Rude customer....

[P4dstar]

Well done for having the balls to text her, most would just have not turned up. Gives window cleaners a bad name that.

I've developed a system for these people. I have a look and tell them the prices (4/6/8 week cycles) I gauge their reaction, if they're anything like the customer in this post I then whack on a whopping first clean charge. If not its just a standard one.

If you want to build a window cleaning round that you will complete yourself with maybe one employee you can cherry pick until you like most of the customers. If you want to grown to a multi van operation just get used to working for the odd person you don't like. I had one the other week, conversation just wasn't flowing at all. I cracked a joke, a real simple dad joke and she just looked at me deadpan and answered seriously. Over FB messenger she was all friendly. Price went up as I had bad vibes but it all seemed to work out.

I had someone creative contact me yesterday said if I clean there windows for free they will redesign and update my website on a regular and annual basis told him to jog on ?

Nothing compared to these "Social media Influencers"..... GET A REAL JOB YOU GOD DAMN HIPPIES!!!

 

[dmw]

I've had it with customers who I've taken on and ive tried at first being chatty and friendly to build a rapport with them and struggled.

But over a period of time they get to know and trust you and end up being very good customers.

And of course you have  the ones who you just can't win over because that's the way they are,  and as long as they aren't rude or don't pay me they're still on the books.

Nowt queerer than  folk to use the northern coloqualism.

 

[NoName]

Bwfc - custy is sussing us out and we are sussing them out - until we get to know each other, then we 'know were we stand' with each other. The 'mistake' you may have mad was 'dropping' your price for 'no reason'...that reinforces the idea that the price is just a number you've just thought of...

To some/most we're like 'old friends' calling by and catching up on all the latest happenings...to other's 'we're the hired help' each to their own  -most of the later class just need a few calls to cross over to 'old friends status' I just take the lead from the custy and reflect it back to them - so they feel comfortable with our attitude. Everyone's personality is different.

On pricing AND scope I go over & above to be 100% clear - a lot of 'issues' come from misunderstandings over scope/lost in translation.

I explain what I'm going to clean (and what' i'm NOT - i.e conny windows doesn't including gutterline and above, i.e roof), how I'm going to do it, what products/chems I'll use - always explain I clean everything external - so I can clean every surface of their house, issue is just being clear where they want me to stop at.

Re pricing - many custy's refect your attitude back to you - i.e if you look up their gutters and say 'sure i'll clean 'em for say another £30' off the cuff - they see it as casual work/pricing 'made up on the spur of the moment' Vs writing ALL quotes on a quote form, after surveying the work. I have minimum charges for many services - which if needed I say - my minimum conny roof cleaning is £30 which your roof would come under - this includes x and excludes y (though I can clean 'y' if you would like me to add that to the quote?)

Hand custy the quote form, let it sink in - then say would you like me to include x for you, today ? 

95% of the time - they'll go for it no worries. Rare to get anyone 'negotiate' just on price - if they try it on I often say - well I could schedule it next month for you if that will help? (let that sink in for sec - 'I see you can't afford it this month' ? )they often quickly so 'oh no it's fine just crack now if you can'. If they come back with a more blatant 'can you do anything on the price' I might say we'll if I do it now as I'm already on site could maybe trim the travel time from the quote and do it for x as a 'one off' make the reduction minimal - say knock off a fiver - (they save face and you still get good price) or my other classic is say ' well I could do it for a cash price of X' (let them assume they getting a no tax deal') but 95% I just explain work involved , the finish they will get, explain the standard you will clean it too - finials, glazing bars/end caps, guttering & glass.

Comes down to saving face for the custy - but providing a 'way' for them to think they have 'negotiated' - unless you really don't want the work/custy - I've only 'sacked one' custy for her (rude) attitude in front of her cleaner/gardener rather than £ - but did it politely and calmly 'explaining my professional services' are in high demand and this will be unfornately the last time I'll be able to clean your windows - I hope you can understand - I'm sure you'll find a suitable replacement... 

Never worth losing your rag with anyone - just robs you of your joy! 

 

[Dave B]

Too much thinking going on here.

Take on a customer.. if they are a pita bin them off.

Simple.

I talk to some customers who I have done since their kids were born and now they are working or having kids themselves and happy to chat but nobody is a "friend" they are a customer. 

You have to make that distinction. 

Bwfc - custy is sussing us out and we are sussing them out - until we get to know each other, then we 'know were we stand' with each other. The 'mistake' you may have mad was 'dropping' your price for 'no reason'...that reinforces the idea that the price is just a number you've just thought of...

To some/most we're like 'old friends' calling by and catching up on all the latest happenings...to other's 'we're the hired help' each to their own  -most of the later class just need a few calls to cross over to 'old friends status' I just take the lead from the custy and reflect it back to them - so they feel comfortable with our attitude. Everyone's personality is different.

On pricing AND scope I go over & above to be 100% clear - a lot of 'issues' come from misunderstandings over scope/lost in translation.

I explain what I'm going to clean (and what' i'm NOT - i.e conny windows doesn't including gutterline and above, i.e roof), how I'm going to do it, what products/chems I'll use - always explain I clean everything external - so I can clean every surface of their house, issue is just being clear where they want me to stop at.

Re pricing - many custy's refect your attitude back to you - i.e if you look up their gutters and say 'sure i'll clean 'em for say another £30' off the cuff - they see it as casual work/pricing 'made up on the spur of the moment' Vs writing ALL quotes on a quote form, after surveying the work. I have minimum charges for many services - which if needed I say - my minimum conny roof cleaning is £30 which your roof would come under - this includes x and excludes y (though I can clean 'y' if you would like me to add that to the quote?)

Hand custy the quote form, let it sink in - then say would you like me to include x for you, today ? 

95% of the time - they'll go for it no worries. Rare to get anyone 'negotiate' just on price - if they try it on I often say - well I could schedule it next month for you if that will help? (let that sink in for sec - 'I see you can't afford it this month' ? )they often quickly so 'oh no it's fine just crack now if you can'. If they come back with a more blatant 'can you do anything on the price' I might say we'll if I do it now as I'm already on site could maybe trim the travel time from the quote and do it for x as a 'one off' make the reduction minimal - say knock off a fiver - (they save face and you still get good price) or my other classic is say ' well I could do it for a cash price of X' (let them assume they getting a no tax deal') but 95% I just explain work involved , the finish they will get, explain the standard you will clean it too - finials, glazing bars/end caps, guttering & glass.

Comes down to saving face for the custy - but providing a 'way' for them to think they have 'negotiated' - unless you really don't want the work/custy - I've only 'sacked one' custy for her (rude) attitude in front of her cleaner/gardener rather than £ - but did it politely and calmly 'explaining my professional services' are in high demand and this will be unfornately the last time I'll be able to clean your windows - I hope you can understand - I'm sure you'll find a suitable replacement... 

Never worth losing your rag with anyone - just robs you of your joy! 

 

[NoName]

Take on a customer.. if they are a pita bin them off.

Fair enough each to their own - a revolving door policy for custy's works too..esp in your based in/near London ? 

You're right 'overthinking' is my specialised subject ?

It's just I'd rather 'understand' them...than assume they are irredeemably grumpy/tight gits.  

 

[P4dstar]

I’m with @Dave B on this one. If you’re spending that much time working on the psychology of the sale you need to find some more customers to keep you busy @NoName ???

 

[Dave B]

I need to text a customer in a minute.

Never had so much dog sheite on me in my life.

Didn't realise until I wound my hose in and for once Didn't run it through a cloth on the way in.

Over my legs from the hose and all over my hands etc.

I stink so much I have binned the rest of the day off to go home and shower then disinfect my cab.

Dirty barstewerds some people.

 

[Iron Giant]

Nothing compared to these "Social media Influencers"..... GET A REAL JOB YOU GOD DAMN HIPPIES!!!

 You're obviously on social media too much as I haven't got a clue what your are talking about ?

 

[steve garwood]

Fair enough each to their own - a revolving door policy for custy's works too..esp in your based in/near London ? 

You're right 'overthinking' is my specialised subject ?

It's just I'd rather 'understand' them...than assume they are irredeemably grumpy/tight gits.  

What’s being ‘near London’ got to do with it? ?

 

[NoName]

What’s being ‘near London’ got to do with it? ?

Steve you're so touchy about London ?  ,,, 'hey hey calm down' nothing negative just it's the UK largest conurbation, DaveB's up in Stevenage (?) so plenty of householders to rattle through with 'a dump at will policy' other parts of the country some need to be a little more frugal 

 

[NoName]

I’m with @Dave B on this one. If you’re spending that much time working on the psychology of the sale you need to find some more customers to keep you busy @NoName ???

You can get whole books just on the psychology of a sale or even just on pricing - doesn't take much time to be cognizant of how to close a sale, compared with should I buy/use this brush or that widget imho.

 

[Dave B]

How to close a sale?.

"Do you need a window cleaner?"

"Great that will be 15 quid please"

book written.

 

[Iron Giant]

How to close a sale?.

"Do you need a window cleaner?"

"Great that will be 15 quid please"

book written.

That's about all my sales patter amounts to and works like a charm ?

 

[steve garwood]

Steve you're so touchy about London ?  ,,, 'hey hey calm down' nothing negative just it's the UK largest conurbation, DaveB's up in Stevenage (?) so plenty of householders to rattle through with 'a dump at will policy' other parts of the country some need to be a little more frugal 

Wasn’t being touchy, it was a genuine question ?

 

[Dave B]

 

[P4dstar]

 You're obviously on social media too much as I haven't got a clue what your are talking about ?

I don’t know about them from social media, from YouTube. There are videos ripping into them. They ask for free products in order to promote them, sometimes it goes drastically wrong. The funniest I’ve see is this;

 

[P4dstar]

You can get whole books just on the psychology of a sale or even just on pricing - doesn't take much time to be cognizant of how to close a sale, compared with should I buy/use this brush or that widget imho.

Spent years in sales, being taught sh1t. Positive language, saying yes throughout the conversation to get them to say yes at the end, the presumptive sell (e.g do you want that in black or red). A lot of that just comes naturally now but I can honestly say I don’t have to work as hard to close a sale doing this as I did in all my previous jobs. There is more than enough work out there I can drop customers who p1ss me off so I certainly don’t need to fight for new ones.

 

[Iron Giant]

20 hours ago, P4dstar said:

I don’t know about them from social media, from YouTube. There are videos ripping into them. They ask for free products in order to promote them, sometimes it goes drastically wrong. The funniest I’ve see is this;

Yeah I know the ones you mean now, what a job and she wasn't dramatic at all ?

 

[Dave B]

That's about all my sales patter amounts to and works like a charm ?

My favourite sales patter that works.(women only lol).

"Alright sweetheart do you need a window cleaner."

I'm london scum and won't change lol but seems to work up here in Hertfordshire where there a lot of ex londoners anyway.

 

[Iron Giant]

My favourite sales patter that works.(women only lol).

"Alright sweetheart do you need a window cleaner."

I'm london scum and won't change lol but seems to work up here in Hertfordshire where there a lot of ex londoners anyway.

Wouldn't work with my wife, she would kick off and say who are you calling sweetheart then the glare, if looks could kill, I've been 6ft under a few times ?

 

[Dave B]

Wouldn't work with my wife, she would kick off and say who are you calling sweetheart then the glare, if looks could kill, I've been 6ft under a few times ?

Down here nobody bats an eyelid as it's normal for us londoners.