[Steve.D]

Hypothetical (yet no doubt can happen) scenario: A window cleaner has the maximum number of customers he/she can cope with and therefore is working flat out each day.  2 days work are lost due to dire weather, how do you catch up ?

Steve.

[alansavvi]

employ someone

[Moderator David@stives]

you dont ,
take the down time to relax and reflect
dave

[Sir Squeaky]

Correct. As long as it's not commercial they can wait.

My customers get done in order and when I get to them, sometimes 4 weeks sometimes 5.

I've been asked what day I turn up on, and I just say "when I've done the house before yours!"

Nobody cares as long as it's roughly monthly and they don't get missed.

Roger.

[Paul Coleman]

Hypothetical (yet no doubt can happen) scenario: A window cleaner has the maximum number of customers he/she can cope with and therefore is working flat out each day.  2 days work are lost due to dire weather, how do you catch up ?

Steve.

You can either enlist some help or push yourself harder.  The other way is to just allow the work take longer to get round.
Your question does not make too much allowance for Winter conditions I think.  My work always takes longer to do in the Winter.  Therefore, I can choose to have a full workload in the Winter and be kicking my heels at times from Spring to Autumn OR I can have a full workload from Spring to Autumn and let the work have longer gaps between in the Winter.  I prefer the latter because I'm financially challenged right now.
In practice, what I really do is to give a 6 weekly service all year round to the very well paid jobs and in the Winter, the less well paid jobs take even longer to get round.  Hope none of my customers are reading this   

[AuRavelling79]

Shiner - that's how it works with me too!

So now if I take on new customers I often tell'em it's monthly in summer and every other month in winter. This equals the right amount of work in all seasons.

I'm so clever in theory (well, not too thick anyway) - I just wish I was as clever in practice!

[Moderator David@stives]

if the round gets too much for me i just get rid of the worst 5%
and somehow that gets rid of about 10% of the time i think we all skip past jobs which are either too far away or difficult or just horrible

dave

[dai]

I have just told 2 of my estates that it was no longer ecomnomically viable to continue cleaning at the price. I said I would be prepared to do them bi monthly for a 50% increase in price. They were happy to do that, so I have relieved some of the work pressure and got a hefty price rise. Dai

[gaza]

dai takes me all my time to get 4.50p of them lone 7.00 squid.
like the idea though ,but 2 months is a long time. think you could get away with it every 6 wks wfp easier.

 gaza

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

i always tell my customers i supply a monthly service which could be anytime between 4 - 6 weeks

that way if we get a few rainy days it's no big deal

[Londoner]

Customers aren't usually so bothered in the winter anyway and a lot would rather you did'nt turn up so they wouldn't have to pay you.

[windows_chepstow]

I've a handfull of customers that pay me monthly by standing order; so I'm 'forced' to be regular and clean them all on a calander monthly basis.

I also do a married quater area and always get there on the 1st working day of each calander month.  Squaddied get paid on the last working day of the month, so I get to them before they've squandered it on beer, fAgs and Mars Bars.

I use Saturdays to catch up with work; when I'm behind; or I slave drive Wor Lass harder.

[rosskesava]

I constantly educate customers that we'll 'see you in 4 weeks weather perimitting'.

Often I get fed up of saying the same old thing that we aim for 4 weeks but if it rains then it all gets behind but I phone them before hand anyway so I've never had a problem.

As for the maximum number of customers..... how I'd love to be at position.

We tend to stay at about 80% full because every time we get to that point I put the prices up on the cheapest jobs or the ones that are the most arkward or the customers who are a pain. Anyway, sometimes it's nice to have an easy day.

As a result, bit by bit, we are making more and more money.

Cheers

[Steve.D]

Thanks for the replies. I was giving a worst case scenario, I'm not actually in it, but I now know what my options are if i fall behind with customers. Good advice given. Cheers.

Steve