etiquette regarding getting new work

[brightvision]

so, what is exactly is the general etiquette regarding canvassing/leafleting and not trying to 'steal' work?

recently I sent out two batches of leaflets to parts of two estates - within days I got phone calls from irate windy's about trying to steal their work. I explained that I wasn't interested in price wars or nicking their customers, but if anyone did need a cleaner to give me a ring. Both were quite aggressive in their approach and promised 'consequences' if my van was seen on those estates.

With one of them there were 10 houses on a little cul-de-sac and I had met a friend who told me he had just moved on and he might want me to do his windows. When I said that to the windy he told me that he did all of that street and that my friend should use the same cleaner as everyone else on there. He also reckoned that if I got a random call off anyone it is good practise to recommend they should ask their neighbours who does their windows and should use them.

At the end of the day I'm not going to get into a situation over doing a mates rate clean of one house and I'm quite willing to move on and try to find other areas. But surely every street in the country practically will have a window cleaner on it and if I played by the so called rules of the guy in the previous paragraph I would never get any work unless I paid for another round? I'm quite happy to buy existing work but first I got to get some more work than I have in order to save up and buy it!!!

Would welcome constructive advice.

 

[Smurf]

If someone asks for a quote whilst door knocking/leafleting etc you give them one. It is the customer that decides who they want to do the work not another window cleaner. All this get off my patch is total rubbish and if was being threataned by another window cleaner I would tell them straight that they don't own streets and I will take on work when I get asked by customers to do so.

 

[brightvision]

well the 2nd guy reckoned I shouldn't even be putting leaflets out! "you look at the windows and see they're looked after and you move on"

I agree that its total rubbish to think you own a street, I've met guys before who clean number 1 and 5 and they think they own number 3 as well if they ever decide to have theirs done.

I'm not, and don't want to be seen as, a soft touch - but likewise I don't want to be going around winding everybody up! I realise that 80% of the aggressive guys will be trying it on and won't ever do anything, but I work on my own and don't want to risk having my tyres slashed/hoses cut for the sake of a few quid here or there.

 

[Gavin]

Sadly in some areas you will get muppets like this. I have heard of some slashing tires etc in some areas. I just don't get it.

In my area all windies are great when I was cleaning I often cleaned shops right next to another windie and had a chat while we were doing it. No jealousy or fighting for work etc.

 

[Andykarlaxxx]

Find out what there company name is and ring the police, you shouldnt have to be worrying about getting your stuff vandalised. I would do anyway if i were you, its a joke, anyone tries ewt like that with me ill tell them were to stick it and ring the police.

 

[scrim it]

The way I see it is not everyone on the same street has to go to Tesco or Lidl so why would everyone use the same window cleaner. I've never encountered this thankfully. Maybe this happens more in housing estates?

 

[TolishAPurd]

Going to the police is sound advice for this situation. They don't have to do anything, but if they have some kind of record of the threat/conversation, it will work in your favour if you ever end up lumping said windy.

I just got in from a big leaflet drop myself, so I'll see if I get any abuse tomorrow, lol.

 

[Midlands_Cleaners]

just carry on with what your doing at the end of the day there enough houses in this country for us all to clean whether this other windy likes it or not! i had this about 2 years ago a phone call off another windy kicking off because i leafleted his so called estate after about 5 minutes of him attempting to intimidate me he finally plucked up some courage and said if he seen me on there was going to kick me off my ladder well i was cleaning guttering on that estate at the time of the phone call so said im on here now cleaning guttering if you wanna come and try it and he just put the phone down, iv seen the idiot on there cleaning and he hasnt said a word to me so id defintaly carry on smurf hit the nail on the head when he said customers decide who clean there windows not other window cleaners!

 

[pdale]

A good window cleaner will not lose customers and for those customers who are willing to try someone else to save a couple of quid are not worth keeping. In general most of the new customers I take on haven't got a window cleaner, though a window cleaner may work an estate it's highly doubtful he does half of them, let alone all of the windows there.

A couple of days ago I knocked the door of a window cleaner who wasn't happy, reckoned he did the whole estate which wasn't true as I'd already booked 6 houses by that time. I do try to avoid a window cleaners house if i'm told he lives there and in this case didn't knock the neighbours as he was still on the drive, but still carried on. There is no etiquette of such, this is business. A window cleaner will only lose customers if he does a bad job, which is then his fault.

I don't go out of my way, nor is it my intention to step on other peoples toes, but if doing my own thing I step on others toes then so be it.

 

[Smurf]

Unfortunately in this game anyone can buy a ladder and some trad gear then call themselves a window cleaner so there are some right nut jobs about like me....

STAY OFF MY PATCH /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[brightvision]

cheers guys, some sound advice. Its one of those things I suppose and its just unfortunate that I've got it so early on after starting up.

I'm not particularly intimidated and can hold my own if a **** comes after me, I just don't want the aggro or damages. I told him on the phone that as long as his work was good and his prices fair then nobody will even ring me - they haven't so fair play to him. I've hopefully got two lads working with me from January onwards so I'll feel a good bit more confident that I can avoid trouble