[Walter Pole]

Tosh, about 50% of my enquiries come from yellow pages, just a free lineage add, but because I am AMR window cleaners and get the first call. (AMR doesn't stand for anything its just and 'A' for the yellow pages)

[windows_chepstow]

I to am 'ABC Window Cleaning'; so I could be in the first lot of window cleaners in the books.  ('They say the first and last entries do the best.)

But honestly, I get very few enquiries via the phone books.  I'm also in Thompson Local and our local Residents Handbook (which has been the cheapest and best).

The majority of the new work I take on comes from word of mouth or just getting nabbed in the street.

[gaza]

MAY I REPLY: This w/c  has two other lads with him so carnt get near him at 50 I CAN STILL  tango a 20/26 yr old BUT 3 OF THEM NO. I KNOW HIS ADDRESS,HIS MOBILE,HIS FIRST NAME ,
nearly got his last name from the postman but he stopped at last moment saying he worked for the queen and couldnt pass on that information, when collected a full name,,and everything else address,let the battle comence.

social security,tax office and hse will all recieve the information Ive recieved through different channels{If your going to do them do them good}

work this out 3 of them poached by various lies 800 squid of work 3oo squid each a month wouldnt even feed a church mouse.getting payment from somewhere else eg social hes two kids of blond hair blue eyes both lads play football.KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIM HUH!

NOW iM NOT BOTHERED IF HE HAS A FALL and serious injury is incured,what I worry about is the poor 16 yr old whos having to go up the ladders with no safety equipment attached
to the ladders.

Im no mug and will return bigger stronger leaner and meaner
just put all my other customers up 50p to bait him to come deeper into my round were ABOUT AT ONE TIME 5/8 WINDOW CLEANERS WORK TOGETHER,they ave all been told how this jerk works, cum on,bring it on. we all get on no tit for tat between us thats how it should be,we warn each other about ex customers so when approached by them we are forwarned, nice family atmosphere each one a gentleman. they are ready and waiting ice cream wars will have nothing on this.

dont want it to happen but put yourself in my place all of a sudden you wake up and one third of your round has been stolen,kids to feed ,bills to pay etc if your not fuming,your a mouse [squeak squeak}

gaza

[dai]

The Oil companys are making billions. Do you see them fighting each other to give us cheaper fuel at the pumps?
I was talking to a wc today, he was working in  a close where I do 26 of the 35 houses. He and his mate had travelled 4 miles to service an old customer of his who had just moved in. He charged her £4. He said "I don't want to make a fortune, just enough to get by" I'm begining to think that some wc's are in the game because they are too thick to do ought else. Dai

[mark dew]

" I KNOW HIS ADDRESS,HIS MOBILE,HIS FIRST NAME ,
nearly got his last name from the postman but he stopped at last moment...."

Gaza,  www.192.com
just put in the address and see who comes up. Just checked site and you can get free credits (5) i think, if you put yourself on a mailing list.
And no i'm not plugging the site, just found it very useful over the years.
Tailor-made for a situation like yours (which is why i was told, you can't go to the library and look anymore).


"social security,tax office and hse will all recieve the information Ive recieved through different channels{If your going to do them do them good}"

Don't agree with this but if you save a life i suppose........

Chartermarque got it right i reckon. No offence gaza, but you have the equipment and you sound like a grafter. Shift that focus towards a new opportunity.

Anyway, i read your post about you being attacked with golf clubs. Unless the other window cleaning team live together as well, you will get your chance.

[P @ F]

This is a popular one isnt it !
I have to say ,  when i first started up my flyer read "all prices beaten"
Bad move or what , i saw the error of my ways and changed it , it wasnt because i am a bad man but i just needed to get my foot in the door .
Luckily i didnt stand on anybodys toes , all i ended up doing was working for nothing , cos after it became apparent that good wc's are hard to find where i am .
I then sent out more flyers doubling the price i originaly quoted , i only lost one customer , since then my take has obviously doubled , and the guy who dropped me has since buckled and asked me to restart !
 
Moral of the story , cant think of one cos i drunk far too much beer !

DONT UNDERCUT ITS BAD FOR THE ECONEMY  {GORDAN BROWN}

I AM DRUNK      , CHEERS   RICH P @ F

[gaza]

P" F GOOD JOB YOU PUT UP YPUR PRICES OR ELSE YOU WOULD BE DRINKING LEMONADE
Ive learned one lesson,dont be so stupid next time got right caught with pants down,changing all my customers over to w/f/p, fell a few weeks behind but had told my customers I maybe late the next time around and the reason why put my prices up {three year price rise} this allowed scum to nip in between and tell my customers that I had finished w/c and under cut me by 1.50p.

mistake no 2/ some off them didnt know my contact phone no
I  cleaned the windows then put a windows have been cleaned today card through. This came about because when I first started I bought some cards from the w/c suppliers that did the job and still use them to this day, will be getting some printed when I can afford it .

 I JUST HOPE NONE OF YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT IM GOING THROUGH.

SOME OF THE BEST advice has been to spread your work around {very good talking}mine was within 1 mile  from start to finish.
if you would like some free advice on how to do things wrong better than anyone else Im your man

things got that bad thought of starting an emergancy w/c round {someone whos ill rings me up and  I go to do their work ] just till they were back on their feet. Then the cape crusader flew back to his nest . All i would need is a campsite nearby got desres camping equipment wouldnt have minded  having a bash at 1 squid a window down London work for a wk ave a week off.
gaza

[Paul Coleman]

P" F GOOD JOB YOU PUT UP YPUR PRICES OR ELSE YOU WOULD BE DRINKING LEMONADE
Ive learned one lesson,dont be so stupid next time got right caught with pants down,changing all my customers over to w/f/p, fell a few weeks behind but had told my customers I maybe late the next time around and the reason why put my prices up {three year price rise} this allowed scum to nip in between and tell my customers that I had finished w/c and under cut me by 1.50p.

mistake no 2/ some off them didnt know my contact phone no
I  cleaned the windows then put a windows have been cleaned today card through. This came about because when I first started I bought some cards from the w/c suppliers that did the job and still use them to this day, will be getting some printed when I can afford it .

 I JUST HOPE NONE OF YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT IM GOING THROUGH.

SOME OF THE BEST advice has been to spread your work around {very good talking}mine was within 1 mile  from start to finish.
if you would like some free advice on how to do things wrong better than anyone else Im your man

things got that bad thought of starting an emergancy w/c round {someone whos ill rings me up and  I go to do their work ] just till they were back on their feet. Then the cape crusader flew back to his nest . All i would need is a campsite nearby got desres camping equipment wouldnt have minded  having a bash at 1 squid a window down London work for a wk ave a week off.
gaza

Gaza. I have sent you an email with a file attachment.  It shows how I lay out my domestic window cleaning bills.  You can't edit it as it is a .pdf file (Adobe Acrobat). If you would like me to make up something similar for you, I could substitute your name, address etc and leave the layout pretty much the same.  Maybe you would want the bit deleted where I say that I don't return to collect money and to send a cheque (I say this as your work seems to be all close to your home).
If you want to discuss the layout, I could adjust my own design to suit you and email the file to you.  Obviously you would be responsible for printing it out yourself.  Mine prints out as 2-up on an A4 sheet which I guillotine in half.  I make them that big because too many customers never remembered seeing them in their mail.  I believe that if they are too small they can easily be lost in the junk mail leaflets and dumped in the bin.
Anyway, let me know if you would like me to make up a file for you and I will get on to it for you.  That's what you get for being helpful to me a while back   

[windows_chepstow]

Shiner,

Could you e-mail one to me; or upload it into the 'Documents to Download' section.

I think mine could do with a re-vamp.

Cheers.

[Paul Coleman]

Shiner,

Could you e-mail one to me; or upload it into the 'Documents to Download' section.

I think mine could do with a re-vamp.

Cheers.

OK Tosh.  I'll do it by email as it has my name/address and loads of other stuff on there too.  It's in .pdf so non-editable.  Same goes for you.  If you want something similar let me know and I'll see what I can whip up.
I'm wondering if it's possible for me to post a version of it (without my details) to "Documents to Download" folder in a form that is editable.  The original is in .pub format (MS Publisher) and I convert to .pdf by 3rd party utility (PrimoPDF).
I will look into this over the next few days.  In the meanwhile, check your email Tosh.

[gaza]

thanks : SHINER: will have to wait till neighbour comes and has a LOOK CUS STILL GOT PROBS WITH MY EMAIL. can pick it up at my mrs work place [her boss has to be out though]

 gaza

[Londoner]

Its a fair point to say that in most cases of undercutting that I've come across its not so much the prices as the motives behind the undercutting that causes the trouble.

Yet I am the first to go shopping around for the things I buy. I have just been charged a fortune for some relatively minor repairs to my wife's car and I won't be going back there again.

Is it double standards? My wife shops at tesco and we buy most of the kids clothes from Primark these days (mine too) so why can't our customers do the same for their windows?
We wouldn't like it but it is a natural process.

What we know and the customers don't is that undercutters never last and eventually always disappear.

Shiners comments about coming to work in London for a week hit a nerve with me. We used to have a crew that worked round here ( North West London suburbs) that came from South Wales. Was it Norman Tebbit that said "Get on your bike?"

[Paul Coleman]

Shiners comments about coming to work in London for a week hit a nerve with me. We used to have a crew that worked round here ( North West London suburbs) that came from South Wales.

Wasn't me guv, honest    .  It was Gaza who said about working in London.

[Londoner]

Yes you are right, sorry about that. But don't worry -You are all welcome, loads of work for everybody.

On a more serious note I was sorry to read about gazza's problems. When its happening to you its not funny.

Just a small comment which might help gazza. If you go to the local library they will have a copy of the electoral roll and that gives the names of everyone living at an adress . I've used it many times.

The other advise about spreading your work around is also sensible for lots of reasons, not just this one.  Gradually an area can go a bit stale, and you go a bit stale and a fresh start in a better location can motivate you  to start trying  again.

[gaza]

Vince: im a spurs fan and my grandad was a bow lad does that qualify me to come to London? aving a lauff

[Londoner]

A Spurs Fan  ?      I did hear they had one. 
No seriously,.even Spurs fans are welcome.

Actually I am continually amazed at how far people travel to work in London.
In my "real" job I am a London Black cab driver. I only went back to window cleaning part time because of the health issues around sitting for ten hours a day in all that traffic.

I know taxi drivers who live in Norfolk, Worthing, several in Bournmouth area, one in Normandy and two in Spain. They all travel to London to work.

I'm told that the building trade in London is being ripped apart by workers from Poland and Lithuania who commute back and forwards on Ryanair and Easyjet.

I fear its only a matter of time before they discover window cleaning. Coming back to the subject of this topic, we can't take prices for granted.
Price cutting is usually associated with someone trying to muscle in on another cleaners round but it doesn't have to always be  so.
I think this forum has give a lot of guys the confidence to put their prices up, its probably its greatest sucess.

Round here there are still more windows than window cleaners but I don't believe it will always be the case.

[The Bear]

Price cutters welcome in my area, recently 6 window cleaners finished, one called Mick from Chesterfield.

Would be glad for someone to take out the low payers so I can concentrate on high payers.

If anyone interested e-mail me.

[The Bear]

Come on, if you work for peanuts, come to my area.

[rosskesava]

I couldn't care less about anyone who undercuts on prices.

Window Cleaning is not like buying a tin of heinz beans or something like that where you get  the same product regardless of price.

Most people are become attached to their window cleaner and anyway, my veiw is that there are always those who will pay for quality and reliability.

In 5 years we've lost jobs for various reasons (but never through bad workmanship) but never to someone who is cheaper apart from once and that person was an under priced job anyway.

Cheers