What was you strike rate when starting out?

[SkulBlaker]

Sacked off the idea of doing insides, by the Sounds of it it will be a nightmare.

Went out canvassing again tonight, knocked on about 20 doors, got one custy and potentially 4 others. Priced a bit higher £6 for the customer I got and they were happy to pay it. Also put cards through two doors that I know don't have a windy at the estate I'm already in and priced on the back at £6 too so we will see.

Also got my first tip tonight 50p (not a massive amount but a very nice gesture)

 

[Jacob]

If your happy with the price thats all that matters mate.
As for insides, yeh double but i dont do those either lol, too much hassle and too much to break, also takes too long

You re a windowcleaner that dosent clean the insides of windows? Never heard that before lol

 

[adamangler]

water fed pole mate? lol. i do have trad gear btw but i like to pull up get pole out, whip round and on to the next.

Did insides once on a big house, took ages, nearly knocked all sorts over, had kids and everyone watching me, didnt like it all. like to be left alone lol

 

[Jacob]

you run into some odd people doing indside, and outside for that matter, but just chat away, in one ear out the other. you hear some pretty good stories lol /emoticons/tongue.png.

Also think of the service you provide, if i where a custy and had a windowcleaner who couldnt do my insides because they were a 'hassel', i would look for another windie right away.

didnt mean to offence you, just Struck me as bit funny /emoticons/smile.png

 

[MrBump]

I get work because I do the insides and other windies don't lol. Thats fine by me, outsides are definately easier but insides make a nice change and its also nice seeing the glass actually clear all the way through and not clean on the outside and smeared on the inside lol.

Your strike rate is enviable! I only leaflet drop, was going ok for the first ten hours, got one or so per hour, but for the last ten hours of leaflet dropping I haven't had a single bloody call! I dunno if I'm too expensive or if its because its the end of the summer but it sucks bawls! But fair play, maybe knocking doors is the answer instead, you seem to be having great luck / are just good at it :thumbsup:

 

[Jacob]

If i didnt clean insides i wouldn be in business thats for sure. Plus big mansions in/out is a comfy one day work without the of driving from house to house

 

[Dave B]

I am currently on 16 new jobs since thursday morning

Up until this morning it was 7

Did some leafletting this afternoon as i have found a little area where the windie has gone awol..i was chatting to him recently and he said he is concentrating on gutters etc as it is better money..i did 1 road and got 7 new ones from leaflets..people were telling me how they have contacted him and arranged for him to come and he has still blown them out so i think ittime to take that area on

As for insides i do them on the understanding that custy clears it all and opens blinds etc first

Charge the same again as the outside

Take a scourer sponge or preferably a magic sponge with you for the fly muck and it's easy

Applicate..quick scrub with magic sponge then squeegee

 

[Jimbo]

Sacked off the idea of doing insides, by the Sounds of it it will be a nightmare.
Went out canvassing again tonight, knocked on about 20 doors, got one custy and potentially 4 others. Priced a bit higher £6 for the customer I got and they were happy to pay it. Also put cards through two doors that I know don't have a windy at the estate I'm already in and priced on the back at £6 too so we will see.

Also got my first tip tonight 50p (not a massive amount but a very nice gesture)

Ah....don't mention the 'T' word again. You've already got a full time job that you pay tax on....now you have a secondary, also taxable.....and the 'T' word is also taxable...how taxable does sir wish to become? Firemen eh ? Give 'em ONE MOST IMPORTANT BLEEDIN' THING TO DO !......and guess what?????? Never enough. PLEASE PAY THESE GUYS MORE!!! They are putting the rest of us out of business.......

 

[SkulBlaker]

Ah....don't mention the 'T' word again. You've already got a full time job that you pay tax on....now you have a secondary, also taxable.....and the 'T' word is also taxable...how taxable does sir wish to become? Firemen eh ? Give 'em ONE MOST IMPORTANT BLEEDIN' THING TO DO !......and guess what?????? Never enough. PLEASE PAY THESE GUYS MORE!!! They are putting the rest of us out of business.......

I get paid enough for what I do as a Firefighter, but am certainly not one for sitting on my hoop all day doing nothing when I can be out earning an extra crust. You could always become a Firey too and it's a win win lol.

Paying tax is part and parcel of the job, from what I'm making on the windows it will be minimal. But won't use the T word again haha.

Will actually do the inside clean, was asked at the guest house I did today and thought sod it, extra cash in my pocket. She said she would get back to me next month.

 

[SkulBlaker]

I get work because I do the insides and other windies don't lol. Thats fine by me, outsides are definately easier but insides make a nice change and its also nice seeing the glass actually clear all the way through and not clean on the outside and smeared on the inside lol.
Your strike rate is enviable! I only leaflet drop, was going ok for the first ten hours, got one or so per hour, but for the last ten hours of leaflet dropping I haven't had a single bloody call! I dunno if I'm too expensive or if its because its the end of the summer but it sucks bawls! But fair play, maybe knocking doors is the answer instead, you seem to be having great luck / are just good at it :thumbsup:

I have found that, a face to face works for me, must be my dashing good looks haha. I go in my windy uniform to look professional and always start with "sorry to bother you, but I'm cleaning windows in the local area and wondered if you would be interested in having yours cleaned too" if they say not just now, I hand them my card and write the price on the back, if it's the guys answering then some say no outright, and others go to speak to the "boss", I've noticed that it's more of a desicion for the wives!

 

[Jimbo]

Dear Skul.

Thank you for your kind invitation to join the Brigade.

I'm afraid i have to decline.

My services are advertised as 'ladder less'.

It would cost a small fortune to get the merch. changed.

 

[adamangler]

@daveyboy1 16 is amazing in a week, sound like windy heaven in your area.

ive managed 4 hours canvassing and 2 hours leafletting this week, and posted in fb everyday total result thus far 3 custies and 2 cancellations! so 1 extra custie.

@MrBump leaflets are pretty poo really, first time i dished aout about 30 and got 3. think ive done about 1000 now with no calls. canvassing is a better return but round here it seems to be about 1 per hour if that

 

[Jacob]

Adamangler you have to do alot more leaflets to measure if it works or not a thousand should by statistic give 5-10 custys with some statistic insecurity maybe zero. Also look at your flyer with a custys eye, ask yourself would you give a call if you saw your flyer in the mail. I do great on leaflet maybe 95% of my custys come from that and 5% from refferals. Which is what brings in all my new work st the moment.

 

[Jacob]

Oh yes consider put a discount of maybe 2 quid(one off discount) on the flyer if the custy returns the flyer to you on quotation, makes a reason for the custy to keep your flyer and call you when suddenly needed

 

[Dave B]

I did really well yesterday and while doing 11 new cleans in that area today (feel a bit wiped out now as still had to do 5 normal regulars too) got 4 more in that road of only 200 ish houses

Poxy stick on dividers on a lot of them

It is just luck as the guy who has been there for years i saw a few months ago and he has got into gutter cleaning and seems to have turned his back on his customers

Not answering calls and not been round for 3 or 4 months

It would be rude not to tap all of them up and show them how a real windy does it

All his ex custys have said how poor his work was and a couple have caught him out doing half a job and then sticking the "your windows have been cleaned " note through the door

He does or did a whole estate round here so i am leafletting all day tomorrow and working Saturday to catch up

 

[Jimbo]

I did really well yesterday and while doing 11 new cleans in that area today (feel a bit wiped out now as still had to do 5 normal regulars too) got 4 more in that road of only 200 ish housesPoxy stick on dividers on a lot of them

It is just luck as the guy who has been there for years i saw a few months ago and he has got into gutter cleaning and seems to have turned his back on his customers

Not answering calls and not been round for 3 or 4 months

It would be rude not to tap all of them up and show them how a real windy does it

All his ex custys have said how poor his work was and a couple have caught him out doing half a job and then sticking the "your windows have been cleaned " note through the door

He does or did a whole estate round here so i am leafletting all day tomorrow and working Saturday to catch up

Way to go. Some people in the game get so complacent. Quality and reliability wins at the end of the day. The amount of times i've pulled up for a breather ( eh....ok...fill my lungs with a Capstan) i have a brief Attenborough moment and notice the local wildlife....'and here we have the humble Orangutan, gaze as he scales the structure, made by man to enable him to carve his niche in today's modern world. Watch, will he go for the applicator inside his bucket on a belt ? No, something has obviously disturbed him, with a brief scan of his surrounds he has opted for the dry scrim. Yes, indeed, he knows his victim isn't home today'. The thing is Davey...they don't see the neighbours through the net curtains. Truth will out.

 

[SkulBlaker]

It is just luck as the guy who has been there for years i saw a few months ago and he has got into gutter cleaning and seems to have turned his back on his customers

Not answering calls and not been round for 3 or 4 months

It would be rude not to tap all of them up and show them how a real windy does it

All his ex custys have said how poor his work was and a couple have caught him out doing half a job and then sticking the "your windows have been cleaned " note through the door

He does or did a whole estate round here so i am leafletting all day tomorrow and working Saturday to catch up

That's great news mate, I gave myself a target of 25 customers in the first 2 months, and 50 within 5 months, on my way with 11 so far and 6-8 potentials in 2 weeks.

I'm actually really enjoying it, getting to meet new people and having a quick chat with them.

I have a question too about pricing a gutter cleaning job, on a commercial place, think it's around 150 meters of gutter in total, so what should I be asking?

 

[Dave B]

One particular customer was having a sly day off and was in the bedroom when he arrived and he never did the bedroom window

Numpty

 

[Dave B]

I would be tempted to price it by length

£1 a metre wouldn't be a bad start although i don't know what you could charge up your way

I would happily charge £1 metre for clearing and then £1 metre for cleaning

 

[Dave B]

@SkulBlaker it's all about determination

I started back up for myself last june/july and am way over 200 customers per month now

I managed to do that while doing a full time lorry driving job and cutting back my hours and days as i got busier to the point i jacked it in

 

[Jimbo]

That's great news mate, I gave myself a target of 25 customers in the first 2 months, and 50 within 5 months, on my way with 11 so far and 6-8 potentials in 2 weeks.
I'm actually really enjoying it, getting to meet new people and having a quick chat with them.

I have a question too about pricing a gutter cleaning job, on a commercial place, think it's around 150 meters of gutter in total, so what should I be asking?

Get someone round to price up the front of YOUR property.

Gauge it via that. Commercial ? Double it.

Can't be more precise with a price Skul.

The situ. financially in the land of thistle is completely different. I can't comment.