[tatman]

Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well. :

[clean]

Lol  yep been there done that,we all get em,just accept it you ain`t on your own there mate,
when you get great days just look back and laugh   

[simon knight]

I think people do care but it's pretty low on their list of priorities.

I had a crap day as well.

[LWC]

i only dont think they do, i shouldnt but im getting later and later each month with getting more and more work and no one gives a monkeys, not one person has winged!

[kris martin]

my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think

[AuRavelling79]

my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think

Instant drop for that alone ... 

[kris martin]

i said that to my business partner but he dosnt really agree because he dosnt like letting work go, then i was speaking to a fellow wc over the road doing a big house, i asked him where he gets his equipment from etc then goes on to tell me he dosnt care how he leaves the windows when he's been if there a mess he tells them its because of the wind (cowboy)... he flew around this house in 2 seconds and diddnt rinse one window..

[simon knight]

my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think

Instant drop for that alone ... 

Instant smack in the gob more like...God I hate people like that!

[kris martin]

i had to walk off, and what really annoyed me is he was going to ask all the neighbours what they thought (putting ideas in there heads)...   he's gone anyway..   ive decided my prices are far too low im gonna put them up to near what they should be and if i loose some so be it, what do you guys say??

[simon knight]

What I tend to do with my really under priced stuff is just leave them on the back burner and only when I'm up to date with my good work get around to doing them. I just feel that I'd rather earn bad money than none at all.

Personally I'm very reluctant to put up prices at the moment.

[kris martin]

yeah i find it hard aswell but some prices are in seriouse need and not been up for 7 years

[simon knight]

Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.

[NWH]

Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.

Aye?

[michael papworth]

my bad day was yesterday, a stupid old fart who's house should be 3 times the price came out and seen the wfp for the first time and instantly disagred, there was no reasoning with this guy and when i said its health and safety he said its your own fault if you fall of your ladder not mine, then said he is going around all the neighbours to see what they think

Instant drop for that alone ... 

Instant smack in the gob more like...God I hate people like that!

Absolutley. We should all surely give and get basic respect. I'm not the sort of guy who goes round demanding respect, but I'd certainly drop someone who is so dismissive.

The neighbours probably know what an obnoxious S@@t he is and won't take any more notice of him than he deserves.

Rise above it - and don't clean his windows again under any circumstances.

[kris martin]

i wont be cleaning them again anyway thats for sure..

[simon knight]

Oh that's crazy...you do need to put those up. A house you were doing 7 years ago for a tenner is now worth probably a fiver in real terms.

Aye?

Taking inflation over 7 years into account a tenner then now has the buying power of a fiver.

[kris martin]

a fellow wc told me to put all my prices up 50% and then if i loose any ill still be making the same money but in less time, good advice i tink...

[pjulk]

tatman said

Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well.

If i had a day like this i would have done the following.

1st job said not today - DUMPED
2nd job chased out of the garden by dog - DUMPED
4th job gate locked even after texting - DUMPED
5th job same as 4th job - DUMPED

Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.

I used to get a lot of not todays, locked, gates ect and i got rid of them all and concentrated on customers where access is not a problem and want a regular service not when the feel like having it done.

[Paul Coleman]

tatman said

Been one of them days first job can i leave it this month, second jobs chased out the garden by loose dogs, third job cleaned, fourth job gate locked even though i texted, fifth job gate locked texted also. Starting to wonder if people really give a @@@@ about windows at the moment. Anyone else feel like this? And i got covered in dog @@@@ as well.

If i had a day like this i would have done the following.

1st job said not today - DUMPED
2nd job chased out of the garden by dog - DUMPED
4th job gate locked even after texting - DUMPED
5th job same as 4th job - DUMPED

Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.

I used to get a lot of not todays, locked, gates ect and i got rid of them all and concentrated on customers where access is not a problem and want a regular service not when the feel like having it done.

Well said Paul although I did wait until I had built my workload up.  Apart from a bit of subcontracting work, I only have maybe 5 jobs where I need to pre-arrange access.  I make sure that I am well compensated for them.  As for the subcontract work, most of them need to be phoned - but it's only 2 - 3 days every few weeks.  It can be a major headache organising it though.  Obviously I can't dump the customers as they aren't mine to dump.
On my own work though, it's no accident that I have so little work where I need to pre-arrange.  It's taken years of pruning to achieve that.  It may not be the highest paid round but the lack of hassle means I get around faster anyway.

[Tosh]

Seriously you need to be a bit firmer with your customers.

I fully agree.  If you appear to be desperate, a minority of customers will take advantage of you.

Be firm, but fair, be clear in your terms and conditions with them; but if you're sure someone's taking the mick out of you, dump 'em, otherwise you'll end up with a round full of idiots.

And, unless your short of work, don't be frightened to put up your prices.  I put up about 30 residential customers recently, some that were seriously underpriced by about 30%, but I explained it all in a letter and to be fair to myself, I hadn't put this area's prices up in years; my fault.

I lost one.

If you're worried, why not put the price up for say 20 of your worst accounts, and see what happens?  I bet you'll lose one or two at most.  Then do the same with another 20... etc!