[cat9921]

HI all

Today I went collecting and got to this house, It was a night worker so I used to start on this house first as not to disturb him when he went to bed  :

Anyway he owed 2 lots and as he opened the door he said he had to ask his wife if she still wanted me to still clean

She was upstairs and as she walked down she never came to the door just said the windows did not come up clean and I did not do the corners 

The man just said sorry and gave me the money..

Now this house was a bit of a pain starting early for them so I dont mind losing the work, But I hate not knowing if what they said is true or not

When I used to go back to the house the windows looked good, and I have been doing it for about 2 years...

So Did I make a mistake, if so not a problam I make them with trad from time to time or..... was there some windows that did not come up good  : or Is it that she just never liked the system and has found another window cleaner ??


Like I said the upsetting thing is Some people just dont give you a chance to find out

help me on this one guys

Please give me some words to cheer me up, My beautiful wife knows I am down, And I dont want her to get upset just because there are miserable customers out there 

Thanks Adders Rinse and Clean

[darragh windows]

obviously his wife wheres the trousers, this can happen dont let it get you down no one likes complaints sometimes you can learn from them and sometimes you just cant please some people after two years of having a good honest window cleaner she should have giving you more of a chance in my books.

[Wayne Thomas]

Some customers will go to any lengths to save face about being skint and make poor excuses not to have their windows cleaned anymore. The most obvious excuse is that they are having their windows replaced, can you leave them for the time being.

Keep an eye on how much longer the customer delays sending a cheque in the post and you can see trends of customers who are struggling financially.

[cat9921]

after two years of having a good honest window cleaner she should have giving you more of a chance in my books.

Thanks I feel better already  Now I know why people post on here when we get these down days we all need a pick up

Thanks Again 

[Wayne Thomas]

Everybody gets a down day or two every now and then because of customers. Don't take it personally. Just think of the advantages of being self employed and the money and forget the negative bits. Ironically it's good to read that other window cleaners have bad days too, so you feel that you're not alone.

[smearo]

u could spend yr life worrying about these custys move on... plenty more out there we have all had them.. fact...

[George P]

i agree after 2 years you would have thought a second chance but unfortunatly some people dont give you that but they would like a second chance in theire job, if it was your mistake & they wont let you put it rirght - dont worry (we all make mistakes), if it wasnt your mistake - dont worry, youll always get this from time 2 time,

[karygate]

don,t worry were all depressed....................................no not really i am not.............................................................................................but we still luv yer..............................

[cat9921]

don,t worry were all depressed....................................no not really i am not.............................................................................................but we still luv yer..............................

Thanks Garry

one day I will have customers like you. 

[d s windowcleaning]

dont let it get you down mate , made a mistake after 2 years i dont think so thats the easy way to get shut , real reason is maybe thayve hit bad times but dont want to admit it , i could be wrong but i think not . keep ya chin up mate and look on the bright side ( england won ) see you feel better allready unless your welsh or scotish lol 

[gerard mcmanus]

Dont over think it, you will always get customers that dot coduct themself in an acceptable, sensable or reasonable manor. Yes after that length of time it sounds like it was an excuse. But even if it was a mistake made by you, so what! you are human. They should have called you and gave you a chance to correct the problem if there was one.

On the point of your personal feelings on this, my advice would be to focus your attention on more possitive points of your business and look at the solutions to problems as a possitive activity to focus on, e.g. you loose one customer, go out and canvase for that hour. Once you get another customers, or even two you will feel better knowing that you are now better off because of that negative experience.

I like the comment on the percentage of each customer is to your book as a whole, this is good advice and helps look at each customer, one small part of the round that earns you your wage.

I once read a notice on a barbers wall which I always go to now, they are great. Anyway it read.

If we do a bad job tell us.
If we do a good job tell everyone else.

I think this is the advice your customer should have taken. If they dont give you a chance to improve or even highlight the exact problem to you then they should never expect you or any other window cleaner to ever change, as they never inspired or motivated it by giving constructive critism on what they felt was wrong or bothering them.

Gerard 

[ftp]

Move on, but have a good look at the rest of your round before you clean them. It might be just possible that the brush isn't cleaning right into the corners.

[AuRavelling79]

Questions cat9921:-

UPVC/Aluminium/Painted? Condition?

Brush type - soft/hard fanjet pencil?

How long wfp?

[NWH]

Move on, but have a good look at the rest of your round before you clean them. It might be just possible that the brush isn't cleaning right into the corners.

Agree 100%.

[edd]

I think that they are just a couple of disrespectful arses and probably go through life like this
not caring much for anyone else we lost a complete wa...r the other day £ 18  and replaced him with an £80
really nice couple for not much time difference lol

[Londoner]

If there was a problem with your work it wouldn't be just one customer saying it, you would have loads of people saying it.

Its a very true saying "You can't win them all"

The world is like squirrel poo - full of nuts!

[simon knight]

99% of my customers are complete scumbags who really resent paying me the miserable amount I charge to clean their squalid little hovels. Most don't even know my name after years of using me...I'm referred to as "the window cleaner".

Although they trust me to the extent where they'll leave me to "lock up" if they need to go out, in their eyes I'm a small step up from a house burglar and they absolutely assume I'm drawing state benefits left right and centre. They take it as read that I pay no tax!

Before I started window cleaning I always gave people the benefit of the doubt and assumed that the vast majority of people were decent. 4 years on I now know that the Great British general public really couldn't give a stuff whether I live or die....after all I'm "only the window cleaner".

Rant over

[Londoner]

I had one customer (now an ex-customer ) who was on the phone when I rang the bell for the money. The front door was open.
The person on the other end obviously heard the bell over the phone and said something like "was that your doorbell?"
"Oh don't worry, its ONLY the windowcleaner" said my customer and carried on talking for another ten minutes.
It wasn't like it was an important call or anything, it was just chit chat, I know - I had to stand and listen to it. 

[simon knight]

...and then you get the 1% who are absolutely diamonds and you go away with a feel-good factor.  I find the diamonds are the oaps....and they make the best tea

[simon knight]

I'll give an example of how I'm treated:

Get a phone call from a woman. Wants me to clean the windows and how much do I charge. Fine, I arrange to come round and look...agree the time and everything. I turn up...she's not there...doesn't really matter because just looking at the front it's far too big a job for me and my ladders aren't nearly up to the task.

I go home and send a text saying it's not one for me (explaining the reason) but here's a name and number of a local guy I pass work on to...he's good and has ladders that'll reach most parts (they turn up 2 or 3 handed).

So: I've gone over to look...can't do it but give an alternative.

Still waiting for the return text saying "Thanks".

3 days now