Advice on winter cancellations

[Part Timer]

Unfortunately those that need the work can't do much about it. One of the biggest joys in this job, when you have become established, is dumping messers.

 

[Den]

Had my first winter cancellation today. She asked me to stop and return in April. I told her I can't guarantee I'll space in my schedule but I'll see what I can do. 

Another one last month also wanted me to stop for the winter. I told her the same and she said that she didn't want to risk losing me so she kept me on. Although I did suggest she changes to 8-weekly. 

Very annoying but it's part of the process of fine tuning your rounds. Still, picked up 3 new customers today so overall, I've gained rather than lost. 

For every **** customer this is 100 more gooduns ? don’t let it worry you and hopefully by the time she asks again you books will be full I know it bad when building a round but it happens honestly don’t bat an eyelid, I personally would drop her but your decision. 

 

[NewGuy]

Cheers chap. I've already made up my mind that I won't be returning.

Like most of us, I want regular customers all year round. I've already dumped a few that kept messing me around. I have no qualms about dumping anyone. I've been determined to set up my business from the very start that I'll operate as if I'm a long term business. 

I'll charge a fair rate and refuse to budge on price. I'll not tolerate the messers and they get one chance only. 

I'll not return to clean houses until they have paid for the last job as I do not want them to accumulate debts and I want prompt payment. 

Trust me, I don't suffer fools gladly. It's quality of customers that matters before quantity as far as I'm concerned. 

 

[Pjj]

I have said this many times when quoting new work set out your stall and explaine how you work “ we work in most weather and 12 months per year “ if they hesitate ask them what they are looking for if they only want summer months and you are happy to do that then fair enough , if not don’t  take them on , as far as Ime concerned that would be an instant dump Ime not interested in customers like that , but if building a round and you need the work charge them more , and when you start again in the spring be sure to charge more again “ since we stoped doing your windows for the winter we have had a price rise your price will now be xxx” don’t let them dictate how you run your business 

 

[spruce]

For every **** customer this is 100 more gooduns ? don’t let it worry you and hopefully by the time she asks again you books will be full I know it bad when building a round but it happens honestly don’t bat an eyelid, I personally would drop her but your decision. 

I can understand where @NewGuyis coming from. Our first winter we hardly had enough customers so we accepted these requests on the belief we would start again in Spring. We lost some because they didn't want us back come Spring. I grew the round that year and realised that I didn't have enough daylight hours in winter to service all my customers to schedule.

A few cancelled cleans over the next winter which I was glad about. The promised start again in Spring never happened to any of them. They all found an excuse for not restarting and one even blamed me saying I told him I wasn't cleaning windows during winter.

I've come to my own conclusion that customers who cancel you in winter are making an excuse which they believe is a valid one. As far as I'm concerned they are selfish as they expect other customers to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate and pick up my services when they please.

I haven't had a winter cancellation for many years now so I'm thinking its a game customers play on new window cleaners. Saying that, it could well be that the economic situation changes things and we get winter cancellations. I will have to see if it happens. I have always said that if there is a choice a customer must make about having the windows cleaned or putting food on the table then they must put food on the table. I will accept a cancellation provided its a genuine reason.

 

[Minty]

Thank them for their custom and tell them you’ll look-in on them in the spring. 
when you do increase their price. 
One thing I’ve learnt is if you don’t value your service, the customers never will

it takes years to build a reliable customer base

 

[spruce]

Thank them for their custom and tell them you’ll look-in on them in the spring. 
when you do increase their price. 
One thing I’ve learnt is if you don’t value your service, the customers never will

it takes years to build a reliable customer base

I agree with this. You have to sift through the messers and get rid of them. Gradually you get left with quality customers. But the sifting process never stops as good customers can turn bad for whatever reason.  

 

[Pjj]

I agree with this. You have to sift through the messers and get rid of them. Gradually you get left with quality customers. But the sifting process never stops as good customers can turn bad for whatever reason.  

Yes quite agree it’s a constant refining process 

 

[Den]

I can understand where @NewGuyis coming from. Our first winter we hardly had enough customers so we accepted these requests on the belief we would start again in Spring. We lost some because they didn't want us back come Spring. I grew the round that year and realised that I didn't have enough daylight hours in winter to service all my customers to schedule.

A few cancelled cleans over the next winter which I was glad about. The promised start again in Spring never happened to any of them. They all found an excuse for not restarting and one even blamed me saying I told him I wasn't cleaning windows during winter.

I've come to my own conclusion that customers who cancel you in winter are making an excuse which they believe is a valid one. As far as I'm concerned they are selfish as they expect other customers to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate and pick up my services when they please.

I haven't had a winter cancellation for many years now so I'm thinking its a game customers play on new window cleaners. Saying that, it could well be that the economic situation changes things and we get winter cancellations. I will have to see if it happens. I have always said that if there is a choice a customer must make about having the windows cleaned or putting food on the table then they must put food on the table. I will accept a cancellation provided its a genuine reason.

Pers9nally I imagine that every window cleaner when starting got messed a lot about I know I did but luckily enough most of us develop the attitude easy come easy go. 

Totally agree I have only had two lost jobs during the 8 months of Covid picked up to many to remember to replace had a couple that was worried at first a missed a clean but back to normal. 

Its very easy for me now to let clients go as I have too many customers I’m always late now days ? today was a first experience for me today pulled the hose out to do a regular 4 years on my books model customer the neighbour came out explained he my client had died suddenly a week ago and then paid me to clean my clients house ? even though I don’t clean his? 

 

[spruce]

Pers9nally I imagine that every window cleaner when starting got messed a lot about I know I did but luckily enough most of us develop the attitude easy come easy go. 

Totally agree I have only had two lost jobs during the 8 months of Covid picked up to many to remember to replace had a couple that was worried at first a missed a clean but back to normal. 

Its very easy for me now to let clients go as I have too many customers I’m always late now days ? today was a first experience for me today pulled the hose out to do a regular 4 years on my books model customer the neighbour came out explained he my client had died suddenly a week ago and then paid me to clean my clients house ? even though I don’t clean his? 

That's a one in a million neighbour.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Had my first winter cancellation today. She asked me to stop and return in April. I told her I can't guarantee I'll space in my schedule but I'll see what I can do. 

Another one last month also wanted me to stop for the winter. I told her the same and she said that she didn't want to risk losing me so she kept me on. Although I did suggest she changes to 8-weekly. 

Very annoying but it's part of the process of fine tuning your rounds. Still, picked up 3 new customers today so overall, I've gained rather than lost. 

From my personal experiences I just move on and gain another customer to replace the loss.

The way I see it is some have pride and love the constant clean and others think winter's here lets stop because it's dark and gloomy out.

I lost a customer last year which made me laugh when she text me..

The body of the message was 

Hi Austin, 

We have appreciated your window cleaning and hard work however we would like to inform you that we will no longer need our Windows cleaning as my husband will be doing them from now on as he has brought a Karcher window cleaning gizmo.

7 weeks went by and the phone rang asking if I could include them on my round again... unfortunately not 

 

[Adman]

I had a customer who had his hat and coat on waiting for me on Monday who believed that I would be exactly 6 weeks to the day from last time.  I rang him back to say I'm running a day or so late so left a message.  He rang me back and left a message that he wanted to leave it now through winter, but wanted to reconvene on the 15th of March which he had put on his calendar. 

F**k off mate

 

[Bwfc]

Funnily enough just had a cafe go to every 2 weeks cos they know windows get dirtier in the winter.. £15 everyone 

 

[NewGuy]

Another one dumped today who asked me not to return until March ?

 

[Suhrly]

We have appreciated your window cleaning and hard work however we would like to inform you that we will no longer need our Windows cleaning as my husband will be doing them from now on as he has brought a Karcher window cleaning gizmo.

I have lost a few to the 'We've bought a Karcher now' excuse ? Yeah, good luck on the Karcher cleaning all ya frames and sills! 

 

[Iron Giant]

I have lost a few to the 'We've bought a Karcher now' excuse ? Yeah, good luck on the Karcher cleaning all ya frames and sills! 

I always laugh at this excuse, makes you wonder how they are going to manage the upstairs windows ?

 

[P4dstar]

Another one dumped today who asked me not to return until March ?

At least they're honest. If you've got the capacity just tell them no problem, there will be a £10 surcharge in march to get them back to standard. If they argue with that then just politely thank them for their custom and replace them man. I used to get pretty stressed about this kinda **** too, the evidence is in my old posts, I can tell you from experience there are better customers out there and you won't struggle to replace people like this.

I always laugh at this excuse, makes you wonder how they are going to manage the upstairs windows ?

I think that kinda thing is insulting to us though, don't you? If someone says they can't afford it fair enough, if they think its not worth the money then fair enough, but to basically indicate they think our work is no better than hanging out the window with a Karcher is just rude.

 

[mike007]

I have lost a few to the 'We've bought a Karcher now' excuse ? Yeah, good luck on the Karcher cleaning all ya frames and sills! 

And windows(lol)

 

[spruce]

Going wfp was a learning curve for us @P4dstar. Cleaning outside with a Karcher is going to be a learning curve for them. ?

I've watched our neighbor next door but one clean his windows with a Karcher. They have a bungalow. First go was to much soap. Then he tried his car wash brush with soap and tap water. Then he washed with soap and rinsed the soap of with tap water. Dried the frames with a towel and used the Karcher on the glass. Didn't find the Karcher worked well so he put some more soap on the glass.

Took him 1/2 an hour to do that one window. Unfortunately the windows he has are those with 2 top openers above a large pain of glass underneath. He ended up with a steak down the centre of the glass.

He has a conservatory to clean around the back so I can only guess how long it took for him to clean the whole house and the conservatory. I got tired just watching him clean the first window.

 

[Davy G]

I've had folk saying they can do their own. Couple of things they say "I can turn my windows on special hinges to do the outsides", is one "We bought a Karcher" is another. A third one that just came to mind is "Husband/nephew is going to do them". I used to see Karchers on the inside sills on conservatories. Now I mostly see them dumped in the garages.

Folk can have all the equipment. We do. They can have windows that turn upside down and inside out. They can have relatives and spouses who say they'll do the windows. BUT, it's still a chore. It's still a physical job, even for us, with all our equipment.

I've had return requests from some of these people. They or their relatives will have realised it's a whole different matter to do them on a regular basis than it is to be the one off, tights and cape superhero. Some I've taken back. Most I couldn't be a... d to be bothered with them again. ?

 

[NewGuy]

At least they're honest. If you've got the capacity just tell them no problem, there will be a £10 surcharge in march to get them back to standard. If they argue with that then just politely thank them for their custom and replace them man. I used to get pretty stressed about this kinda **** too, the evidence is in my old posts, I can tell you from experience there are better customers out there and you won't struggle to replace people like this.

I think that kinda thing is insulting to us though, don't you? If someone says they can't afford it fair enough, if they think its not worth the money then fair enough, but to basically indicate they think our work is no better than hanging out the window with a Karcher is just rude.

Nah, I've removed them completely. I've decided I only want those that want an all year service. I don't mind some skipping but I certainly don't want the "good weather" brigade as these are likely the ones who won't want windows cleaned in the rain etc. 

No stress here as I would rather strike while the iron's hot!