Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Window cleaning customers

Beer

Member
Messages
210
Location
Swansea
Hello there been doing it for some years now but started new business on own lately I enjoy cleaning gutters etc but do anyone find window cleaning customers very annoying as a cancellation can just occur from no where it's like you gain 3 lose 2 type of thing it's weird I'm just wondering your view on this 

 
I generally find the opposite lose 2 gain 3. Although it's been gain gain this past while. The more you have the more you tend to see it 

 
When you're building up a new business you will inevitably get a few messers (these will be the sort of people that other window cleaners have dropped in the past). Just plug away at it and over time you'll build up a good base of customers.

 
I was concerned it would work out that way (still am to a certain degree), but I just work to a two strike rule. I've ended up replacing messers with their neighbours and then getting approached by them again whenever I'm cleaning the rest of the road lol. In the long run it does seem to work out in your favour gaining customers

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
That's the name of the game mate.

For a round of 300 you need to have gone through about 600. In fact my ratio is worse than that it's about 40%

but eventually it will settle down. You will still get cancels but no where near the amount you get when you've just canvassed a new batch for example. 

Suck it up and keep advertising.  There are loads of messers out there that will sap your will to live. I've felt like quitting loads of times.

But just think of the great customers you have, the ones who are a pleasant and pay on time Just imagine a round full of them and life will be great,that's what keeps me plugging away.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Inno what you mean mate . I much prefer a day of gutters to be honest windows are just picky 


Windows all the way for me. 

Yes its a pain in the bottom to start with, but once you have weeded out all the poo it runs itself.

Doing add on work might be more lucrative but you have to fill the diary so constantly looking for work and booking it in etc. 

I do add on work but the more windows i get the more i will narrow it down. 

But there is more than one way to skin a cat, my aim is to employ 2 days a week and bang out the windows so concentrating on growing it.

Water off a ducks back now with messers and non payers, par for the course, just keep digging for the diamonds!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The 3 c's of window cleaning. Canvass, Clean, Cull. Might even occur on the same day.

When you go back for the second clean and they cancel without a genuine reason after agreeing a regular clean then cull them. Don't take it personally as it will benefit you in the longer term. You want a round of good customers which don't include messers.

If you charged a premium first clean price then you haven't lost out financially.

I recommend you use the time you allocated to clean that house to canvass a few doors in the area for a 'replacement' customer.

I like @adamangler's comments, " Water off a ducks back now with messers and non payers, par for the course, just keep digging for the diamonds!"

This is a brilliant illustration as a diamond miner has to remove a lot of earth (rocks etc) before he finds that diamond. Just because you found a diamond doesn't mean that's all. The diamond has to be cut and polished. That requires graft but the results are what count.

.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
There are just those diamonds that "want" their windows always to be clean. They're genuinely pleased to see you, and have a clean appearance in themselves. Inside their houses are usually very clean too.

I asked myself a question the other day "if I wasn't a window cleaner, how often would I want my windows cleaned???"

A month seems a long time, until it comes around again! The window cleaner is back, and it only seems like last week he was here!! And the windows don't even look that dirty!! :)

I reckon I'd have mine done every 3/4 months. I like clean windows at home, and probably do mine in-out every 3/4 months, and they're not minging by then either - just need doing.

So I do sympathize with "messers" in that I understand them, cos I just know I'd be the same - thinking they need doing every month or 2, when actually they still look pretty clean, where I live anyhow.

But we don't want people like me! :))) And there are plenty out there not like me, and want them cleaned monthly. I've had 2 weeklies before! One died, and the other couldn't afford it every 2 weeks! 

Good thread. 

 
I'm the other way and completely anal about my own windows 

I clean them about once a week when i pull up on my driveway and see some dust

Can't be a windie with dirty windows as everyone round here knows me lol

 
I'm the other way and completely anal about my own windows 

I clean them about once a week when i pull up on my driveway and see some dust

Can't be a windie with dirty windows as everyone round here knows me lol
It's got to be the worst job you have though, mine is as the miserable cow inside never pays and is always complaining :3_stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 
Hahaha love it mate

Customers say to me it must be good being your own boss

I say i still have 1 boss and she is at home lol

 
I just lost my main commercial contract today. Some cleaning company that covers everything is taking my place. ? happens ?

 
I'm the other way and completely anal about my own windows 

I clean them about once a week when i pull up on my driveway and see some dust

Can't be a windie with dirty windows as everyone round here knows me lol
Can never understand a windie having filthy windows.

I've got a sign written van on my drive advertising window cleaning, pressure washing etc. I'm gonna look a prize chump to anyone walking past if my house isn't looking good. (that's what I believe, in reality they probably don't give a toss :2_grinning: )

 
There are just those diamonds that "want" their windows always to be clean. They're genuinely pleased to see you, and have a clean appearance in themselves. Inside their houses are usually very clean too.

I asked myself a question the other day "if I wasn't a window cleaner, how often would I want my windows cleaned???"

A month seems a long time, until it comes around again! The window cleaner is back, and it only seems like last week he was here!! And the windows don't even look that dirty!! :)

I reckon I'd have mine done every 3/4 months. I like clean windows at home, and probably do mine in-out every 3/4 months, and they're not minging by then either - just need doing.

So I do sympathize with "messers" in that I understand them, cos I just know I'd be the same - thinking they need doing every month or 2, when actually they still look pretty clean, where I live anyhow.

But we don't want people like me! :))) And there are plenty out there not like me, and want them cleaned monthly. I've had 2 weeklies before! One died, and the other couldn't afford it every 2 weeks! 

Good thread. 


Then there are lots of people out there who never have their windows cleaned at all. Then there are those who want them done periodically. We had a number of these that called us up and we cleaned at their request when we could fit them in, but they paid a premium for the service. Some converted themselves into regular cleans, some just fizzled out. We don't offer the option any longer as we are too busy.

We had lots of 2 weekly cleans when doing trad, but they become 4 weekly when we converted to wfp. (We only have a couple of 4 weekly cleans which we link in with our 4 weekly commercial cleans, but our round is now 6 or 12 weeks.

One of the things we learnt very early on was never to have any preconceived ideas of what a customer wants.

We had an old dear on the round and I once flippantly remarked that the windows weren't dirty from the last time we cleaned them.

She looked at me and said sternly, "Young man, I pay you to keep my windows clean, not clean them when they are dirty."  She has passed on now but her words haven't.

Your customer is paying you to keep their windows clean even if they don't appear dirty to you. If a customer wants to skip a clean then they know the conditions; I offer 6 and 12 weekly cleans and the 12 weekly cleans cost more than the 6 weekly cleans.

"You can expect your windows to be dirty if I clean then every 12 weeks as its not a maintenance clean, but its your choice."  I don't do every 8 weeks.

I just lost my main commercial contract today. Some cleaning company that covers everything is taking my place. ? happens ?


That's tough.  I understand your pain. Our biggest commercial went into administration and it hit us hard. We didn't loose any money as one of the partners told us with the last payment he made (a real gentleman as he paid us from his own pocket), but having a large slice taken out of the monthly round took a while to replace.

I decided that we would be better of replacing that job with residential jobs so as to not have all our eggs in one basket again.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Then there are lots of people out there who never have their windows cleaned at all. Then there are those who want them done periodically. We had a number of these that called us up and we cleaned at their request when we could fit them in, but they paid a premium for the service. Some converted themselves into regular cleans, some just fizzled out. We don't offer the option any longer as we are too busy.

We had lots of 2 weekly cleans when doing trad, but they become 4 weekly when we converted to wfp. (We only have a couple of 4 weekly cleans which we link in with our 4 weekly commercial cleans, but our round is now 6 or 12 weeks.

One of the things we learnt very early on was never to have any preconceived ideas of what a customer wants.

We had an old dear on the round and I once flippantly remarked that the windows weren't dirty from the last time we cleaned them.

She looked at me and said sternly, "Young man, I pay you to keep my windows clean, not clean them when they are dirty."  She has passed on now but her words haven't.

Your customer is paying you to keep their windows clean even if they don't appear dirty to you. If a customer wants to skip a clean then they know the conditions; I offer 6 and 12 weekly cleans and the 12 weekly cleans cost more than the 6 weekly cleans.

"You can expect your windows to be dirty if I clean then every 12 weeks as its not a maintenance clean, but its your choice."  I don't do every 8 weeks.

That's tough.  I understand your pain. Our biggest commercial went into administration and it hit us hard. We didn't loose any money as one of the partners told us with the last payment he made (a real gentleman as he paid us from his own pocket), but having a large slice taken out of the monthly round took a while to replace.

I decided that we would be better of replacing that job with residential jobs so as to not have all our eggs in one basket again.
Had another a couple of new houses this week so shouldn't be long until it's replaces. Although it was my golden cow and could be done any weather and the cheque was always guaranteed 

 
Had another a couple of new houses this week so shouldn't be long until it's replaces. Although it was my golden cow and could be done any weather and the cheque was always guaranteed 
I lost a good commercial earner 18 months ago, no reason given but probably price, any way picked up customers organically and has surpassed what I was earning before.
Feels like a punch in the stomach at first though.
 

Latest Posts

Back
Top