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Frequency of cleans

Vast majority are six weekly, a couple do every other clean...one told me six weekly wasn't enough and insisted on four weekly...she phones me if I get a few days behind but she always gives me a five pound tip so I'll forgive her.
A classic case of never being able to keep everyone happy. I have the ones that want me there regularly, and the ones that you just know are thinking 'not him again'./emoticons/biggrin.png

 
I recently switched from monthly/bi-monthly to 5/10 weekly as its far, far easier for me to plan with a rigid schedule (and 4/8 weekly means the 4-weeklies would be done twice in some months which is too much).
I'd say 70% go for 10 weekly so obviously I am going to need more customers for the same amount of cash. Makes sense to have them done less often though as none of the windows are really that dirty after a month.

I can see myself possibly switching everyone to a 6 or 8 weekly next year though, like diwrnach and a few others have done, when I am full and just offer one option, but I'll fill up first and see then.
I used to do monthly / 2 monthly and switched to 5 weekly

Switched back after a couple of months as it is more aggro

I know exactly when all my customers are due with monthly and so do they

Also easier to manage with a diary and bot software

Look back to the same week last month and you know who's due this week..simples

I hate cleaning windows that are already clean it does my head in
I love cleaning my already clean monthlys

Money for old rope..takes minutes

I don't see it as cleaning i am maintaining the standard of cleanliness they want

 
I've got a 3 monthly round which I keep quiet about as it is reserved for the bigger houses. I think there are too many people that would want to save money by switching to it. I find many of the bigger houses don't want to pay £30+ a month, so its just to appease those folk. £120 a year is not a bad price to pay to keep your windows in a reasonable state IMO.

 
similar to tolish , recently i started a "saturday country boy round" which is ten weekly im doing this on my own- not sure why -but its a paid day out in the country fish n chips etc . the customers think im a 1 man bander and im playing along with it too !

 
similar to tolish , recently i started a "saturday country boy round" which is ten weekly im doing this on my own- not sure why -but its a paid day out in the country fish n chips etc . the customers think im a 1 man bander and im playing along with it too !
I like the sound of that. I already miss working on my own haha.

 
I offer a monthly clean but also say it's up to them, up here that's what most people want, I have one bungalow that wants a fortnightly clean, it's on a new estate which I have 5 other houses on, but there is another windy around so I need to keep them sweet, he doesn't do frames and sills and I've had people asking me to switch, but explained they would need to drop the existing windy first as I'm not stepping on toes for jobs. Plus I'm slightly more expensive

 
Monthly keep things simple, or you will be here there and every were.

Also think profit, £10 monthly = £120 per year

£10 bi monthly =£60.

I know what I would rather have on my round.

 
Every custy can choose between 4-8-12 weekly, 90% is 8 weekly and i also always suggest this to residential as they get a job without being ripped. Got some 4 weekly that like it shiny al the time. The one on the 12 weekly is more the price concern ones wanna get a good work done for the keast anount of money, yearly wise. But as long as they they pay on time the can choose what ever they want :)

 
I think the simplicity of just one or at most two rounds is much more efficient for scheduling/fuel etc, but if multiple options works for someone then great.

 
Thanks for all your replies and suggestions.

Think I will start offering 6 weekly then see if I pick up any who want 4 or 8 weekly and fit it into my schedule!!

Just nee a few customers first!!

 
As Daveyboy, 4 or 8 with a couple that are 12. Keeping things in blocks of 4's is the most straight forward and simple way for me.

Mart.

 
4 or 8 but i never offer 8 anymore only 4 they have to ask to get a different frequency or sometimes if they pull a face at the price i pull out the 8 weekly card.

mind you other day on fb a woman wanted a quote for a 4 bed detached, i quoted as low as i felt i could £12 4 weekly, she was like oh no thats twice what i was paying. i said ok i could do them every 8 weeks would work out the same. she said so you clean them every 4 weeks and i pay you every 8?. erm not quite i said btw it would have to be online if you are not in as i dont collect. oh thats no good she says old cleaner used to collect. So you not only want me to clean your 4 bed detached for 6 quid you also want me come back and collect? sound like a money maker i cant wait

 
I'm having to offer all sorts of flexibility to build up at my desired rate, us new-comers get more than our fair share of the dregs that's for sure

 
Adamangler tell her you charge your hourly rate to go and collect, so it's £6 for clean, but it'll take you 15 mins each way to drive to collect so that's another £10-15 each collection so that's £16-21 a month lol.

I quote someone for windows and fsg and they said ok but the first time its cheaper right?! No. I had been getting good customers for the past 6 months but over the last few weeks I have just started getting those wanting to haggle (my prices are the same for everyone, if you no likey go elsewhere don't try and haggle me down), those wanting to try before they commit, those wanting to send fifty texts asking the same thing over and over etc.. This job would be great without all the hassle from the customers lol

 
Im having to swallow my pride atm to get work. a told a custy last week when she rang her house was £10 8 weekly. (too low at that as well) just cleaned it this morning, she text me saying thought it was £8, my husband wont pay any more than 8. I wanted to kill her but i just said, ok £8 is fine thanks, feel like such a **** for agreeing with her but i just want the work right now.

its such a ball ache getting good custies, but then i have plenty of great custys where i just turn up, clean and get paid within a few days but the messers, god they drive you to the point of suicide some days lol

 
Yeah I've done things like that, I still kick myself for them. Now I just put my foot down and take it or leave it. I would of said its £10 and you can pay up and find someone else if you like. I understand people want to get good value, but also a price is a price, take it or feck off. I am in a position where I have other work, but at the same time I really need to build my round, but I don't want to build it with jobs I hate going to or I will want to give up, I want to enjoy it. You only make the mistake of giving in a few times until you remember the pain from it so stand your ground /emoticons/wink.png

 
Yeah I've done things like that, I still kick myself for them. Now I just put my foot down and take it or leave it. I would of said its £10 and you can pay up and find someone else if you like. I understand people want to get good value, but also a price is a price, take it or feck off. I am in a position where I have other work, but at the same time I really need to build my round, but I don't want to build it with jobs I hate going to or I will want to give up, I want to enjoy it. You only make the mistake of giving in a few times until you remember the pain from it so stand your ground /emoticons/wink.png

ive been doing the take it or leave it for the last year though and im still not half way to where i want to be. Im starting to think im shooting myself in the foot a bit, i mean shes going to pay online and her house is on the same row as another i do so i suppose when you calculate in travel time between jobs, fuel and not collecting its more like 8 quid gained than 2 lost i suppose.

also they were really easy pvc frames and hydophillic glass with easy parking outside! i know im trying to justify getting shafted to myself but theres always a positive i suppose lol

 
If its easy then thats good. Its when you cave in and its hard work that it really sucks ;-)

 
They've shafted themselves more than you Adam, you can drop them if you choose once you're at capacity. And sounds like there's some added value in that one with the ease of parking and clean

Having said that, I'm a bad negotiator too and rarely lower a price but I have lowered frequency and not changed price having said that, as I'd rather their custom than not at this stage

I like the fact even if they are now twice monthly, once I've got a customer to replace the 'missing month' I've got a double redundancy fallback, I only loose 50%, another reason to have more smalls than fewer bigs, and more work means more being seen working, more added value

 
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