[simbo]

hi al
having been going part time now for just over a month, i was just wondering how many of you do not stick to the once a month thing. I get all the time, "oh they don't need doing that often" to which i just don't bother, unless larger houses over 12 pound mark. I am trying to stick to getting the right cust at the right prices, but still feel i should be taking the money. fortunately for me i am part time at moment so can afford to be a bit picky.
ps i have one or two houses over £12 6 weekly but do say charge is higher for this(customers do not like paying xx amount  to someone for 15 minutes work)
anybody from northants area
all the best paul

[reah]

I feel monthly or two monthly at a push is all i will clean.Do a street area etc then move on to next.Why come back two weeks later when you have cleaned that area already you will be mucking about to much.We are after all in this as a way of earning a living.If you have to quote in an area that you have alraedy cleaned tell them when you are next there,and clean with the other clients.
Hope this helps good luck keep us posted to let us know how you are getting on.REAH.

[windows_chepstow]

Don't give the customer a chance to dictate to you.  When asked how much you charge, have a look and give your quote like this, "I charge £X a month, but because your property hasn't been cleaned in a while, the first time will be £XX."

I've been messed around a good few times when people ask 'not this month', and I never ever return.  But you'll end up with a hard-core of regular monthly customers.

Be firm and just tell them that if they want their windows cleaned by you, then they get it done every month.  No exceptions (or very few).

Saying that, I fancy saving myself a few quid.  I think I'll phone BT and tell them I won't be using my phone next month and to not charge me the service charge!

Remember, some customers don't want a decent window cleaner.  They want a MUG.  Don't be one.

[pjulk]

Me i take nearly all of my customers on a 4 week basis and tell them that when i quote for the clean.
If they say it won't need doing every 4 weeks.
I just tell them that i am only taking customers on who have there windows cleaned every 4 weeks.
If they then say not this month i tell them that they will have to find another window cleaner then.
I do have a couple of largish house's over £20 a clean that i do fortnightly thou as i go past these customers house most days to get to the rest of my work.

Paul

[Reflective Property Services]

If your customers want their windows cleaned every other month, charge them at least 50% extra for it, your removing more dirt, and so should charge accordingly.

Some will realise that it will still be cheaper in the long run (not being able to afford every month is one common reason for wanting every other month), others will be mugs and say ' Ooh no, I dont want to pay that much, I'll have it every month then...', believe it or not, it happens I've had it at any rate.

Either way, your still a winner. OK, perhaps not ideal customers, but they'll keep you going at the beginning until you find better customers to replace them with.

[AuRavelling79]

Good point reflective - charging extra for two-monthly cleans -something I aways promise myself I'll do!

[simbo]

thanks all,
I do now tell customers i do monthly cleans, but if a decent sized house will leave longer but they are told they will be charged more. Some will pay as have the disposable income some have not, just need the haves eh!!
One thing i stick to rigidly is i do not collect! all are very happy with this
paul

[s.hughes]

I do the cleans every 5 weeks. I explain (only when asked) that some wanted it on a 4 week clean and some wanted it on a 6 week clean. So I compromise and said that I would do it imbetween, 5 weeks.
Thing is, a lot of work will come from recomendations, so the new customer will already know the time span from their friends.

Steveyboy

[Paul Coleman]

hi al
having been going part time now for just over a month, i was just wondering how many of you do not stick to the once a month thing. I get all the time, "oh they don't need doing that often" to which i just don't bother, unless larger houses over 12 pound mark. I am trying to stick to getting the right cust at the right prices, but still feel i should be taking the money. fortunately for me i am part time at moment so can afford to be a bit picky.
ps i have one or two houses over £12 6 weekly but do say charge is higher for this(customers do not like paying xx amount  to someone for 15 minutes work)
anybody from northants area
all the best paul

I used to do monthly for the first couple of years but a lot of people turned me away as "they didn't need doing".  This used to pee me off as I would rather they have asked for two monthly or quarterly from the start as this would save me the hassle of calling on them without earning money.  As my workload built up, I decided to offer it as 6-weekly only - though there are two pretty large jobs that I do 12 weekly.  I'm OK with those as they are good paying jobs.  These days is 6-weekly or not at all - unless it's a very large job which pays well.  I just say that I have to give priority to *regular* customers.
I found that it took over a year to get a full workload but I had low outgoings back then so didn't mind.  I could have achieved a full workload a lot sooner if I had wanted.
As a footnote, I currently have around 80% workload due to losing a lot of work to a long illness a while back.  I earn far more on an 80% workload than I did on a 100%+ workload because I have been pricing new work higher and I don't let people mess me about like I used to.

[jsm]

back when i started all my work was monthly - now we are lucky to get round in 6 weeks , now got a good guy work for me for a year and we still can't get round in a month - we can't stop form taking on work 

if you want a small round 4 weeks if fine as you don't need to many customers .

I go on a estate where a old boy does it every 2 weeks - whats that all about !! 

[Paul Coleman]

back when i started all my work was monthly - now we are lucky to get round in 6 weeks , now got a good guy work for me for a year and we still can't get round in a month - we can't stop form taking on work 

if you want a small round 4 weeks if fine as you don't need to many customers .

I go on a estate where a old boy does it every 2 weeks - whats that all about !! 

_________

Two-weekly was the norm in many areas a long time ago.  A friend of mine up north has her window cleaner doing 2-weekly to this day.  However, they charge about half of my rates or less (I'm in the southeast).  This is probably more about tradition than necessity IMO and dates from when many window cleaners were not car owners (i.e. harder to have a high enough number of customers to fill a round of less frequent that 2 weekly intervals).

[zeusjazmin]

all my work is every 2 weeks,and i dont see any disadvantage with this,does anyone else?
it suits me fine,i only need 50% less customers than those with monthly cleans
i

[Paul Coleman]

all my work is every 2 weeks,and i dont see any disadvantage with this,does anyone else?
it suits me fine,i only need 50% less customers than those with monthly cleans
i

2 weekly is fine if the customers are happy with it.  It's just that I found I was sent away a lot even when doing it monthly as "they don't need doing".  I found that 6 weekly was a fairly happy on my round as it brought the people onside who only wanted a 2 monthly service.  The 2 monthlies would wear 6 weekly but not monthly.  I think you are very fortunate to only have to get enough customers for 2-weekly.

[s.hughes]

Hi Zeusjazmin

I remember reading one of your threads where you said that you get £2.50 a house.
If you was to clean every month or every six weeks then you may find that the customer (mainly new ones) will pay £5 or £6.

Steveyboy

[matt]

when i take new work i explain its between 4 and 6 weeks, normally every 6 weeks as i have too much work on

people seem happy with 6 weeks, which with bad weather days sometimes go to 7 weeks

i do a few every other time, so every 3 months, they pay extra for that privilage