After 4 month I can take it easy for the first time in 20 years

[peter rogers]

I wish!Usually I am texting all my customers on Sundays saying that I will call in next week to do the windows and I am asking them to give me a day that suits them best as here people want to be in when I am around cleaning windows. After that we agree on time and I put them on my booking list. Complicated but that is the way it works here...

please stop saying that is the way it works here

as i know window cleaners from all over ireland and that isnt the way it works

u know we have a group on facebook for ireland window cleaners

 

[StorminNorman]

please stop saying that is the way it works here
as i know window cleaners from all over ireland and that isnt the way it works

u know we have a group on facebook for ireland window cleaners

Whats the name of the group, Peter?

Excuse me if I am mistaken but all window cleaners I know over here are saying the exact same thing - "people only want you when they want you"

 

[peter rogers]

Whats the name of the group, Peter?Excuse me if I am mistaken but all window cleaners I know over here are saying the exact same thing - "people only want you when they want you"

WINDOW CLEANING IRELAND

 

[jay198127]

I wish! Usually I am texting all my customers on Sundays saying that I will call in next week to do the windows and I am asking them to give me a day that suits them best as here people want to be in when I am around cleaning windows. After that we agree on time and I put them on my booking list. Complicated but that is the way it works here...

I'd be hanging up my pole for good

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[AD window cleaning]

Time to scrap your round and start all over again by the sounds off it mate. That would fry my brain. How can you possibly work round 80 houses like that you must be driving round in circles all day every day trying to keep people happy.

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[adamangler]

If thats the way its always been done then you need to do one of two things imo.

1/ Change the way things are done, start again as it were and set it up as a regular service like the vast majority of us offer.

2/ Bin window cleaning and go into something else, carpets, pressure washing, landscaping or whatever

If thats the way windows worked i would bin it off, surely it cant be worth running a business like that, rather you than me mate

I find customers unreliable a lot of the time, i wouldnt hold my breath having arranged a time and day that they would be in. Then what do you do if they are out? ring them and say can we re arrange? it sounds very stressfull.

 

[Duncs]

In this game you have to look after yourself,change your way of thinking ,unfortunately some customers will take the pxss if they get the chance.

As the troops have said dont text , and never ever ask if its ok to clean there windows when they have agreed fluk them mate.I f a customer is possible trouble I just bat on with the graft If they come to the door spinning shxt , to late half the house is cleaned.I just say why did you not text me

I could of been cleaning else where

 

[Part Timer]

If he's happy who are we to criticise, just because his method is different it doesn't necessarily make it wrong. I have some residential customers that I have to text, and yes once or twice a year they don't want them done. These customers pay me more for my service than the trad guys would charge them and as a general rule they are good customers and over the year I earn decent money out of them.

It is ok when you're earning enough every week to get rid of awkward customers but if you're relatively new and building your round it is very hard to bin them as the other option is is to sit on your @rse and earn nowt.

 

[Poles Apart]

I text a lot because I have to I wouldn't be happy to just have the front done.

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[PDixon cvs]

Not one of mine have turned me away but then I put most people on a 6 or 8 weekly and a higher price to make mine and my young families life easier if I need to take days off

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[jay198127]

If he's happy who are we to criticise, just because his method is different it doesn't necessarily make it wrong. I have some residential customers that I have to text, and yes once or twice a year they don't want them done. These customers pay me more for my service than the trad guys would charge them and as a general rule they are good customers and over the year I earn decent money out of them.It is ok when you're earning enough every week to get rid of awkward customers but if you're relatively new and building your round it is very hard to bin them as the other option is is to sit on your @rse and earn nowt.

but that's what he's doing now...doing nothing as no one wants cleaning....don't think anyone's said he's wrong for the way he's going about his work, just people giving there opinion and views on how he could possibly do things differently...weather he takes advice or happy the way he is, thats up to him.

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[Tuffers]

Sounds like a right ballache being a windy in Ireland.

 

[StorminNorman]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions lads!

My whole point is - I am happy that I can afford to have some time off after NewYear for the first time in 20 years.

I am not complaining and the way it works for me is just the way it works for me with my customers and it is nothing to do with Ireland in general.

 

[Chris33]

@StorminNorman it's on you to change the way it works there mate.

It's good you have had time to relax after a busy spell but that's a whole month almost every year...forever...you could be looking at no cash flow unless you take action. I wouldn't be having that lol.

Hope your enjoying the time off though

 

[PDixon cvs]

We all work the way that suits us and are life's at the end of the day if it works for you and your happy all that matters

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[StorminNorman]

@StorminNorman it's on you to change the way it works there mate.
It's good you have had time to relax after a busy spell but that's a whole month almost every year...forever...you could be looking at no cash flow unless you take action. I wouldn't be having that lol.

Hope your enjoying the time off though

The whole point working for myself is to be the boss of my own time and money.

I am not worried about the cash flow (I am very careful indeed with whatever I am spending) and no regular customers are left behind.

Just yesterday I finished my van mount, just before Christmas got my second gutter vac and now I am fully prepared for whatever comes.

I will be flat out for the rest of the year so there is no reason to go mad if at the moment I have just a few cleans in a day.

 

[A Pane In The Glass]

some of these comments are laughable

1 your the boss

2 you tell them what day your coming

3 no times unless u have to

4 if u **** me about u either get binned or u wait another month till I'm back

5 never let them dictate to you or you will forever be getting the run around

I've been doing this 4mnths n mine is successful

I've also introduced terms n conditions to nail things on the wall

 

[jay198127]

some of these comments are laughable
1 your the boss

2 you tell them what day your coming

3 no times unless u have to

4 if u **** me about u either get binned or u wait another month till I'm back

5 never let them dictate to you or you will forever be getting the run around

I've been doing this 4mnths n mine is successful

I've also introduced terms n conditions to nail things on the wall

you posted to get people's views, and that's what people have given you, to say people's comments are laughable is a joke in its self, you keep mentioning you been going 4 months and your successful, 1 month out of that 4, 79 of your 80 customers dictated to you that they didn't want there windows done, for that many to skip a month January or not, I don't regard that as running a successful bussiness as many others on hear wouldn't either.

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[Chris33]

@jay198127

@A Pane In The Glass isn't the original poster lol he's highlighted these points from the posters comments.

Anyway there is defo learning to be had here aye. @StorminNorman perhaps look at how your approaching the regularity with customers over winter or just for regular cleans? I'm still new too and there's things I'm changing daily too m8

 

[StorminNorman]

you posted to get people's views, and that's what people have given you, to say people's comments are laughable is a joke in its self, you keep mentioning you been going 4 months and your successful, 1 month out of that 4, 79 of your 80 customers dictated to you that they didn't want there windows done, for that many to skip a month January or not, I don't regard that as running a successful bussiness as many others on hear wouldn't either.
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I didn't say that "people's comments are laughable" !?

I do appreciate all the comments and advice here just because I am new to being a self employed window cleaner and my main focus for my first 4 month was to get experience and buy all the equipment I might need for a flat out 2017!

And I am not stating that I am running a successful business! Miles from that! I am just starting and I am very lucky to have earned enough to be able to take it easy after 4 month doing it!

 

[adamangler]

I understand exactly where you are coming from with the time off thing.

This year at times I found myself making more in a couple of days than i used to earn in a week and getting plenty of days off and early finishes and still making decent money. It felt great but that wares off after a bit and now I want to fill up my schedule rather than take it easy.