[scrimit2]

Hello
I think I am quite a patient and accomadating window cleaner, I like to help the customer I am flexible about payment, but I am really loosing my patience with a few of my customers, some of my work is quite rural one particular customer, the last time  I actually cleaned was about october when I returned in november the guy came to the door and said carry on, but I will just check with the wife, but she no leave them this time, the next time I came around in december no one was in so I wasnt going to risk not being paid, same happened this month but up the road I saw the guy and he waved so I carried on working and as he saw me I thought I had better call back to him once again he came to the door same old story there excuse was that they no cash on them (they usaully paid cheque) and it was muddy?? on the floor not the windows!! so now they can clean there own! I think I am way to soft when would you guys stopped trying? I don't need the work, but I liked the customer at one time.
I have another customer who talks to you while your doing their windows, but when you knock to get paid they don't answer the door and when I called back the door was open but they wouldn't answer so went back to the car to write them a note a huge german sheppard flew out the house barking it was not very friendly to say the least, the customers still didnt come out. these customers are bad examples but what do you put up with?

[replacement]

I put up with none of that that.

(1) If they anit paid last month then they dont get cleaned untill they have paid.

(2) If they say not this month mate. I never go back again.

I had all that when i started, and i learnt the hard way.

Justin

[Duke]

Yeah, the amount of 'one off' cleans I did as a result of a promise of regular work...still on the positive side....a clean for cash can be a nice boost on a slow day...I just hate it when they bulls**it me...If they're up front, and I've got time...fair enough.

[AuRavelling79]

I note you don't need the work so I would ditch them. Professionally of course like this:-

Customer: can you leave them (the windows) this time?

You:(looking perturbed) is there a particular reason why? (in case they're waiting for the hearse to arrive, or an ambulance,  -  LOL)

Customer:(choose option) it's gonna rain/it's been raining/they're not dirty enough/they don't need cleaning/martians have landed etc

You: I'm sorry I don't work on that basis, good-bye!

Train'em when you take'em on!

[AuRavelling79]

Sorry Duke I just missed your post - if you're in any doubt as to whether the customer is going to be regular always say:-

"First clean is (double rate)  to get the windows up to scratch and then normal rate on a monthly basis."

If they drop you they've paid your one-off rate anyway.

[Pureandclean]

I normally ask them why ??

If there is a good reason, painting, building or even going on holiday, fair enough, but just being difficult!!
 I let them know I am booked up solid and don't have room for part-time customers.
Years ago I had an old lady that always used to look up at sky and say it looks like rain, leave em this time, after a couple of times I stopped doing house.
Couple of months later her son who owned the house stopped me and asked why I wasn't doing the windows...he was a self-empolyed electrician...when I told him, he said " do them, and don't take any notice of her, I'll have a word with her "
Amazing the change in her, cup of tea  and biscuits from then on.

[pjulk]

I would not put up with that either.

Me if there a new customer i expect them to pay the week i clean them and if i have not got the money the next time im due round i leave them a note saying we could not clean this time until they have paid for the last clean.
I also take there phone number when i take them on and give them a call.

Regular customers i will clean twice with out payment unless they look a bit dodgy.
But almost all my customers pay me when it's due.

The one's that start to play up are now ex-customers.

Also if they say not this month they are ditched.

I had one woman last week come out shouting as i was a week late, I told her it was because i had a week off at xmas.
She then started saying i was the most unreliable window cleaner she has every had (This is the only time i was late to this customer) and she won't put up with it again.
I said don't worry mrs i won't put up with get abuse shouted at me when i call to clean the windows and told her she now needs to find some other mug to clean her windows as i won't be doing it again.

Paul

[Ian_Giles]

For myself I won't do a second clean until I've been paid for the last clean. Though to be fair that isn't a hard and fast rule, some customers you get to know and their non payment can be an oversight (ie, not sending a cheque in the post) and I will let it pass one month.
If I have their phone number I will ring them and ask for payment, either to leave it out in an envelope or post it.
Those that are a pain to collect if you have cleaned them when they are not in, then once I have got the money out of them I only clean them if they are in, I'll call a couple of times as that area of the round falls due, but if I can't catch them in then I stop calling.
If they ring and ask where I have got to, I tell them that due to difficulty in collecting I could only clean them if they are in and can pay me on completion. In the past some have said, "Oh but I work all the time, I'm never in during the week."
When I politely point out that they don't send a cheque, even after repeated requests, they usually say they will in future. If I am in a brave move I'll tell them sorry, no can do and tell them I'll pass their name on to another cleaner.
I usually bottle it though And tell them no problem, but then don't bother calling on them Yeah I know, bad of me, but sometimes it just isn't easy to tell someone they are a crap customer
With those that say thanks but no thanks this month, it's raining/going to rain/windy/not dirty and so on, well, they become 'if in' accounts and it then depends on how good the account is, and how well it pays as to how often I call back...........and that has nothing to do with the fact she may be drop dead gorgous and looks really interesting on a cold or breezy day when she answers the door   Or perhaps she's just pleased to see me

I am never rude to a customer, even when they are doing the equivalent of an audition for 'Customers from Hell'. I never call back on them of course.

Customers are funny creatures, they all seem to have differing views of what constitutes window cleaning weather, but if you can't rely on doing them every month then let them fade away, they  aren't worth the hassle............unless they are female and fill out a tee shirt in a really interesting way

Ian

[windows_chepstow]

I agree with the above posts.  You run a business and you must have certain terms and conditions.  You must make it clear - when the need arises - that if they want their windows cleaned by you - you do it every month; (whatever the weather too).

I pay line rental to British Telecom - whether I use my phone or not.  I can't phone them and say, "Look, I'm off on holiday for two weeks, so I'm only gong to pay half this month".  It's a take it, or leave it situation.

I've 'lost' two customers this winter because they asked me to stop cleaning and start again in the summer.  I tried to persuade them to have them cleaned throughout the winter, but they wouldn't agree, so I dropped them.  Okay I've lost them, but would more follow suite (as in wanted summer months only) if I agreed?

I think you have to be a little hard headed.  A few of my customers have asked me to clean 'every two months' but I've refused.  It's every month or not at all.  They have agreed to keep me.

I clean them every month, then turn up with a smile to collect the money.  If the difficulty is getting your money out of them - then that's a slightly different thread.

I must admit, I've had a couple of customers who I have have 'let off' (dropped) and they still owe me money.  Other than threaten them, or stick a brick through their window - I just wasn't going to get paid unless I harrassed them.  I chose this job to have a stress free job, so I just 'let it go'.

All added up, it must be around £150.00 I'm owed (over a two year period), from the type of people who say "I've got no money, can you call back on Friday", and when you do, they're not bloody in.  And then you catch them on Monday and it's the same story.

No big shakes and it's tax deductable.  It still smarts though and when they say, "It's not the money, it's the principle", they're dead right.  They're taking the mick out of you!

Put a brick throught their window!  That's what I say!  Go on!

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

99% of my customers are monthly cleans and 1% are cleaned every other month. Anything more than that is not worth doing especially if you are not in dire need of the work. As for non payment I wouldn't give them a second chance! My advice would be to drop them like a ton of bricks.

[matt]

i must be too soft

i let it ride for 3 cleans (which is 18 weeks, as i clean every 6 weeks)

i have some1 now who owes me 180 quid, they live in a 900K house and i feel i dont need to badger them for money (well if i was short i would, but intill i need it, i wont) though as they know, its 3 cleans then they pay

its somewhat of a saving scheme

[Steve_Richardson]

Why dont you try an SAE for a customer if they are not in.

I usually et all my money owed within a week from customers that are out - saves all the time collecting and it only takes a couple of months for your customers to get used to it.

But if a customer see's me coming and goes out without paying me first, they don't get an envolope as I'm not paying for them to post me a check when they were in anyway!! 

Any that say "not this time" I ask politely why? Any rubbish and I don't go back.

I even had one customer that said, not this time, I am on holiday for 4 months (fair enough). I explained it may cost a bit more when they get back as they will be extra dirty. She thought for a moment then said, if you can trust me to pay you when I get back carry on each month, and I will also have a full clean (including £30 for conservatory roof) done a few days before I get back if that's ok!!! Suits me fine as I know Ic an trust them.

Cheers
Steve