Canvassing Companies

Hi all.

Just wanted to ask has anyone on here ever used WPS Generation. Or Canvassing Kings or Wildfire. Just wanted to see if people have used them and what they was like. And if the work and prices was any good. And if the work kept.

Not looking to book just yet just doing research.

Thanks for your feedback

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Used wps a few times... been happy with the service, decent prices and compact, retention is about 50-60% after around 6 months, but I’m fairly ruthless with messers...

BlueClearChoice said:

Hi all.

Just wanted to ask has anyone on here ever used WPS Generation. Or Canvassing Kings or Wildfire. Just wanted to see if people have used them and what they was like. And if the work and prices was any good. And if the work kept.

Not looking to book just yet just doing research.

Thanks for your feedback

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

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 ?

I have heard some bad stories about canvassing scams etc, personally if u really want the work you should go out there yourself ?

Have u ever door knocked yourself mate ?

Haz said:

 ?

I have heard some bad stories about canvassing scams etc, personally if u really want the work you should go out there yourself ?

Have u ever door knocked yourself mate ?

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I agree. If I were a potential customer I would like to see the person who is going to clean my windows rather than some canvasser.

I gain a lot of my work but i have lads working for me, the customers know its my business and i manage it and that's the main thing, but canvassing can work.

3x is not worth it when u can go out there and do it yourself.

If you got 3x to pay for canvassing companies then i suggest u look at buying a round instead.

Nothing worth buying is ever 3x always closer to 5x

I'm gonna be a little controversial here but I think canvassing is the biggest waste of time. 

To get my first customers I put an advert on social media. I cleaned friends houses for free and low and behold people did approach me and ask. Back then I had a full time job so very little time for canvassing but I did throw some leaflets out one Sunday and that brought me a good few more.

I first tried canvassing when I went full time. I knocked around 200 doors and got 10 customers... 8 of them cancelled before the first clean, the other 2 had a couple of cleans and then cancelled. I remember one telling me they don't see the value in it.... they had green windows when I started. I have no problem with knocking the doors, I worked in sales for 11 years before I went full time with this. It was just really disheartening, 3 steps forward and 3 steps back sort of thing. I stopped canvassing random streets and just started canvassing in streets where I clean. This worked out much better for me, the hit rate was much higher, the cancellation rate was a little lower. In one small street I picked up 5 of the other 7 houses, still clean 2 of these, the other 3 gave me the old ''we'll call you''.... Good luck with that.

In comparison I have put out thousands of leaflets. The average return is just 1 in 100 and the cancellation rate has been zero (touch wood). I have had some one off's from leaflets but everyone who has called me out has been honest enough to say that. Once I have customers where I have leafleted I knock the doors when i'm cleaning and say something like ''I clean your neighbours windows, I dropped a leaflet the other week''.... You get the idea.

I appreciate some of the guys who have been trading longer swear by canvassing but in my experience it was a lot of effort for very little gain. I can't imaging a canvassing company would bring anything different to the table. If there is already a problem with cancellations, which I have heard a lot about, then not even meeting the actual window cleaner will surely just exaggerate this issue.

To anyone starting out, if you're thinking of using what I have said as an excuse to not knock doors and get yourself customers then you probably ain't driven enough to be self employed. For someone who has never done sales before its probably the hardest part of the job and perhaps the most daunting. I do knock doors, I just do it in areas I already work. I do feel that just blindly knocking a random estate is a waste of time and more customers could be found elsewhere. If you have no customers however then you may have no other choice. My advice, be prepared to clean on the day... I was never ready to clean when I went knocking, it was always an after thought to whatever I had on that day. Expect some cancellations but if you're new then it's good practice and you may be seen by someone else, you never know where one job will lead.

I'm taking mine slow and steady no door knocking let them come to you because some people don't like to say no to some one. Obviously door knocking does work and will get you alot but personally rather them come to me then I know they are actually wanting my service ect3 and made there own effort just my opinion thought not facts 

Mrwindowshine said:

I'm taking mine slow and steady no door knocking let them come to you because some people don't like to say no to some one. Obviously door knocking does work and will get you alot but personally rather them come to me then I know they are actually wanting my service ect3 and made there own effort just my opinion thought not facts 

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Each to their own mate. Its all well and good if you can afford to do that. I would hate to think my post encouraged people not to knock doors, especially anyone starting out at this time of year. If you have no customers you have very little other choice. I think if you're able to clean on the day you'll have a much higher rate of completion. Worst case scenario is someone lets you clean them once and cancels. The plus side is you make money that day and assuming your van is sign written people see you cleaning.

One think thats always surprised me about this forum is i've never seen anyone say ''The thought of knocking a strangers door terrifies me''... I know these people exist as i've met them in sales lots of times. On some of the posts i've seen people skirt around the issue, bringing the conversation on to leaflet marketing or Royal Mail leaflet drops but no one ever just says ''nah, not for me that''.

There are lots of other ways to get customers. As I say I now only canvass where I clean only, this creates more compact work and gets a warmer reception from the people the other side of the door. If it's not for you (Not meaning you specifically Mrwindowshine) then you can just put leaflets out but be prepared for a lot of walking. 100 leaflets will deliver you 10 customers over time, Google business and a well built website will deliver you customers but again all over time... and so on. 

I started up my self 3 months ish ago just got over 50 customers not much but I'm only aiming for 120 by end of next year but decent prices. Im after only part  time for now  I'm a single parent.30 houses a week will do me live the easy life till he's In high school couple years yet and get my fishing in lol . canvessors do work as I know people who get them and have got lots like you say each to there own.but yes if you just starting and have nothing get a Facebook page set up join your local buy and sells and post post post get your mates tonshare your page and go from there 

Mrwindowshine said:

I started up my self 3 months ish ago just got over 50 customers not much but I'm only aiming for 120 by end of next year but decent prices. Im after only part  time for now  I'm a single parent.30 houses a week will do me live the easy life till he's In high school couple years yet and get my fishing in lol . canvessors do work as I know people who get them and have got lots like you say each to there own.but yes if you just starting and have nothing get a Facebook page set up join your local buy and sells and post post post get your mates tonshare your page and go from there 

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Thats a good target, with them 120 customers you can do other jobs for them? Fascia/soffit cleaning? Gutter clearing and cleaning?

Out of your 120 customers per month you should be looking at 10-20% of them using you for other services. So theres already 12 customers out of 120 to help u keep going if u start offering an additional service.

Mrwindowshine said:

I started up my self 3 months ish ago just got over 50 customers not much but I'm only aiming for 120 by end of next year but decent prices. Im after only part  time for now  I'm a single parent.30 houses a week will do me live the easy life till he's In high school couple years yet and get my fishing in lol . canvessors do work as I know people who get them and have got lots like you say each to there own.but yes if you just starting and have nothing get a Facebook page set up join your local buy and sells and post post post get your mates tonshare your page and go from there 

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Hats off to you dude, build at your pace and give your little one the life he deserve's but time with him is precious and worth much more than any contract or customer you could get window cleaning!