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!

What time will be be coming round?

NewGuy

Well-known member
Messages
780
Location
Kent
Does anyone else get annoyed by this question?

We are unable to be specific about timing due to many variables.  However, surely customers do have a right to know this as they are paying for a service and can dictate as they wish...to a degree.

Or is it simply a case do it my way or the highway?!

 
Does anyone else get annoyed by this question?

We are unable to be specific about timing due to many variables.  However, surely customers do have a right to know this as they are paying for a service and can dictate as they wish...to a degree.

Or is it simply a case do it my way or the highway?!
Part of my service is to give them notice, the night before, and an approximate time. The first few will be a specific time, after 11 I will always but 11.30ish. Usually it is only forwarding the text I sent the previous month. 

 
Thanks - as I suspected, it isn't unreasonable for customers to ask approx times of arrival.

I guess "annoyed" was the wrong terminology - "frustrated" was probably the better word but this should be directed at me and not the customers.  

I don't have a fixed schedule as such because I have to be very flexible in my work due to child care arrangements.  I do plan my work on a weekly basis and tend to just go out and do the jobs without having to think about times of arrival.  I suppose it doesn't do any harm to plan an approximate plan for each day too.  It just means devoting a little more time to organising my work - for the benefit of my customers.

 
Thanks - as I suspected, it isn't unreasonable for customers to ask approx times of arrival.

I guess "annoyed" was the wrong terminology - "frustrated" was probably the better word but this should be directed at me and not the customers.  

I don't have a fixed schedule as such because I have to be very flexible in my work due to child care arrangements.  I do plan my work on a weekly basis and tend to just go out and do the jobs without having to think about times of arrival.  I suppose it doesn't do any harm to plan an approximate plan for each day too.  It just means devoting a little more time to organising my work - for the benefit of my customers.
It depends on how you have sold your service. My area is saturated with cleaners, 50% of who are traditional, so I offered the day before message and approximate time. Fairly certain the established don't even offer the night before message but they probably had little competition so their customers were just glad to get a window cleaner.

 
It depends on how you have sold your service. My area is saturated with cleaners, 50% of who are traditional, so I offered the day before message and approximate time. Fairly certain the established don't even offer the night before message but they probably had little competition so their customers were just glad to get a window cleaner.
I send an automated notification (from Squeegee) informing customers that I will be calling round the following day and to leave side/rear gates unlocked etc.  I don't say anything about timing.

I certainly cannot start informing customers of an ETA especially as this will always change - whereas it sounds like you have a pretty much fixed schedule that you stick with.  Upon requests, I do provide an ETA.  I also have customers that insist they are home when I do their windows or insist that I arrive after or before a specific time.  

I can just see that once I reach my target of having a certain number of customers, and with my need of flexibility, these requests might get too annoying for me.  I had to be a stickler for timing in my previous jobs - ie, turn up for meetings on time etc.  But one of the attractions of window cleaning for me, was working without a schedule!  Albeit, I do try and accommodate everyone as much as I can with their wishes.

Obviously for quotes I will specify a time.

 
Well if you can't give an ETA then don't, my residential work is done after I have done my Commercial work so if I'm behind on that then the residential jobs get put back. I sold them the service of an estimated ETA, if you didn't then you shouldn't be pressurised into giving them one. I can pick and choose what jobs get done when, I just prefer to get everything done ASAP so I can have days off. 

 
It does niggle me if I’m honest. 
it’s a completely normal question for customers to ask but I just like to be as free as a bird to come and go when I like. I like the freedom of thinking ‘I’ll start that one first’, but actually end up doing that one last because I decided in the moment to do something in between like go to the post office first or in between etc. Just the way I like to flow - with total freedom. Life tends to have other plans thou, and that can breed frustration. 

 
I used to get frustrated with customers trying to dictate a time, or wanting to know a time for no necessary reason. I now train them from day one. We notify the day before, we can't (won't) give a time. We used to try but it gave the customers too much power. We only take on jobs where we can gain access without the customer needing to be present.

" We will be there to clean your windows tomorrow, Wednesday 7th Oct. Please make sure the gate is unlocked and the payment left in the usual place. (This will be in a waterproof Ziploc bag provided by us when we quote and agree the job.) Please remember to lock the gate after we've been. Thank you. "

System works for us.

 
We don’t give a specific time on normal domestic we just turn up 4 weeks later usually on the same day but sometimes it’s later in that week , we only inform commercial jobs of our expected time of arrival if they need it . If doing inside conservatory’s and the customer needs to know then yes we will make a specific appointment other than that no I cannot be bothered to let joe bloggs know we will be at his house for 9:36 and 10 seconds precisely fir a £20 job . 

 
It does niggle me if I’m honest. 
it’s a completely normal question for customers to ask but I just like to be as free as a bird to come and go when I like. I like the freedom of thinking ‘I’ll start that one first’, but actually end up doing that one last because I decided in the moment to do something in between like go to the post office first or in between etc. Just the way I like to flow - with total freedom. Life tends to have other plans thou, and that can breed frustration. 
You've hit the nail on the head!  I like to go with the flow these days.  Fortunately the majority of my customers are happy with this approach. 

We don’t give a specific time on normal domestic we just turn up 4 weeks later usually on the same day but sometimes it’s later in that week , we only inform commercial jobs of our expected time of arrival if they need it . If doing inside conservatory’s and the customer needs to know then yes we will make a specific appointment other than that no I cannot be bothered to let joe bloggs know we will be at his house for 9:36 and 10 seconds precisely fir a £20 job . 
But do any of your domestics ask for a time?

 
I don't like to be pinned down to a time if I can avoid it, so many things that can throw a spanner in the works, traffic, the weather, problems at school or even just not feeling well.

 
Does anyone else get annoyed by this question?

We are unable to be specific about timing due to many variables.  However, surely customers do have a right to know this as they are paying for a service and can dictate as they wish...to a degree.

Or is it simply a case do it my way or the highway?!
If they are expecting a piping hot pizza upon arrival then I would want to know so I can set the table if you aren't doubling up as deliveroo or offering something off the menu, then a text the night before an unlocked gate should more than suffice unless the custy is dressing up for the occasion ? ?

 
If they are expecting a piping hot pizza upon arrival then I would want to know so I can set the table if you aren't doubling up as deliveroo or offering something off the menu, then a text the night before an unlocked gate should more than suffice unless the custy is dressing up for the occasion ? ?
I can see that once I have a full round, that I will start dropping customers that insist they are home before I can go round.  Some of them simply will not leave gates unlocked for the day and some won't leave money in the garden (although I prefer online payments).

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of being too choosy!

 
I can see that once I have a full round, that I will start dropping customers that insist they are home before I can go round.  Some of them simply will not leave gates unlocked for the day and some won't leave money in the garden (although I prefer online payments).

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of being too choosy!
Not yet mate but you will in time. As you get more established you'll gain the confidence and assertiveness that comes with it, providing you set yourself that goal.

 
If they are expecting a piping hot pizza upon arrival then I would want to know so I can set the table if you aren't doubling up as deliveroo or offering something off the menu, then a text the night before an unlocked gate should more than suffice unless the custy is dressing up for the occasion ? ?
Most of my cash customers are elderly and don't like leaving money out. They can then plan their trip to the shops etc rather than sitting waiting in for me to arrive.

I detest getting a text message saying your delivery will arrive tomorrow. Everyone runs their business differently and what suits one doesn't necessarily mean it will suit everyone.

 
Not yet mate but you will in time. As you get more established you'll gain the confidence and assertiveness that comes with it, providing you set yourself that goal.
Cheers - I can assure you it's not a matter of confidence or assertiveness.  I'm still getting established and building up my clientele.  I simply cannot do anything to alienate anyone (within reasons) at this stage.  At the moment, whilst it's an annoyance, I can be flexible with my schedule and fit people in according to their wishes.  But as my schedule gets fuller, then I'm going to have to start being stricter with my scheduling.

Trust me, I have plenty of assertiveness and confidence which is required in this job!  There surely can't be any meek window cleaners out there...?

 
You've hit the nail on the head!  I like to go with the flow these days.  Fortunately the majority of my customers are happy with this approach. 

But do any of your domestics ask for a time?
Generally no , as ones that I think will be pain customers don’t get past the quoting process ????

 
Does anyone else get annoyed by this question?

We are unable to be specific about timing due to many variables.  However, surely customers do have a right to know this as they are paying for a service and can dictate as they wish...to a degree.

Or is it simply a case do it my way or the highway?!
It's not a question to laugh at in some respects 

Many elderly customers are very regimented and love uniformity and live minute by minute watching the clock. I know my grandparents do.

Then the younger families don't realise you have more than one customer as common sense is thin on the ground 

 
It's not a question to laugh at in some respects 

Many elderly customers are very regimented and love uniformity and live minute by minute watching the clock. I know my grandparents do.

Then the younger families don't realise you have more than one customer as common sense is thin on the ground 
I agree but in my case, it's not the elderly that are asking me what time will I be calling over.  It's the younger folks mostly.  Those that are either at home with babies or those that are working from home.

I have a 30 year old customer, owns his own home, flash BMW etc and he insists that I only go round when he's in.  So I arranged a time, called over, and I could see him on the inside following my progress and inspecting my work window to window.

It's customers like that that will soon get dumped.  Not the elderly who are set in their way and simply want to be ready to greet me on arrival.

 

Latest Posts

Back
Top