[Moderator David@stives]

Squeeky and Neil

It isnt a scam, with me cleaning my customers every 4 weeks, in fact they  insist on it and most say" i am glad you came they are starting to get dirty"

If i went 8 weekly i probably would get sacked

[Sir Squeaky]

Ah, don't forget though Dave, where you live there's the salt air, and probably more general breeze to throw dust around.

It probably is necessary around you, but they don't get dirty in a month around here.
Not since using pure water anyway.

[Davew]

Much the same here - the glass stays clean but not the sills. My own house i've done three times since February and it's perfectly acceptable really.

[gary999]

i cleaned a couple of three storey buildings today, if the sills werent dirty
you would nver have known they needed cleaning.both these jobs are 8 weekly.
i have found personally with houses i have got that are £20 plus most prefer
8 weekly.

i have also had a couple recently who have changed from 4 to 8 weekly till the spring no probs its still money in the bank and i have found other customers to replace the cleans on those weeks.

far as im concerned there is only one type of customer i dont want

those who wont pay!!

[Russell Macdonald]

I can understand squeaky's problem with customers trying to miss a month here and there. They sometimes do it to me and I always accomodate them.

Although some on here say they won't let customers run their business, the customers are their business.

No customers-no business and unlike some folk on here most WC's haven't got an unending supply of people begging to become our customers.  :

If we are all being honest,  lets face it the every month clean is a bit of a scam isn't it? ..... and we can't blame some customers for tumbling it.

I have been to customers today who were cleaned a month ago and the windows looked perfect.

I personally think that every two months is plenty to keep windows clean in the modern smoke free environment we live nowadays and I think a lot of customers probably agree with me.

It's unfortunate but that's life.

I haven't cleaned my back windows for three months  and they just look like they need it now. 

Absolutely spot on Neil.

Post of the week, if not the year.

You'd all do well to read this, this is the most honest and truthful post I've seen, and I've been here years.

No jumped-up crap here.
If anyone disagrees with it, they're full of brown stuff.
End of.

Rog mate.

I'm not scamming my custys or full of the brown stuff. My custys often remark on how pleased they are that their window are always clean & not wondering when i'm going to turn up because they are dirty.

This week my round hit the figure i wanted as i've picked up so much in the last few month, the 10% space i have left are prices i'm now giving out i dont care if i get or not.

I must be doing something right as i got 2 new ones today, got home & had 3 more phone calls, all 5 have come to me so where is the scam,  , they know a great service when they see it. 

[windowwashers]

I can understand squeaky's problem with customers trying to miss a month here and there. They sometimes do it to me and I always accomodate them.

Although some on here say they won't let customers run their business, the customers are their business.

No customers-no business and unlike some folk on here most WC's haven't got an unending supply of people begging to become our customers.  :

If we are all being honest,  lets face it the every month clean is a bit of a scam isn't it? ..... and we can't blame some customers for tumbling it.

I have been to customers today who were cleaned a month ago and the windows looked perfect.

I personally think that every two months is plenty to keep windows clean in the modern smoke free environment we live nowadays and I think a lot of customers probably agree with me.

It's unfortunate but that's life.

I haven't cleaned my back windows for three months  and they just look like they need it now. 

Absolutely spot on Neil.

Post of the week, if not the year.

You'd all do well to read this, this is the most honest and truthful post I've seen, and I've been here years.

No jumped-up crap here.
If anyone disagrees with it, they're full of brown stuff.
End of.

Squeaky you need to think out of the box more

[Sir Squeaky]

 

[Village Gleam]

Okay thinking laterally or getting out of your comfort zone. Why don't you summarise this discussion and type it up for Dave's newsletter?

[Neil271052]

Squeeky and Neil

It isnt a scam, with me cleaning my customers every 4 weeks, in fact they  insist on it and most say" i am glad you came they are starting to get dirty"

If i went 8 weekly i probably would get sacked

I am only speaking from my experience and in my experience in the area I live and work (the SE) windows are still clean after a month.

Obviously it is to the WC's benefit to clean ever month rather than bi monthly but I stick by what I said originally,  it is really a scam and as for customers who say ,

"I'm glad you are here after 4 weeks my windows are starting to get dirty" 

I don't know what to say. 

[Moderator David@stives]

Definately NOT a scam.

I  DO NOT SCAM ANYONE !!!!!!!

[Londoner]

I'm with Neil 100%. A customer is a customer is a customer. They pay me to clean their windows. I fit in with what they want. The customer is always right.

Its just good business.

[jampot]

i agree with dave, all f my round is 4 weekly and most of the customers wouldnt have it any other way! the windows do need to be cleaned 4 weekly to ensure that they are kept clean,

and has for scaming the customers thats rubbish! we are provding a service that they request 

[Moderator David@stives]

so bird muck only appears every other month and customers are quite happy to leave it there for up to 8 weeks ?

Most of my customers are houseproud and want sparkling windows all the time , not wait for them to get dirty before they get cleaned.

I suppose its horses for courses, i do have some 8 weekly but most request 4 weeks.

I tell them I clean every 4 weeks and they can have any multiple of that, it is there choice and 95% want the 4 weekly.

I even have some at 2 weekly, which are pensioner bungalows, yet again there choice, i tell them they can have 4 weekly if they want , but they stick to 2,

I clean shops weekly

I clean a department store 3 times a week and once a week inside.

I clean about 100 business and they all request between weekly and monthly, very rare do i have any request longer periods.

I Clean a few schools at the start of each term , thats approx every 4 months, everytime i go to clean them they are black.

dave

[Londoner]

Its not scamming customers if 4weeks is what they want. The whole point of this thread is what you do if its not what they want. The answer, I suggest, is go along with their wishes.

I find more and more its not what customers want. With cleaner air etc etc it seems to be a valid point of view.
The old window cleaners often came once a fortnight back in the old days of sooty coal fires but they were paid peanuts. And it was harder work with shammys and scrim.

Window cleaners were low paid workers.
Today, I want to earn more than they did (pro- rata) and keeping the customer happy is part of the deal.

[simon knight]

I've got just 1 customer who wants monthly and obviously that's what she gets. But in all honesty her windows don't really need it that often.

It's great to have all monthly accounts but can anyone hand on heart say that it's really necessary that often...unless of course all your customers live right on top of a busy main road and are as house proud as Hyacinth Bucket.

[Neil271052]

It's great to have all monthly accounts but can anyone hand on heart say that it's really necessary that often...unless of course all your customers live right on top of a busy main road and are as house proud as Hyacinth Bucket.

Well said Simon. My point exactly.

And for that reason you cannot be surprised when customers want to change to bi monthly which was the original theme of the thread.

[Moderator David@stives]

Its not neccessary but it is a luxury my customers wouldnt do with out , they dont like even slightly dirty windows.
Just ask any woman what they think, a mans perspective is totally different.

One persons idea of "clean" is anothers "dirty".

You are just one of those who thinks slightly dirty is nearly clean, for my customers that isnt what they want , they want clean regardless.

[simon knight]

I know Cornwall really well...especially the Bodmin part and have many friends there...and they don't strike me as over-fussy. Perhaps things are different the further west you go

[Londoner]

They are all in-bred down in the far West

But I know what you mean. There are some customers who start to have panic attacks if you are a week late.

[simon knight]

They are all in-bred down in the far West

But I know what you mean. There are some customers who start to have panic attacks if you are a week late.

Not being funny Vince but some customers really need to get a life!