Unreliable customers

Anyone on here constantly have annoying customers which you always think as soon as you pull up will just mess you about?? I seem to have a extra amount this month and it's getting worse

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Got to be like a diplomat in this line of business    :1f61c:

just bin em off!!! or increase how much you charge em

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After a while you get a sixth sense with messers

My messer Radar goes off now as soon as i quote one

A bit like batfink's radar for those old enough to remember it

Inno what you mean I've been going a year this month for 200 customers on book but had a bad day with customers saying ohh next month etc . I come around every 6-8 weeks sometimes later as I work solo and had alot of add ons etc to survive

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Beer said:

Inno what you mean I've been going a year this month for 200 customers on book but had a bad day with customers saying ohh next month etc . I come around every 6-8 weeks sometimes later as I work solo and had alot of add ons etc to survive

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This is when you want to weed out the messers and get some new work in as the add ons will start to dry up soon except gutters when the leaves start falling

I don't do add ons now except for existing customers but they can be very helpfull if still trying to get a full round

GoCardless. I find that if they sign up to that before you've done the job, they're unlikely to be messers

I'm fairly new myself. Someone waved at me last week and said come next time. 2 mins later I dropped them from my route and shall never return.

Replaced them with someone round the corner for 2x what the dropped customer paid.

I'm new myself and I can see the frustration about customers. I'v just took the advice from people on here who have been cleaning for years and stuck with it. 

Asked for the price I want and if not I'll drop them, don't want to clean when your due? Dropped. Mess me about on payment, dropped. 

Could have had alot of work by now but I decided to play the slow progressive game and take on work I want to do instead of need to do.

Gazz said:

I'm fairly new myself. Someone waved at me last week and said come next time. 2 mins later I dropped them from my route and shall never return.

Replaced them with someone round the corner for 2x what the dropped customer paid.

I'm new myself and I can see the frustration about customers. I'v just took the advice from people on here who have been cleaning for years and stuck with it. 

Asked for the price I want and if not I'll drop them, don't want to clean when your due? Dropped. Mess me about on payment, dropped. 

Could have had alot of work by now but I decided to play the slow progressive game and take on work I want to do instead of need to do.

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Yes that's exactly what I do unless they have a good excuse they are dropped, all this come next time isn't for me. 

You really need to weed them out unless its a good area with mostly good payers and you want to gain more houses within that street, I had kept one messer on my books for 4 years or so back then I had 2 houses across the development I now have nearly 2 1/2 days.

First couple of years you have to just take the hit. Advertise like crazy and clean a lot of windows be prepared to lose a lot, dump a lot and not get paid for quite a few as well. Ive written off almost 500 quid in non payers since i started! It really is just a numbers game and there's not much you can do but keep going. 

George tells me I have about 300 customers, it also tells me I have about 350 ex customers. Out of the ones I have I expect 20 to be gone in the next couple of month's as they are slow/non payers. 

The more you get the easier it becomes but there's no shortcut to a good reliable round it takes years to obtain. I think it would take me another year until I feel really confident with the customers I have. 

If you keep going it will happen just concentrate on getting more more more then dump dump dump.

When it comes to customers the most important thing is if they pay. As long as they have paid by the time their next clean is due in not bothered. The next one is if they skip cleans, I'll tolerate a couple of skipped cleans in a year but if it becomes a habit. I won't tolerate being turned away on the day for no reason though that's an instant dump unless of course there's good reason.

You always have to be watchful as even good payers turn bad due to circumstances.

We have one that was brilliant. But a 12 to 18 months ago a brand new twin horse box got parked up on his driveway, a horse for each of the girls. We get paid but I always have to send a reminder text and nag him. :1f603:

All and any good clients have the potential to turn bad I have had devout church goers and police officers rip me off over the years, Also some people I think like to have a cleaner because their neighbours do but just don't want to pay for a regular service.

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Yes you always get one that surprises you and catches you out. I've had a couple of customers who I though what genuinely lovely people they are suddenly turn bad and try to rip you off. A lot you can see coming a mile off but those types are harder to spot.

Had a few just move house and bigger off and be never get paid. Turn up and there's a sold sign in the garden or an unfamiliar face comes to the door "you're not mrs .." no she moved out last week. Oh great. 

It's never plain sailing, soon as you think you've cracked it someone spoils it.

You do get there though apart from the odd one as mentioned. I been a Window Cleaner 9 years, but moved area and bought a round 2 years ago. The prices of the round were good, but there was a fair few Messers and slow payers, I weeded them out, grew the round, weeded out some more, grew some more etc. Now I've had one person in about 8 months say next time, and 80% of my customers are 4 weekly. Any new ones go on 8 weekly unless they specifically ask for 4 weekly, I find usually though 8 weekly are far less likely to skip, and if they are the ones who ask for 4 weekly then it's a sign they won't skip too, usually lol now all my payment slips say payment within 7 days, no collecting. I have about maybe 10 customers out of 300 who it still takes longer than 7 days, but only 2 that usually end up having to pay double.
Like has been mentioned it can change, but hang in there, be strict but fair with them, and any one messes you about drop them and let them be someone else's problem!


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