[cottonbud10]

have any of you out there arrived at  a said house for there monthly clean to be told, that the other half has already cleaned them,makes you wonder just how dirty windows can get in 4 weeks,,well things like that p--- me off,why bother arranging a window cleaner to clean every month if your going to do it yourself...what would you say and do....i feel much better for getting that off my chest..ha..ha...kev

[Andy@w.c.s]

just bin them ,
and see how long it its before they ask you back
lifes sweet
we all need regular customers , who;s next
 

[d s windowcleaning]

they are either skint or they want to get shut of you . bet my wife wishes she coul find a husband like that lol .

[jdemarco]

Ive had this many times. I never show that im bothered and am still polite and i say no problem ill see you next month. You dont own them they can do whatever they like!
The one thing that really annoys me about peoples posts is when they say JUST BIN THEM or CANCEL THEM. just because theyre a bit awkward or they have cleaned the windows themselves...... so what get over it and see them next time around. I have never ever bined a customer my customer base is to important to me, i will do all i can to keep them (within reason). Would you be like this if work was scarse. Like it is for squeaky. Please dont post and tell me you bin them too!! The more customers you have the bigger your business. If you bin customers unhesitantly you might aswell bin your business. I always think i need them more than they need me, even if its not the case. It works extremely well for my business.

[NWH]

Just dump them,if it didn`t mind doing them once he wont mind doing them again will he.

[NWH]

Why does that comment bother you,who wants idiots like that.There are so many nice potential customers out there why put up with it,what do you owe them.

[mark dew]

Would you be like this if work was scarse.

No, i wouldn't. But that isn't the case, fortunately.
It takes me longer to drive to my areas than it does to clean any single job. That costs me in time spent and fuel used. If any customer isn't as profitable as they were when we agreed frequency and price, i would look to increase the price or get rid of them.
But i do (semi) operate a 3 strikes and your out policy.

[TVCS]

They should have told, rung you if the windows didnt need doing and they knew you were coming.     
I had one like this.  the husband saw us arrive and came running down to say he had done them.  Ok, cheers I said.   
Saw the wife in town about a week later and she asked when we were coming.    I told her that her husband said he had done them but that was a load of rubbish apparently.  I went up to clean them the next time I was close by and a month later no payment.  I think the husband hates the fact that now I am  wfp I can clean his house in 20 mins and he still has to pay £15.  If the money doesnt arrive I dont think i'll be rushing to go back.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I've found that when people have used this line on me, they either don't have enough money or they are trying out another window cleaner that can do them for about 50p cheaper.

Simon.

[Paul Coleman]

have any of you out there arrived at  a said house for there monthly clean to be told, that the other half has already cleaned them,makes you wonder just how dirty windows can get in 4 weeks,,well things like that p--- me off,why bother arranging a window cleaner to clean every month if your going to do it yourself...what would you say and do....i feel much better for getting that off my chest..ha..ha...kev

The last time this happened to me she said that she had cleaned the conservatory windows so it wasn't worth having the others done.  I assumed that she meant from that day onwards.

[Paul Coleman]

Ive had this many times. I never show that im bothered and am still polite and i say no problem ill see you next month. You dont own them they can do whatever they like!
The one thing that really annoys me about peoples posts is when they say JUST BIN THEM or CANCEL THEM. just because theyre a bit awkward or they have cleaned the windows themselves...... so what get over it and see them next time around. I have never ever bined a customer my customer base is to important to me, i will do all i can to keep them (within reason). Would you be like this if work was scarse. Like it is for squeaky. Please dont post and tell me you bin them too!! The more customers you have the bigger your business. If you bin customers unhesitantly you might aswell bin your business. I always think i need them more than they need me, even if its not the case. It works extremely well for my business.

OK, but what if you are turning potential customers away due to a full order book and the customer who turns you away you regard as underpriced?

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I opperate a 'three strikes and you're out' type policy as well. Customers like this are a waste of time in my book.

[Paul Coleman]

I opperate a 'three strikes and you're out' type policy as well. Customers like this are a waste of time in my book.

It can be a 1,2, or 3 strikes with me.  It depends on things like if I have other work nearby, how well or badly the job is priced, how good or bad they are about paying etc.  If they mess me about in other ways and there are no other customers in that road, I might just walk at the first "offence".  However, that is rare.  I will usually tell them that cancelling without notice costs me lost income that I can't afford and I may even supply a copy of my T & Cs for future reference (the bit about cancelling without notice being subject to a 50% charge to compensate for time lost and effort made).

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I've got the other type of custy as well. The type that cancel a clean for some reason, or half a clean (usually the back because they can't be bothered to unlock it) and then insist on paying me because they've wasted my time.

[dai]

How many times do you get knocked back, by the customer that owes you for last time?
"I will pay you for last time, but will you leave them this time. Babies asleep, we are having work done" etc.
You don't make much noise with a wet brush, do you?

[Tosh]

Ive had this many times. I never show that im bothered and am still polite and i say no problem ill see you next month. You dont own them they can do whatever they like!
The one thing that really annoys me about peoples posts is when they say JUST BIN THEM or CANCEL THEM.

Sorry jdemarco,

I strongly disagree with your post.

Okay, we don't 'own' our customers and they can do what they like with regards having their windows cleaned, but what upsets me is that we have a verbal agreement - terms and conditions - which we should both adhere to, as close as possible.

If I told a customer I'll clean their windows once-per-calandar month for £X, and they agreed, had them cleaned and then started messing me about, I'd drop 'em on the grounds of them breaking our verbal contract.

I've even printed this on my stationery; my customers know and it's very VERY rare I'm asked to give them a miss.

My advice is to drop bad customers straight away - if you have enough work.  And if you don't, drop 'em when you do.

[Russell Macdonald]

have any of you out there arrived at  a said house for there monthly clean to be told, that the other half has already cleaned them,makes you wonder just how dirty windows can get in 4 weeks,,well things like that p--- me off,why bother arranging a window cleaner to clean every month if your going to do it yourself...what would you say and do....i feel much better for getting that off my chest..ha..ha...kev

Dump it mate & don't go back. If she asks in a few months time why you haven't cleaned them
just say, " your husband now cleans them". 

[johnny_h]

dump them !!!!!

[LWC]

i get this sometimes...it only does my head in cause they either use crap products or fairy liquids. suds come flying out...

[jdemarco]

Ive had this many times. I never show that im bothered and am still polite and i say no problem ill see you next month. You dont own them they can do whatever they like!
The one thing that really annoys me about peoples posts is when they say JUST BIN THEM or CANCEL THEM. just because theyre a bit awkward or they have cleaned the windows themselves...... so what get over it and see them next time around. I have never ever bined a customer my customer base is to important to me, i will do all i can to keep them (within reason). Would you be like this if work was scarse. Like it is for squeaky. Please dont post and tell me you bin them too!! The more customers you have the bigger your business. If you bin customers unhesitantly you might aswell bin your business. I always think i need them more than they need me, even if its not the case. It works extremely well for my business.

OK, but what if you are turning potential customers away due to a full order book and the customer who turns you away you regard as underpriced?

That is another thing that i have never done, and another thing i cant undersatnd other window cleaners doing. Window cleaners that do this have to ask themselves, have i really got so much work that i cant cope with any more customers? How many hours do you work in a week? If you are honestly working all you can (within reason) then you can do one of two things.....Price any new work so good that you dont mind cleaning a few extra hours in the week or some hours at the weekend. Chances are you wont get there business but if you do then bonus and make sure the price is good enough to sacrifice one saturday a month. Or what you can do is what im doing now and take workers on. Cos at the end of the day people that build a successful business dont work there whole lives on that business. there will come a time when you have to retire So nows the time when your fit an able to make your business as big as humanly possible so in time you can sit back and reap the benefits of your hard work. This week ive had 4 people wanting to work for me i took 2 on and the other 2 told there will be work in 6 months when the business expands. Every one on this site should have one goal in mind  EXPAND EXPAND EXPAND!!