Two Customers Ruin My Day

[P4dstar]

30 minute job? That's £30 please! 

I always aim for £1 per min when 'on the glass 

More baffled.... £1 a window, £1 a minute....  :1f602:

 

[Den]

Yeah man. I took your advice about charging extra for an 8 week cycle too. They all seem to be just paying the extra instead of going to 4 though.

My round consists of 4 and 8 weekly cleans never used to mention the8 weekly unless them asked for other than 4 weekly now I always offer both the 8 weekly at a higher cost, probably the last 50 customers 30 of them have wanted the 8 weekly because I’m basically full it works out better, If I had my way I would make all my round 8 week. Personally  I do my own windows probably every 8 weeks and they always look great. 

 

[P4dstar]

My round consists of 4 and 8 weekly cleans never used to mention the8 weekly unless them asked for other than 4 weekly now I always offer both the 8 weekly at a higher cost, probably the last 50 customers 30 of them have wanted the 8 weekly because I’m basically full it works out better, If I had my way I would make all my round 8 week. Personally  I do my own windows probably every 8 weeks and they always look great. 

There’s a chap round here that offers 6 & 12 week cycles... basically so he can box off an entire town ? I’ve picked up a load of people on a 6 week cycle which is gonna get messy in the end I’m sure but I needed to fit in with the locals to start. Once I’ve built a good relationship with them I can drop them to 4 weeks or 8 weeks.

 

[Iron Giant]

Yeah man. I took your advice about charging extra for an 8 week cycle too. They all seem to be just paying the extra instead of going to 4 though.

I charge 50% more for 8 weekly not sure if I mentioned that, but I know some charge from 30%. As long as as its viable and working for you and your roundabout are growing ASAP you hoped and or better

County Durham Lad

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I think 4 weeks is the optimum in window cleaning unless its a church or big commercial business. Monthly cycle is so easy to plan. Take the start of the month, my new customer asked if she could get the windows done monthly instead of fortnightly. I said I only do them monthly. she replied is that a month already. I replied yes i'm afraid but when yo have a 6 month baby your their first 5yrs flys in.

 

[Den]

Just got back from quoting a job small cu-de-sac 22 house I do 10 on them all 4 weekly they average between £12 and £18 it’s a real busy day as I have a lot of houses in the road behind as well,  anyway so offered £12 4 weekly or £16 8 weekly the they went for the 8 weekly happy days for me as the van stays in one place for the duration now 11 houses without moving.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I think 4 weeks is the optimum in window cleaning unless its a church or big commercial business. Monthly cycle is so easy to plan. Take the start of the month, my new customer asked if she could get the windows done monthly instead of fortnightly. I said I only do them monthly. she replied is that a month already. I replied yes i'm afraid but when yo have a 6 month baby your their first 5yrs flys in.

Mate this makes absolutely no sense whats ever..  it's total drivel.   I know you're Scottish but this don't even translate.  :1f635:

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

All this chat of getting in with customers, winning customers over, having trusting customers etc is total toss in my opinion. 

I have never met 75% of my customers. They call for a quote,  I give them a price, they accept, I clean their windows, they pay and life goes on. 

I truly don't give a stuff if a customer likes me personally as long as they're happy with the service. I don't want to meet customers, interferes with my day too much.  I'm quite happy my clients couldn't pick me out of a line up.  

I'm in business to provide a service and get paid. Nothing more. And no I will never lose business based on 'well the guy cold calling today seemed so much friendlier...... blah blah......'

Nothing wrong with being a friendly person but it's a **** business model. 

When you been doing it half a century like our token Ging @steve garwood then sure you will have built up a report along the way but when your a total noob it's too easy to want to be Mr Popular instead of Mr Busy.  

All this customers love me cause this and customers love me cause that is 99% toss.  Most customers don't even care, they just want clean windows, simple as that. 

If you provide a good service in a reliable fashion at a fair price that's all the client really cares about. Not you. 

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

basically so he can box off an entire town

99% of one man bands will be maxed out at 400 - 500 clients per month.   With this in mind how small do you think your town is? 

We have streets around here that run in to the 800s would take most 3 months to do 1 street if they had it all. 

The amount of business out there is incomprehensible........  people spend far too much time sweating what others are up to when all you should care about is what you are up to.   

The sooner you focus on you as opposed to the competition the sooner your business will flourish. 

 

[Skxawng]

There’s a chap round here that offers 6 & 12 week cycles... basically so he can box off an entire town ? I’ve picked up a load of people on a 6 week cycle which is gonna get messy in the end I’m sure but I needed to fit in with the locals to start. Once I’ve built a good relationship with them I can drop them to 4 weeks or 8 weeks.

I always think start as you mean to go on. 

 

[Skxawng]

The amount of business out there is incomprehensible........  people spend far too much time sweating what others are up to when all you should care about is what you are up to.  

Agreed there are more potential clients in even a relatively small radius than you could ever canvass. Most towns will have 10's if not 100's of thousands of houses in them.

 

[adamangler]

I agree with green. 

All this getting to know customers on a personal level asking about their kids and having cups of tea and biscuits etc is just not for me.

I mean I get it, it's kind of like tradition, local window cleaner knows everyone etc. It just seems sloppy to me, like they just potter about earning a few quid having a chat but it doesn't seem serious. But I think that kind of society died out with ladders.

Times change, people are too busy nowdays, everything it online and bank transfers  etc.

I think it's great, I'm trying to build a business, it needs to be professional and clinical. I'm also happy I've never met half my customers, nothing worse than pulling up to a car on the drive.

 

[Skxawng]

All this getting to know customers on a personal level asking about their kids and having cups of tea and biscuits etc is just not for me.

I mean I get it, it's kind of like tradition, local window cleaner knows everyone etc. It just seems sloppy to me, like they just potter about earning a few quid having a chat but it doesn't seem serious. But I think that kind of society died out with ladders.

It's helpful if you're using ladders to have a good relationship with your customers in case they need to take you to the hospital someday  :1f602:

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

It's helpful if you're using ladders to have a good relationship with your customers in case they need to take you to the hospital someday  :1f602:

Their fear of being sued for failure to provide due care to workmen visiting their property should be motivation enough to get a lift to A&E  :1f609:

Also as we don't use ladders not much chance of falling off one.  :1f602:

 

[P4dstar]

All this chat of getting in with customers, winning customers over, having trusting customers etc is total toss in my opinion. 

I have never met 75% of my customers. They call for a quote,  I give them a price, they accept, I clean their windows, they pay and life goes on. 

I truly don't give a stuff if a customer likes me personally as long as they're happy with the service. I don't want to meet customers, interferes with my day too much.  I'm quite happy my clients couldn't pick me out of a line up.  

I'm in business to provide a service and get paid. Nothing more. And no I will never lose business based on 'well the guy cold calling today seemed so much friendlier...... blah blah......'

Nothing wrong with being a friendly person but it's a **** business model. 

When you been doing it half a century like our token Ging @steve garwood then sure you will have built up a report along the way but when your a total noob it's too easy to want to be Mr Popular instead of Mr Busy.  

All this customers love me cause this and customers love me cause that is 99% toss.  Most customers don't even care, they just want clean windows, simple as that. 

If you provide a good service in a reliable fashion at a fair price that's all the client really cares about. Not you. 

Miserable git today ain't ya Green  :1f602:

 

[P4dstar]

99% of one man bands will be maxed out at 400 - 500 clients per month.   With this in mind how small do you think your town is? 

We have streets around here that run in to the 800s would take most 3 months to do 1 street if they had it all. 

The amount of business out there is incomprehensible........  people spend far too much time sweating what others are up to when all you should care about is what you are up to.   

The sooner you focus on you as opposed to the competition the sooner your business will flourish. 

Yeah I still pick up work in 'his town'. The issue came about through social media when the guys mates started commenting on a post one of my customers took the time to write about me. People were asking for my details on it and he started responding...

What I will say is I have spent a lot of time looking at other businesses, I want to learn from them, model them, take away the things that will drive my business forward. Recently there has been a massive focus switch to looking at my own business but my website was designed after taking ideas from other businesses (Not directly copying), My van sign writing was designed the same way... I will always keep my eye on the competition because otherwise I will end up left behind. I may be relatively new to window cleaning but i'm not new to the world of business.

 

[dmw]

I like to have a brew and a laugh with the customers it helps pass the day.

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Suhrly]

I like to have a brew and a laugh with the customers it helps pass the day.

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
 

Personally, I'm ok to have a few nice words with customers as they're passing me their money after a clean. But as for cups of tea and biscuits..no thanks I've got work to do and money to be made. I just want to crack on get my round finished asap. If I'm at a particular house for too long I start to get anxious ?

 

[Markyboy 50]

Ive read this thread all the way thro and have concluded that we all do it differently for different reasons. Some of us are on £60 an hour and haven't got time to take a dump. And some of us trot along on £20 an hour with no stress drinking tea and cleaning a few Windows. Beauty of the job. Do it how you like!