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You gotta laugh!

Dino

Active member
Messages
94
Location
North Yorkshire
Like the title says you gotta laugh.  Did a customers windows over a week ago.  Sent her a text over a week later just to nudge her long.  She owed me £15.  Within 2 minutes of my text being sent she fired one back saying 'not happy with results, you left bird poo on the glass so I am only gonna pay you £10 this time'.  Was only second clean, every 8 weeks.  I checked my a/c and yup she had paid me a tenner and needled me out of £5.  Now I know those windows were spotless when I left them and she had to wait for me to prompt her for payment before she decides to mess me about.  Binned...... Funny, I have only been in this game a few months and I am seeing a lot of this.  I have some great customers who pay me the same day.   I am not sterotyping but in my experience those who seem to have less, the small bungalows, the retired couples with small houses are the great payers.  The ones with mansions and BMWs seem to be the penny pinchers that just make stuff up to not pay or make sure they only have a one off clean.  When I first quoted I said to my mrs in the car as we drove off, that woman is going to be hard work.  Funny you seem to develop a radar for time wasters.  

 
Like the title says you gotta laugh.  Did a customers windows over a week ago.  Sent her a text over a week later just to nudge her long.  She owed me £15.  Within 2 minutes of my text being sent she fired one back saying 'not happy with results, you left bird poo on the glass so I am only gonna pay you £10 this time'.  Was only second clean, every 8 weeks.  I checked my a/c and yup she had paid me a tenner and needled me out of £5.  Now I know those windows were spotless when I left them and she had to wait for me to prompt her for payment before she decides to mess me about.  Binned...... Funny, I have only been in this game a few months and I am seeing a lot of this.  I have some great customers who pay me the same day.   I am not sterotyping but in my experience those who seem to have less, the small bungalows, the retired couples with small houses are the great payers.  The ones with mansions and BMWs seem to be the penny pinchers that just make stuff up to not pay or make sure they only have a one off clean.  When I first quoted I said to my mrs in the car as we drove off, that woman is going to be hard work.  Funny you seem to develop a radar for time wasters.  
 i keep expecting to be brought up on charges of spiders webs on supposedly cleaned windows, but we all know, the buggers are rebuilding those webs before we've even get back to our vans.

 
There is other issues going on, I had a job for 6 months then 2 days after the last window clean I get an email complaining about him been charged full price as I couldn't have cleaned the backs because the gate was locked, which it wasn't which I outlined in my reply, two days go by and no response so I email him asking if he got my email and he replied saying that there were muddy dog paw prints on the patio doors, 4 days later what do you expect if you chuck your dog out in the garden for hours 

 
 i keep expecting to be brought up on charges of spiders webs on supposedly cleaned windows, but we all know, the buggers are rebuilding those webs before we've even get back to our vans.
That is so true.  Had to leave a job midway through yesterday and returned this morning to finish.  One window I'd already done had a massive new web right over it!!

Like the title says you gotta laugh.  Did a customers windows over a week ago.  Sent her a text over a week later just to nudge her long.  She owed me £15.  Within 2 minutes of my text being sent she fired one back saying 'not happy with results, you left bird poo on the glass so I am only gonna pay you £10 this time'.  Was only second clean, every 8 weeks.  I checked my a/c and yup she had paid me a tenner and needled me out of £5.  Now I know those windows were spotless when I left them and she had to wait for me to prompt her for payment before she decides to mess me about.  Binned...... Funny, I have only been in this game a few months and I am seeing a lot of this.  I have some great customers who pay me the same day.   I am not sterotyping but in my experience those who seem to have less, the small bungalows, the retired couples with small houses are the great payers.  The ones with mansions and BMWs seem to be the penny pinchers that just make stuff up to not pay or make sure they only have a one off clean.  When I first quoted I said to my mrs in the car as we drove off, that woman is going to be hard work.  Funny you seem to develop a radar for time wasters.  
People are so strange.  I had a loyal regular ring me up yesterday after I'd sent my 'coming tomorrow text' to complain I was 4 days early.  Honestly!

 
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You gotta wonder if customers realise how petty they sound at times. Had a guy last week complain about three tiny spots of bug poop on an otherwise spotless window that had been hidden behind a giant rose bush. The only way to clean it had been with the pole as you couldn’t get near enough to do it by hand due to the overgrown bush.

Anyways, he’d trimmed the bush back since I’d cleaned the windows and noticed these tiny spots.

 
There is other issues going on, I had a job for 6 months then 2 days after the last window clean I get an email complaining about him been charged full price as I couldn't have cleaned the backs because the gate was locked, which it wasn't which I outlined in my reply, two days go by and no response so I email him asking if he got my email and he replied saying that there were muddy dog paw prints on the patio doors, 4 days later what do you expect if you chuck your dog out in the garden for hours 


Every job where we have to get the A frame steps out to get over the gate, we take photos. We had an issue many years ago when a customer refused to pay us as his back gate was locked so we couldn't have cleaned the rear.

We've had the phone out twice in the past couple of years to show them how we gain access.

They both paid in full but one dumped us by text shortly before the next clean. "We wish to inform you that your window cleaning services are no longer required. Please send a return text to this number confirming your receipt of this instruction and that you've understood its contents."

"Thank you for your advise and we thank you for your prior custom. Best regards. "

Our honesty was also called into question with a gutter clear and clean we did about 10 years ago. There was no one home but they were aware of the day we agreed we would do the job.

"How do I know you did the job?"

"At this moment you will just have to take my word for it. You could ask your neighbours as they saw me and we exchanged pleasantries. I will get my ladders off the van and set them up so you can check the job yourself."

"I'm scared of heights."

"Sorry to hear that, but you owe me "X" for clearing and cleaning the gutters. I also cleaned the windows which I dirtied."

He eventually begrudgingly paid me but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Now if its a customer we haven't done work for we have photographic evidence of our work. All gutter clearings are left in plastic bags at the dustbin. When we use the gutter vac these days the clearings are put in the garden for future reference if needed.

.

 
Every job where we have to get the A frame steps out to get over the gate, we take photos. We had an issue many years ago when a customer refused to pay us as his back gate was locked so we couldn't have cleaned the rear.

We've had the phone out twice in the past couple of years to show them how we gain access.

They both paid in full but one dumped us by text shortly before the next clean. "We wish to inform you that your window cleaning services are no longer required. Please send a return text to this number confirming your receipt of this instruction and that you've understood its contents."

"Thank you for your advise and we thank you for your prior custom. Best regards. "

Our honesty was also called into question with a gutter clear and clean we did about 10 years ago. There was no one home but they were aware of the day we agreed we would do the job.

"How do I know you did the job?"

"At this moment you will just have to take my word for it. You could ask your neighbours as they saw me and we exchanged pleasantries. I will get my ladders off the van and set them up so you can check the job yourself."

"I'm scared of heights."

"Sorry to hear that, but you owe me "X" for clearing and cleaning the gutters. I also cleaned the windows which I dirtied."

He eventually begrudgingly paid me but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Now if its a customer we haven't done work for we have photographic evidence of our work. All gutter clearings are left in plastic bags at the dustbin. When we use the gutter vac these days the clearings are put in the garden for future reference if needed.

.


He even mentioned it to his neighbour who has been on my rounds for around 6 years and he told him that he saw me clean his back windows as he was out in the garden. 

The complaintants claim of the gate been locked was one of of keypad locks with a bolt on the back of it, which I managed to clamber up the gate and slide the bolt back, no different to him exiting his gate from his back garden and yes I was paid in full. 

 
You gotta wonder if customers realise how petty they sound at times. Had a guy last week complain about three tiny spots of bug poop on an otherwise spotless window that had been hidden behind a giant rose bush. The only way to clean it had been with the pole as you couldn’t get near enough to do it by hand due to the overgrown bush.

Anyways, he’d trimmed the bush back since I’d cleaned the windows and noticed these tiny spots.
That's ridiculous.  I did a first clean on some filthy windows for a 'sweet' old lady (at least I thought she was sweet).  They looked great when I left.  Anyway she marched round to my house in a temper saying they were awful and she wasn't satisfied.  So I went back to have a look.  She marched me round and pointed out about three specs (I kid you not) and said I didn't clean them as good as her late husband.  Wouldn't pay the £25.  Got £20 out of her kicking and screaming.  Bemused, I had a chat with the neighbour across the way who is also a customer and she told me the woman was completely nuts, falls out with everyone and is a nightmare neighbour.  How wrong first impressions can be lol. 

 
Did a new customer last month and she thought it was a tenner but i assured her it was £15 a month. I told her i fix gutters and small things for free. She then said her gutter union was leaking and 2 dryverge was hanging off so i said i would fix them for free. Today i got a text to ask if i cleaned all windows and especially patio doors. I replied of course and your mother arrived when i was cleaning them, as for your patio doors i would check the inside. I call these customers the "Unpleasing" no matter what one does you quickly find out you will never please them. My one and only customer out of 100 so i will ask her next month if she wants me to continue or does she want to find someone else? You are better off dropping these customers because they don't appreciate the service you give them and never will. 

 
Cracking up reading these, reckon it should be a permanent thread!

I'm learning day by day you cant odds it on how they will turn out. Got 1 woman miserable as...but reccomends me alot, pays strait only thing is shes got a face like a slapped backside.

To the smiling assassin's that turnout to be a complete nightmare. First clean is always honey moon period so dont for a second let your guard down, by cleans 4-5 I find you'll know what they are like. So many times I've rang me bird going managed to sign really nice customer today, fast foward 2 months hasn't paid kicked off because after negotiating the assault course that they refer to as the "side access" that I didnt put the bikes back in the correct order ? was under priced slightly so made it a doddle to say I wont be coming back.

 
Oh the plight of the every day working man. Love reading threads like this. Reminds me im not alone in the various every day frustrations. To be honest with you lads, in my rule book, if the side gate is locked, it stays locked and the back windows dont get cleaned. Its not worth potentially falling from ladders and injuring yourself for a few extra quid. Not to mention people are awkward these days 

1. Neighbors wondering if youre breaking in or not

2. Those customers could be like...my garden was locked, that means do not go in it.

end of the day you never know if youre gonna get mauled by their cousins rottweiler theyve suddenly decided to adopt temporarily while they go on holiday.

 
Cracking up reading these, reckon it should be a permanent thread!

I'm learning day by day you cant odds it on how they will turn out. Got 1 woman miserable as...but reccomends me alot, pays strait only thing is shes got a face like a slapped backside.

To the smiling assassin's that turnout to be a complete nightmare. First clean is always honey moon period so dont for a second let your guard down, by cleans 4-5 I find you'll know what they are like. So many times I've rang me bird going managed to sign really nice customer today, fast foward 2 months hasn't paid kicked off because after negotiating the assault course that they refer to as the "side access" that I didnt put the bikes back in the correct order ? was under priced slightly so made it a doddle to say I wont be coming back.


I have to say that a very large nucleus of our customers are brilliant. They have to be because they put up with me. ?

We have a number of "grey area" customers who have ignored payment requests and disappeared. They have always been wishy washy so we kind of expected them to fall by the proverbial wayside sooner or later.

Overall we have been very fortunate over the years as our bad debt has been minimal.

We dumped one customer about 4 years ago as she was treating us like a free banking service. She wanted her conservatory roof cleaned every year. Started well but the following year she wanted extended credit payment terms. She didn't have the money that week but would have it next week when she got her pension.

Then the vet bill meant she had no money. It took me 4 months to get the majority of it before I gave up. Somewhere along the line her daughter got annoyed with me for harrassing her mother for payment. She arrived at the house in a brand new Audi TT but wouldn't pay the remainder of her mother's bill.

I don't know who cleans her windows now or even if she is still alive. I haven't seen her around for a long time now. I warned as many window cleaners as I could to stay away from her.

 
I have to say that a very large nucleus of our customers are brilliant. They have to be because they put up with me. ?

We have a number of "grey area" customers who have ignored payment requests and disappeared. They have always been wishy washy so we kind of expected them to fall by the proverbial wayside sooner or later.

Overall we have been very fortunate over the years as our bad debt has been minimal.

We dumped one customer about 4 years ago as she was treating us like a free banking service. She wanted her conservatory roof cleaned every year. Started well but the following year she wanted extended credit payment terms. She didn't have the money that week but would have it next week when she got her pension.

Then the vet bill meant she had no money. It took me 4 months to get the majority of it before I gave up. Somewhere along the line her daughter got annoyed with me for harrassing her mother for payment. She arrived at the house in a brand new Audi TT but wouldn't pay the remainder of her mother's bill.

I don't know who cleans her windows now or even if she is still alive. I haven't seen her around for a long time now. I warned as many window cleaners as I could to stay away from her.


It's not all doom and gloom good to see mate ?? well if she isn't with us anymore spruce your my first suspect ?

Majority are good to be fair, I think because I'm new in the game and there alot of windys in my area I'd be naive to believe some of mine havnt been dropped prior. As someone else said it's good to know your not alone when you have a wonky custy 

 
I have to say that a very large nucleus of our customers are brilliant. They have to be because they put up with me. ?

We have a number of "grey area" customers who have ignored payment requests and disappeared. They have always been wishy washy so we kind of expected them to fall by the proverbial wayside sooner or later.

Overall we have been very fortunate over the years as our bad debt has been minimal.

We dumped one customer about 4 years ago as she was treating us like a free banking service. She wanted her conservatory roof cleaned every year. Started well but the following year she wanted extended credit payment terms. She didn't have the money that week but would have it next week when she got her pension.

Then the vet bill meant she had no money. It took me 4 months to get the majority of it before I gave up. Somewhere along the line her daughter got annoyed with me for harrassing her mother for payment. She arrived at the house in a brand new Audi TT but wouldn't pay the remainder of her mother's bill.

I don't know who cleans her windows now or even if she is still alive. I haven't seen her around for a long time now. I warned as many window cleaners as I could to stay away from her.
You were well within your rights mate wouldn’t feel guilty about it. Hows she paying for the audi? Her job of course...If her employer was late paying her what would she be doing. Taking them to court and creating holy hell most likely. If the finance payments arent met on time for that car, what happens to it ?

 There’s no harm explaining principles to customers sometimes. If you dont get paid on time how are you supposed to pay council tax and put food on the table ?‍♂️ They all know it, but for some reason they need to hear it before it registers, if you dont say anything they’ll continue to take the mick.

I told someone how it works the other day, we took her on twice over the years. All i was doing was chasing after money. Every single clean, 4/5/6 weeks or more late. 6 months late. Dropped one, took her back on, No way im taking you on a third time sorry. (It was convenient) as it was smack bang in the middle of a row of terraces we do. But still. Nah. Not again. She apologised for previous annoyance caused to us by late payments. Still too late for me though. Some people have to let mud hit the fan before they realise it does actually mess things up. Hard to understand ?‍♂️

 
Like the title says you gotta laugh.  Did a customers windows over a week ago.  Sent her a text over a week later just to nudge her long.  She owed me £15.  Within 2 minutes of my text being sent she fired one back saying 'not happy with results, you left bird poo on the glass so I am only gonna pay you £10 this time'.  Was only second clean, every 8 weeks.  I checked my a/c and yup she had paid me a tenner and needled me out of £5.  Now I know those windows were spotless when I left them and she had to wait for me to prompt her for payment before she decides to mess me about.  Binned...... Funny, I have only been in this game a few months and I am seeing a lot of this.  I have some great customers who pay me the same day.   I am not sterotyping but in my experience those who seem to have less, the small bungalows, the retired couples with small houses are the great payers.  The ones with mansions and BMWs seem to be the penny pinchers that just make stuff up to not pay or make sure they only have a one off clean.  When I first quoted I said to my mrs in the car as we drove off, that woman is going to be hard work.  Funny you seem to develop a radar for time wasters.  
You do. You do. 

 
Oh the plight of the every day working man. Love reading threads like this. Reminds me im not alone in the various every day frustrations. To be honest with you lads, in my rule book, if the side gate is locked, it stays locked and the back windows dont get cleaned. Its not worth potentially falling from ladders and injuring yourself for a few extra quid. Not to mention people are awkward these days 

1. Neighbors wondering if youre breaking in or not

2. Those customers could be like...my garden was locked, that means do not go in it.

end of the day you never know if youre gonna get mauled by their cousins rottweiler theyve suddenly decided to adopt temporarily while they go on holiday.
Same here. I've got better things to be doing than risk injury or damage climbing over gates. I do front only and two thirds. 

 
Any new work I take on I walk around the property and if they have a side gate I tell them there and then ( on a £12 house ect) that the front of the property will be £10 to clean and the back £2. Should I only clean the front because they forgot to open the gate they will be charged £10 ... it works trust me ?

 
Well received a text from the complainer last night. I have paid the £15 but dont come back, not happy with your service. Happy days.

I replied, Oki Doki but i saved you over a hundred fixing you dryverge and your gutter union. No reply.

As i said, you could do their windows for free and they still would not be happy. There is one in a hundred of these folk and its better to ditch them fast before they try and sue you. ?

 
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