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2nd clean sacked off

Mickey07

New member
Messages
14
Location
Birmingham
Ok chaps being honest as only been going a few months  but found as I've gone back to a few houses now (a small percentage) to start a the 2nd cleans some have binned me off two have mentioned spotting but I will stress the work is in a 100% asian area of brum sometimes though I think it's a bit of a communication thing where they think they are getting a "one off" but still gutted I've lost some..anyway is it normal to lose customers on 2nd cleans?thanks chaps.

 
For me yes...I'm in the same boat.also only been going a few months
This is why I charge extra for 1st cleans.
About 25%have not wanted a 2nd clean despite agreeing to a regular clean,so when I text they cancelled. Some said no longer required,others said work wasn't up to scratch although I always tell customers if any issue call me back and work will be redone free of charge.
I think it's the time of year and the fact there are a lot of customers who just want an "as and when" service I just wish they would be honest at the start as cancellations are toxic when you have Bill's to pay

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I’ve found the first 3 cleans are usually when you’ll find out if they’re going to be keepers or not. If you can get past that then you can 99% of the time look at them as a reliable customer.


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Its the joys of growing a window cleaning business. There was a moto on the othe forum of the 3 C's - canvass, clean, cull. The faster you do that the faster you will get a good round with regular customers.

As @Jjs window cleaning service says, you need to adapt to account for the type of people who you are selling your services to. You need to charge a first clean price.

You also need to specify what your prices are and what they include. Sooner or later they will want other services included FOC. Funny how they won't throw in takeaway side dishes FOC.

You might need to give potential new customers a price list so they can't argue with you later. Obviously prices FROM .......

Why not copy Vin's with your own pricing structure?

http://www.perfect-windows.co.uk/pwpricing.html

 
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I now charge double for first cleans and make it clear that the quote provided is for a regular window cleaning service. It could be also be a cultural thing were they just want you when it suits them I have been asked this before and told them to find some one else as I only do regular cleans.

County Durham Lad

 
I now charge double for first cleans and make it clear that the quote provided is for a regular window cleaning service. It could be also be a cultural thing were they just want you when it suits them I have been asked this before and told them to find some one else as I only do regular cleans.

County Durham Lad
 
Exactly right. Many think we are the 'Ringtons' of window cleaning.

 
Plenty people sign up for Ringtons and sack them off after the first order,Only us up North might know who Ringtons are
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County Durham Lad
 
My next door neighbour has used them for years 

 
We used them once, thought it was overpriced and the coffee was
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County Durham Lad
 


I occassionally buy a packet of triple chocolate cookies as son likes them. I love the milk chocolate caramel wafers but son doesn't. I'm not going to spend £4 on biscuits so I go with the triple chocolate cookies.

I don't drink tea and don't like their coffee either.

Plenty people sign up for Ringtons and sack them off after the first order,Only us up North might know who Ringtons are
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County Durham Lad
 
I didn't know that - I always thought they were nationwide.

My next door neighbour has used them for years 


Same with the old couple (90 & 92) across the road.

Always seem to have new Caddy vans. I've often wondered how they make that business pay.

 
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I’ve found the first 3 cleans are usually when you’ll find out if they’re going to be keepers or not. If you can get past that then you can 99% of the time look at them as a reliable customer.


Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums


Had one the other day, £300,000 new build. On third clean, his wife came out ranting about the mess we'd made, water everywhere, streaks on windows, marks on cills. Got a text from him later saying he 'wasn't happy about standard of service, and that I was £4 dearer than other local windies, your services no longer required'

Explained my price reflects time on job, all cills, glass and frames cleaned each time. Asked him to send pics of areas where standard of service was bad.

His text back said 'it's all dried up now so nothing too show ' (basically nothing to complain about) but still services no longer required. 

My reply, 'that's fine'

He'd tried to knock me down for first clean, should've seen writing on the wall, obviously can't afford the mortgage, blame the window cleaner. 

Upside is he said he'd pay for the work we did. (No money yet!)

Same day neighbour across the street signed up for 4 weekly clean at same price. Nothing lost....

 
Ok chaps thanks for the replies glad to  see its just not me with the 2nd cleans then....suppose I have to take a few lost cleans then on the chin.

 
Ok chaps thanks for the replies glad to  see its just not me with the 2nd cleans then....suppose I have to take a few lost cleans then on the chin.


A few months down the line when (all being well) you'll be a lot busier they'll come out and ask for their windows to be cleaned again. You'll feel a lot better about it when you can turn round and say "Sorry! Too busy!"

 
Funny you should say that as another window cleaner said the same thing to me earlier when I was having a chat to him on the street he said after a few months you will get the odd few come back to you but be on your guard and over price them as they might be shifty and want another one off.

 
Like most in here I charge double for the first clean as it’s annoying when they cancel. The only other thing which I do if they are not in that bad a state is offer the third clean free. This way they get there double money clean back. It’s worked for me as you get a rapport by the third time. But like I say only if the windows are not mingin!!


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The world of window cleaning in general is changing (for us anyway). We have good rounds but they aren’t really growing, if they are its quite slowly, and often a case of one replacing another that has been lost for one reason or another. In terms of new custom, a lot of people will only get them done once in a blue moon & not opt for regular service (which is fine if you’re charging accordingly)

The position we would all like to be in is....e.g. Mr brown phones you up “hiya, windows haven’t been done for a while now, can you clean them please” you have a look, give a price that you can make money on, he either agrees or disagrees, if he agrees, you clean the windows, then Mr Brown says “thank you, great job” and either opts for a regular service or just says “i’ll call you again sometime” either way you’re happy and not kicking yourself because at that particular moment, you know you have come away with a decent price.

Since the trad days of one windy doing every house on the street fortnightly or monthly, things are becoming more and more call out like and our work is far from compact. many companies claim wfp window cleaning will “keep your windows cleaner for longer” which is maybe why a lot of us run 6 weekly and why more and more customers are only getting them done as and when suits them.

Any specified journey (a visit not on a local round) i often ask for £40 or £50 to make it worth it on travel time and diesel. (i dont often get it as you’ve probably guessed but sometimes i do)

Your carpet cleaner will show up, take 45 mins or an hour maybe. £60. You’ll call them maybe 2-3 times a year i guess. If you asked for a monthly service from them i’m sure they’d still say “£60 please mate” the blokes equipment could be worth what...a grand-2grand say. Not all that different from a van mounted system. And once you know what you’re doing and have had some sort of basic training, its not all that skilled.

Same as taking your car for a valet at whoever you use. My car when i had it 2-3 years ago was £35 at a place on the corner of the street, if i took it again a month down the line I’m sure it still would be the same.

Why our industry is valued so low by so many, i dont know, but id like to see it turn around in the modern age.

These are just my thoughts of course & they’re not necessarily right, many people will say otherwise. Our businesses are our own. i’m just trying to adapt to what i sense to be a new era & Its not easy.

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Being adaptable is going to be more important as time goes on and we have to be prepared to change to get up with the times.

None of us want to run a personalised window cleaning service, but the future might dictate that we have to have a larger and large slice of our business made up of these customers linked in with our current rounds.

On the other forum we hear from a windie who moved from the UK to Ireland over 10 years ago. He found a totally different culture with regard to window cleaning than what he had in England. To start off all his customers were "I'll call when I need them cleaned again" customers. Slowly he has converted some of them to regulars but when he gets a call he won't make a special journey for an 'as and when' clean. He will advise them that he will be in the area/road in 10 days time and will do it then.

Over the years he has managed to keep himself fully busy with this clientele base. He had no choice as that is what the market dictated; he had to adapt.

 

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