[dudek]

I am so angry at the moment!

I have just checked my emails to find that another of my custies from my once TOP estate has cancelled in favour of the new guy with the ladder, nothing against him, only i have been doing these people since i was a kid in the school holidays with my uncle when it was his round, this is 15 years with these custies.

It led me to thinking, once all my major problems were out of the way with changing to wfp,had i become a bit arrogant at the quality i was providing them, so i put the prices up(well over due in any case), plus i was able to get to all the windows above the conservatories.

I inherited about 50% of the whole estate form my uncle, and the main amount of the loss has been in the last 3 months.

Im struggling not to take this personally as my work was top notch and i would always deal with any issues professionally resolve it.

 

[jonah]

Did the custy explain why they were changing ? Was he under cutting you ?

[colley614]

I've really noticed a big thing of people not liking water fed poles. I don't know why though. Maybe its to do with that BBC2 program a few months back

[dudek]

Damn right he was undercutting me.

I thought i was invincible at one point.

Things change fast.

[windowwashers]

I've really noticed a big thing of people not liking water fed poles. I don't know why though. Maybe its to do with that BBC2 program a few months back

people dont like change thats why IMO

[mark dew]

It has to be price.
They might not like the system cos it looks too easy and is very quick in experienced hands, but I get many people mention how pleased they are that all the windows can now be cleaned with wfp.

[pingu]

Sorry I have not seen a tv program about wfp...could you explain the gist of it....

Cheers
Dave.

[Wayne Thomas]

Some customers really are struggling to pay their bills. Perhaps your customer has changed to the trad lad because he's cheaper so they can save money.
People will cut unnecessary expenses or find cheaper alternatives if they are scrimping to get by.
Welcome to the credit crunch. Times are getting harder, you just need to open your eyes to what's going on in this country.
I live in Devon where there is a lot of second homes and the lowest wages in the country with the exception of Cornwall. I have had a lot of customers cancelling, extending the duration between cleans or switching to a cheaper trad cleaner. I'm having to work harder to replace cancelled customers with decent new ones.

[colley614]

Sorry I have not seen a tv program about wfp...could you explain the gist of it....

Cheers
Dave.

Sorry Radio 2, Not BBC 2. 

[NWH]

Some customers really are struggling to pay their bills. Perhaps your customer has changed to the trad lad because he's cheaper so they can save money.
People will cut unnecessary expenses or find cheaper alternatives if they are scrimping to get by.
Welcome to the credit crunch. Times are getting harder, you just need to open your eyes to what's going on in this country.
I live in Devon where there is a lot of second homes and the lowest wages in the country with the exception of Cornwall. I have had a lot of customers cancelling, extending the duration between cleans or switching to a cheaper trad cleaner. I'm having to work harder to replace cancelled customers with decent new ones.

I would disagree that they have changed because of the price your charging them,if they couldn`t afford it they wouldn`t pay someone to do them end of story,look a little deeper.

[dai]

Many of the older customers just don't like WFP, I too have recently lost work to some new guy with a ladder. It won't affect me at all financially, but it has taught me a lesson as far as loyalty is concerned.
I have turned work away in the past in order to serve existing customers, no more Mr nice guy, I'm going to dump the whole estate and concentrate on my more lucrative accounts.
They take it for granted that their frames are gleaming, but I doubt if the trad guy will do all the frames every month.
I have lost 6 out of 30 on that estate, but I just hate going there now, stuff them. Dai

[tonyoliver]

It has to be price.
They might not like the system cos it looks too easy and is very quick in experienced hands, but I get many people mention how pleased they are that all the windows can now be cleaned with wfp.

yea like they want you to risk your life yor become disabledbeing so they can see you struggle and fall off  al adder all for a  pound sod em get a new job and f em off  keep safe live long you can do more better with wfp than trad  over cons ect let em live in the past you live in the future  chin up dude

[colley614]

It has to be price.
They might not like the system cos it looks too easy and is very quick in experienced hands, but I get many people mention how pleased they are that all the windows can now be cleaned with wfp.

yea like they want you to risk your life yor become disabledbeing so they can see you struggle and fall off  al adder all for a  pound sod em get a new job and f em off  keep safe live long you can do more better with wfp than trad  over cons ect let em live in the past you live in the future  chin up dude

Yeah well said mate!!!

[pingu]

I sometimes try too much to be the nice guy....but at times I must admit I do wonder about loyalty...does it exist really in our profession...??

I personally do not believe that there is such a thing within my business...they are only as good as the last time they paid...Whilst I try to do a good job for all ...I trust none of them, I like some more than others but in the main...they are all strangers to me...

Saying this...yesterday I went to do  normal 8 weekly job and the lady came out to pay...I asked about her husband who had been ill for sometime...'how is he?' I asked..passed away she replied.....I saw the money in her hand and just said...keep the money and buy yourself some flowers.....she choked up and lost it.... smiled and said thank-you....

Remember sometimes it is good to commit an act of random kindness....

Dave.

[Wayne Thomas]

Many of the older customers just don't like WFP, I too have recently lost work to some new guy with a ladder. It won't affect me at all financially, but it has taught me a lesson as far as loyalty is concerned.
I have turned work away in the past in order to serve existing customers, no more Mr nice guy, I'm going to dump the whole estate and concentrate on my more lucrative accounts.
They take it for granted that their frames are gleaming, but I doubt if the trad guy will do all the frames every month.
I have lost 6 out of 30 on that estate, but I just hate going there now, stuff them. Dai

Good for you Dai, there's no loyalty in business. I never turn down new work if it pays better. Worst work gets done last. Best work gets done bang on time. Loyalty to a point within reason but don't put yourself out for loyalty. Profit before loyalty.

[Feen]

Loyalty - this is how I approach it due to recent experience. Did a job on Monday. She says " I hope it doesn't rain soon like the last time. I had to clean them again." I'm thinking " this is Scotland, love, it rains". Did a job today. I told her I was putting up the price next month. She said "No problem, as long as you keep coming." Same type of houses, same cost. I know who I'll drop and who I won't.

[macmac]

I think some people could be at risk of thinking they are invincible just by reading all the nonesense that gets bantered around this forum. make no mistake about it, we are only window cleaners & good trad w/cers can still make very good money by undercutting over-valued wfp'ers. I also think many wfp'ers are not making as good a job as they think they are, windows always look clean when wet.
If i can get a service as good cheaper elsewhere then i get it, no question about it.

wfp V's trad? as far as most custy's are concerned there's nowt in it. wfp'ers are guilty of massively over-hyping the whole thing. maybe it's a comfort thing to ease the burdon of customer conversion, i don't know. Listen to some & you would be forgiven for thinking once wfp you can command whatever price you like.

Yeah, you'll get people telling how much a custy loves wfp etc. etc. but they fail to mention what the other 300 custy's say :

All my oppinion of course, just don't get too drawn in by idiotic braggarts.

Tony

[frames to panes]

Why should a customer be loyal? If you can get a service cheaper why not change? I'm not loyal to Tesco's if i can get my deisel cheaper i'll shop elsewhere too.

[Sanity]

Come the winter, when the new guy misses a few months because he does not like being wet and cold, and when the windows above the conservatory are looking shabby, I bet you get a few tails-between-their-legs calls from customers.

All you can do until then is to ensure your quality is superb and expand your services into conservatory cleans, gutters / soffits / facias to keep your income up.

Chin up m8.  Don't let the buggers grind you down

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Saying this...yesterday I went to do  normal 8 weekly job and the lady came out to pay...I asked about her husband who had been ill for sometime...'how is he?' I asked..passed away she replied.....I saw the money in her hand and just said...keep the money and buy yourself some flowers.....she choked up and lost it.... smiled and said thank-you....

Remember sometimes it is good to commit an act of random kindness....

Dave.

Obviously the film Evan All mighty had a big effect on you.

Many of the older customers just don't like WFP, I too have recently lost work to some new guy with a ladder. It won't affect me at all financially, but it has taught me a lesson as far as loyalty is concerned.
I have turned work away in the past in order to serve existing customers, no more Mr nice guy, I'm going to dump the whole estate and concentrate on my more lucrative accounts.
They take it for granted that their frames are gleaming, but I doubt if the trad guy will do all the frames every month.
I have lost 6 out of 30 on that estate, but I just hate going there now, stuff them. Dai

I agree very few custies are loyal, but why dump the ones that are sticking with you for the time being, you'll be handing the work to this other window cleaner on a plate and possibly giving yourself a bad name, depending how you dump them.

I've found I've lost work in areas from time to time and it makes you feel bad about that area, but then you can pick up work again in the same road at a better price.

Of course if you find you can't keep up with your best price work then it would be a good idea to let them go.

Simon.