[neil100]

Yeah I'm at a similar point - I can't yet afford to dump them I've just had a very bad week - earnings wise, with not enough customers when I do get overwhelmed they are going to be the first to go!

You have to drop them otherwise you will have a round half full on not this time customers.

Start as you mean to go on. Fill your round with quality work and customers who will let you do them whatever the weather.

I did one customer this week and the heavens opened up. It was Raining cats and dogs.
She opened the window and said not today, you must be mad trying to clean them in this.

I replied it was dry when I started so I will finish, I dont work in persisent rain but this is a heavy shower. The rain will not dirty your windows as their is no wind blowing. In fact if your unhappy with the results when the windows dry out I will clean them again Free tommorw. So I carried on.

The customer paid when I finnished, I said heres my card give me a ring if you need to. "No it ok, I know thwy will be fine,sorry for complaing".

You have to show whos in charge, Another customer this week said no thanks not today the windows are still clean,I will get the money I owe you from last time.

When she paid me I said thankyou and thanks for your custom over the past year but I am afraid I will not be calling again to clean them as I only have customers on my round who want them cleaned regularly, I am not intrested in a customer who wants to pick and choose when she wants them cleaning. I then promptly left.

Firm but polite, If she wants them cleaning again it will be on my terms and with a dearer price.

Nel.

[vwm]

well said regular or not at all after all we have invested in wfp which keeps windows cleaner and provide a better service not to be turned away

[Davew]

Another one today - come back in August!! :

[KarlJones]

Have you considered pushing the ones that say this on to 8 weeks at a higher rate (50% higher for instance?)  as it seems at the moment they are getting 8 weekly cleans for the price of 4.

I think I might start doing that with everyone who says "not today"
"I can put you on to every 8 weeks if you like, it is *50% extra per clean* but it works out cheaper for you per year".
It is up to them then, either they have em cleaned or go 8 weekly.

[Helen]

There's so many angles to this subject, but bottom line is that you are running a business. When taking on new customers - clarify in writing in some form what your terms are, and what you have verbally agreed with each other. Flexibilty - be flexible, but do not be taken for a mug. Ok so you get turned away once from a customer cos of some reason, don't knee jerk and ditch 'em. Think about it, perhaps this turning away was a one off, but get their phone number and before you are due next time, phone them and say you are due round. This way you will get your answer, before spending out on fuel etc. If you get a no then ditch 'em and forget them. If you get a yes, who knows this may be the customer that gives you 100 referrals, just because you were flexible with them. This can of course work both ways and when you need to be late, which at some time you will be, then 99% the flexibilty will be returned to you

[Davew]

Thanks Helen, good advice, I can not afford to ditch anyone yet (I only had £4 worth of work today!!!) because I don't have a full round. Like you said there needs to be some flexibility on both sides. If I ditch every custy I'm not happy with a) I'll be cutting off my nose etc. and b) it will give me a bad name I can ill afford. I just have to grin and bear it for now.

[KarlJones]

Davew, we all run our businesses as we feel fit, heck I nearly packed mine in a few months ago and have only recently started to re-start.  So take any tips on how to run yours with  pinch of salt.

But my gut reaction is to say that the cure for you is to canvass.  If you have a problem canvassing and need some tips feel free to drop me an email or add to MSN chat thingy.

[Davew]

Thanks karl, I have some busy weeks too but some very big holes to fill. Thats the trouble with jumping into this job from another. I have been offered a round to buy for £3000 but it's smaller than mine and I'm buggered if I'm going to spend that kind of money.

[pylofm]

Davew...as a fellow w/c with a 'half empty or is it half full' round I can sympathise with you...

I am not into the canvassing that much so I use leaflets as my main source of customer intake....just canvass or leaflets all the roads that you have already....perhaps you could do a 'word of mouth' type promotion...

As for dropping, I have dropped 6 so far...now I only feel 'proud' of dropping one of those (silly woman) but the other were dropped as they were playing games that I no longer wanted to be part of...so just drop them or keep them in mind for the future.

Cheers
Dave.

[KarlJones]

feel free to drop an email to
kondormid at gmail dot com

if you want to contact on MSN then my contact is
kondormid at hotmail dot com

[Paul Coleman]

There's so many angles to this subject, but bottom line is that you are running a business. When taking on new customers - clarify in writing in some form what your terms are, and what you have verbally agreed with each other. Flexibilty - be flexible, but do not be taken for a mug. Ok so you get turned away once from a customer cos of some reason, don't knee jerk and ditch 'em. Think about it, perhaps this turning away was a one off, but get their phone number and before you are due next time, phone them and say you are due round. This way you will get your answer, before spending out on fuel etc. If you get a no then ditch 'em and forget them. If you get a yes, who knows this may be the customer that gives you 100 referrals, just because you were flexible with them. This can of course work both ways and when you need to be late, which at some time you will be, then 99% the flexibilty will be returned to you

One of the potential problems with getting referrals from a persistent "not today" customer is that they might tell the referrals that it's fine to mess the window cleaner around (well they wouldn't say it like that but you get my drift?).

[Davew]

Mmmm

[Paul Coleman]

Mmmm

You left the "H" of the beginning.  It's Hmmmm.   

As you may have noticed, bad access and "not todays" are my biggest bugbears.
Last month, I had about £70 worth of "not todays".  Now that's £70 deducted from my monthly income at no notice whatsoever when I'm already having to run a tight budget.  I wonder how many of those people who said "not today" would tolerate such a situation.
Even though I don't have a full workload, I'm binning the lot (except one).  The one I won't be binning was clearly very ill and just didn't want anyone working around their house.  No problem.  I'm human too.  I'll be compassionate about that one.  Of the rest two of them had just cleaned their own windows and I was on schedule.  It wasn't as if I had messed them about.  I need customers who do want me to clean every time - not just when they don't fancy doing them.

[Stevie G]

wot about the ones that ask for every month  you give em the price.

"ye thats fine, lovely do want a cuppa my windows aint been done for ages"
 
  give em a nice going over taken longer than normal but  next time

 ill fly round em.   pays you, thank her for the cuppa.

 then she "says ive got your number ill give you a ring for next time"
 
 i really wanna say YOU CONNING OLD BAT!

 but all i can say is no thanks love ring someone else


 

[Davew]

One of them kept me there whilst she told me all about her pacemaker she had just got. I made the mistake of telling her how well she looked. Kept me there for twenty minutes before she said "not today it looks like it's going to rain later"

[simon knight]

One of them kept me there whilst she told me all about her pacemaker she had just got. I made the mistake of telling her how well she looked. Kept me there for twenty minutes before she said "not today it looks like it's going to rain later"

20 mins and then shoo you away?...that's a diabolical liberty

I try and keep the chit-chat to under 3...and then only if I've a brew in my hand

[Russell Macdonald]

One of them kept me there whilst she told me all about her pacemaker she had just got. I made the mistake of telling her how well she looked. Kept me there for twenty minutes before she said "not today it looks like it's going to rain later"

DUMPED 

[NWH]

I was doing a farmhouse about a month ago when it started to rain,bear in mind that i have to travel 10miles to the job and the lane to the house in exactly a mile long,anyway it started to rain and she comes out and says well what do you think come back tomorrow when it`s dry,i just said if i have to come back this will be the last time i clean your windows.She rang me that night and apologised for what she had said,i know you come out of your way to do my windows and i don`t want anyone else.The thing is people will try and take the P***,and if you ever give in like i have in years gone by they will continue to do so.Most of my customers know i`m stacked out with work and any put offs will result in them being dropped,word soon gets round.Most wcs i know that have the not today thankyou brigade are to regular and don`t have enough work.

[need a cleaner]

We just started 8wks ago, 1 of the first clients (day3) quoted/been there and done a really good scrub and b4 i left asked if she was happy with the job, to what she replied yes and paid me, next day she calls me and says she wants to cancel as the front windows dint come very good (leadded)so i offer to get back and clean them agian, she said no just wanted to cancel.
4 wks down the line she calls me again and says that wanted to give it another go as all the back and front windows come out good it was just 1 that was not up2standard but asked be to do them on the 27/6 as she was going away for a week or so.
so i got there on the agreed day done the job and when i was colecting she says "would it be possible to do them every 8weeks
?" i said yes BUT that would have to be a bit more than i quoted to what she said that she will call me again when she needs it.

2 things can happen then:

1"Tell her politely to find another WC.

2" Tell her that will cost her twice as much

Either way i dont forsee me doing those windows again( they have 3 big windows over a very large conservatorie)

[dai]

I am very flexible when it comes to dealing with not today customers.
If it's a really well priced job, I bite my tongue, if it's not they're dumped. Dai