[Jonathan Spencer]

Hi all

Done a few posts but mainly do a lot of reading picking tips up.  Now some of you may have read previous posts by me but a quick recap of my circumstances.

I am currently without my licence till Christmas but enjoy window cleaning so am trying to build a trad round up part-time for now by walking to roads close to were I live.  The area I live in is 99.9% terraced with security gates.  Now the first month started well with me picking up about 50 custys with 2,4 and 8 weekly cleans..  I did think at the time this was going to well.  And boy was I right, all the houses I was due to do this weekend as arranged were not in so I have no access.

So do I tell them all that if they are not in I do the front, leave a note to say I will the back next time?

Cheers

Jonathan

[squeejay]

hi john what i do is ask one of the neighbours for a key to the back gate most are usualy ok with that if not i just do fronts and collect next time,at the moment i have about 40 keys to my customers back gates hope this helps , jay.

[Jonathan Spencer]

hi john what i do is ask one of the neighbours for a key to the back gate most are usualy ok with that if not i just do fronts and collect next time,at the moment i have about 40 keys to my customers back gates hope this helps , jay.

Cheers for the reply mate but the clientle around here are not the most trusting.

[d s windowcleaning]

hi john what i do is ask one of the neighbours for a key to the back gate most are usualy ok with that if not i just do fronts and collect next time,at the moment i have about 40 keys to my customers back gates hope this helps , jay.

Cheers for the reply mate but the clientle around here are not the most trusting.

ive allso got keys if you lock up after youve done there should be no problems . if like you say they are not trusting is it worth calling the day before and asking for the gates to be left open .

[mci services]

a quick call or text the day before works for me if not do the fronts and charge accordianally they will soon reaalise the backs are not getting done and make arrangements with you

[Nathanael Jones]

a quick call or text the day before works for me if not do the fronts and charge accordianally they will soon reaalise the backs are not getting done and make arrangements with you

Ditto,... and for those that forget, I just do the front and charge half price,... its prob less than half the windows, but you have to take into account the hassle,... NEVER less than half price!!
 

[windowwashers]

a quick call or text the day before works for me if not do the fronts and charge accordianally they will soon reaalise the backs are not getting done and make arrangements with you

Ditto,... and for those that forget, I just do the front and charge half price,... its prob less than half the windows, but you have to take into account the hassle,... NEVER less than half price!!
 

half the price and add £1 to the price for the hassle.

Calling them the night before opens you up to the not todays, texting does not (you need to include on the text message something like this is sent automated no replys will be read )

[Londoner]

We have to phone many of our customers to say I'm coming tomorrow leave the gate open and I'll lock it when I am done.

If we didn't do that we would have no business. Its an part of the ritual now in our house, fill the water, charge the battery and phone the customers for tomorrow.

Even then they forget!

[frames to panes]

I managed to eliminate a lot of my night before phonecalls simply by buying a short six foot ladder. This enables me to gain access to ninety nine percent of the properties on my round and stops a lot of the "not today" types. Means i'm a lot happier and can predict my wage for the day.
 Not a lot of help to the original post i'm afraid though.

[Davo]

Could you not have an enhanced criminal records bureau check done on yourself, then photocopy it and laminate it to show it to potential customers.

Would do a great deal to reinforce your policy of customer peace of mind.


Mark

[Jonathan Spencer]

The problem with the gated properties is that even with a ladder you would not be able to get over them.  They are all old-styled entries which go under the properties themselves.

[frames to panes]

I realised that just as i finished the post. Are the gates shared by the two houses either side? I would think they both hold a key so it might double your chances of access if you see what i mean.

[L.J.Thorpe]

whats the rear access like

[Londoner]

Loads of properties round here have only got access through the garage. Thats the way they built them. Add to that the fact that a lot of the garages are being converted into living accomodation and you start to get the picture.

Ordinary three bed semis in the area I work start at over £400,000. A small one I know about has just been sold for £430,000. The cost of an extension to increase the  living area is good value in comparison so they are all getting them.

[Jonathan Spencer]

whats the rear access like

Only way into the rear gardens is through the gates.  These are 100 year old properties with gardens backing onto each over.  They all have old style alleyways which were used in years gone by the coalmen.  Now with people more security minded it is all gates.

[windowwashers]

whats the rear access like

Only way into the rear gardens is through the gates.  These are 100 year old properties with gardens backing onto each over.  They all have old style alleyways which were used in years gone by the coalmen.  Now with people more security minded it is all gates.

the thing that gets me about these security minded people they bolt and lock the gate only to have a small wall to help you over, I have one customer very large place they bolt and padlock there gates 2 of them one at side one at back the ones at the back is 4ft high and you can bend down and step through it. I used to climb over with ladders at the side D'oh

I think sometimes they put them there just to be annoying

[[GQC] Tim]

whats the rear access like

Only way into the rear gardens is through the gates.  These are 100 year old properties with gardens backing onto each over.  They all have old style alleyways which were used in years gone by the coalmen.  Now with people more security minded it is all gates.

the thing that gets me about these security minded people they bolt and lock the gate only to have a small wall to help you over, I have one customer very large place they bolt and padlock there gates 2 of them one at side one at back the ones at the back is 4ft high and you can bend down and step through it. I used to climb over with ladders at the side D'oh

I think sometimes they put them there just to be annoying

And then they ask you, how did you get over? I thought I locked the gate.  :

Hilarious. 

[Sanity]

...buying a short six foot ladder....

Id buy a long 6ft ladder if I were you to complement it.  For places the short 6ft ladder can't reach

[Helen]

Jonathan, I take it you did not dicuss access at point of quote with these customers.
Reading between the lines are you just window cleaning at the weekends for the time being?
You say that they were not in as "arranged"....was this an arrangement you had made with them, or do you mean your own schedule?
I presume they are all inthe same area?

Personally i would draft a quick letter to all concerned, giving them a dated timetable of when you will be calling for the next few months, explaining that you do need gates left unlocked for access and should you not be able to gain access, you will clean what is accessable and adjust the  price accordingly. (there will be some on here who will say charge in full, but you are still building a round at the moment and with this amount on your doorstep be flexible.)

Some of these custies may phone and say that their date is not good for them, so as you have 2,4,8 week schedules for these you can afford to be flexible with those dates.
Once you are fully fledged you will be able to determine when people are in and schedule more in your own favour.
Would suggest that when you clean and people are in that you agree a date for the next clean there and then, put it on the back of a business card for them and make a note for yourself, could save a lot of hassle and confusion in the future.

[Jonathan Spencer]

Thannks Helen and yes I am only trying to do it part-time on weekends moment.  Will go full-time when I have enough houses.  I think I need to get some business cards printed.

Jonathan