It begins! December Cancellation

[Iron Giant]

So i had a couple jobs in a area that is a little bit further away about 20mins round trip.

Both were going to be second cleans, texted them Monday saying i'll be over Wednesday morning one replied to say will be home but will leave back gate unlocked. The other customer never replied, but some don't and i still do them no problem.

So turn up at house 2 and no answer then check my phone and had a message to say please don't come in today to clean the windows. So i sent text to say I'm already here. anyway later on today i got a reply saying i did send text to say don't come. I replied that i was on the road and it's a bit late to cancel when i texted on the Monday to book them in. So i went back with that and said i'll take you off my round. Do you think that's a bit harsh or justified. I am still trying to build my round but want customers that have some respect for us

Straight off, pointless texting 2 days in advance you are giving people to much leeway and anything could happen, if I travelled to a house that I'd text I wouldn't be knocking on the door I'd be cracking on with the job and they'd be getting billed,

As for too harsh it's an instant dump, also I wouldn't drive a 20 minute round trip for 2-3 jobs unless they were £25+ houses 

 

[Iron Giant]

As Green Pro Clean once said, we are in the business of keeping windows clean - not cleaning windows. This is something I've carried with me from day one.

Are you sure this is correct should it not be, We are in the business of cleaning windows - not keeping windows clean,  

otherwise what are we doing everyday not cleaning windows ?
 

 

[Jaygti]

So i had a couple jobs in a area that is a little bit further away about 20mins round trip.

Both were going to be second cleans, texted them Monday saying i'll be over Wednesday morning one replied to say will be home but will leave back gate unlocked. The other customer never replied, but some don't and i still do them no problem.

So turn up at house 2 and no answer then check my phone and had a message to say please don't come in today to clean the windows. So i sent text to say I'm already here. anyway later on today i got a reply saying i did send text to say don't come. I replied that i was on the road and it's a bit late to cancel when i texted on the Monday to book them in. So i went back with that and said i'll take you off my round. Do you think that's a bit harsh or justified. I am still trying to build my round but want customers that have some respect for us

If you have plenty of work, then it’s an instant dump. 
If I was struggling to pay the bills, I’d have sucked it up. Although I would have made a mental note to dump them later when I have more work. 

Straight off, pointless texting 2 days in advance you are giving people to much leeway and anything could happen, if I travelled to a house that I'd text I wouldn't be knocking on the door I'd be cracking on with the job and they'd be getting billed,

As for too harsh it's an instant dump, also I wouldn't drive a 20 minute round trip for 2-3 jobs unless they were £25+ houses 

Yes night before is the way to do it, much less likely to forgot. 

 

[Davy G]

Our business wouldn't flow as quickly and efficiently if we didn't text the day before. Several gates would still be locked when we arrived and payments wouldn't be left. We're mostly domestic and can be visiting over thirty properties on a busy day. It has to flow for me. I'd get bored if I had to faff about. Get stuck in, get on with it, get done, get finished, get home, get prepared for the next day, get in, get the kettle on. As near as can be to a military operation.

It does give them a chance to cancel but we don't get too much of it. I rather see it as sorting the wheat from the chaff. If they are going to be messers I'd rather know and move on to recruiting better clientele.?

 

[Iron Giant]

Our business wouldn't flow as quickly and efficiently if we didn't text the day before. Several gates would still be locked when we arrived and payments wouldn't be left. We're mostly domestic and can be visiting over thirty properties on a busy day. It has to flow for me. I'd get bored if I had to faff about. Get stuck in, get on with it, get done, get finished, get home, get prepared for the next day, get in, get the kettle on. As near as can be to a military operation.

It does give them a chance to cancel but we don't get too much of it. I rather see it as sorting the wheat from the chaff. If they are going to be messers I'd rather know and move on to recruiting better clientele.?

Exactly, I had one cancel the other day new drive going down, how bloody dare they ?

 

[dazmond]

Our business wouldn't flow as quickly and efficiently if we didn't text the day before. Several gates would still be locked when we arrived and payments wouldn't be left. We're mostly domestic and can be visiting over thirty properties on a busy day. It has to flow for me. I'd get bored if I had to faff about. Get stuck in, get on with it, get done, get finished, get home, get prepared for the next day, get in, get the kettle on. As near as can be to a military operation.

It does give them a chance to cancel but we don't get too much of it. I rather see it as sorting the wheat from the chaff. If they are going to be messers I'd rather know and move on to recruiting better clientele.?

This is exactly how I run my business too....?

 

[dazmond]

So i had a couple jobs in a area that is a little bit further away about 20mins round trip.

Both were going to be second cleans, texted them Monday saying i'll be over Wednesday morning one replied to say will be home but will leave back gate unlocked. The other customer never replied, but some don't and i still do them no problem.

So turn up at house 2 and no answer then check my phone and had a message to say please don't come in today to clean the windows. So i sent text to say I'm already here. anyway later on today i got a reply saying i did send text to say don't come. I replied that i was on the road and it's a bit late to cancel when i texted on the Monday to book them in. So i went back with that and said i'll take you off my round. Do you think that's a bit harsh or justified. I am still trying to build my round but want customers that have some respect for us

Text customers the evening before not 2 days before...

 

[JEM]

Straight off, pointless texting 2 days in advance you are giving people to much leeway and anything could happen, if I travelled to a house that I'd text I wouldn't be knocking on the door I'd be cracking on with the job and they'd be getting billed,

As for too harsh it's an instant dump, also I wouldn't drive a 20 minute round trip for 2-3 jobs unless they were £25+ houses 

Its' a new area that i'm trying to build up one was £35 and this one was £20, as I'm still building the round i think its worth the journey plus did some door knocking and got another £30 house there.

I am moving over to texting the day before, i started out 2 days before as i thought customers would appreciate it.

If they had started the text with really sorry ect then i might have been a bit more forgiving but it just came across a bit i don't care that you are here, i didn't want to get into the why's ect. As this was the second clean and the first they paid cash i couldn't bill them also needed the back gate unlocked.

Anyway you lose some and gain some i've moved on?

 

[Jonny 67]

Our business wouldn't flow as quickly and efficiently if we didn't text the day before. Several gates would still be locked when we arrived and payments wouldn't be left. We're mostly domestic and can be visiting over thirty properties on a busy day. It has to flow for me. I'd get bored if I had to faff about. Get stuck in, get on with it, get done, get finished, get home, get prepared for the next day, get in, get the kettle on. As near as can be to a military operation.

It does give them a chance to cancel but we don't get too much of it. I rather see it as sorting the wheat from the chaff. If they are going to be messers I'd rather know and move on to recruiting better clientele.?

Ditto....

 

[spruce]

Are you sure this is correct should it not be, We are in the business of cleaning windows - not keeping windows clean,  

otherwise what are we doing everyday not cleaning windows ?
 

In my early wfp days I cleaned a house and then knocked for payment. The old lady came out with the money. I happened to mention that her windows weren't too dirty this time. Her response; "young man, (I knew she was fibbing when she said that but it made me feel good anyway,?) I pay you to keep my windows clean, not clean them when they are dirty."

She has long since died, but I have never forgotten what she said to me. I've often used it when a customer suggests I leave it this time as the windows aren't dirty.

Its' a new area that i'm trying to build up one was £35 and this one was £20, as I'm still building the round i think its worth the journey plus did some door knocking and got another £30 house there.

I am moving over to texting the day before, i started out 2 days before as i thought customers would appreciate it.

If they had started the text with really sorry ect then i might have been a bit more forgiving but it just came across a bit i don't care that you are here, i didn't want to get into the why's ect. As this was the second clean and the first they paid cash i couldn't bill them also needed the back gate unlocked.

Anyway you lose some and gain some i've moved on?

The only ones we contact are those with padlocked gates we can't get the steps across.

 

[ched999uk]

I pay you to keep my windows clean, not clean them when they are dirty."

She has long since died, but I have never forgotten what she said to me. I've often used it when a customer suggests I leave it this time as the windows aren't dirty.

Don't you ever get the customers who you told that to ring you and say they are dirty after a storm and they have just paid you to keep them clean ?

 

[Iron Giant]

In my early wfp days I cleaned a house and then knocked for payment. The old lady came out with the money. I happened to mention that her windows weren't too dirty this time. Her response; "young man, (I knew she was fibbing when she said that but it made me feel good anyway,?) I pay you to keep my windows clean, not clean them when they are dirty."

She has long since died, but I have never forgotten what she said to me. I've often used it when a customer suggests I leave it this time as the windows aren't dirty.

I always remember the tale just not the exact words she said to you ? I'm surprised you remembered it as your memory is worse than mine ? this is exactly the thing we are maintaining the cleanliness of their windows/property  I think someone robbed the element of this and blabbed it all over YouTube ?

 

[Tango]

Last year i had loads of cancellations and no tips. This year i've had no cancellations and several tips.

How does that work?