Competition Nightmare

[Reach For The Glass]

Hi guy's

Had a day canvassing yesterday. Not a great day to say the least.

Knocked around 4 - 500 doors over couple of dozen street's.

Got 2 jobs at a £10 a month. The actual rate of people who were indoors was about 90%.

Chatted to quite a few and they all use people that are literally doing it fir peanuts.

Its not the same guy doing them all. So far there were

Husband and wife team trad

3 different tradders

2 wfp people.

Not one of the above charged more than £5.

Ccondition of the windows after tgere cleans were not great particularly the husband and wife team and a couple of the old boy tradders.

Im not a poacher so never knocked anyones work on the doorstep to tge customers.

Just amazes me how these custys are happy to have such **** window cleaners. Half disappeared in oct and are due back next month. Custys dont seem fussed.

Really annoying day competing with idiots to be honest.

Rant over.

 

[Cristian]

Where about are you based , I'm seeing this more and more where I live, East Ayrshire! I just seen 3 x guys out of one van hitting a 3 storied flats and all those flats are not interested unless it's under a £5! I'm seriously considering going in another direction away from windows and just have the windows as an add on and charge first Clean prices and no set dates for cleans

 

[ECS Windows]

I've got a similar problem here. Luckily I was chatting to a first clean today and said that the 2 windys on her road vanished a couple of months back

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[Hawke]

Yeah you've got to stick at it sometimes - the beer money guys all disappear and if you keep going and stick to your guns the good customers will come back to you.

Did you ask if they were happy with their cleaner?

 

[Reach For The Glass]

Im in london.

Yea all seemed happy with the work??

Honestly i could believe it. Ive seen a couple of the tradders about, they are 100% beer boys who do it for a top up.

There is 1 guy does whole house £4. Hes been doing it religiously for 15 years. He has hundreds of houses but the works ****.

 

[Dave B]

Not had that problem in Hertfordshire but i am surprised about london

I used to work shepherds bush area years ago and never had a problem with that

What part are you in?

 

[Spartan]

I'm also surprised if you can't get decent prices in London.

I hardly ever see the 'beer boys' where I am but maybe I'm just lucky.

I've also found that people won't put up with **** work. I've had loads of clients who show surprise when the windows actually come up clean or that I go right into the corners /emoticons/biggrin.png.

 

[luca]

Maybe you just had a stinker, everyone's allowed one lol...sounds strange for London?! Or maybe you need to go more middle class, up market? Trust me there are a lot of people who would rather quality work at a fair price than **** for cheap...

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[The window cleaning kid]

I have spoken to clients before and they are worried about getting rid of the previous windy.

Some people can't deal with the confrontation.

I think this is where your pitch works best " I clean all frames and seals" such and such.

One of my clients that I clean for would only let me do the rear and insides as she couldn't tell the other windy that she was not happy with his work... I say his, it's actually a franchise company I think.

Some thing I'm starting to realise is that's it's not building clients as more of building loyaltie and a good relationship.

 

[Williams Jet Wash]

yeah i know the feeling the town where i live is locked down by 2 guys same family theyve had free reign since 2001 when i first started i knocked a lot of doors and they nearly all said o we have mr x we have mr x sick of hearing there names they would have no intention of changing as theyve been going for years and people buy people they would'nt care very likely if i undecut them by half its the stick to what i know mentality ive reached further out and knocked doors where there isnt a cleaner and cleaned up pun inteneded keep going broaden your radiius of work my advice

 

[steve garwood]

Where shouts in London? I might have some work for sale later in the year in the west Wickham area if your interested. (abouts I meant)

 

[chris clean]

I only came into the window cleaning game less than a year ago so i cant compare to how it used to be. But my experience and speaking to other windies i talk to and the supplier I go to for pure water and reading what you guys say on here it seems that there is still plenty of work out there but the days of one windie having whole streets has gone mainly thanks to the beer boys and those being supplemented by benefits! I have had no problem getting custies and building my round and it continues to grow every time i canvass but they are more spread out than i would idealy like. But I know In most roads I do there are atleast 3 or 4 others that also have the odd house and they are just the ones I've seen. I just try and keep the faith and gradually you do get neighbours coming out etc an can start refining the work.

 

[chris clean]

I only came into the window cleaning game less than a year ago so i cant compare to how it used to be. But my experience and speaking to other windies i talk to and the supplier I go to for pure water and reading what you guys say on here it seems that there is still plenty of work out there but the days of one windie having whole streets has gone mainly thanks to the beer boys and those being supplemented by benefits! I have had no problem getting custies and building my round and it continues to grow every time i canvass but they are more spread out than i would idealy like. But I know In most roads I do there are atleast 3 or 4 others that also have the odd house and they are just the ones I've seen. I just try and keep the faith and gradually you do get neighbours coming out etc an can start refining the work.

 

[Reach For The Glass]

Where shouts in London? I might have some work for sale later in the year in the west Wickham area if your interested. (abouts I meant)

Im in eltham @steve garwood

Give us a pm please mate and let us know what the work is etc and amount. Even if you decide not to sell then its ok but nice to know potentially what i may get.

Today i canvassed near sidcup, was just one of them days i guess. Literally felt like id walked someones round knocking after them.

Still chin up crack on!

 

[Spartan]

Eltham must have some nice work in it.

Kidbrooke village just next door, Lee, Blackheath etc....

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[Duncs]

nothing worse when your knocking the doors and no joy !!!! soul destroying

As the chaps have said keep going and it will happen mate all been there.

Must say if your in a street and having no joy,also on **** prices ,your loosing nowt £5 are last resort ,but they have to be quick and plentyful

Move on better area it will happen

 

[Reach For The Glass]

Eltham must have some nice work in it.Kidbrooke village just next door, Lee, Blackheath etc....

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Kidbrooke village is done by maintanance company as part of service charge mate.

 

[slipknot]

i spoke to a women round near me and her windy does around here for £4 every 2 weeks and i honestly thought to myself is this guy crazy non of my current houses are less than £5. but my new round will soon tell what kinda windys we have round my way

 

[adamangler]

That's what I'm up against round here. Really struggled whenever I've canvassed everyone seems to have a windy and mostly cheap.

Posted an ad on fb yesterday. Had 4 people ask me for quotes, not one of them accepted my quote, and I was even going in cheap at £10 for 3 bed semis. Very frustrating.

The way I prefer to get my work now is use a canvassing company, they can cover a large area much quicker which is needed to actually find people.

The last time I I had some done they had to canvass 2 entire towns to find 40 odd custys at decent prices! God knows how many doors but that would have taken me a couple of months to cover that ground. Works out expensive but takes the headache of finding work myself away.

 

[ECS Windows]

Had a first clean from leafleting and went back to canvass the neighbours. Funny response. Some were appalled because they already had a windy but most jumped at £10 a clean (high price for the area). You roll the dice but I think a lot of people prefer professionalism and reliability over the ad hoc beer boys

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[Phildeeney]

That's what I'm up against round here. Really struggled whenever I've canvassed everyone seems to have a windy and mostly cheap.
Posted an ad on fb yesterday. Had 4 people ask me for quotes, not one of them accepted my quote, and I was even going in cheap at £10 for 3 bed semis. Very frustrating.

The way I prefer to get my work now is use a canvassing company, they can cover a large area much quicker which is needed to actually find people.

The last time I I had some done they had to canvass 2 entire towns to find 40 odd custys at decent prices! God knows how many doors but that would have taken me a couple of months to cover that ground. Works out expensive but takes the headache of finding work myself away.

How do the canvassing companies work do they charge you a set fee for each customer they pick up?

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