[Jonathan Spencer]

Hi been reading a lot on this forum and picked up lots of useful info.

A bit of background about my situation.  I have been trad windowcleaning for a few months now and most of the time I enjoy it.  I work for someone else and get not bad money.  Now I have a few customers around my house but would like to get more and do 2 days a week for myself when it is my mates "rubbish" days.

I spoke to the one of the window cleaners who does most of the shops aoround here and asked him what the domestic market is like.  He said it is a struggle as the Asians only want it doing when they are filthy.  Now the area I live in has a very large Asian community and recently a lot of Eastern Europeans have moved into the area.

My questions are do I disbelieve this bloke and just go canvassing and hope for the best.  Also if they say yes they need the windows cleaned do I say it is 1/4 extra for the first clean due to extra time and after that it is 4 weekly and I do not knock on your door to check.  If they object I just tell them I only want regular customers.  Does this sound the right way?  I would be polite at all times.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Jonathan

[Trevor Knight]

From my experience its always been best to find out for myself. What harm will it do to knock a few doors and see what response you get? Pick an area and work it completely to see your ratio of yes/no etc......

As for the first clean we always charge extra to compensate for the extra time taken, never had a problem yet?

regards,

Trevor

[Alex Wingrove]

i agree,

you will just have to find out the hard way, i have some Asian customers and they are very good payers

[Tim Rose]

i agree,

you will just have to find out the hard way, i have some Asian customers and they are very good payers

That's bit like saying you have some white customers and some of them are good payers.

[supernova77]

If you find that it is a struggle in your area then drive a few more miles away and try and pick up some customers there?

Andy

[LSB]

you will have to canvass and find out !
and decide if you will do one offs , or stick to your guns and take them on if they are monthly / 2monthly

[Alex Wingrove]

no its like saying i have some customers who happen to be Asian and they are good payers, just the same as i have some white customers and some black customers, i have some men i have some women, i have some pilots etc etc

all of them collectively form my customers

[Tim Rose]

I never liked collectivism, reminds me of communism.

I think we all know who wants avoiding and it doesn't need reapeating on here.

[Alex Wingrove]

I don't avoid anyone, i give them the benefit of the doubt, but i don't charge small prices for first cleans to combat against things like this happening from who ever the client it

collectivism------communism, hmmmm yes i gather all my customers together and they give me their money and i tell them what kinda of job they can expect, oh yeah they all have to pay me what i want too, see all fair

[Tim Rose]

Up the kolkozy!

[windowwashers]

Hi been reading a lot on this forum and picked up lots of useful info.

A bit of background about my situation.  I have been trad windowcleaning for a few months now and most of the time I enjoy it.  I work for someone else and get not bad money.  Now I have a few customers around my house but would like to get more and do 2 days a week for myself when it is my mates "rubbish" days.

I spoke to the one of the window cleaners who does most of the shops aoround here and asked him what the domestic market is like.  He said it is a struggle as the Asians only want it doing when they are filthy.  Now the area I live in has a very large Asian community and recently a lot of Eastern Europeans have moved into the area.

My questions are do I disbelieve this bloke and just go canvassing and hope for the best.  Also if they say yes they need the windows cleaned do I say it is 1/4 extra for the first clean due to extra time and after that it is 4 weekly and I do not knock on your door to check.  If they object I just tell them I only want regular customers.  Does this sound the right way?  I would be polite at all times.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Jonathan

I would test the water, when cleaning we never ever knock before we start.
I leant that when I first started as they have the time to say not today, now if they say not today they are charged for it. I do not tell them about knocking the door, I just say if we arrive and we are asked not to clean you are charged for are wasted time, if you give 2 weeks notice then this is not a problem.

I started a round 35 miles away from where i live, driving is a pain in the bum sometimes but it paid the bills I still have alot of that work still today some part have been sold off.

I used to a pound extra on first cleans, not any more it is at least half again, the reason this helps stop the I will call you when i want them done again, even though they are asked this before hand (people lie) this way you will earn you money if they do this.

Ian

[pootwo]

one sets you on  4 weeks no probs anuther sacks you ? after one or two washes

[windowwashers]

one sets you on  4 weeks no probs anuther sacks you ? after one or two washes

not much you can do there, but if they tie in for a 3 months contract what else can you do, if they stop after first 2 cleans they are charged one-off prices for the first clean.

[Jonathan Spencer]

Sorry to bump this but is it worth canvassing in the rain?

[windowwashers]

Sorry to bump this but is it worth canvassing in the rain?

I personally think canvassing the rain would be very hard, not saying it cant be done but it is mind numbing at the best of times, but ouf leaflets in the rain and canvass them house when it stops would be what I would do. 

Ian

[Jonathan Spencer]

Thanks Ian

I said to my missus it is not much point me canvassing in the rain.  She said you will never get any customers at this rate.  Got to price up a job in a bit.  It is the local Post Office.  Quite a big jop just hope that I get the price right.

Jonathan

[mark dew]

Thanks Ian

I said to my missus it is not much point me canvassing in the rain.  She said you will never get any customers at this rate.  Got to price up a job in a bit.  It is the local Post Office.  Quite a big jop just hope that I get the price right.

Jonathan

good luck. And don't think you are too expensive and reduce your prices if you don't get the job. The right price is one that will keep you happy cleaning month after month, year after year. Which will probably be at odds with what the PO thinks is the right price.

[Jonathan Spencer]

Well looks like I have got the job.  he pulled a face but said do it next week.  As I am starting from virtually very scratch it is hard to turn work down as much as I tell myself I should tell them straight.

[Jonathan Spencer]

Sorry for bumping this.  Well I did the Post Office and he was well pleased and wants me to do it again.  It will only take me half the time next time as it was in such a mess last time (on a busy road and not done for a couple of years).  When I was doing the post office I had loads of people asking me to do their houses as they have not had a good cleaner for ages.  The long and short of it is that I have about 50 custys now without knocking on a single door.

My next step is to see if I can get enough to go fulltime by knocking doors for a couple of days.

Regards

[bernlyn]

thats great news 50 custies seems like them seeing doing the job paid off. keep it up and you might be full time before you know it