Losing Customers

[Tuffers]

Blackcountry area Dudley, West Bromwich, Wednesbury etc.

Not being a snob but that's probably your problem. Try Shropshire and Worcestershire, more affluent.

 

[Davy G]

Not being a snob but that's probably your problem. Try Shropshire and Worcestershire, more affluent.

Yeah, sometimes a small distance of travel to a nearby more affluent area can be well worth it. Half a mile or less can sometimes make a difference between a clientele with little disposable income and an affluent road or estate.

 

[Iron Giant]

Any cancellations I offer them 8 weekly at a 40% increase some take it some don't

I have lost a good few jobs this year, but mostly with people moving house, this year has been a bit of a downer and it's never good losing jobs, but on the upside they have been replaced with higher priced jobs, my area is now more saturated with windys and enquires have dropped off massively,

But if you are busy enough, then look at it as a positive. 

 

[dazmond]

I can honestly say I've never lost many customers since I started 28 years ago...obviously I lose the odd one or two here and there but they are replaced very quickly within a few weeks or so with new enquiries/walk ups....

Most of my work is in a 3 mile affluent area(300+ jobs) and I've compacted and refined it over many years....

I'd try and concentrate building a new round in a more affluent area (if there are any near you within a 15-20min drive from home) and be more flexible with cleaning frequencies...this is what I've done and its paying off handsomely these days....I'm currently in greece waiting for my missus to get ready then we re off to find a nice greek restaurant for dinner!??

Keep your prices fair but not too low

Canvass more affluent customers 

Compact and refine

Offer longer frequencies at higher prices

 

[Jonny 67]

From what you're saying you're in the wrong areas. I learned very very quickly. Middle classes. Middle classes. Middle classes.

 

[Iron Giant]

From what you're saying you're in the wrong areas. I learned very very quickly. Middle classes. Middle classes. Middle classes.

That might be the case, but a good many areas across the UK are saturated with cleaners, so we can't all work those areas, I have a decent mix but avoid certain estates, I don't consider all or most of my custys middle class either but by definition they are,

@rafterys2003 is seemingly charging a decent price for a 70-80's 3 bed semi on a 4 weekly schedule. 

 

[Jamesmarshall]

Or go for the same price increase but for 6 weekly. If the price and frequency are both set for 6 weekly from day one there's no need to stretch anything in the diary and most customers  will be quite happy to pay a small amount extra, with the small annual savings to them overall. It's definitely no harder to clean the windows in my area at 6 than it is at 4. It is at 8 though.

The customer doesn't have to wait for nearly two months which is a long time between cleans to maintain acceptably clean windows on 8 weekly. The tradesman gets paid at an acceptable frequency. I wouldn't want to have to wait 8 weeks as a customer, or as a tradesman when it's my livelihood.

This subject needs much more thought than a lot of people realise. Preferably along with consultation with a good accountant.

Totally different for the coastal guys as we've said before.

Yes it does when you reach a certain point without taking on full time you can switch all to 6 weeks charge more and take on more work

good way to increase your earnings without really doing any more

I’m close to that stage myself now, I’ll probably consult the customers see if the majority are happy with it 

 

[Davy G]

Yes it does when you reach a certain point without taking on full time you can switch all to 6 weeks charge more and take on more work

good way to increase your earnings without really doing any more

I’m close to that stage myself now, I’ll probably consult the customers see if the majority are happy with it 

One thing I forgot to say in my previous posts is ; if I were a customer I wouldn't want to have to find the price of window cleaning in my house every 4 weeks or month. That would be around £15~£16 in my case if I were pricing it 4 weekly. I'd much rather pay an extra couple of quid and wait two weeks longer each time before having to find the money. Think about when we have to pay our own bills and how quickly they come around. I was doing quite a few at 4 in the early days and got fed up with people questioning "Is it 4 weeks already?" I didn't want to be there either. I felt it was too soon. They very rarely make a similar comment about the 6. I did the sums and realised that 6 weekly would bring in at least an extra £100 per week provided I filled the spaces freed up. Usually it's double that. We do twenty to a little over thirty domestic jobs a day as a two man team working on average 5 ~6 hours max.

 

[Jamesmarshall]

One thing I forgot to say in my previous posts is ; if I were a customer I wouldn't want to have to find the price of window cleaning in my house every 4 weeks or month. That would be around £15~£16 in my case if I were pricing it 4 weekly. I'd much rather pay an extra couple of quid and wait two weeks longer each time before having to find the money. Think about when we have to pay our own bills and how quickly they come around. I was doing quite a few at 4 in the early days and got fed up with people questioning "Is it 4 weeks already?" I didn't want to be there either. I felt it was too soon. They very rarely make a similar comment about the 6. I did the sums and realised that 6 weekly would bring in at least an extra £100 per week provided I filled the spaces freed up. Usually it's double that. We do twenty to a little over thirty domestic jobs a day as a two man team working on average 5 ~6 hours max.

Yeah I’ve heard that a few times ?

I think it’ll be weighing up whether taking another employee on or doing that way is more lucrative for you personally 

 

[Davy G]

Yeah I’ve heard that a few times ?

I think it’ll be weighing up whether taking another employee on or doing that way is more lucrative for you personally 

Does it have to be one or the other? It can be both surely, if you want to employ? 6 weekly is more lucrative, of that I'm certain. ?

 

[rafterys2003]

I can honestly say I've never lost many customers since I started 28 years ago...obviously I lose the odd one or two here and there but they are replaced very quickly within a few weeks or so with new enquiries/walk ups....

Most of my work is in a 3 mile affluent area(300+ jobs) and I've compacted and refined it over many years....

I'd try and concentrate building a new round in a more affluent area (if there are any near you within a 15-20min drive from home) and be more flexible with cleaning frequencies...this is what I've done and its paying off handsomely these days....I'm currently in greece waiting for my missus to get ready then we re off to find a nice greek restaurant for dinner!??

Keep your prices fair but not too low

Canvass more affluent customers 

Compact and refine

Offer longer frequencies at higher prices

God that must be great I hope I get to the point one day where I can casually give advice on here whilst just about to go for dinner with the Mrs in Greece. I will be offering an 8 weekly round at 25% more I think just because I can see some people still moaning about 6 weeks. Seems like a fair and logical thing to do. If I knew where the affluent customers were I probably would canvass there but as I say I live in the blackcountry and people with money are generally the ones that don't want to part with it in my experience.

As for the 70-80s prices comment iron giant if you're implying that I am charging to little I appreciate it but charging more in this area just seems unrealistic and I'm almost certain I'd have even fewer customers.

I always get that comment too Davy G when you turn up and they say has it been a month already? I just feel like saying it's not my fault I'm not in control of time am I ? It does get annoying when people have agreed to this service frequency and then pull faces when you honour it.

 

[Jamesmarshall]

Can’t really say exact prices as houses vary so much even in the same county let alone cross countys

theres so many variables to consider access/nearby work?/awkward side paths full of ****/awkward windows etc so I feel a generic price for a type of house cannot exactly be stated 

just focus on your hourly rate when I started over 10 years ago I was happy at £10-15 p/h 

nowadays if you can’t average at the very least 25-30 an hour then your doing something wrong 

 

[rafterys2003]

Can’t really say exact prices as houses vary so much even in the same county let alone cross countys

theres so many variables to consider so I feel a generic price for a type of house cannot exactly be stated 

just focus on your hourly rate when I started over 10 years ago I was happy at £10-15 p/h 

nowadays if you can’t average at the very least 25-30 an hour then your doing something wrong 

I do generally get between 25-30 per hour but I thought that was alot to be honest. Out of interest what are you guys earning ?

 

[ched999uk]

As for the 70-80s prices comment iron giant if you're implying that I am charging to little I appreciate it but charging more in this area just seems unrealistic and I'm almost certain I'd have even fewer customers.

I read it as that was a typical 70's or 80's 3 bed house (i.e. a certain amount of windows without bays etc) not your prices were 70's or 80's but I could be wrong.

 

[rafterys2003]

I read it as that was a typical 70's or 80's 3 bed house (i.e. a certain amount of windows without bays etc) not your prices were 70's or 80's but I could be wrong.

I could be wrong too so apologies to Iron giant if I've misunderstood. You're probably right as I think 70s prices were like £3 weren't they ha.

 

[Jamesmarshall]

I read it as that was a typical 70's or 80's 3 bed house (i.e. a certain amount of windows without bays etc) not your prices were 70's or 80's but I could be wrong.

That’s what I understood it as too it makes sense now god the sun has sent me simple?‍??

 

[Jamesmarshall]

I do generally get between 25-30 per hour but I thought that was alot to be honest. Out of interest what are you guys earning ?

Not a question most want to answer really and again varies where you are in the country

25-30 doesn’t work out a hell of a lot when you take tax nics equipment fuel van and other costs off

 

[Danfire]

Before I started window cleaning, my old window cleaner used to turn up every 4 weeks (although he did disappear for the winter). I always thought that four weeks was too frequent and that he was taking the Mickey. 

If other customers feel the same, they probably won't say anything to your face but might just pull the plug. Feels like you're hitting them for money all the time when the windows look like they're clean anyway.

I took over a round that was all 6 weekly. I quickly ran out of time so all the new stuff gets taken on at 8 weekly, quarterly or even six monthly. My highest hourly rate is the 6 monthly stuff. If it was all like that I'd be sitting pretty.

 

[Iron Giant]

As for the 70-80s prices comment iron giant if you're implying that I am charging to little I appreciate it but charging more in this area just seems unrealistic and I'm almost certain I'd have even fewer customers.

@rafterys2003 is seemingly charging a decent price for a 70-80's 3 bed semi on a 4 weekly schedule. 

I didn't say that at all, if you re-read what I wrote, I assumed the 3 bed houses you are referring to are 1970-80's builds, If I thought your prices were low I'd have said so, you are getting more than me as I charge £9 as that's all they will stick, yet I can get £8 for a smaller modern 3 bed semi. 

 

[Davy G]

I do generally get between 25-30 per hour but I thought that was alot to be honest. Out of interest what are you guys earning ?

I don't really like discussing income.
However I generally will answer a straight question that's been asked of me. My honest and accurate answer is; around double your figures, per person in a fast, efficient, high quality two man team on almost entirely domestic work. This is in North Wiltshire and the Cotswolds and is a mix of working class, middle class and a few executive class properties. I didn't wait for the well paid work to come to me. I saught it out by trying different areas within a reasonable distance and I made sure I wasn't too timid with the pricing.

I cant speak for pricing in other areas of course as it's out of my experience. My gut feeling is that often it's there to be found fairly locally with a little travelling, imagination and courage.

 

[Jaygti]

I know I’m going slightly off topic here, But many people  seem to think that earning good money is All about high prices. 

Although it’s important it’s not everything. 
 

As Davy G says you also need to work hard, in an efficient way to make top dollar. 
 

Looking at your phone every 10 mins, having numerous tea breaks and sneaking of to McDonalds for lunch will get you nowhere even in high paying areas.