Karcher has taken this cowboy customer...

[jaydogg]

Just for context:
This customer agreed to have her windows cleaned once in every 2 months summer just gone. I contacted her around September.

Her message:
Hi, I’m away next week but I’ll give you a shout when I’m back, if that’s ok?

I did wait, nothing happened. So in November I asked her if she'd like her windows cleaned. Her message was as follows:

"Hi! You seem to contact me when I’m going to be away! I’ll give you a shout next week when I’m back to get something booked in."
And the following screenshot is what I received today. Thoughts on a reply?

 

[dave1]

Dream job to lose move on and forget about them

 

[Part Timer]

I know the water down there is very hard so their windows will be worse than when they started

 

[jaydogg]

I know the water down there is very hard so their windows will be worse than when they started

Lol

 

[ched999uk]

Sounds like an unreliable customer. Don't worry better customers are out there.
I might word my text message a little different, I wouldn't ask if it's OK to clean their windows.
I would just say something like ' Hi x, just to let you know I'm due to clean your windows tomorrow. If you could close all windows and unlock any necessary gates that would be helpful, thanks.....'

 

[jaydogg]

Sounds like an unreliable customer. Don't worry better customers are out there.
I might word my text message a little different, I wouldn't ask if it's OK to clean their windows.
I would just say something like ' Hi x, just to let you know I'm due to clean your windows tomorrow. If you could close all windows and unlock any necessary gates that would be helpful, thanks.....'

Great advice. Thank you!

 

[johnny bravo]

Bye Bye

 

[spruce]

Under normal circumstances, @jaydogg I wouldn't even bother to reply. However, in this case, I might just send a single laughing emoji.

I wouldn't block her number, as I would know when she phones up in another couple of months, to ignore the call.

Don't we just love this time of the year? We are at this moment of time when the joy of receiving their Christmas gifts aren't the reality yet.

 

[jaydogg]

Under normal circumstances, @jaydogg I wouldn't even bother to reply. However, in this case, I might just send a single laughing emoji.

I wouldn't block her number, as I would know when she phones up in another couple of months, to ignore the call.

Don't we just love this time of the year? We are at this moment of time when the reality of their Christmas gifts haven't quite sunk in yet.

I'm not sure her Karcher will quite reach all the large conservatory windows I willingly added on to the price lol!

 

[dazmond]

Just for context:
This customer agreed to have her windows cleaned once in every 2 months summer just gone. I contacted her around September.

Her message:
Hi, I’m away next week but I’ll give you a shout when I’m back, if that’s ok?

I did wait, nothing happened. So in November I asked her if she'd like her windows cleaned. Her message was as follows:

"Hi! You seem to contact me when I’m going to be away! I’ll give you a shout next week when I’m back to get something booked in."
And the following screenshot is what I received today. Thoughts on a reply?


View attachment 31051

Never ask a customer can you clean their windows!TELL THEM!

I text 'I'll be calling to clean your windows tomorrow so can you please leave side gate unlocked for me if out.many thanks Darren'

If I get an excuse that's not reasonable they get dumped there and then.

By the way I very rarely get any problems with customers.

 

[DansClearView]

On that note from Dazmond, how does everyone operate with messages to customers?

Ever since I've started I've tried to message on the weekend for the week (or at least half the week). Gives me time to rearrange stuff if need be I guess. But now I am probably at 85% capacity that's getting tricky where I haven't completed the full day for whatever reason - breakdown/weather/kids etc.

Do most just message the night before and be done with it? Some of mine are notorious at confirming quickly.

Ta

 

[Pjj]

On that note from Dazmond, how does everyone operate with messages to customers?

Ever since I've started I've tried to message on the weekend for the week (or at least half the week). Gives me time to rearrange stuff if need be I guess. But now I am probably at 85% capacity that's getting tricky where I haven't completed the full day for whatever reason - breakdown/weather/kids etc.

Do most just message the night before and be done with it? Some of mine are notorious at confirming quickly.

Ta

Never have txt customers in over 25 years felt it was giving them the option to say leave it this time plus don’t want the hassle of having to do it .

 

[spruce]

Never have txt customers in over 25 years felt it was giving them the option to say leave it this time plus don’t want the hassle of having to do it .

I only text customers when I need to ensure they leave a side gate open for access. "We have scheduled your windows to be cleaned tomorrow. Please leave your side gate/rear gate unlocked so we can gain access to the back. Thanks. Best regards, Spruce."

I hate having to text anybody btw.

 

[P4dstar]

Never have txt customers in over 25 years felt it was giving them the option to say leave it this time plus don’t want the hassle of having to do it .

I come at this from a different angle. I’d rather lose those customers than keep people on who actually mean to cancel but keep forgetting. I feel the service is usually appreciated more by people who truly want us there. If they decide to cancel when they get the reminder then so be it.

I do agree with others though, I tell the customer we’re due to clean your windows tomorrow. That said we also give them the next date when they’re done.

 

[Pjj]

I come at this from a different angle. I’d rather lose those customers than keep people on who actually mean to cancel but keep forgetting. I feel the service is usually appreciated more by people who truly want us there. If they decide to cancel when they get the reminder then so be it.

I do agree with others though, I tell the customer we’re due to clean your windows tomorrow. That said we also give them the next date when they’re done.

I don’t see any need to txt them we don’t take of jobs with access issues if the gate is locked either we have a key or a code or we don’t take the job on Yes ime in a privileged position with picking and choosing customers but that’s the way I wanted to go years ago and have just stuck to it . I also understand that this way wouldn’t work in some parts of the country .

 

[ched999uk]

Ever since I've started I've tried to message on the weekend for the week (or at least half the week). Gives me time to rearrange stuff if need be I guess. But now I am probably at 85% capacity that's getting tricky where I haven't completed the full day for whatever reason - breakdown/weather/kids etc.

Do most just message the night before and be done with it? Some of mine are notorious at confirming quickly.

Ta

I text the night before at about 6pm. That way I can look at the weather forecast and take a reasonable guess if it's going to be OK to clean, I do always put 'subject to weather' in the text. It's not often that I have to txt to say weather has beaten me . I don't get confirmation for about 60 to 70% but that's fine. I have informed them I'm coming and that's what I told them I would do when I originally quoted. I don't worry if I don't get a reply, just crack on. There are a few that I would be slightly concerned if I didn't get a reply as you get to know who replies and who doesn't.

If I can't make it for what ever reason I txt them and explain - I like to keep them informed.

I also have the approximate date of the next clean on the bottom of the Squeegee invoice emails that they get after the last clean. That does mean I plan things out 6 weeks in advance if I am having a week off i.e. for my Christmas time off they where notified about 6 weeks ago that their next clean would be in January. I like to stick to my 6 weekly as best as I can.

 

[Septimus Meek]

On that note from Dazmond, how does everyone operate with messages to customers?

Ever since I've started I've tried to message on the weekend for the week (or at least half the week). Gives me time to rearrange stuff if need be I guess. But now I am probably at 85% capacity that's getting tricky where I haven't completed the full day for whatever reason - breakdown/weather/kids etc.

Do most just message the night before and be done with it? Some of mine are notorious at confirming quickly.

Ta

I only text customers where I need gates unlocked or if they need to be in for me to access. I used to do it the night before but sometimes the weather forecast was wrong and it was raining or sometimes I just didn't fancy going in . I now do it early morning on the day I'm doing them.

 

[Iron Giant]

I send texts out the night before around 7pm for locked gates via Cleaner Planner, it's rare for anyone to reply and cancel although they cant reply directly to the text, I might get the odd customer get in touch to let me know they are away and might ask to schedule for the following week but this is usually just the one customer within a year

 

[Iron Giant]

Just for context:
This customer agreed to have her windows cleaned once in every 2 months summer just gone. I contacted her around September.

Her message:
Hi, I’m away next week but I’ll give you a shout when I’m back, if that’s ok?

I did wait, nothing happened. So in November I asked her if she'd like her windows cleaned. Her message was as follows:

"Hi! You seem to contact me when I’m going to be away! I’ll give you a shout next week when I’m back to get something booked in."
And the following screenshot is what I received today. Thoughts on a reply?


View attachment 31051

I would have dropped her back in September

 

[Septimus Meek]

I would have dropped her back in September

I would have let the September one go as she may have genuinely been away but dropped her after the excuse in November. I always drop a customer after two consecutive refusals.

 

[Beeejayteee]

I fear my colleagues have too much time on their hands to spend all that time unnecessarily texting customers to inform them they're coming! Surely you're busy enough. You've admitted that the majority don't reply so why bother? I have never text my customers, I have no intention of starting anything that robs of my time I can use on much productive pursuits. I think sometimes we just overthink what our customers expect from us and we end up covering bases that don't exist.