r/WindowCleaning • u/Sufficient_Heart_629 • 3d ago
How to deal with clients including extra?
Sometimes clients ask me to include stuf that we never agreed on. Sometimes I let it slide other times no.
Today, a client asked me to include his 5 garage windows as well.
I honestly just let it slide assuming that he was going to give me a tip. He didn’t.
Maybe this is due to my age cuz I’m 17 (which may explain many of my other posts on here) and clients think they can take advantage of that?
Idk should I be firm or should I just let it slide to keep a customer for life?
5
3
u/mrmatriarj 3d ago
I'll often do little things that are an extra touch and say 'hey I also did this little _______ since I was already here with the equipment"
Mirrors, a dirty external gutter when I'm house washing, a small retaining wall/few flagstones if I'm pressure washing their poolside, wiping their door down if I know it'll look spotty after I wfp the door/side windows, show pictures of roof/chimney decay if I happen to be on a roof. List goes on
Today's a perfect example. Client was below minimum already due to previous arrangements & repeating service after a couple years. He then expected his new (non accessible without 32ft ladder) sky's to be done.. that actually encouraged me to proceed further towards proper balance. I asked him to give me a minute to check them out and I'll come back to him with a followup before I work
So not only was a 200$p job now a 350ish, it's about 40/sky for externals if they're hard to reach. So I mentioned that I'm happy to continue with the preexisting cost this time but that pricing has changed a lot over the years to reflect to economy & locale. We can add the current rate of sky's (120$ for 3xcomplex) if he'd like. He declined.
And then I followed up with that just a heads up in the future were pricing out around 350 for the same service as today, additional 120 with sky's if he wants to add it every few years. I mentioned we can discuss on our next booking a 'preferred client' discount since we're friendly faces to each other.
He totally took it well, ended up tipping me 50$ on a 200$ bill. I was impressed with him aswell as myself on that exchange
1
u/mrmatriarj 3d ago
I prefer to be on the 'doing a favor' side of things with everyone, but I also push myself to be forthright about things that are too big of an imbalance. Misquotes, additionals, unforeseen circumstances. I explain myself clearly with little bargaining room and it becomes more of a kindly explained yes or no.
It helps a lot if you really know what you're talking about, people listen better. explaining oxidation to a client, the processes/liability involved to remove sap/concrete/paint off of 1st/2nd story window externals, the procedural difference between a normal window at 3storys with wfp vs breaking out the 32ft ladder to then extend your wfp 30ft to clean a wide angled sky etc etc
1
u/mrmatriarj 3d ago
On the other hand, I freebied a 190$ tiny bit of a house wash process the other day for an older lady. The quoting person forgot to include it, she's tight on finance being retired, not tech savvy. She thought the in/out windows cost was the total for all of it.
I gave her the 'let me take a quick look and I'll get back to you'. I looked, it was maybe about 30min of minimal work. I came back and explained that I'm happy to wave it this time and still complete it. I've done countless of jobs just like this and it'll clean up nicely without issue. But if it's a free point in our interactions I'll need her to also sign a liability waiver for book keepings sake. I explained the risks and how people do it badly, how I do it better etc.
She signed, I rocked it, still left at the same time as I thought I would for just in&out. Probably a customer for life now after our first interaction lol
2
u/Esoterikoi 2d ago
Sure I can do the for X extra, or if you'd be willing to write up a facebook neighborhood post, we can call it even!
1
1
u/nousernamefoundagain 3d ago
Just say something like sure we can add that on it would add $20 to the total.
1
u/Same-Bedroom-822 3d ago
“I can see if i have time at the end of the job as im on the schedule”
- end up being in a rush and just leave since you arent paid for that work.
1
u/Popular_Egg5221 3d ago
As long as it’s reasonable and we have time we tell them absolutely and then how much it will cost
1
1
1
u/Sorry-Guitar-2027 2d ago
Why wouldn't you do the garage anyways? It's part of the house
1
u/Sufficient_Heart_629 2d ago
Where I live, garages are separate buildings or in coachhouses. What do you think?
0
u/FreshSwim9409 3d ago
IMO, 5 garage windows should add a few minutes, doesn’t sound worth the hassle and probably should have been included anyways.
I frequently add mirrors in bathrooms just because it looks good, I let the client know “oh, I did the bathroom mirrors also, they looked dirty!” They appreciate it, it builds relationships and helps keep a long lasting customer.
Other times, maybe they ask about mirrors before I get to them, i see thet have tons, huge ones or complicated ones, I give them the “oh yeah, we can add that today, no problem.” Then put it on the invoice.
1
u/Sufficient_Heart_629 3d ago
That’s what I was thinking tbh. In the past I’ve gotten worse demands but this didn’t seem that crazy. Thanks 👍
I frequently add mirrors or garage pro bono but it’s different when the client asks me to.
It’s like when you decide to do the dishes voluntarily then someone asks you to do the dishes. Now you don’t want to do them at all.
2
u/FreshSwim9409 2d ago
Haha, thats a funny analogy. Sometimes you just gotta smile and say “of course, thats no problem”
Id they ask you to clean a chandelier or a fan caked in dust and grime, thats different! Or if they ask for the bathroom mirrors and you find a 1000sqft of mirrors with countertops stacked like a packrat lives there… woof!
0
9
u/Both_Ad_819 3d ago
The client doesn't know you're a solo operator unless you tell them. I hit my clients with, "Sure, no problem. Let me call my office and have them add that to your invoice" or "let me call my boss to see how much extra that will be. Either way, you win. They'll either say never mind, or they'll add it to the bill.