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Customer wants to change frequency of cleans.

Becky D

New member
Messages
21
Location
London
Good evening. What's everyone's opinion with customer wants to change frequency of cleans. Once a month turning to once, quarterly. A pay increase is the golden rule which I will charge. Does this happen often ? Second time now this has happened. The only thing I can think of that I do a really good job which is always one way to look at it

Just want everyone's opinion.

☺️

 
It depends how desperate you are for work. 
if your really busy then stick it up a decent amount, it doesn’t matter if you lose it. 
If your still building your round and need the work, then still increase it , but be a bit more careful. 

I would also take into account why. 
If they are just being tight I would approach it differently , than if they are genuinely struggling for money. 

It also would depends on if I like them or not too. 

Also if it’s in the middle of nowhere , it might be worth dumping, if it’s in a road where you have others it might be worth keeping.  

I don’t have hard and fast rules, I judge each situation on its merits. 

 
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I had it happen with quite a few people when I cleaned windows. I just explained I’m happy to do that but I would be spending that little bit extra time so couple of quid increase. They were always happy with that.

It surprises me the amount of window cleaners on forums that go off on one which shows they are not customer focused but just themselves.

It times of need customers look to cut costs and window cleaning will be one of them but if you treat them with respect they come back when their finances improve.

It never used to worry me as there was always a new customer around the corner.

 
All my new customers are now being told I only offer 6 weekly. I'm starting the process of telling existing customers I want to change them all to 6 weekly and today I told the 12 weekly customers I'm only doing 6 weekly now. Only 2 have cancelled altogether but I'm still financially better off due to the others saying yes. 

I want only 1 interval as it was getting impossible with so many on different schedules. 

 
Good evening. What's everyone's opinion with customer wants to change frequency of cleans. Once a month turning to once, quarterly. A pay increase is the golden rule which I will charge. Does this happen often ? Second time now this has happened. The only thing I can think of that I do a really good job which is always one way to look at it

Just want everyone's opinion.

☺️
On domestic we offer 4 or 8 weekly that’s our maximum frequency we wouldn’t accept any longer time scale so fir us it would be bye bye , we have more work than we can shake a stick at 4 weekly so why bother with something like this , if you let one customer dictate the terms and conditions to your business then word will get round and more will try it , we have over 4,000 customers and apart from a dentist that wanted to go to 3 monthly  recently I cannot remember the last time we had anyone evan ask .when we quote a job I Stress the frequency if they agree to that then that’s our verbal agreement , if they want to alter it then the verbal agreement has been broken , and they will have to find someone else we never take ex customers back on the books . 

 
I had it happen with quite a few people when I cleaned windows. I just explained I’m happy to do that but I would be spending that little bit extra time so couple of quid increase. They were always happy with that.

It surprises me the amount of window cleaners on forums that go off on one which shows they are not customer focused but just themselves.

It times of need customers look to cut costs and window cleaning will be one of them but if you treat them with respect they come back when their finances improve.

It never used to worry me as there was always a new customer around the corner.
It’s not about not being customer focused , it’s about running a successful business and having work for employees and a known income at the end of the month , to pay their wages and my bills , we set out our stall when quoting if they dont like our terms then we wouldn’t take the job on in the first place , if they accept them then that’s our agreement and I expect them to stick to it , we are of course flexible if they are decorating or building work going on we are more than happy to leave it until the work is completed but won’t do longer frequency’s than 8 weeks , if they cannot afford that then that’s fine but we are inundated with 4 weekly so why take on longer frequency that takes longer to do for little reward ,there is no point . 

 
It’s not about not being customer focused , it’s about running a successful business and having work for employees and a known income at the end of the month , to pay their wages and my bills , we set out our stall when quoting if they dont like our terms then we wouldn’t take the job on in the first place , if they accept them then that’s our agreement and I expect them to stick to it , we are of course flexible if they are decorating or building work going on we are more than happy to leave it until the work is completed but won’t do longer frequency’s than 8 weeks , if they cannot afford that then that’s fine but we are inundated with 4 weekly so why take on longer frequency that takes longer to do for little reward ,there is no point . 
As I have said, my Oaps pay me each month and wonder where I am if I miss a month, just wish all my customers were like that. Don't really want the love island crowd to mess with my business. Since I wiped out the toxic folk, my business swims with the tide. ?

 
On domestic we offer 4 or 8 weekly that’s our maximum frequency we wouldn’t accept any longer time scale so fir us it would be bye bye , we have more work than we can shake a stick at 4 weekly so why bother with something like this , if you let one customer dictate the terms and conditions to your business then word will get round and more will try it , we have over 4,000 customers and apart from a dentist that wanted to go to 3 monthly  recently I cannot remember the last time we had anyone evan ask .when we quote a job I Stress the frequency if they agree to that then that’s our verbal agreement , if they want to alter it then the verbal agreement has been broken , and they will have to find someone else we never take ex customers back on the books . 
Great post @Pjj?

This post rings true in my world too.

 
I don't have an issue with people wanting to change frequency, I only have one job that is quarterly they have been on my rounds for about 5 years now and have always had the same frequency it's a small 4 bed no bigger than 3 bed semi it takes me less than 10 minutes to clean and I charge them £16  which is double there neighbours price which is 4 weekly but I am about to bump that up to £9 and increase the other job by £1 that's £26 for less than 20 minutes work when they are due together,

One thing that determines how much extra I will charge is location and enviroment is it on a busy main road or surrounded by large trees, this will mean a far higher charge as it will be like a first clean each time so I would triple the price if it's going to take much longer. 

 
All my new customers are now being told I only offer 6 weekly. I'm starting the process of telling existing customers I want to change them all to 6 weekly and today I told the 12 weekly customers I'm only doing 6 weekly now. Only 2 have cancelled altogether but I'm still financially better off due to the others saying yes. 

I want only 1 interval as it was getting impossible with so many on different schedules. 
Totally agree with the 6 weekly comments. However I disagree with the 12 weekly comments.

I only offer 6 weekly, but if they are adamant they only want 12 weekly, we’ll that’s ok with a little increase as it still stays in pattern with your round.

If they are adamant for four or eight weekly, it’s a straight no. That’s for plebs ??

 
Totally agree with the 6 weekly comments. However I disagree with the 12 weekly comments.

I only offer 6 weekly, but if they are adamant they only want 12 weekly, we’ll that’s ok with a little increase as it still stays in pattern with your round.

If they are adamant for four or eight weekly, it’s a straight no. That’s for plebs ??
Don't get me wrong, I'll allow a selected few to go 12 weekly with discretion and a slighty higher rate. The problem I have is that my 12-weekly customers are not on the higher rate and are priced at the standard...newbie mistake! 

 
Don't get me wrong, I'll allow a selected few to go 12 weekly with discretion and a slighty higher rate. The problem I have is that my 12-weekly customers are not on the higher rate and are priced at the standard...newbie mistake! 
Haha! Most of us have made plenty of em. The important thing is to try and learn from them and tweek to suit us better as we go. Most of us do that too. I think! ??

 
Haha! Most of us have made plenty of em. The important thing is to try and learn from them and tweek to suit us better as we go. Most of us do that too. I think! ??
Like you say, we need to learn from them! Last year was a steep learning curve for sure. Pricing was probably the most difficult aspect of the business but I think I'm getting there. I now only have  a couple of jobs left that i resent because they are worth more than I charge but I think I'll tolerate these for now and just focus on getting more customers on my new regime. 

 
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