Can I leave it until next month?

[Dino]

Howdy guys and gals,

Getting chilly out there now and with the bad weather I have had my first "er can we leave it until next month mate, they don't need doing".  This is after 8 weeks of them being cleaned.  Told the customer I can't run a business on an as and when needed basis.  They confirmed they are not on holiday, they just want to skip.  What do you reckon?  Messer get rid and move on?  I mean if they do it once the'y'll just do it again right?  Your thoughts and experiences with this form of messerisms?

I explained to the customer with this text "Hello, I can't run my business on a as and when basis.  I maintain the windows so the dirt does not build up.  I book people into slots for a clean on my 4 and 8 week rounds.  You are on my 8 week round.  Would you like me to remove you?"  She responded "Yes, and to be honest I am very surprised, you have any business, as you are so rude".  What you reckon?  Was I too blunt?  I just can entertain customers who think we are there when they feel the windows need doing, its a waste of my time.  Would you guys have handled this any differently? 

Cheers

 

[HWCS]

Sorry buddy but honest answer is yes, i would word it very differently and id have given a simlar response to her, it does seem very blunt.

Id have replied

"Hello Mrs ********

Thanks for your message, i can leave them this time but as it will be 16 weeks since the last clean there may be a small surcharge on the next clean as the frames will have alot more build up.

As a general rule of thumb we dont recomend missing cleans for the following reasons.

Most customers dont generally like the surcharge for whats technically a first clean, and also we are a fulltime business that rely on our customers having regular cleans just as our customers rely on us coming regularly.

Regards

Jon"

 

[Dino]

Thanks Jon.  That is great advice.  Wish I had posted before I responded!

 

[Part Timer]

She was obviously going to be a pita the way she responded to your text. Yes you could have been slightly more diplomatic but you weren't in any way rude. Don't let it get you down, learn from this, what little there is to learn, and move on. I wouldn't bother replying to her last text.

 

[Joshyouare]

This is why I have a terms and conditions page on my website which I get all my customers to read before signing up.

Mine state that if a customer wants to cancel the service entirely then they must give 3 days notice. Also states that I run a maintenance service and not an as and when service. Reading through them now actually I need to add something to combat this situation.

I don't stick to these 100% though as I'm still building and taking a hit sometimes is the best way to do it - in regards to the message I do agree with @HWCS, probably was a bit rude, unless the customer is a right twonk then I would have sent something similar too. It wasn't that rude though - customer has definitely took something personally ?

 

[Pjj]

I explain in detail when quoting that we work all year long and work in all weathers , if this happens to us I remind them of that and it’s an instant dump and never go back , 

 

[Suhrly]

Honestly I take each customer as it comes in that if it does happen I look back at how they've performed in the past. If they've been a good customer I'll be a little more forgiving with them but if it keeps happening with them then I'll say something and take it from there. 

 

[Ana]

Think you might have dodged a bullet with that customer mate tbh. I do a few EOM (every other monthers) at the end of two of my three week cycles, I don't mind doing them as I knew when the round was purchased they were cleaned that way. Anyone who asks to be a EOM can go onto this list but with a few conditions. 

Firstly, they defiantly have it done every other month, second it will be done when I'm able (not on there time table). Third, they are done in any weather and lastly they are charged a little higher due to me spending the extra time on them.

not had any issues with any of them as they seem to understand your doing them the favour. In my opinion your well within your rights to have a pop at once every 16 weeks! Just crazy.

 

[Tango]

Personally i don't think it was rude, factual yes, rude no. Rude would be "why you ****ing little..." lol. I think the word some of you are looking for is blunt - not to be confused with rude.

Yes it could have perhaps been toned down or tweaked a bit / dressed up, whatever you want to call it however the message was at the end of the day factual.

16 weeks.. I wouldn't have bothered going back myself. I'd probably have sent a text saying:

"Hiya X, it's been 16 weeks since i last gave your windows a regular clean, in that time things build up and it then takes me longer to service the property. This impacts on the amount of work i can take on for that day. I'm happy to return to you but would need to add on a surcharge of £X to cover the extra time. FAiling that, for the same price i can offer a budget clean - literally a splash n dash which covers glass only but not the frames. Let me know how you'd like to proceed, X".

Or you could just splash n dash like a maintenance clean and not be too whole hearted about it knowing that you're getting the last laugh cos you've taken their money one last time and are now dropping them!

 

[dmw]

Howdy guys and gals,

Getting chilly out there now and with the bad weather I have had my first "er can we leave it until next month mate, they don't need doing".  This is after 8 weeks of them being cleaned.  Told the customer I can't run a business on an as and when needed basis.  They confirmed they are not on holiday, they just want to skip.  What do you reckon?  Messer get rid and move on?  I mean if they do it once the'y'll just do it again right?  Your thoughts and experiences with this form of messerisms?

I explained to the customer with this text "Hello, I can't run my business on a as and when basis.  I maintain the windows so the dirt does not build up.  I book people into slots for a clean on my 4 and 8 week rounds.  You are on my 8 week round.  Would you like me to remove you?"  She responded "Yes, and to be honest I am very surprised, you have any business, as you are so rude".  What you reckon?  Was I too blunt?  I just can entertain customers who think we are there when they feel the windows need doing, its a waste of my time.  Would you guys have handled this any differently? 

Cheers

Looks like they are looking for one clean closer to Christmas, then probably put you off until Easter.

You might have been rather blunt in your response, but judging by their response they'll always give you the run around. You can get better customers than that, I just wouldn't reply now.

It's funny that all of us can be more abrupt with a text than face to face. (Me Included).

 

[spruce]

Personally @Dino I wouldn't take these things too seriously.

If you are building a round then my opinion is that you sometimes have to put up with this occasionally. Once you get more established then you can start to pick and choose.

Maybe they have had an expense this month that has knocked them financially. We had a vet bill for removal of a growth between the pads of our dog's rear foot which cost us nearly £1000.00. That was a bill we weren't expecting, especially as it came on the back of our quarterly gas and electric bill.

If it becomes the norm then I would then consider your future business relationship. But there is nothing stopping you adding extra to the next clean.

We live in a small village and work in the small villages around about. I have never had a sign written van but most people in the area know who we are. In dealing with customers, your first priority to handling business issues is how your dealing with your customer will affect your reputation.

We had an old girl who wanted her windows and her son's cleaned every 4 weeks on Thursday at around 10 in the morning. We couldn't agree to that so she 'dumped' us. I occasionally see her in the street and we stop and chat. She referred us to 4 of her friends long after she dumped us as we were nice, did a good job, were trustworthy and honest.

 

[Davit]

"Hello, I can't run my business on a as and when basis.  I maintain the windows so the dirt does not build up.  I book people into slots for a clean on my 4 and 8 week rounds.  You are on my 8 week round.  Would you like me to remove you?" 

Not rude at all.

As has been said, maybe missing a sight bit of tact but not by much.  I would only have changed it to:

"Hello, at this time I'm not cleaning on an as and when basis.  I maintain the windows so the dirt does not build up.  I book people into slots for a clean on my 4 and 8 week rounds.  You are on my 8 week round.  I can remove you from this round if that is what you would prefer for now?"

 

[laddergarder]

I have a new customer flyer which states our service is every 4 to 5 weeks, and we require 48 hours notice to cancel a booking.

Every time I give a quote I also give a written quotation which states the price is based on a 4 to 5 weekly basis.

If I do get an odd can we miss it, I just say to problem, but we only offer our service on a monthly basis and ask for notice to cancel a booking, if you can just give us a call or email next time.

That keeps it plessant, and if they are not interested in a monthly service, we part ways. 

The only reason we get our price so low is because frequency allows us to create rounds and reduce logistics. But customer dont want to hear that. Just keep it to, this is our service, this is what we do, and how often. Not interested, no problem. 

 

[Dino]

All great responses, thanks.  I am still building my round, just over 70.  Not canvassed in ages.  I think when this happens it gives you a kick up the bum and you realise you have to keep on top of your round as customers naturally leave the round.

The irony of this was, the female customer had a really good rapport with me face to face.  Text really is a nightmare.  The other irony is, she runs a regular domestic cleaning business.  I wonder if she lets her domestic customers miss cleans regularly, hmm.... Onwards and upwards everyone!! 

 

[Robbo]

I just say 'no problem' and then decide if I want to do them next time or not. 

My theory is, if you don't want your windows cleaned, then you don't need me, so don't waste my time!

 

[Cookie]

I have quite a few holiday lets and the odd residential customer that cancels over the winter.

This is great for me since I get an earlier finish during the winter months and it makes scheduling much easier this time of year when it gets dark much earlier and the weather isn't so kind. However I make sure that on these jobs I'm earning an additional £5 to £10 an hour over my other residential jobs - win, win for me... ?

 

[Incheck]

I don’t see anything rude about what you said. Straight to the point & honest, no foul language. No wrong done on your part fella. You’re trying to put bread on the table every month it’s not a lemonade stand at the summer community gathering. 

The way you have to look at it is. If every customer did the same. How much income are you losing. Im pretty sure if their employer said to them “skip this month i cant afford to pay you” they’ed soon be looking for a more secure job. So go and get yourself a secure customer to make up for it fella ?

 

[dazmond]

i had one too this week.....8 weekly and im a week late due to a holiday....no reason just a text "can we miss this time!thanks!.....this is on estate work....its not the first time they ve skipped....their not on holiday either......i just cant be bothered anymore..picked up a new job round the corner on a 4 weekly anyway so glad to get rid...

1.the gate has a load of bricks in a bin keeping it shut...its been like that for years,its a pain to open

2.it takes them ages to pay me...sometimes up to til their due again so nearly 8 weeks!

3.often theres dog muck down the side of the house i have to dodge as well as the horrible smell of dog urine

other than that they seem like nice,pleasant people according to the neighbours...i dont want them as a customer though...

it can be awkward as i clean 4 days work on this estate so invariably they see me(and me them)every month but ill just ignore them.....theres at least 4 other jobs ive dropped for messing me about for payment(or constantly very late in paying!)and we just avoid each other now!?

 

[P4dstar]

I used to let it bother me. If you were to look back a year I reckon you wouldn't be hard pressed to find a post about an annoying customer that originated from me. I realised something a while back though and I'm sure this is true for most of us. We let certain customers get away with murder and other customers not. For example....

.it takes them ages to pay me...sometimes up to til their due again so nearly 8 weeks!

Sorry to use you as an example Daz. How many have we got were we let this happen because we know they'll pay but lay into other customers because the circumstances feel different.

I decided to set out stricter rules. As the business grows I need to treat every customer fairly and the same. If you get 7 days to pay then pay within 7 days. After that reminders are sent to all at the same times, even the types above. Then when they chased me up with ''oi, why you stressing about your money'' or ''you know I'll pay you what's the rush'' (to quote just 2 reactions) I simply explained that if every customer didn't pay till next time I would be out of business. With one I laid it on thick and said I struggled to pay my bills the previous month and couldn't allow late payments anymore.

With regards to cancellations most people will have some they let get away with it and others who we just cancel. I've said since day one of being a window cleaner its important to tell people you're not going back etc. Basically just be straight with them. I think the OP has been pretty straight with the customer but probably not done much for his business rep. Personally when I get a text asking to cancel with no explanation I say ''No probs, what's up?'' or perhaps Is everything ok if there isn't a great rapport with that customer. If someone says they don't need doing similar to payments everyone gets treated the same for me. Just tell them ''No probs, let me know when you want them done again and I'll fit you in somewhere''. I deliberately want that to be really vague. With a couple of customers I mentioned surcharges but it just didn't seem worth the hassle at that point. I drop that customer from the round and if they call or text I just give them a new price. Must have done this with 15-20 this year. One called me a f**king d1ckhead and put the phone down, he pointed out to me that the new price was £10 more than usual but didn't give me a chance to explain I would be doing extra work etc etc.

 

[Iron Giant]

As I have said in the past I have an information page on my website, upon newbies agreeing to a quote they are provided with a link to page and told to read through it all and if they have any questions to get in touch, I've no doubt most don't bother to read it or if they do they do they just quickly scroll down the page, Basically I outline that the text isn't an invitation to cancel and 24hrs notice is required neither are doorstep cancellations acceptable and either my minimum charge of £7.00 will be due or a the full charge if gates are locked or bolted multiple times. 

My example got a text a while back can you leave it this time for a 4 weekly job, I responded asking what the reason was to be told the forecast doesn't look very good, I told her it wasn't a valid reason and there would be a surcharge of 40% next clean for the extra work involved, this job is on a main road so I felt it was justified, she was a bit miffed and deemed it unfair but let me clean as normal

I do have jobs were I wouldn't charge extra for the next clean with a valid reason even if some extra work is involved like if they have had a new patio layed, I treat as I find, the women I mentioned was becoming a a bit of pain money was always left in an agreed safe place then it wasn't but on the whole she has been a decent client over the years so I felt she had chances previously. I had another one yesterday multiple offender the gate is rarely open when I call but she does open it she is in, this gate is a 6ft gate with a top bolt that is impossible to shift, so I cleaned the front 3 windows and door £7 charge.

 

 

[dazmond]

ive let this customer get away with murder for years simply because its on an estate i clean 90+ houses on.....if it was a stand alone id of dumped it years ago but ive had enough now.......i can easily pay my bills without the odd customer paying late but the whole job(dodgy gate,dog muck,missed cleans for no reason,late payments) all add up to a customer i dont want on my round....

the 4 other ex customers on this estate were all dumped because of  persistent late payment.....