don't really want to give up on cleaning the backs of your regular customers?  I'd lose a fortune from missed backs and its one of many things that puts me off going back to wfp even though I know its easier and safer!!  Im afraid I don't think there is an easy answer to this one!

In addition to my other answer, I suppose you could start looking around for more work and gradually drop or pass on the ones with poor access.  Might take a while though.

[Helen]

If you are leaning over to unbolt a gate, how long does that take? A few seconds? Yes annoying I know, but come on a few seconds to get your full price. Solutions, 1) give your customers a timetable for their cleans, but this will leave you with really strict schedules and no le-way for hold ups. 2) a quick call the day before works well. If you really would have 50 people to call on one day. I really would suggest the timetable!

[pylofm]

I have a round which is all run by george and each customer is given a card when I have cleaned their house and it also tells them the day I am due to clean again, now I know some people will run screaming from this idea but it does save these issues and lets face it how hard is it to schedule work and in the event that you have to reschedule because of sickeness, weather...this is not too hard either...

As a result if I turn up to a house and there is no access, windows open, mossie nets on...they are not cleaned but they are still billed.

Cheers
Dave.

[East coast window cleaning Services]

I have a round which is all run by george and each customer is given a card when I have cleaned their house and it also tells them the day I am due to clean again, now I know some people will run screaming from this idea but it does save these issues and lets face it how hard is it to schedule work and in the event that you have to reschedule because of sickeness, weather...this is not too hard either...

As a result if I turn up to a house and there is no access, windows open, mossie nets on...they are not cleaned but they are still billed.

Cheers
Dave.

wow you got them to sign a contract saying they have to pay. 

Couldnt see anyone having that

[niceandclean]

As a result if I turn up to a house and there is no access, windows open, mossie nets on...they are not cleaned but they are still billed.

Cheers
Dave.

Same here!!

[pylofm]

Not a contract but an agreement as in terms and conditions, you may not see it happening but it does..not very often but it does.

I am trying to run a business so the idea of scheduling work on a given day and then turning up as agreed and then not cleaning or getting paid because the owner has not provided access does not seem to make sense to me....

Cheers
Dave.

[niceandclean]

Not a contract but an agreement as in terms and conditions, you may not see it happening but it does..not very often but it does.

I am trying to run a business so the idea of scheduling work on a given day and then turning up and then not cleaning or getting paid does not seem to make sense to me....

Cheers
Dave.

We do the same, seems to work well and customers except it. As you say we are a business!!

[NWH]

If they can`t supply a key or can assure me access i`ll normally only do the front only,if i were to ring all customers i`d have to do 1 house to pay the phone bill.

[AuRavelling79]

Combination padlock/entry pad.

I have commercial and domestic customers who supply me with the numbers. If it's worthwhile why not buy a combination padlock for sidegates?

[Paul Coleman]

If you are leaning over to unbolt a gate, how long does that take? A few seconds? Yes annoying I know, but come on a few seconds to get your full price. Solutions, 1) give your customers a timetable for their cleans, but this will leave you with really strict schedules and no le-way for hold ups. 2) a quick call the day before works well. If you really would have 50 people to call on one day. I really would suggest the timetable!

I don't have a problem hopping up a stepladder to lean over and undo a bolt.  I do this on quite a few jobs. However, some bolts are padlocked.  Some are too far down the gate to be able to reach them.  If the padlock is reachable and they give me a spare key then no problem.  If I can undo a bottom bolt by reaching my hand under the gate - again no problem.  I even carry a hammer around with me to undo the rustier bolts.

[Paul Coleman]

If they can`t supply a key or can assure me access i`ll normally only do the front only,if i were to ring all customers i`d have to do 1 house to pay the phone bill.

But it's not the cost is it?  It's the aggravation.  I did all that phoning around stuff when I first started w/cing.  I got messed around so badly I vowed never again.  I recently took on a bad access job where I need to phone first but I do three jobs for the guy (the other two have good access) and it's worth my while.  My experience is that as soon as you give the customers too much power, expect to be messed around and your income to drop.