Is it wrong to canvass where another windy is

[slipknot]

I stopped a window cleaner who was trad and I asked how many guys work in the area as I had just moved here and want to do Wfp and he goes oh don't bother there is a few of us.

That to me says give it a shot as that's competition. Or is window cleaning anyone's area now like they don't have patches like they used to as I was led to believe

 

[albootyerbaws]

thread title??

 

[CleanerWindows]

I believe competition is a healthy thing and if your not doing your job right then you deserve to lose it but and its a big BUT (does my bum look big in this) when beer money windys try to seriously undercut others just to get the work makes me laff..last year had a tight custy say they had one of those flyers you leave in the window offering to do the windows for nearly half my price.. take it i said he can come and do my house too.. still got the custy and never got my house cleaned for next to nothing.. gutted lol

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[slipknot]

Sorry ment to be canverse

 

[spruce]

Sorry ment to be canverse

canvass is the word you were looking for. /emoticons/wink.png

 

[CleanerWindows]

I must add though i never flyer canvas etc... All came from word of mouth and no need to expand... [emoji56]

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[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Title fixed.

I canvass any and every door I can find.

 

[Carlwindy]

Canvass what ever area you like but don't knock on people's work and try and under cut them because I personally think it's out of order! I canvass all over but I don't knock on doors with clean windows and frames!

 

[Den]

5 months ago I was leafleting quite a wealthy road, when stopped and spoke to windie and he told me him another windie do that road won't get any down there blah, blah,blah within three months I have two along that road puts a smile on my face everytime I see him now as the same windie told me there is no work in the town as X amount of windies already working there I have over a 100 customers in that town alone, just crack on, they won't have anything to worry about if they are good at their job. By the way all the other windies I have met have been as good as good.

 

[spruce]

Canvass what ever area you like but don't knock on people's work and try and under cut them because I personally think it's out of order! I canvass all over but I don't knock on doors with clean windows and frames!

Why not? They could be cleaning them themselves and would welcome you taking on the task. You can never guess what the situation is until you ask.

On the other hand we have knocked some houses with really filthy windows and frames and have been told they have a window cleaner.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Canvass what ever area you like but don't knock on people's work and try and under cut them because I personally think it's out of order! I canvass all over but I don't knock on doors with clean windows and frames!

Why is there always an assumption that if you knock a door that has a windy you are trying to undercut?

Even if they say they got a windy I give them my spiel and a price. Always finding houses that have windys but want a gutter clean or patio doing.

Landed a £200 gutter job today when I noted a house with clean windows and frames but overgrown gutters.

If their current windy offers gutter cleans then he should have paid more attention.

 

[johnny bravo]

canvass, how do you think they got work in that area. they canvasses of course, if they bought the round then they may be pished. not only will you canvass but others will also.

This is how we get work

i always seem to end up whistling or smiling when i get new work.

 

[Chris33]

It's the simple fact that some think they own towns,streets,even individual houses...and as you've seen,they'll try and put you off.

I picked up one the other day,who's last window cleaner was missing windows. So he switched to me.

When the old guys workers went for payment they were told that was the end of them. Their boss goes round that night and bangs on the poor guys door demanding to know who I am, absolutely raging by the sounds of it,asks for my flier etc.

They can bring it though. They own nothing,and better they realise it. But that does bring an added risk in certain areas; I personally have annoyed two cleaners here and it's likely we will have it out down the line as I slowly take their shoddy ass work off them.

Will it stop me,should it stop you?no chance.

 

[brianbadonde]

I think it is fine to canvass where other windies work. I wouldnt ever try to undercut, but I would give a fair price as I would to anyone. If it was a house that I knew someone else cleaned, then I wouldnt knock, but maybe pop a flier through letterbox. There are so many windows that there arent enough windies to do all the work. I have got plenty of work in areas that are already well established to other windies, I have just picked up the ones they havent got. If people arent in through the day then they may never see window cleaners so wont ask and just never get round to it. I (suprisingly) have had quite a warm reception from local window cleaners since I started 3 years ago and we tend to pass jobs each others way if certain requests dont tie in with our current work. I recently passed an out of town round to a more local windy as he was a really nice chap; another windy who lives nearby is a complete b******d so I never gave him any! That must have put his nose out of joint. If a windy gets funny with you trying to "steal" their work then they are doing something wrong. If you are good at your job you shouldnt have a problem. I live somewhere where there seems to be tons of windys and work is never short on supply.

 

[Rosewood]

we are all in the service industry and consequently offer a service. The customer decides if they want the service and who should supply that service, some will decide on price others on quality of work or frequency and add on services offered. But one thing is certain in the residential sector no one owns areas, streets or individual customers. Offer your service where ever and to whoever you like. One other point a lot of people make there decision on personality, if they like you they'll use you.

 

[noddy]

do what you like I do , weather you under cut or not , its your company and nobody elses , people will use you or not its a free market out there

 

[David K]

Nobody owns an area ! Of course He Said " dont bother! " nobody wants competition , but in the real world there is of course . When i see a new guy in my area i use it as a motivation to go Out leafletting even more /emoticons/wink.png

 

[Chris33]

In April just as I'd started out there was a street I remember canvassing. A guy was working trad with an unger telescopic pole that day,I chapped all the doors right there Inc the house next to the one he was on.

Turned out he had two houses there,that areas now built up to 9 or 10 for me. A few weeks ago I took the last house that he cleaned there off him, and personally felt a bit bad at first. But it's business and any windys who understand the principle of that,will know alls fair in love and war.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

do what you like I do , weather you under cut or not

It's the undercutting that people seem to think is 'Taboo'

I knocked up a large care home in passing as a chancer, got talking to the girl and she told me that the new manger had just taken over and was looking at all the services and where he may save a little if possible.

I asked her for a tour of the place and she showed me around the two blocks. It was a steady 4-5 hours work at a push. I asked if she knew what they were paying and she told me it was £320.00 every six weeks! -- (That was my reaction)

'OK' - I said calmly - '£320 for all that'

'NO' -- She said -- '£320 per block'



Sorry lads but anyone out there that thinks that 5 hours for one man is worth £640.00 should not be surprised if they get undercut.

Needless to say I now have the contract at a vastly reduced cost, have also got the kitchen cleaning from them as well (which is always a good bonus)

However it was not price alone as they also got two more quotes in, it was a properly typed up quote as well as the RAMS I provided. Mai reason they were changing was they were not happy as the current cleaner was seen to skip a lot of windows every visit.

______________________________________

On to the domestic front I had a call from a FB lead to go quote a 5 bed detached.

I went out, saw the wife and gave a quote.

A week has passed and the custy has text me saying that my price is a bit more than he is paying his current window cleaner and what's the very best price I can give him if I want to 'win' the job from the other cleaner?

I have a strict rule that the price is the price, no matter what anyone else is doing or expects. Also if he is rolling like that he is not the type of custy I want to invest my time in.

My response was 'Very sorry John, as I said to you spaces are extremely limited on our N***N round and it is a matter of ''dead mens shoes''. Since I spoke to your wife last week the slot I had available has been taken by one of your neighbors and I have two more waiting for a place as soon as I have one. Thank you for considering us though and good luck to you'

 

[steve garwood]

Why not? They could be cleaning them themselves and would welcome you taking on the task. You can never guess what the situation is until you ask. On the other hand we have knocked some houses with really filthy windows and frames and have been told they have a window cleaner.

Yeh that's daveyboy /emoticons/wink.png :laugh:

 

[PDixon cvs]

I had a call from a windy the other day thinking I was following his round errrrmmm no I just flyerd his area trying to pick up a couple extras near my customer

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