Customers !!!!!!!

[Pjj]

So today we pull up at a customer that we have been doing for around 15 years nice older couple , back in the spring they asked for a price to clean the gfs and conservatory roof , gave them a price and never heard anything back that’s fine no problem. This morning the lady comes out and says can you clean the dirt off the conservatory roof I have had the gfs cleaned and they have got a load of dirt on the glass roof , I said we wouldn’t be able to clean the roof today as it will take to long told her the price would be xxx she said that was more than the guys charged her to clean the gfs I said best to get them back as they made it dirty not us , she said she phoned them and they said it was the window cleaners job to do that not them !,,, they wouldn’t come back , I showed her the so called clean that they had done see pictures below , it had hardly been touched she was a bit embarrassed and said well they were cheap , if I had left it like that she would have complained. She expected me to clean the roof free of charge , so I politely told her best to get another window cleaner .

About 30 muinits later one of my guys phones me and said that he started cleaning the windows on a regular monthly job again been doing this job for around 15 years the guy comes out and follows him round the building as Steve is cleaning the windows he gets to the last 3 windows and the customer says , I would like to cancel as the next doors son is starting window cleaning and I would like to help him get some work , Steve says yes of course no problem he finishes the windows and says that will be xx the guy says I just told you I want to cancel so ime not paying Steve said to him you told me you wanted to cancel when ime doing the last couple of windows so I have to charge you , the guy refused to pay . I was just down the road so called in to see the guy he admitted that he only told Steve he wanted to cancel when he was doing the last couple of windows, so I said you have had 4 weeks to phone and cancel or you could have said as soon as we turned up please leave it that would be fine , but you let him continue so the price stands he still refused to pay . Just goes to show you can’t trust some long standing customers.

 

[Dave B]

So today we pull up at a customer that we have been doing for around 15 years nice older couple , back in the spring they asked for a price to clean the gfs and conservatory roof , gave them a price and never heard anything back that’s fine no problem. This morning the lady comes out and says can you clean the dirt off the conservatory roof I have had the gfs cleaned and they have got a load of dirt on the glass roof , I said we wouldn’t be able to clean the roof today as it will take to long told her the price would be xxx she said that was more than the guys charged her to clean the gfs I said best to get them back as they made it dirty not us , she said she phoned them and they said it was the window cleaners job to do that not them !,,, they wouldn’t come back , I showed her the so called clean that they had done see pictures below , it had hardly been touched she was a bit embarrassed and said well they were cheap , if I had left it like that she would have complained. She expected me to clean the roof free of charge , so I politely told her best to get another window cleaner .

About 30 muinits later one of my guys phones me and said that he started cleaning the windows on a regular monthly job again been doing this job for around 15 years the guy comes out and follows him round the building as Steve is cleaning the windows he gets to the last 3 windows and the customer says , I would like to cancel as the next doors son is starting window cleaning and I would like to help him get some work , Steve says yes of course no problem he finishes the windows and says that will be xx the guy says I just told you I want to cancel so ime not paying Steve said to him you told me you wanted to cancel when ime doing the last couple of windows so I have to charge you , the guy refused to pay . I was just down the road so called in to see the guy he admitted that he only told Steve he wanted to cancel when he was doing the last couple of windows, so I said you have had 4 weeks to phone and cancel or you could have said as soon as we turned up please leave it that would be fine , but you let him continue so the price stands he still refused to pay . Just goes to show you can’t trust some long standing customers.

I would be throwing **** on his windows at night lol
**** take

 

[Crystalalan]

What an absolute c"nt

 

[Dave B]

Dog ?under the door handles would be a good one

 

[Pjj]

Dog ?under the door handles would be a good one

Bit of old cooking oil on an old applicator ??that takes some shifting ???? that will test the new window cleaners skills out ???

 

[scottish cleaning service]

As I have always said "No Loyalty in window cleaning" but you were spot on with the electric car insurance. Big bit in the Sunday Mail saying Covea has cancelled all electric car insurance. Soon no one will want to insure electric cars unless the manufacturers can take on the roll.

 

[Deleted member 5762]

@Pjj absolutely spot on mate. There is very little loyalty. And to let your bloke get most of the way round and then not pay is bang out of order.

I had a customer when I first started out and she was as good as good. She had a very big dormer bungalow. Was fine for years and I always tried to do a good job. She moved house but only about a mile away and asked me to carry on. After about 3 cleans at her new house her husband had built a brilliant looking very large summer house. One day she asked me to clean the huge doors on it so I said yes and gave it a quick check over . I noticed some scratches so told her about them before I started. No problem she said and I went ahead (I took a couple of photos). The next clean she said she no longer required my services anymore (and I'm sure her husband had just got the hump that I'd made her aware of the scratches). I thought why wait until I'm due and then cancel? When it's a good job it can mess so much up.

 

[Yogi1872]

If a stranger chapped all your customers doors offering a few quid cheaper I bet you would still have 95% at the very least left by the time they were done. The vast majority of everyone's customers are quite loyal. I'm sure we have all been in the op situation with customers and itl likely happen again at some point.

If you do houses around the guy who's getting someone else to do them as a favour to help him I'd bet money on some point within the next year him starting a conversation with you about something, them leading into what he's really wanting and wondering if you would go back to doing them as the new one isn't coming anymore.

 

[BenW3]

So what are you going to do? Is it best to just cut your losses? I suppose theres not much else you can do. It's not worth making a big deal. Customers can review you but you cant review them. There should be some kind of app where you can review customers like they review you.

 

[Iron Giant]

It's frustrating but it happens and it does get to you I've had similar this year people cancelling for someone cheaper and been ripped off twice, they'll soon be replaced and forgotten about

 

[PC]

Spot on advice. Don’t even waste another second thinking about it.
Forget about them and then replace them.
If I lost a customer like that in the past I would go right on one and knock doors until I replaced them which was always pretty easy to do and quickly. Almost to prove a point really.
Nowadays I just don’t care. Let them go and someone fairly soon will naturally take their place. And usually a better job for a better price!

 

[Iron Giant]

Spot on advice. Don’t even waste another second thinking about it.
Forget about them and then replace them.
If I lost a customer like that in the past I would go right on one and knock doors until I replaced them which was always pretty easy to do and quickly. Almost to prove a point really.
Nowadays I just don’t care. Let them go and someone fairly soon will naturally take their place. And usually a better job for a better price!

The customer thinks they can have you over and get the better of you I don't even try to gain new work it just comes in.

I had one earlier this year they get a text for the locked gate and the dogs have always been yappy she sees me in the street and waves an hour later I go to her house and it's a bit of a walk to get to the back gate is locked so I ring her and she doesn't answer so I go and ring the doorbell the teenage daughter says her mam doesn't want the back windows cleaning because of the dogs 3 minutes later I get a text off the mam saying she is out and couldn't answer the phone I replied as per my T&C's you'll be charged full price a week later once the direct debit had been collected she texts me to cancel after 5 years of service she had been replaced 3x over before she canceled

 

[scottish cleaning service]

It can be the customer has had a bad day and they decide to take out on the windy cleaner. I've had that and then found out something has happened. Take last week, I do a clean in a great area and I post a card. I went in to post a card and the customer was angry and said she could see me so why are you posting a card. I said ok I won't post a card then. Did the clean early in the morning and either still in bed or on holiday. So she never paid me. Next month I posted a card saying she owed 2 months and she paid and then called me up saying she had to cancel. The tone of her voice was the opposite, like she had money problems because the block of flats have a lift and I know the management fees are crazy. I won't be surprised if the flat is up for sale soon but in the end we are not social workers even if you feel like one.

 

[RickyG]

Just had a similar thing but got a nice gift of a big super soaker water pistol loaded with the old oil out the pressure washer il drop round to em just before Xmas

 

[Pjj]

So what are you going to do? Is it best to just cut your losses? I suppose theres not much else you can do. It's not worth making a big deal. Customers can review you but you cant review them. There should be some kind of app where you can review customers like they review you.

Nothing as others have said it’s not worth the hassle, I don’t need the work so it’s just a dump but was disgusted by the customers attitude especially after 15 years , I dont have any issues them getting someone else in to do the gfs if they are cheaper but expecting me to clean up after them for free that just made me see red .
As for the other one again if he’s trying to help out a new guy starting out that’s fine doesn’t bother me at all it was tge fact that he let my guy clean the wind then refused to pay .

 

[Pjj]

Just had a similar thing but got a nice gift of a big super soaker water pistol loaded with the old oil out the pressure washer il drop round to em just before Xmas

I’ll give you the address of mine and you can do them as well ????

 

[K in Kent]

I would be throwing **** on his windows at night lol
**** take

Yeah I'm inclined to think that sometimes a bit of vengeance is good for the soul - nothing heavy but....you know, something at least

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't bother with revenge because you start digging a hole for yourself. The guy will start up and by winter probably give up and they would even have the cheek to ask you back again. Its great when one has hundreds of customers and one won't make much difference. Due to the weather I have had many gutter repairs coming in thick and fast. That's the thing about this game, there never seems to be a quiet time if you do add-ons. Folk are noticing blocked downpipes, leaking gutter joints and missing slates & tiles now. I'm a busy bee again just when I thought I was on the slowdown.?

 

[K in Kent]

I wasn't referring to your example or competition, just liberty taking customers,e.g. some years ago I was doing a small jet washing job (patio) and when I was finishing up the customer brought my money out in envelope and pit it straught into my bag zip pocket. I left with few black sacks of all the mud etc and some cuttings she asked me to take away. I left them at my lock up to take to the tip later.
Anyway, wasn't until later in the week that I remembered envelope and when I opened it it was £20 short - 80 instead of 100 (4 x £20 notes). I didn't think it was accidental so text her and she didn't dispite it and asked me to pop round any evening the following week.
I wasn't going to bother but decided I would and was told she was away skiing all week. So she'd deliberately told me to go back knowing she'd be away.
So I thoight ^^^k it !! Went to my lock up that night, got the black sacks and there's a shared access alley at side of her house and I emptied the contents back on to her patio.

Felt a lot better after that