Winter my friend...

[Dino]

Think I am starting to understand how things are.  Some cancel, some find an excuse, its all good, plenty of more work around the corner.  It sucks when your starting out but I know it will get better when I am less dependent on the few I have.  I just need to get busier.  I got a walk up today in the rain, so I totally get the all weather customers are out there as well as the fair weather messers.  Just my job to to sift them as I progress.

 

[Den]

Think I am starting to understand how things are.  Some cancel, some find an excuse, its all good, plenty of more work around the corner.  It sucks when your starting out but I know it will get better when I am less dependent on the few I have.  I just need to get busier.  I got a walk up today in the rain, so I totally get the all weather customers are out there as well as the fair weather messers.  Just my job to to sift them as I progress.

All the old hands hav given you the best advise, it does take a long while to build a good round and can be deflating when you think you are on the right track then someone cancels. 

Each year does get better but you will always gets messers and very good liars that want a one off clean but promise otherwise. 

Every 6 months I have a customer review and still cull clients But it is easier for me as I'm full to capacity but it wasn't plain sailing getting by any means, hang on in there even though it is frustrating but this time next year things will be a lot better and the year after better still. 

 

[Chris34]

I am hinting to my customers that I am doing a lot of interior window cleaning in the run up to Christmas.  You only need a few a month to make a difference, best of it is you can plan to do them on the really bad weather days.  Thursday was a bad day for me weather wise, but I had a £50 indoor job to do, this job ended up being a £70 job.  So instead of a lost day to bad weather it was actually an increase on my overall weekly takings.

I've got a conny roof booked for just before Christmas, total job value with windows is £160.  Got another inside and outside to do one week before Christmas and that's another £120.  All adds up.

Still getting a few calls from leaflets, about 1 every 100.  Every one of these I convert is a boost because I charge an extra 50% on the first clean (sometimes more).

Not setting the world on fire or anything, I'm just happy picking bits of work here and there but it's all on an upward trend. 

The key is to get the add ons and price well.  Don't be trying to clean really fast to earn £35 per hour doing 3 jobs.  Price higher and you can earn more money for less effort and less customers, less customers means less cancellations and more time to push for add ons, more time to do sales, more energy, more relaxed.

If I have anybody that wants to leave it till spring then I'm going to suggest that they have 1 more clean just before Christmas, then make it every 8 weeks till spring with a 20% increase.  Been ok so far though.   

 

[Shammy Davis Senior]

My customer base is only 5 month old.  Come October I got 8 cancel for winter.  Nothing I did.  Just the weather and time of year.  I understand it.  Just worried how much its going to eat into my small round I have built.  I know its easy to shrug it off with a big round.  For me, I lost over 10 percent of my customers in one month so I was like woooah, best get canvassing again!

You’ll get more cancel as you go on and you’ll probably stand still over winter numbers wise or even contract. You’ll find to get to 300 you’ll probably go through 700 unless you’re charging peanuts. 

 

[spruce]

I am hinting to my customers that I am doing a lot of interior window cleaning in the run up to Christmas.  You only need a few a month to make a difference, best of it is you can plan to do them on the really bad weather days.  Thursday was a bad day for me weather wise, but I had a £50 indoor job to do, this job ended up being a £70 job.  So instead of a lost day to bad weather it was actually an increase on my overall weekly takings.

I've got a conny roof booked for just before Christmas, total job value with windows is £160.  Got another inside and outside to do one week before Christmas and that's another £120.  All adds up.

Still getting a few calls from leaflets, about 1 every 100.  Every one of these I convert is a boost because I charge an extra 50% on the first clean (sometimes more).

Not setting the world on fire or anything, I'm just happy picking bits of work here and there but it's all on an upward trend. 

The key is to get the add ons and price well.  Don't be trying to clean really fast to earn £35 per hour doing 3 jobs.  Price higher and you can earn more money for less effort and less customers, less customers means less cancellations and more time to push for add ons, more time to do sales, more energy, more relaxed.

If I have anybody that wants to leave it till spring then I'm going to suggest that they have 1 more clean just before Christmas, then make it every 8 weeks till spring with a 20% increase.  Been ok so far though.   

We also offered that service to begin with. We found long term that it became more of a pain and we discourage it these day as best we can. Its always sunny when customers want their insides done, the window cills are usually fully of ornaments even when you ask them to remove them and it always takes longer than you think it does.

We took on an internal window clean job for a local leisure centre with idea that we would have an inside job to do in bad weather.

We initially needed to give our customer a few days advanced warning that we were coming so tried to plan the job around the weather forecast. We have done the job 20 times since we started in 2014. We have probably only done the job 5 times when the weather was bad. The rest of the time the long term weather forecast got it totally wrong. I will also admit that of the 15 remaining times I have rescheduled the job a week early on 2 or 3 ocassions to account for my lad not being available in the due week. And there were also times when the whole week was good outside window cleaning weather in the summer months.

At one time when we needed the work we looked for add ons such as gutter clearing. Now I ignore over filled gutters and will only do them when asked. Its easier and quicker to clean outside windows.

Personally, I would recommend using those gaps as a time to canvass/door knock.I like the idea of well priced one off Christmas cleans as its a 'doorway' to offering a customer a regular cleaning service. People who have a window cleaner won't ask for a Christmas clean.

If you still have gaps the following year you already have a list of cleans you could try to do again.

 

[Chris34]

We also offered that service to begin with. We found long term that it became more of a pain and we discourage it these day as best we can. Its always sunny when customers want their insides done, the window cills are usually fully of ornaments even when you ask them to remove them and it always takes longer than you think it does.

We took on an internal window clean job for a local leisure centre with idea that we would have an inside job to do in bad weather.

We initially needed to give our customer a few days advanced warning that we were coming so tried to plan the job around the weather forecast. We have done the job 20 times since we started in 2014. We have probably only done the job 5 times when the weather was bad. The rest of the time the long term weather forecast got it totally wrong. I will also admit that of the 15 remaining times I have rescheduled the job a week early on 2 or 3 ocassions to account for my lad not being available in the due week. And there were also times when the whole week was good outside window cleaning weather in the summer months.

At one time when we needed the work we looked for add ons such as gutter clearing. Now I ignore over filled gutters and will only do them when asked. Its easier and quicker to clean outside windows.

Personally, I would recommend using those gaps as a time to canvass/door knock.I like the idea of well priced one off Christmas cleans as its a 'doorway' to offering a customer a regular cleaning service. People who have a window cleaner won't ask for a Christmas clean.

If you still have gaps the following year you already have a list of cleans you could try to do again.

Yeah it's not great doing the insides but it keeps the money coming in, beggars can't be choosers and all that.

Tell you one good thing about doing insides though, it gives you the opportunity to check your outside work from the inside.  Those corners that you think you're getting, well just a half centimetre in the corner is noticeable if you're missing it.  You can then set about altering your technique to perfect the outside clean.

Another point, I take a lot of pride in my work, a lot of it goes unnoticed because the insides of the windows are not clean.  When you clean the insides then it makes the windows look amazing.   

Obviously trying to predict the weather is hard, I think I actually do a better job than the forecasters, but when doing the inside work I ask the customer what days are convenient for them in the coming week and then tell them that I will come on a day that's it's likely to be raining and text them the day before to let them know.  I appreciate that when you're full with work then this would not be possible, but when you have plenty of space in your work schedule then it's fine. 

 

[Dino]

All the old hands hav given you the best advise, it does take a long while to build a good round and can be deflating when you think you are on the right track then someone cancels. 

Each year does get better but you will always gets messers and very good liars that want a one off clean but promise otherwise. 

Every 6 months I have a customer review and still cull clients But it is easier for me as I'm full to capacity but it wasn't plain sailing getting by any means, hang on in there even though it is frustrating but this time next year things will be a lot better and the year after better still. 

Thanks mate.  Those words are very encouraging.  This forum is great for advice, a lot of helpful folk.  I hope in a few years I will be the one giving a lift to those like myself now.  Its not just the advice its hearing that others are going through what I am experiencing motivates me.  Cheers!

 

[Part Timer]

Thanks mate.  Those words are very encouraging.  This forum is great for advice, a lot of helpful folk.  I hope in a few years I will be the one giving a lift to those like myself now.  Its not just the advice its hearing that others are going through what I am experiencing motivates me.  Cheers!

Look forward to the day when you can say no, it really will put a smile on your face when you do.

 

[dmw]

Well, it's  supposed to be -3 in North Manchester tonight, time to dig out the radiator for the van methinks.❄

?

 

[Chris34]

Well, it's  supposed to be -3 in North Manchester tonight, time to dig out the radiator for the van methinks.❄

?

The roofs were already starting to go frosty round here half an hour ago.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I went to clean an upstairs and downstairs today and she told me not to bother because they are getting their roof pressure washed tomorrow. I thought she was winding me up but she assured me the guy is coming at 10am tomorrow. I said he will either slide off the roof or snap all the tiles when he walks on them due to their frozen state. I think she will have second thoughts about it tonight. There's just no logic in customers thinking I have noticed.

 

[Dino]

I went to clean an upstairs and downstairs today and she told me not to bother because they are getting their roof pressure washed tomorrow. I thought she was winding me up but she assured me the guy is coming at 10am tomorrow. I said he will either slide off the roof or snap all the tiles when he walks on them due to their frozen state. I think she will have second thoughts about it tonight. There's just no logic in customers thinking I have noticed.

There is deffo no logic when dealing with joe public.  You just gotta smile and get on with it.

 

[spruce]

I went to clean an upstairs and downstairs today and she told me not to bother because they are getting their roof pressure washed tomorrow. I thought she was winding me up but she assured me the guy is coming at 10am tomorrow. I said he will either slide off the roof or snap all the tiles when he walks on them due to their frozen state. I think she will have second thoughts about it tonight. There's just no logic in customers thinking I have noticed.

The guys who clean roofs also need to work all winter the same as we have to.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

The guys who clean roofs also need to work all winter the same as we have to.

I thought you were up to speed on H&S. Its minus 5 up here and venturing on a roof is just madness but all to their own if trying to turn a coin. My outside tap is frozen and thats with insulation round it, I hope it doesn't burst. ?

 

[spruce]

I thought you were up to speed on H&S. Its minus 5 up here and venturing on a roof is just madness but all to their own if trying to turn a coin. My outside tap is frozen and thats with insulation round it, I hope it doesn't burst. ?

What they should be doing is using a scaffolding tower to access the roof height, not walking on the roof. If this was my business that is what I would elect to do. This is one reason why I don't clean solar panels unless I can do it from the ground.

If they are walking on the roof then they are definitely going to be in trouble. The downside is that cowboys who work on the roof without scaffolding will be far cheaper than someone who works to H&S regulations.

We had a company offering roof cleaning and roof tile painting afterwards. They were just standing on the tiles. Someone reported them and H&S Executive shut them down. I think they liquidated the business before H&S could fine them and sacked the workers. They were half way through a roof clean. I often wondered if it was the householder who lost. He would have if he had paid them up front.

 

[Iron Giant]

If they are walking on the roof then they are definitely going to be in trouble. The downside is that cowboys who work on the roof without scaffolding will be far cheaper than someone who works to H&S regulations.

Pretty sure Scottish walks on the roof ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Pretty sure Scottish walks on the roof ?

I tried walking on water but i didn't have the faith for it. ?

 

[paulben]

The other side of the coin is the ones that only want a clean for xmas . If I got asked usually said can fit you in after xmas ,I hate doing one offs and in position where I don't want any more work 

 

[Pjj]

What they should be doing is using a scaffolding tower to access the roof height, not walking on the roof. If this was my business that is what I would elect to do. This is one reason why I don't clean solar panels unless I can do it from the ground.

If they are walking on the roof then they are definitely going to be in trouble. The downside is that cowboys who work on the roof without scaffolding will be far cheaper than someone who works to H&S regulations.

We had a company offering roof cleaning and roof tile painting afterwards. They were just standing on the tiles. Someone reported them and H&S Executive shut them down. I think they liquidated the business before H&S could fine them and sacked the workers. They were half way through a roof clean. I often wondered if it was the householder who lost. He would have if he had paid them up front.

We have had a lot of gypsies around our area doing exactly the same thing , pressure wash the roof then paint it and they spray it and got the black paint spots all over the white window frames conservatory, they told the customer to get the window cleaner to remove it , when the customer said to me about it I said no chance get them back to sort out there own mess Ime not doing it , that was about 5 years ago and the paint is still all over it ?? you couldn’t pay me enough to remove that especially on the roof of a conservatory with self cleaning glass recipe for disaster .

 

[paulben]

I used to take odd bits of paint off windows  but now leave it for customer to be reminded what a useless painter they had in .They put it on glass they can come back and remove it .

 

[Iron Giant]

I tried walking on water but i didn't have the faith for it. ?

Did you put this line in your novel