Storefronts rescheduling all the time

This will be the third month doing this and I landed some good storefront gigs, but it seems like it’s only a one-time gig. Now I have repeats who I have on a regular schedule but 3/4 of the other one’s say when I come back after a certain period of time that they are good, have my card, and they will call when they need me again. I take it this happens a lot. So should I just move on and next year or so when they ever call back should I still do it? I mean money is money right? Just wish people would stick to their schedules :frowning:

The number 1 rule for storefronts is always make sure you sell them on the schedule.

“The price for your windows is $ and I can do that every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks. What would work for you?”

If they want a one time clean, then oh, the price will be $$ this much.

Then the number 2 rule for storefronts is never ever check in before cleaning - you drive up and start to clean or else you’ll get the “they look good so why don’t you come back next week?”

Why? Because coming back next week will a) screw up my routes, b) waste the gas I spent coming out here, c) I could have fit in another job into this slot that you just wasted my time on, and d) you’ll just keep pushing me off.

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Leaving a job I do set up a schedule but when I come back they said their windows are still clean and that they want me to come back in a couple weeks or a month. So I call the next time around and still the run around with we have your card and we will call you. Think people are getting broke these days :frowning:

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There will always be a owner like that no problem this is your price for monthly service , but it can’t possibly be the same for when ever thye feel like they need it
Never ever ever ever walk up an ask if you can clean there windows ( unless it’s a first time being there ). … bad posture. You run a business everything is on schedule it’s either your on it or off it.
It starts with the first meeting all our storefronts are on a monthly maintenance cleaning schedule it’s up to you do you want a monthly service or a bi-weekly here is the price for both which do you prefer… boom.
Oh no we will call you … ok no problem just give me notice , An depending on the last time we serviced you that will determine the price.
That’s it start acting like you are the biggest window cleaning company around even if your not.

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I don’t walk up and ask on the accounts that schedule after the last clean. The customer comes out and askes for me to come back later. That’s why I was asking about this cat and mouse stuff these accounts pull. Working fulltime at night I don’t have for them. Maybe should just let them go?

Yeah, this is common.

After their objection:

You: “Ok, but the price we agreed on was based on the schedule. If we are going to do an as needed basis, then the price will be doubled.”

They: Why?

You: Because window cleaning is all about maintaining. Just like you dont wait until your grass is six feet tall to call a landscaper, you dont want to wait until your windows are completely filthy to call me.

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+1

Sounds legit to me these accounts we’re sitting without a window cleaner for a while anyways maybe there was a reason for that in the first place

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Have you considered maybe replacing those storefronts with residential?

I like residential a lot. If they cancel, they get replaced. I let them know this in advance. That way there are no surprises when they cancel and can’t get back on my schedule.

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Then ask them if they want to be bumped up to a different schedule. 2 weeks → 4 weeks. 4 weeks is as far out as I’ll go for storefront. 8 weeks for commercial, quarterly/yearly for large commercial.

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Your not there on storefront route to clean dirty windows. Your there to keep them clean. “I don’t have a stop and check service sir/ma’am” is single handedly the best line I’ve learned on this forum. Take the first time cleans (you got the idea, it IS money) and tell them it’s a first clean price. And then monthly will be xxx. The more time you spend out there, the more good regulars you will get. Just ride the wave and stick to your guns price wise.

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Oh ok so thye were scheduled … lol …ya very simple. Did you guys call the office to cancel ? No… well unfortunately we have to get notified we’re here today to clean , but next time please call us ahead of time , so we can fill your spot.
I don’t care if it’s a 2 minute job act like it’s a 5 hour job. In my eyes there disrespecting your time An your business

This happened to me on a CVS I had them on schedule 1x a month. Pull up to do the job An the manager comes running out telling us to not do it. , An says we no longer want service. Did you guys call … no ok well unfortunately we are here to clean today ,but as of today we will terminate service. To bad man I don’t care if they don’t call any more my time is important. Thye ain’t disrespecting it. Was he pissed yup , but to bad . It did help knowing that it was going to happen sooner or later. I knew cvs wasn’t going to stay on service. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Btw you don’t have to get as extreme as saying to bad we are cleaning, but you have to posture them.

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If this happens after we agree to a schedule I explain to them in a very nice and professional way that if they send us away again we won’t be able to provide service any longer.

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You can charge them a “trip fee” or last minute “cancellation fee”, what ever you want to call it, by reminding them (in a professional manner as a matter of fact) that they were scheduled as agreed upon and that you are there on time as agreed upon. You can go ahead and clean the windows as agreed, or they can pay you a cancellation fee because they did not call ahead. They may scoff at paying for nothing, but if they were in agreement with you to a scheduled clean then that is why you are there at the moment. Done correctly they should see their error and pay the one you are there for, but cancel after that. (Of course this is if it happens with another customer, too late for this one).
At this point the ball is in their court if they want to call for additional window cleanings. Next.

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I have experienced this but Like the other guy said in his reply. Did you discuss doing them every 4 weeks when you sold the job? If so pull up clean the windows and collect. Honestly what i would do with these few customer is give them a few more weeks and check in again. If they say they are good move on. Lesson learned right. We all have to learn sometime,and there’s no shame in that .When they call you in 6 months wanting their windows cleaned jack the price up tell them the old price was for maintenance clean. If someone wants to hire you but you can’t tell if they will have you back every month raise your price some. For example its a $20 job every 4 weeks raise it to $30 for the 1st and tell them if they have you back @ 4 weeks you will discount that extra $10 on the next clean. That seems to work for me. You want customers that don’t cancel and always pay. The small amount of money from a storefront isn’t worth chasing someone down or showing up only to be told they are good. Good luck!

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Lot of good info here. Also from my experience people who do this are not going to be good customers. Out of my many years I could count on one hand how often something like that has happened.

If it’s happening often for you. It’s cause you didn’t set the presidence.

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Agreed. Minimize the headache

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I like your rebuttal , but I don’t find this to be common.

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Once is too much, lol. True, common wasnt the right word. Occasional would be more accurate.

If you ask before cleaning, then it would be more frequent, which was something i had to learn not to do at the beginning.

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Thanks for all the great info! I knew going into this that this was going to happen because some people are just that way. I did have them on a schedule when done cleaning and once they said something when I showed up for that next clean I should of just left it as that. I will start driving the policy more when talking to current/potential customers about showing up for cleaning. Put I always figured that I would still be at one Barber Shop customer and not all these other ones so it’s all part and parcel of crashing through hurdles and starting your own business never quitting because there’s enough class out there for all of us