Canvassing...Is there a risk that you are on someone elses patch?

[Pete McAdam]

I know its not like the old days where a windy would have a round that consisted of whole streets and he would walk it with the ladder on his shoulder, but do any of you worry that you are breaking into an established round?

How do you feel when you see a new windy knocking or leafleting on your round?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

It's all open game mate.

I will knock anywhere and anyone can knock mine, you wont get them as my custys are happy.

It's the custys choice whom they go with so knock everything you see.

Other windys aint feeding your family, once they do you can stop knocking their custys.

 

[Clisty1989]

I never knock a house where I know the windy well, and never undercut one either apart from that its all fair game

 

[dmw]

I know its not like the old days where a windy would have a round that consisted of whole streets and he would walk it with the ladder on his shoulder, but do any of you worry that you are breaking into an established round?How do you feel when you see a new windy knocking or leafleting on your round?

I've still got whole streets that I've had for years and very occasionally get "insurgents" canvassing or flyers but they don't get anywhere because I'm well known and do a good job, if however I did a poor job and was unapproachable I would quite rightly lose customers. After all you're only as good as your last job.

 

[Nicky]

20 + years ago I was knocking week after week, every door was a potential job ,had kids to feed etc , now my custys tell me that they have leaflets through the doors never lost one touch wood. When your knocking doors make sure your van is clean and your clothes, never under cut be your own man if you can't price don't knock .i said it's an open market

 

[Leeds]

I know its not like the old days where a windy would have a round that consisted of whole streets and he would walk it with the ladder on his shoulder, but do any of you worry that you are breaking into an established round?How do you feel when you see a new windy knocking or leafleting on your round?

I've canvassed a street as another windy is there cleaning.

 

[Nicky]

I've canvassed a street as another windy is there cleaning.

Personally I think that is bang out of order

 

[Leeds]

Personally I think that is bang out of order

Should I wait and do it behind his back?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I never knock a house where I know the windy well, and never undercut one either apart from that its all fair game

Never undercut, never undercut blah blah..... such a moot point and irrelivant.

To begin with you would have to know how much the windy is charging so you can undercut him and secondly if I knock a house I think is £20 and they happen to be paying £50 then someone has been making a mug of that custy.

Charge what you like, it's your business.

I for one have NEVER know nor been interested in what other local windys charge I'm only interested in what I charge.

 

[Dave B]

Personally I think that is bang out of order

All streets have a windy working at some point

Just because they are there working why can't you knock doors?

I wouldn't knock a house that i know he cleans or one he is actually cleaning at the time but all the others are fair game and rightly so

That guy might not need any more work or be happy as he is or not get on with certain people in the street..that doesn't mean the residents in that road don't want their windows cleaning

 

["H"]

Ref under cutting on price. I never ask what other window cleaners are charging.

Sometimes get told " ..... he does it for £12. What can you do it for?" Even if it's worth the £12 I will say £15. A polite and easier way of walking away as they the type of customer that will drop you as soon as someone comes along who will do it for £10.

If they agree on my price then I will take it. They might not get on with their window cleaner and looking for a reason to move on. At least I know in my heart that I didn't "poach" and I can look that window cleaner in the eye say so if they come gunning for me. (Have had that happen more than once. Have had 1 bod charge at me in the street accusing me of pinching his customers yet he admitted, sitting on his **** looking up at me, that it was his first time in that area and he was just canvassing. Silly sod!)

When I do knock on a door and they already have a window cleaner I might ask who it is and add "just wondering who it is and do they do many in the area as I don't want to be stepping on peoples toes. We've all got bills to pay" I say with a smile.

They might get on great with their cleaner like I do with a lot of my customers. And if their window cleaner stops coming for some reason then I might be next in line for a call to do theirs.

And also, when they tell their window cleaner that I have been around I was polite and not pushy and certainly not trying to poach customers and it works in my favour with them.

I get told too often by my customers of other window cleaners canvassing and blunt and asking about pricing when told that I am there already and they are the ones I keep an eye on.

Some are like me and when I see them I often wave and one in particular I have offered work to as it was closer to him than me.

Life's hard enough at times without making it harder.

Off now to clean a holiday cottage complex. Well worth working on a Saturday for. I need new tyres for my bike.

 

[David K]

Yes you are most likely always on 3-4 windys paths ... In my town there about 55.000 residents, we are 5-8 windys in the area ( one is my own brother) and of course every time I leaflet,I do it in "others area" or they do it in mine ? . But you need to capture and destroy the idea of " someone's patch " . There're is no such thing. If a windy says it , that's only because he's nervous of his work. The thing that's put your business over others is : quality, stability,and in some areas ,price . I focus on the 2 first mentioned.

Nobody owns nothing,but their own will to work hard and smart.

 

[David K]

Yes you are most likely always on 3-4 windys paths ... In my town there about 55.000 residents, we are 5-8 windys in the area ( one is my own brother) and of course every time I leaflet,I do it in "others area" or they do it in mine ? . But you need to capture and destroy the idea of " someone's patch " . There're is no such thing. If a windy says it , that's only because he's nervous of his work. The thing that's put your business over others is : quality, stability,and in some areas ,price . I focus on the 2 first mentioned.

Nobody owns nothing,but their own will to work hard and smart.

 

[David K]

Should I wait and do it behind his back?

I did it too. Just leaflets thoug . Got the customer and then the house across on my first clean at that same house...he did it trad and I knew I could get these frames from brown to white . I knew I had a Better product to sell... Fair and square!

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Personally I think that is bang out of order

Why? Does he feed your kids?

 

["H"]

Ref under cutting on price. I never ask what other window cleaners are charging.

Sometimes get told " ..... he does it for £12. What can you do it for?" Even if it's worth the £12 I will say £15. A polite and easier way of walking away as they the type of customer that will drop you as soon as someone comes along who will do it for £10.

If they agree on my price then I will take it. They might not get on with their window cleaner and looking for a reason to move on. At least I know in my heart that I didn't "poach" and I can look that window cleaner in the eye say so if they come gunning for me. (Have had that happen more than once. Have had 1 bod charge at me in the street accusing me of pinching his customers yet he admitted, sitting on his **** looking up at me, that it was his first time in that area and he was just canvassing. Silly sod!)

When I do knock on a door and they already have a window cleaner I might ask who it is and add "just wondering who it is and do they do many in the area as I don't want to be stepping on peoples toes. We've all got bills to pay" I say with a smile.

They might get on great with their cleaner like I do with a lot of my customers. And if their window cleaner stops coming for some reason then I might be next in line for a call to do theirs.

And also, when they tell their window cleaner that I have been around I was polite and not pushy and certainly not trying to poach customers and it works in my favour with them.

I get told too often by my customers of other window cleaners canvassing and blunt and asking about pricing when told that I am there already and they are the ones I keep an eye on.

Some are like me and when I see them I often wave and one in particular I have offered work to as it was closer to him than me.

Life's hard enough at times without making it harder.

Off now to clean a holiday cottage complex. Well worth working on a Saturday for. I need new tyres for my bike.

 

[Pete McAdam]

Fair game it is then. Thanks

 

["H"]

Ref under cutting on price. I never ask what other window cleaners are charging.Sometimes get told " ..... he does it for £12. What can you do it for?" Even if it's worth the £12 I will say £15. A polite and easier way of walking away as they the type of customer that will drop you as soon as someone comes along who will do it for £10.

If they agree on my price then I will take it. They might not get on with their window cleaner and looking for a reason to move on. At least I know in my heart that I didn't "poach" and I can look that window cleaner in the eye say so if they come gunning for me. (Have had that happen more than once. Have had 1 bod charge at me in the street accusing me of pinching his customers yet he admitted, sitting on his **** looking up at me, that it was his first time in that area and he was just canvassing. Silly sod!)

When I do knock on a door and they already have a window cleaner I might ask who it is and add "just wondering who it is and do they do many in the area as I don't want to be stepping on peoples toes. We've all got bills to pay" I say with a smile.

They might get on great with their cleaner like I do with a lot of my customers. And if their window cleaner stops coming for some reason then I might be next in line for a call to do theirs.

And also, when they tell their window cleaner that I have been around I was polite and not pushy and certainly not trying to poach customers and it works in my favour with them.

I get told too often by my customers of other window cleaners canvassing and blunt and asking about pricing when told that I am there already and they are the ones I keep an eye on.

Some are like me and when I see them I often wave and one in particular I have offered work to as it was closer to him than me.

Life's hard enough at times without making it harder.

Off now to clean a holiday cottage complex. Well worth working on a Saturday for. I need new tyres for my bike.

Sorry! Not a scooby why that has posted twice. /emoticons/unsure.png

 

[Jason Etheridge]

Personally I think that is bang out of order

I agree, if you mean you canvas as another cleaner is on the property.

1. You could end up looking like a tool, a customer will be thinking you know full well I have a cleaner and you are simply trying to poach work. Not great for a brand.

2. I wouldn't want someone doing it to me.

However, it is an open market... no one owns a patch.

I canvas everywhere, if a person says I've got a cleaner I simply say... that's great, please can I leave my card in case they ever stop coming or quit.

I don't ask about what they charge.

Jase

 

[adamangler]

Just go about your business and ignore them, who cares..the way i see it is ive put a lot of time, effort, money and sacrifivce into building a business am i really going to let another man destroy that by trying to intimidate me?

you want to be a business, a professional modern day business, stay professional and conduct yourself as such within the confines of the law, any problems and go to the police.

To be honest if you are working in run down areas being cleaned by a load of squabbling prehistoric cleaners fighting over beer money step away and leave them to and get yourself into the nicer areas of town.

Non of my work is particularly compact, i like it in the sense im in and out of a street pretty quick, i rarely see other shiners or get into a position of confrontation