Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Rudeness

I was flyering a few months ago, and 'accidently' popped one through a door before looking at the house... Frames rotting paintwork, misted windows. Didn't give it much thought as I didn't think they'd call... It's now a £16 two monthly, the back is upvc and the front takes me 2mins to just do lip service to the panes. Didn't think he'd stick but so far done two cleans

I expect a customer to be polite and she should have turned around and just said 'sorry I'm really busy can you give me ten mins' or something. I might have given a high price but sounds like the job would have been too much hassle in various ways

 
talking of sensing a "wrong un" i know that if a new customer is just too enthusiastic that theyv found me ,sometimes even giving gifts ,just too keen it simply doesnt fit, 9 times out of ten theyre unstable .they usually pry into my private life,well try to. one guy even accused me of being an alcoholic "dont deny it,youre amongst friends..."

the red flag goes up!

that type turns on me usually within the first year, often writing long letters and hiding indoors

 
What's the answer? Encourage online payment and try and do it before they can nab you at the door? It's an art isn't it, being approachable yet off putting at the same time

 
What's the answer? Encourage online payment and try and do it before they can nab you at the door? It's an art isn't it, being approachable yet off putting at the same time
absolutely. you must make sure they are thinking,at the very outset " woah this bloke wont take any sh/t "

one thing i sometimes do ,is on arrival clatter the ladders gets folk peepin out the window

tell a couple of my lads to horseplay at the back of the van. one gets tother in a headlock , i then part them,referee style .

 
I like it. A lone wolf like me will need a different approach, maybe a basil Fawlty, beat my van with a branch, then smooth my hair and put on a big smile

 
what can often defuse a messer from carrying on is to turn so they cannot see your face and shout,and i mean shout " for fooks sake! " and then quickly turn and with a puzzled look on your face say "what the **** was that ?/"

i recall doin that when i worked alone

 
The thing that stops me going for it is the lottery players optimism of more referral work coming my way 'maybe if I'm nice they'll tell the world'. When I'm more up to speed I think I'll channel my inner Cleese

 
I only walked away from one customer in last 15 years ( can't remember before that )

She would not tell me her name or give me her phone number and I once said to come back next week as she was trying to relax so I sacked it

Turned out they were jewellers who had once been followed home by a gang and husban been beaten and robbed

So they were understandably antisocial

 
maybe a basil Fawlty, beat my van with a branch, then smooth my hair and put on a big smile
As long as it goes on Youtube the I cant object! How Fawlty only ever had 12 episodes I will never know, perhaps for the best as they didn't over do it.

Got a result at a boot sale last week, opened a plain looking DVD case with writing too small for humans to read and inside a mint full set of 'Allo Allo' and all for £1!

That's next weeks full TV line up sorted! /emoticons/smile.png)

 
I would t particuLarly want to be on you tube, but if it had to be, I'd rather it was for promotional purposes like that ^ /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Im with ya on this one.. Why feel awkward before you've even got ya mop out.. Shy or not. This is being rude. People will say.. Well.. there are plenty more customers out there. But. is there. Once you eradicated people like this. Times have changed. Hold on to you good customers.. You did the right thing..

 
Im with ya on this one.. Why feel awkward before you've even got ya mop out.. Shy or not. This is being rude. People will say.. Well.. there are plenty more customers out there. But. is there. Once you eradicated people like this. Times have changed. Hold on to you good customers.. You did the right thing..
She wasnt the shy type mate, she was just the stuck up sort. I nearly asked the nanny what they were like to work for, but I had already figured it out. Its just what money can do to some people I suppose.

 
Always go with your gut instinct,there's nothing more infuriating then rude disrespectful people,especially if you end up cleaning there windows,some chap the other day had a go at me for parking across the road from his drive in a polite manner I told him to p##s off just before entering his house he called me a w@@@er before shutting the door,unbeknown to me the following week I was cleaning a property across from his and I didn't even twig where I was,then this woman comes out from across the road and asked if I could clean hers,I said ill pop and have a look once finished here,so I finished grabbed my book, then realised its that f###ing t##s p#t from last week,f##k your windows I thought,I drove past twice hopping it wasn't the same house but yep it was, gutted as it was a nice place but I stuck by my morals as couldn't clean windows for someone like that,

 
Always go with your gut instinct,there's nothing more infuriating then rude disrespectful people,especially if you end up cleaning there windows,some chap the other day had a go at me for parking across the road from his drive in a polite manner I told him to p##s off just before entering his house he called me a w@@@er before shutting the door,unbeknown to me the following week I was cleaning a property across from his and I didn't even twig where I was,then this woman comes out from across the road and asked if I could clean hers,I said ill pop and have a look once finished here,so I finished grabbed my book, then realised its that f###ing t##s p#t from last week,f##k your windows I thought,I drove past twice hopping it wasn't the same house but yep it was, gutted as it was a nice place but I stuck by my morals as couldn't clean windows for someone like that,
Rightly so. Welcome to the forum fella. :thumbsup:

 
I was whizzing along on my bike to my first job of the day a couple of weeks ago and some bloke blurted something out whilst l was going past him. So. I stopped and said.. You what lol.. and he said I'm surprised you can hear me with that thing in your ears.. (Had an ear phone in one ear listening to Radio 2).. So. I said... I can hear you you bleep and span off lol.. What on earth has me riding a bike listening to the radio got to do with him... and l dont even clean his bloody windows lol... Unreal...

 
I know what you mean about the long grass. I've got one customer who I do four weekly and cannot for the life of me understand why she has her windows cleaned. The house is like one of those filthy houses that channel 5 makes programmes about. It is vile, inside and out. There's rubbish bags and recycling all over the front garden. The back garden is overgrown and full of bin bags, old toys and broken bikes. She's told me she's in trouble with the neighbours and the council about all the rubbish, *** butts and noise. Proper ASBO family. The inside of the glass is dirtier than the outside. Normally I'd offer to do the inside but there's no way in hell that I'm stepping foot in that house. There just seems no point her having her windows cleaned. She's a great payer though and never gives me any grief.
funny i have complete copy of your custy same filthy windows inside and all, but she pays the day after i been everytime.

 
'Keeping up appearances' perhaps. I keep looking at my own windows and thinking, should really get those cleaned it's been over two months :laugh:

 
I'd say you did the right thing, if she can't even introduce herself then what she going to be like when you want paying! Wouldn't touch it with a long barge pole. And as you say your busy enough so you don't need the agro. Let somebody else have the hassle and possible non payers.

 
Back
Top