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Winter my friend...

Dino

Active member
Messages
94
Location
North Yorkshire
So I was at just over 70 customers until the dark nights kicked in.  Lost a good 8 customers automatically with the bad weather and shorter nights.  Was a bit of a downer, starting a new round while learning the business.  Trying to stay positive.  I see winter as a sieve.  It really sorts the wheat from the chaff.  I guess those that stick with me through winter and those I gain in winter will be a much better calibre of customer who want my services all year around.  Am I right?  What do you guys reckon?

Cheers

Dino.

 
You’re bang on. Customers you pick up in the winter tend to be more reliable than ones you pick up at any other time. For one, you know they’re not binning you off once winter comes around. 

 
If people don't want even 8 wks then there loss I find my Windows are dirty after around 3wks definitely need to be done all year round I'm fortunate my 250+ customer agrees. 

You will get there.. just patience is key

 
Lost a good 8 customers automatically with the bad weather and shorter nights.
Baffled by this to a point as any decent customer should stick with you through thick and thin, most days over the last 3 weeks it has rained and I've cracked on with no issues as for shorter nights this is of no issue to them only to you in terms of completing work but with you just having 70 jobs you shouldn't have been affected by the issues you mention in terms of completing work.

All I can say is chin up and stay optimistic!!

 
My customer base is only 5 month old.  Come October I got 8 cancel for winter.  Nothing I did.  Just the weather and time of year.  I understand it.  Just worried how much its going to eat into my small round I have built.  I know its easy to shrug it off with a big round.  For me, I lost over 10 percent of my customers in one month so I was like woooah, best get canvassing again!

 
My customer base is only 5 month old.  Come October I got 8 cancel for winter.  Nothing I did.  Just the weather and time of year.  I understand it.  Just worried how much its going to eat into my small round I have built.  I know its easy to shrug it off with a big round.  For me, I lost over 10 percent of my customers in one month so I was like woooah, best get canvassing again!


You need to focus on gutter clears and add-ons. I'm busy with them so i don't go chasing them, when I'm quiet I went out leafletting where I have customers.

 
So I was at just over 70 customers until the dark nights kicked in.  Lost a good 8 customers automatically with the bad weather and shorter nights.  Was a bit of a downer, starting a new round while learning the business.  Trying to stay positive.  I see winter as a sieve.  It really sorts the wheat from the chaff.  I guess those that stick with me through winter and those I gain in winter will be a much better calibre of customer who want my services all year around.  Am I right?  What do you guys reckon?

Cheers

Dino.




Not wanting to be critical but when you are quoting the job in the first place stress that you work all year round and work in light rain , if they hesitate more  than likely they are going to be a pain or cancel so we wouldn’t take them on , after a while in this job I think you get a six cease and can spot theses messers ,and avoid being mucked about , we very rarely get this happen only one or two in several years , due I feel to the quoting process . Ime sure you will start to spot the warning signs as you get more experience, keep plugging away you will get there .

 
@Dino just keep your chin up mate and just keep knocking doors every opportunity you get and the customers will soon be pouring in. A tactic I used was when I had just started and only had a few customers was when I finished my jobs which was normally by lunch I would find streets that had lots of houses with dirty windows. Open the van doors so it looked like I was working and knock the doors saying im doing a number of your neighbours today would you like yours done too I can do them now. Was amazed how many said yes. Most were just one offs but some led to customers i still have now 4 years or so later. Dont know if I was just lucky but it worked for me. People always love it if they think your are doing the neighbours and I think it's a bit of keeping up with the Jones's think ah if my neighbours had theres done maybe I should too lol. Even now if I ever go out door knocking my line is 'Hi I'm a local window cleaner and i clean a number of houses on the street would you like a price to have yours done next time we are here?' Simple yes or no . Has worked good for me. 

Also I get what you are saying about only doing windows but a huge amount of my profit comes from customers once a year having guttrlers cleaned or conservatory roofs. You are missing a trick not doing it and my concern is they then need to get in another window cleaner to do them

 
And  next spring you'll take them back because you need the money. This is where it gets better because hopefully by the end of next summer you'll be closer to 200 customers so when they cancel next winter it won't bother you and you can look forward to telling them the following year that you can't do them again as you're to busy. 

 
My customer base is only 5 month old.  Come October I got 8 cancel for winter.  Nothing I did.  Just the weather and time of year.  I understand it.  Just worried how much its going to eat into my small round I have built.  I know its easy to shrug it off with a big round.  For me, I lost over 10 percent of my customers in one month so I was like woooah, best get canvassing again!
I don't see how you understand it, we are a year round service/business we get bad weather year round and the windows get dirty, we can't control the weather so do our best year round to provide the service agreed at the outset, that's what us window cleaners have to do otherwise we wouldn't be able to pay our own bills 

 
There can be a perception with some new customers  that we are all " hobby" window cleaners and disappear in winter as that's how their previous cleaners operated, so it's up to us to give them the t&c's from the outset and underline we are a regular service.....

Good luck you'll get there.

 
I don't see how you understand it, we are a year round service/business we get bad weather year round and the windows get dirty, we can't control the weather so do our best year round to provide the service agreed at the outset, that's what us window cleaners have to do otherwise we wouldn't be able to pay our own bills 
What I mean is.  I can understand the customers point of view.  I know we are a year round service.  Heck my business is.  Just some months are clearly easier than others with the weather.  I understand where you are coming from though.

 
What I mean is.  I can understand the customers point of view.  I know we are a year round service.  Heck my business is.  Just some months are clearly easier than others with the weather.  I understand where you are coming from though.
I never see the customers point of view, they are always wrong as far as daft reasons to stop cleaning ? hopefully you will soon replace them, just watch out out for one offs next month and charge double for a first clean if you can.

 
I've only been in this industry for two years but I'm beginning to realise why I'm growing without doing much. I'm on Checkatrade and get the odd window clean customer even 8 miles away. I usually try and visit the customer even if I think its not for me. Got one 8 miles away because it was a 4 bed detached in a nice area. The old windy move down south and wasn't coming back. £13 a month I charge so its not really worth my while. Last week a neighbour took me on for £15 a month and have done both their gutters. I will probably put a card telling their neighbours the cost per month and hook a few more. So the more one does the more chance of getting more. The van is great for advertising, even better leaving the doors open with a hose lying out. People are fascinated by the wfp setup and want to know more when they are out walking the dog. I must be getting a new customer every week now and only out a few days a week.

 
There can be a perception with some new customers  that we are all " hobby" window cleaners and disappear in winter as that's how their previous cleaners operated, so it's up to us to give them the t&c's from the outset and underline we are a regular service.....

Good luck you'll get there.
Who is their right mind would do this as a hobby?! ?

I know what you mean though, a lot around here do it for beer money, just turning up when it's convenient and hibernate over winter.

 
My customer base is only 5 month old.  Come October I got 8 cancel for winter.  Nothing I did.  Just the weather and time of year.  I understand it.  Just worried how much its going to eat into my small round I have built.  I know its easy to shrug it off with a big round.  For me, I lost over 10 percent of my customers in one month so I was like woooah, best get canvassing again!


If they suggest you leave it for winter you have nothing to loose asking them if they would like an 8 weekly clean rather than 4 weekly during winter for example. You could ask them if they would like their windows cleaned for Christmas.

If you can hold onto them then some will possibily keep you cleaning through next winter. Unfortunately it takes time to establish yourself. Once you have a larger more reliable customer base then you can choose to keep them or bin them as @Part Timer says.

 
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Winter is not bad as u think it will be, if u lose 1 customer then just replace them with 4 new customers instead ?

 
I don't get this happen often but I did a few weeks ago. I just said politely that the problem with that is that I will likely not restart in the spring as mortgages, rents and other bills don't go on hold for the winter and I will likely have filled his slot with someone else by then. The light went on and he asked me to carry on. If he cancels next time then I will likely not restart them.

 
I don't get this happen often but I did a few weeks ago. I just said politely that the problem with that is that I will likely not restart in the spring as mortgages, rents and other bills don't go on hold for the winter and I will likely have filled his slot with someone else by then. The light went on and he asked me to carry on. If he cancels next time then I will likely not restart them.


Yeah, but its easier to make the stipulation when you have a reasonably full work schedule as you can afford to let a couple of messers go.. When you are starting off you usually have to put up with messers for a few years until you get established. Then its easier to pick and choose. When they cancel you, sometimes we welcome it. Our fascial expression may look gloomy but inside we are smiling. ?

We found very few who cancelled for the winter resumed services in Spring. So yes, what you say is right. But I believe from my experience in our area that some use winter as an excuse to permanently cancel.

We got a few cancellations on this basis the first year we were window cleaning. One came back but made an excuse to cancel through the next year.

I did use the line to one bloke that to provide the service I need to clean the whole year round. If everyone cancelled every window cleaner during winter, there won't be any window cleaners. He told me that that wasn't his problem and don't come back.

Now I don't bother arguing. Just politely thank them for their custom and leave. If they cancel, they cancel; I'm not going to loose sleep over it. One was a bit surprised recently and asked why I didn't put up a fight to retain her services. Just because I have a chance of renegotiating my broadband with Virgin Media because I threaten to cancel and go to Sky as they are cheaper, doesn't mean I will renegotiate a better price to keep your business. But I can afford to treat them this way. In the early days I would have asked what I needed to do to retain their business as I needed every bit I could get hold off.

 
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