Council versus private homes.

[AnMadraRua]

What are the guys experiences when canvassing/flyering private estates versus council ones. Do you get more responses from either or are they about the same.

 

[Tuffers]

Council estates!? YUK!

Only kidding /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Smurf]

No good money (premium priced work) to be gained on council estates if you as me but I'm sure others like @boarcity will disagree /emoticons/biggrin.png

Council estates!? YUK!
Only kidding /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[PTWC]

I dont do council estates, as i wouldn't want the hassle of not getting paid, and treading through broken washing machine parts and bulldog excrememt.

 

[Smurf]

That's so true :laugh:

I dont do council estates, as i wouldn't want the hassle of not getting paid, and treading through broken washing machine parts and bulldog excrememt.

 

[boarcity]

since i first started iv focussed on council estates , for the only reason that its a challenge. takes a while to get accepted , but then youre part of "the mob" , with loyalty in abundance

dining and holding court in the community cafe, love it- its the hi-lo life . Remember "grouty" in Porridge, to a much lesser extent thats me ,but not in jail,in the cafe

iv leafletted my favourite estates a few times over , raking in loyal work every time

 

[AnMadraRua]

I think people who don't own their own home aren't that bothered about the state if their windows but at the moment everywhere else is boxed off by other window cleaners so council estates are my only option.

 

[Eclipse]

My work is a good mix, I'd go to the council estate everyday of the week if I wanted to walk away with cash in my hand. Private houses pay via bacs or cheque so have to wait, council or ex council always pay on the day.

 

[Eclipse]

I think people who don't own their own home aren't that bothered about the state if their windows but at the moment everywhere else is boxed off by other window cleaners so council estates are my only option.

You'll probably find most tenants have it in their contract to have their windows cleaned.

 

[PTWC]

You'll probably find most tenants have it in their contract to have their windows cleaned.

Well ive not heard that one.

My work is a good mix, I'd go to the council estate everyday of the week if I wanted to walk away with cash in my hand. Private houses pay via bacs or cheque so have to wait, council or ex council always pay on the day.

Im interested in what you said about this.

Ive avoided these areas for the kind of reasons i mentioned earlier, but have you had problems in these areas or if not how do you go about canvassing these places and what measures do you need to put in place to make it work for you?

 

[Eclipse]

Never had problems really, really on we had a few that didn't want to pay but soon stopped them. Canvassing wise if I pick a new one up I'll blanket canvas the whole street., usually pick up at least another 3. 3 bed terraces at £10 a go for a standard house that takes <10 minutes to clean after initial clean ain't to be sniffed at.

 

[cheapncheerful]

yeh council estates....which hardly exist these days....are the only area i canvassed where i got a nasty" dont go on my patch phone call"....

..i explained nicely that my leaflets were dropped in the thousand by a company and i can not avoid areas and said i had no intention of going on there.and if any came my way i would pass them to him

...of course i do three on there now....and have had the pleasure of working right amongst them whilst they were working the area......well i was trying to hide but....they would not get a nice reception if they said anything....

i get leaflets all the time for stuff i already have....its a fee market out there...and of course the three i do are .....private as most are ex council these days....

one thing i will say.....is they are the fastest and best payers the poorer people...

although ...i do have a few rich ones that are good.....indeed my favorite cant wait to shove the thirty quid into my hand...it is nice starting work with the money already in your pocket../emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[PTWC]

:hey: Hmm, i might give it a try then.

Oih, who you lookin at mate.

Wos at?

Do i look like i wont my windaws cleaned?

Ow much?

Yeah aw right mate, gawon then.

Ai'll give ya a go. :hehehe:

 

[Diwrnach]

Council tenants are I usually find the best payers of the lot.

I learned when I was a kid those with the least are the most generous, I used to have a paper round in a small village that I grew up in, and it had a massive mix of classes, it had 5 massive mansions one owned by a top jockey another used to have the queen fly in now and then etc, it then had a some old age pensioners bungalows, a middle class estate and a street of council houses, probably 50% of the village had papers delivered by me.

The OAPs, council houses would 100% of the time tip really well at Christmas, some even giving gifts, the middle class houses maybe 25% tipped the manor houses? no bloody chance.

I actually did some work for the one manor house planting trees, was really hard work, a whole day, he gave me a fiver like he had given me a million pounds, never went back!

 

[Tuffers]

Even the council estates in the Cotswolds are posh though /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[Duncs]

council houses generally find are easy to clean loads together you can make steady money dodging dog **** only problem

private houses bigger money lot together then your going to make top money only problem customers can move home more frequent

customers to avoid young couples single parents not all but can be dodgey

also landlord tenants private houses or ex council waste off time

 

[Shiny]

Well ive not heard that one.

Im interested in what you said about this.

Ive avoided these areas for the kind of reasons i mentioned earlier, but have you had problems in these areas or if not how do you go about canvassing these places and what measures do you need to put in place to make it work for you?

I took a few on when I first started, but now have none, to much hassle I found getting paid...I was last on the the list...for payment....we all learn. I do have a few that are customers who have bought their council house, their fine ....having said that these are in completely different areas.

But for me this work was taken on when I first started and I just wanted work on my books. Now Iam in a position to be choosey (for want of a better word) I now only want prime work...for me it's the only way to move my business forward

 

[Murdiewindowcleaning]

Work is work at the end of the day, unless you re in a position to be choosy then take whatever comes your way. As has been said, some of the best people you'll meet are from council estates, you will find **** holes in council, private or little country lane so it'd be wrong to generalise.

 

[PTWC]

Its never wrong to generalise

 

[PTWC]

Generally speaking that is

 

[Leeds]

Council tenants are I usually find the best payers of the lot.
I learned when I was a kid those with the least are the most generous, I used to have a paper round in a small village that I grew up in, and it had a massive mix of classes, it had 5 massive mansions one owned by a top jockey another used to have the queen fly in now and then etc, it then had a some old age pensioners bungalows, a middle class estate and a street of council houses, probably 50% of the village had papers delivered by me.

The OAPs, council houses would 100% of the time tip really well at Christmas, some even giving gifts, the middle class houses maybe 25% tipped the manor houses? no bloody chance.

I actually did some work for the one manor house planting trees, was really hard work, a whole day, he gave me a fiver like he had given me a million pounds, never went back!

The reason they have the least is BECAUSE they are so generous. Not that i have a problem with that mind :laugh: