My first window cleaning job experience/ nightmare

[jimbob1]

I had one a few weeks ago which was my first paying customer.
Alarms bells were ringing from the beginning but I chose to ignore them, I was happy to have my first customer so thought let me get going and not make excuses - live & learn.
The windows looked like they hadn't been done in months, dust and spider webs everywhere.

Knock on the door, customer opens the door (all internal walls stained from nicotine) and starts explaining that his old window cleaner hasn't cleaned his windows in months and he has seen him doing the other neighbours houses but doesn't come to do his windows

Goes on telling me how much he wanted to pay me. "He use to charge me £7 but I was happy to pay him £10, I just want them cleaned."

I told him I needed to have a look around and get back to him with a price, went round the back and the weeds were about 4ft high everywhere, weeds in the paths, overgrown - my brain was telling me to avoid like the plague, but as I said earlier, I wanted to get going.

Finally I told him I would clean his windows for £15 every 4 weeks, proceeds to tell me, he's on benefits, health issues and other excuses - he knocked me down to £12 and Im happy to have my first paying customer.

Get my pole out and get going - go over them twice, nicotine running out the air vents as I go, pulled out "Scottish windows cleaning favourite pvc cleaner" and get the sills looking like new - front door done all good, all the while am thinking to myself I have to charge for a first clean from now on.

Pack up everything and go knock on the front door - customer opens the door and starts shouting at me that I'm not finished the windows aren't dry - I feel a dark mist surrounding me and walk away telling him ill be back in 5 minutes - I return 10 minutes later having calmed down go around looking to see if i've missed anything, wiping any water with a multifibre.

Knock on the door again, the son opens the door this time, with dad sitting in the background rolling up a cigarette (he's not talking to me now, making his young son do the dirty work for him).
Son says to me "My dad says the upstairs windows haven't been dried because you don't have a ladder."

As I start walking away towards the front gate before I commit a murder - the son says "Ohh, my dad says he doesn't want you doing his windows anymore."

I told the son I hadnt been paid and that I dont want any customers like your dad.

Happy days!!! I did get paid eventually

 

[BigFoot]

It gets better and you’ll find golden customers!
Building from scratch is full of learning experiences and all of us that started from scratch will have a story or two just as annoying. You’ll develop superhuman alarm bells for the ’pita‘ customer.
Best of luck with your round buildin!

 

[Bwfc]

Keep going, soon enough you will be saying u got enough work

 

[Mattlekim]

I always tell customers I'll be leaving there windows wet for this very reason. Even if iv been on street for years this issue does occasionally come on up.

Good luck keep it up I know from experience how demoralising this can be

 

[Iron Giant]

Knock on the door, customer opens the door (all internal walls stained from nicotine) and starts explaining that his old window cleaner hasn't cleaned his windows in months and he has seen him doing the other neighbours houses but doesn't come to do his windows

That would have been alarm bell's for me and I'd have walked away, that type of customer I wouldn't have jobs in those streets or estates, and I won't touch certain terraced streets or social housing/council estates

 

[scottish cleaning service]

That's the best experience you could have got and early on in your new career. Don't think you will ever forget it. Even if you didn't get paid it may have been better because you would begin to take the money before you started cleaning them. Jobs like that you need the money up front or you walk away.

 

[jimbob1]

Lessons learned for sure.
Been reading from people on this forums and there is great advice and help here, thank you all.
I have a few more customers now - total other end of the scale, they were happy how their windows turned out and want them cleaned every 4 weeks - gave me extra ££'s as well. Slowly getting it built up

 

[K in Kent]

I think with all your new customers you should routinely explain your service to them and how purified water / wfp works otherwise you're likely to get more customers who aren't happy about wet windows or how quickly the job is done.
They may be used to trad w/cleaners or might never have had a w/cleaner before so need to be educated. What might seem obvious to you means nothing to most people but if they know what to expect it will avod any confusion.
As far as most [eople are concerned pure water is Evian so you need to explain it to customers. Assume nothing.

 

[jimbob1]

You are 100% correct - it does need explaining from the start to new customers. It is the one thing I learned from this experience.

 

[ched999uk]

You are 100% correct - it does need explaining from the start to new customers. It is the one thing I learned from this experience.

I always explain that I use pure water and windows will be wet when I've finished but as it's pure it will dry without and streaks or marks. Then I say if they have any problems to just give me a call.

 

[Part Timer]

It sounds like your area needs a good reliable window cleaner if it is keep going and you'll do well.

 

[K in Kent]

I always explain that I use pure water and windows will be wet when I've finished but as it's pure it will dry without and streaks or marks. Then I say if they have any problems to just give me a call.

Yes exactly. I'd explain what pure is and that it's filtered of all hard water deposits which is why it dries clear and clean. I'd also talk about the advantages it has over trad, e.g. leaves no stcky soap residue which attracts dirt so wndows stay cleaner for longer etc etc. There are various selling points with wfp and I would emphasise them all so customers are also convinced of the benefits. As long as the service delivers as advertised they'll be happy.
Happy customers are likely to remain customers.

 

[DeLaCruz]

Just write the money off - i wouldnt even bother explaining the pure water process its waste of your time, i've lost a few payments since i started through dealing with people like this - ill always stay calm, be nice and then just explain i can't do the windows moving forward - not even worth trying to chase the payment (lucky its such a low amount). GL with some normal customers (theyre 98% cool from my experience)

 

[AllGleam]

Yeah ive learned generally i know its stereotypical that if they have ?? all over garden or its unkept and very rough its gonna be a mess about and the excuse givers why they can't pay you once or twice but everytime always a red flags when it builds up its a great relief when you can dump a PIA because there's a reason why they've had multiple window cleaners but won't be through their doing and they'll do it to others too not worth the agro

 

[K in Kent]

Just write the money off - i wouldnt even bother explaining the pure water process its waste of your time, i've lost a few payments since i started through dealing with people like this - ill always stay calm, be nice and then just explain i can't do the windows moving forward - not even worth trying to chase the payment (lucky its such a low amount). GL with some normal customers (theyre 98% cool from my experience)

I'm not talking specifically about this customer - and besides, he's already been paid. I'm talking about best practice in future to avoid any confusion with other customers. Pure water window cleaning is NOT something most people are familiar with and common sense dictates that it should be explained, when possible, so customers understand how it works.
Of course some customers won't be interested but many will appreciate it and it demonstrates your own expertise and knowledge of the business.

 

[AllGleam]

I'm not talking specifically about this customer - and besides, he's already been paid. I'm talking about best practice in future to avoid any confusion with other customers. Pure water window cleaning is NOT something most people are familiar with and common sense dictates that it should be explained, when possible, so customers understand how it works.
Of course some customers won't be interested but many will appreciate it and it demonstrates your own expertise and knowledge of the business.

I'll echo that piece of advice definitely most are very interested when you say you can have a look at the system in the van and a test clean with abit of reassurance goes a long way

 

[K in Kent]

I'll echo that piece of advice definitely most are very interested when you say you can have a look at the system in the van and a test clean with abit of reassurance goes a long way

Yeah quite right. Window cleaning has come a long way since a bucket and a chamois and it's good to show them a professional setup and that you're a professional person. Then customers take you seriously like other trades.

 

[Pjj]

Yeah quite right. Window cleaning has come a long way since a bucket and a chamois and it's good to show them a professional setup and that you're a professional person. Then customers take you seriously like other trades.

I agree with this it also shows you are a professional company if your set up looks nice if you take a pride in your kit then that looks good from the customers point of view and you will take pride in the quality of your work on there premises.

 

[CleanDeeper]

I’m just about to start the same journey as you but it sounds to me like it would have been a waste of energy explaining anything to this low life! Either way he didn’t want to pay by the sounds of it and any excuse would have been made. Glad you got paid though and thanks for sharing this, it might save me going through the same thing lol.

 

[jimbob1]

Welcome to the forum CleanDeeper!!
It did rile me up at the time and I did learn to watch/listen for the alarm bells, instead of ignoring them.
As people here have said - 1st clean get the money upfront, but again if it doesn't feel right, walk away.
Got a few nice customers now, gradually building up my round even though its not the best time of the year to do it.

 

[JEM]

When I've mentioned to new customers that I use a WFP most around here know what that is as there are plenty of us around using this system
but it doesn't hurt to explain it in more detail if they ask more questions
I still from time to time have to explain that rain water doesn't affect how clean they will be once I'm done if it happens to rain after or while I'm working