[Clive McDonald]

When I started, which wasn't that long ago every nutcase in the area signed on with me. My customers were awfull and the absolute scum of the earth.As soon as they started detailing the faults of the previous window cleaner i knew that soon it would be my turn.

Overtime my customers have gotten better, but I still watch out for bad signs.What do you find are the biggest giveaways of either a good or bad customer?

[peter holley]

"ill leave it this month"
"can i pay you next time"
"are you  doing it in this weather"
"the last one charged me extra for xxxx"
" can you phone me first"

[LWC]

"are you going to wipe the water off those windows? theyre soaking wet"

[AJ]

Had a call once from a woman who was 'perfectly happy, but they just don't FEEL clean'.
It was the start of wonderfully short relationship.

[LWC]

asks for regular service

cleans windows whilst theyre out

get home ring ring

"hi youve done my windows today, just wondering how you got round the back as the gate was locked"

 :

[scud]

  The signs I get from my best customers usually involve either a wink or a box of OMO in the bedroom window.

[kris martin]

I'll go to the grave absolutely hateing the phrase "when did you come" and "i've been in all day", its like saying are you sure your not robbin me...

[d s windowcleaning]

a good customer allways tips a bad customer ive never had i must be lucky 

[Dean Taberner]

When you are cleaning away and a neighbour comes and asks you to clean their windows, you do a superb job and just as you are finishing you get the good old:

"when do you call around for your money"" line.

In genuine cases this is fine but theyre few and far.

[cybersye]

potential customer "how much do you charge ? "

me " depends what you have and if its regular work"

potential customer " not sure we need you every month.........................................we used to have someone but..........................."

you know the rest 

[DASERVICES]

When you turn up and start cleaning the windows , they then quickly get ready and drive off not paying you.

You knock on the door for payment, you know they are in but do not answer the door

They send the kid to the door saying mummy is not in or busy as she is hiding behind the curtains

I've had a few of the above but now I have a good customer base.

[gerard mcmanus]

Firstly nice topic mate

Ok, a few qoutes.

customer "Its a little dark is it not",
me "Its only 4.30 in the afternoon".

customer "Are you seriously going to clean windows in that", light drizzel coming down
me "As long as your windows are clean, then I have done what your paying me for, and the weather wont change that, if it does I will do it again or not charge you"
customer "No, no, I dont mean you cant work in it, I just mean it cant be nice for you to work in the rain".
me "Thats a fact of life when you work outside, you have to bear the weather".

customer "Can you give them close doors a quick wipe with your thingmy bob, and those windows".
I then went on to count them up 22 pains of glass plus 2 glass doors.
me "That would cost about £20 in and out".
customer "Oh the last window cleaner just did it for me for free, it didn't take him that long at all".
me " , that why he's not in business now, I would amagine".

same customer, stopped doing her for months because I could get money of her regularly, always trying to give me part payment etc.

customer"would you mind doing my window again for me, I've got the money here" she shows me a tenner.
me"Ok, but keep your money for now until Iam done, so I know you are happy with the work before you pay me"
I go and do the windows
me "Are you quite happy with them"
customer"Yes, I can see out of them now"
me "Ok, thats £7 then"
Customer "Ohh, I thought it was only one pound"
me " no, its always been £7, I dont mean to be rude, but nobody in there right mind would take on a job for one pound".
got my money and once again DROPPED!

On the phone

customer "Hi I live X place". about 3/four miles away
customer "Can you come out and give me a qoute"
me "No problem, what day suits you"
customer " X day would be fine, its only the front one I want done".
Me "No probs I will see you there"
Hung up the phone
me "Like hell I will, four mile for one window".

I had one customer, said her window cleaner hadn't been round for ages and asked if I could do them, gave her a qoute and day and went by. Did all the windows var the last one, and when I got the the last window another woman came to the window as I want puting my ladder in place

customer "your not doing this one are you"
me "yes, but it was mrs bla bla that asked me to come by the other day"
customer "no a guy was round yesterday and did them, I am not paying for them twice"
I ask the customer to go to the door and walk round
'knock knock knock!'
customer comes to the door
me "Ok, first nobody from my company was round, and mrs bla bla agreed to a verbal contract that I do the windows on this day, for this amount which I have bar one, now if you are refusing to pay, you will be invoiced for the amount"
customer "that fine incoice me"
I came back five minutes later after going home and printing the invoice handed it to her and told her I would be back to collect the money later. The next day I went up and said "right I am here to collect the outstanding amount I have invoiced you for".
and I got my money and dropped her immediately.

You really do meet all sorts of walks of like in this job.

gerard 

[Tim82]

"ill leave it this month"
"can i pay you next time"
"are you  doing it in this weather"
"the last one charged me extra for xxxx"
" can you phone me first"

all these and....

When they complain about the (very reasonable) price.

When they say you're coming too often. can you come every 2 months?

When they follow you about or watch you from inside.

When it takes ages to get paid (sending you a cheque or finding them in collecting)

[ALAN HAYNES]

what gets me going is
 when they watch you clean the windows
you pack up go to collect the money they open the door say how much
then spend ten mins looking for money or cheque
always seems to be when your in a rush

[Tosh]

Discount,

When you first start, you'll end up with a higher percentage of customers who don't fit the standard window cleaner's target profile.  I know this from experience.

A small (but higher than usual) number of your new cleans will be the idiots who other window cleaners have binned.

You need to accept this and drop them, no matter how tight things are, and concentrate on building up a customer base that you want.

I've even dropped a £150 residential account because I didn't like the customer, and Ian_Giles (Mod here) is now cleaning her windows; but I stick to my guns.  If the customer annoys me, I drop 'em.

Experience has taught me that if a customer annoys me once; they'll keep on annoying me in the future, so be firm with them, stick to your terms and conditions, and if they try to deviate either increase the price or drop them.

[Wayne Thomas]

When a customer spruces up an untidy garden, starts painting everything outside and asks if you can clean their soffits, gutters, fascias, cladding and everything else that they've never had done in years because they intend putting their house on the market.

[Dean Taberner]

When you are collecting and a guy comes to the door and says:

"The wifes not in can you call back"

[johns window kleen]

People who are in , lights. TV on , shadows,etc when you knock to collect. Had this Friday night and was so p'd off I didnt stop ringing then knocking for about 5 mins, as they owed me for 2 cleans. The bloke, skinny nerdy little guy, sheepishly opens door and says can i elp you, I says yeah im your window cleaner you owe me £15. He yells up to missus whose in shower , she says cheque was posted a week ago. I says not received I WANT PAYING NOW CASH. He yells at wife she shouts at him , they start a row, HE RUNS UPSTAIRS They HAVE MASSIVE SHOUTING MATCH. I sit bemused on front wall, he gives me money apologises and said chq was sent to wheelie bin cleaner. 15 minutes spent waiting 4 my money. I wonder sometimes why I bother. Dropped!!

[geefree]

If a customer asks me leave it this month i drop it immediatley..... its rare thank god!... or i would have to rethink 

what annoys me is when all the windows are open and they wave and disappear....

means i have to knock and ask..... or they say do you want the windows closing...

no love its ok... i will just wet your bed through if thats ok. :

[Carey Ward]

Turned up & cleaned a job last week at about 8.15 am - went to collect the money and as she handed it over she said 'I hope you have done them properly at this time of the morning - it is early you know'   - as if the time made any difference - infact she more likely to get a better job at that time than at the end of the day.

Have two jobs together in a cul-de-sac and there was a kid playing outside the second on his bike - whislt I was cleaning the first he was taken in and when I called at the second house for the money it took ages for her to answer and eventually she poked her head out of an upstairs window, having changed into dressing gown, and in a very croaky voice said can you leave a ticket as we are not well at the moment !!!