Would You Go Back?

[Ocahan01]

I have to say I agree with him I wouldn’t appreciate it if the window cleaner turning up on a bank holiday either I would sack them on the spot , but in fairness I think he should have txt you back letting you know . Choice is yours keep or dump we dont mind skipping a job for a genuine reason but if it’s an excuse it’s an instant dump .

You’d sack a self employed person for arriving on a day that’s a bank holiday ? Really ? I’ve worked all 3 this month as have most self employed people in my area including probably 50% local shops/businesses.

 

[Pjj]

You’d sack a self employed person for arriving on a day that’s a bank holiday ? Really ? I’ve worked all 3 this month as have most self employed people in my area including probably 50% local shops/businesses.

Yes I would I dont want people working at my house with friends and family relaxing ,

 

[Ocahan01]

Yes I would I dont want people working at my house with friends and family relaxing ,

I worked all day today , sun was shining, everyone knew I was coming and I had nothing but pleasant friendly conversations with every customer that was home. Maybe it’s a geographical thing. My next door neighbour was getting a chimney knocked down and replaced from 8 this morning and I never even thought about it.

 

[Pjj]

I worked all day today , sun was shining, everyone knew I was coming and I had nothing but pleasant friendly conversations with every customer that was home. Maybe it’s a geographical thing. My next door neighbour was getting a chimney knocked down and replaced from 8 this morning and I never even thought about it.

Yes could be the vast majority ware I am wouldn’t appreciate and some would actually tell you to get lost , when I first started years ago loads said don’t come to us on bank holidays , i did work on them when I started but havent for over 20 years now

 

[Ocahan01]

Yes could be the vast majority ware I am wouldn’t appreciate and some would actually tell you to get lost , when I first started years ago loads said don’t come to us on bank holidays , i did work on them when I started but havent for over 20 years now

Ah ok that’s fair enough I suppose. As I say it must vary from place to place.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I have plenty of customers now so I would block him and wouldn't go back. This is easy to do when one has over 100 great customers who appreciate my reliability and the work I do. Once one is in this position the job is a breeze and bank account increases but it's hard when starting out.

 

[Iron Giant]

Following on from the "would you go back" title, I had one today that I'd value some opinions on.
Bit of background, they can be a bit sporadic, miss a payment here or there and catch up on 2nd clean (which is normal for a lot of people nowdays), gate is usually opened when I arrive rather than ready for when I get there.
Got there today, gate is wide open "Great, theyve remembered" thinks me.........nope! Get round the back and the husband is painting all the window frames.
Conversation as follows
H:"sorry mate, im painting the frames today"
R: "oh, ok, did you not get the message last night about me coming?" (gets texts the day before like 90% of customers).
H:"Yeah"

at this point I think he half twigged what I was getting at, that and probably the look of disbelief on my face..
H: "well its a bit of an odd day to be working isnt it? Bank holiday and all that"

At this point 4 options came into my head, thankfully I picked option 4,
1. crack him over the head with the pole for being such an idiot
2. Tell him in rather curt terms that he can actually send me a message to let me know
3. Run the WFP all over his freshly painted frames
4. Say nothing-ish.

Replied with something along the lines of "for someone who has been sick for 3 weeks unpaid trying to catch up on work, a weekday is a perfectly normal time to be here??"

He then suggested I clean just the fronts only...
99.9% thinking im not going back, its just the house is perfectly positioned with 2 other homes so I can do them all without moving the van for a decent price which is swaying me a little, but at the same time, I've probably lost enough from the missed gate openings etc that I could have just had a smaller, regular house dropped in its place and made more money.

I think you've almost answered your own question, because by asking on here you've kinda decided not to go back, but you could be just feeling off with trying to catch up after being off for 3 weeks,

I have no issue with having to send the odd text reminder to customers I have 1-2 who I have to text almost every month, my issue on a rare occasion is those whose direct debit bounces, I have dropped a customer this morning as I have now made a 3rd request for payment I'll get my money I'm sure but I won't be going back.

 

[Nosey]

Sorry to hijack the thread. Just think the title is fitting and saves me creating a new thread. What are people’s thoughts on customers following a price increase when they say they will have to have a think about it? Do you bother going back? I don’t want to be waiting cap in hand for their business when I’m busy enough. Maybe I’m being petty. But some people just wind me up when they take you for granted and expect the price to stay the same forever.

 

[Part Timer]

Sorry to hijack the thread. Just think the title is fitting and saves me creating a new thread. What are people’s thoughts on customers following a price increase when they say they will have to have a think about it? Do you bother going back? I don’t want to be waiting cap in hand for their business when I’m busy enough. Maybe I’m being petty. But some people just wind me up when they take you for granted and expect the price to stay the same forever.

When your van / house insurance goes up do you accept it and renew straight away? I know I don't and would check to make sure I'm not overpaying. If they skip a few washes and then say ok then I would be getting rid. Putting prices up is something we all need to do but by doing so you have to expect to lose a few.

 

[Chris34]

Sorry to hijack the thread. Just think the title is fitting and saves me creating a new thread. What are people’s thoughts on customers following a price increase when they say they will have to have a think about it? Do you bother going back? I don’t want to be waiting cap in hand for their business when I’m busy enough. Maybe I’m being petty. But some people just wind me up when they take you for granted and expect the price to stay the same forever.

It's just business, I don't take it personally, they're the customer and it's their right to evaluate the service you give them just like you've evaluated the price you're charging them, you've changed the terms of service so they're thinking about the new terms of service. It works both ways.

I had a few say that late last year when I increased mine, very few cancelled and most didn't say anything more about it and I just carried on cleaning at the new higher price.

 

[Yogi1872]

I have done bank Holidays in the past but when people made comment about didn't think you would be out today, I took it as a polite way of saying gtf. Take all the main ones off unless I have a pvc job or that il say il do it on that day.


When putting up the prices if I was doing it by text I'd maybe text the first 20 or 30 and youl get a rough idea how it's going to be perceived by everyone.

 

[AndyG]

I think you are all missing the point the issue I think it's the blunt message with no clear indication of who the sender is, these types of blunt messages annoy me and a far better message would have been as follows.


Hi, it's Wendy from 33 Cleanwell Avenue we had to cancel your services 1-2 years ago due to a change in circumstances I was just wondering if you could restart and what the cost would be. Thanks

Some of them aren't literate. Her attitude is more important I suggest.

Definitely say there has been a price increase and a first clean price is required as it has been so long since they have been done professionally.

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

I had another one. I got this text November last year:

‘Hi, unfortunately I need to cancel getting my windows cleaned due to rising outgoings I have had to find someone cheaper.’

I offered her a less frequent clean but she had already gotten someone.

Fast forward to now. Get a email enquiry. Same woman. So I send her a quote. At my new rate, a lot higher than even if I had put her price up if she was still a customer. Cleaned them last week & Direct Debt submitted ?

 

[Iron Giant]

I had another one. I got this text November last year:

‘Hi, unfortunately I need to cancel getting my windows cleaned due to rising outgoings I have had to find someone cheaper.’

I offered her a less frequent clean but she had already gotten someone.

Fast forward to now. Get a email enquiry. Same woman. So I send her a quote. At my new rate, a lot higher than even if I had put her price up if she was still a customer. Cleaned them last week & Direct Debt submitted ?

I wouldn't have taken her back because she'll jump ship again.

I had the same thing the other month a customer jumped ship for a cheaper price I said he'll probably get an inferior service I told him I could have offered him an alternative schedule but he said he had already committed to the other cleaner,

4 years of good service was pished all over for the sake of a cheaper quote.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I wouldn't have taken her back because she'll jump ship again.

I had the same thing the other month a customer jumped ship for a cheaper price I said he'll probably get an inferior service I told him I could have offered him an alternative schedule but he said he had already committed to the other cleaner,

4 years of good service was pished all over for the sake of a cheaper quote.

No Loyalty in Window Cleaning. I have that installed in my bones now and don't want to take old cleans back on unless there was a good reason. Its not about money with me, its about how I feel when I meet the customer, the vibes I get. If its a hard clean then I'm glad to be rid of it but I have many customers now.

 

[Yogi1872]

I had another one. I got this text November last year:

‘Hi, unfortunately I need to cancel getting my windows cleaned due to rising outgoings I have had to find someone cheaper.’

I offered her a less frequent clean but she had already gotten someone.

Fast forward to now. Get a email enquiry. Same woman. So I send her a quote. At my new rate, a lot higher than even if I had put her price up if she was still a customer. Cleaned them last week & Direct Debt submitted ?

I wouldn't have taken them back in that situation, my runs pretty compact and alot of the time I do the majority of the street. If someone's canceling because of the price its likely the new person is matching your last price or less. The person is thinking hel take it on that price as it could lead to more work in that street where he could then price they ones higher. After 4 or 5 months of not picking up anything else that job has now become a hinderence to them and 9 times out of 10 they drop it. A woman in a street I do has went through 4 window cleaners in the last 2 years after I didn't take her back after the first one stopped coming.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

A cheap cleaner sold his run and the buyer did one clean and never came back. All he wanted was the cream and dumped the rest. I'm picking some up at my higher price.

 

[Yogi1872]

A cheap cleaner sold his run and the buyer did one clean and never came back. All he wanted was the cream and dumped the rest. I'm picking some up at my higher price.

Il usually do them 3 times at the price I bought the run at and if any of them need changed do it then. I've doubled some in price before with no issues.

 

[Yogi1872]

If using the wfp i wouldn't have thought the other guys service would be inferior though. It's not a specialized job, the results should be the exact same as the equipment used is pretty much the same. And if doing frames glass and doors with the wfp then itl have the same results as anyone else.

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

I have no idea why she switched from the old person back to me. It’s true if he was WFP them I don’t see it being a huge difference, unless he really didn’t know what he was doing. More likely, he took it on in November, winter then bit and he never came back. It’s more than just the quality of the clean, it’s reliability and credibility, at least for the customers you want.

That all said, it might bite me in the bum. She was always a good payer and I have her on GC now, so time will tell if I’ll regret this. But I pass the flat regularly and it’s no bother to add in a stop.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I have no idea why she switched from the old person back to me. It’s true if he was WFP them I don’t see it being a huge difference, unless he really didn’t know what he was doing. More likely, he took it on in November, winter then bit and he never came back. It’s more than just the quality of the clean, it’s reliability and credibility, at least for the customers you want.

That all said, it might bite me in the bum. She was always a good payer and I have her on GC now, so time will tell if I’ll regret this. But I pass the flat regularly and it’s no bother to add in a stop.

I picked up one in a new estate because the guy sold out and new guy never came back.