Bit late to the party but these videos are bloody brilliant. So informative. I love that it's a business first and not just "being a window cleaner." I'm starting up myself and this channel is the best reference point I've found. Hope you're doing well
Hey I rewatch your videos as different situations arise. Very good advice. Just wondering if you could maybe do a video on buying and selling rounds. Haggling, and how much information you should tell buyers? Ta
Well said Darren, I and i suspect many more have been busy fools for years!!. Not anymore. Respect the way you run your business with pride. You are going for the cream jobs and sticking by your principles, you will have a business if we are all honest would like to run All the best Mr Green
Nice advice Darren, I guess when everybody starts out they all do the same as I did, even though your gut instincts tell you differently (Gut instincts being the 5 principles you detail here) I took on everybody I could, to get the business going. Now, I am very selective about who has the right attributes to be a customer. Now and again though, I have given in to them not meeting all the requirements and been taken in by the charm of the customer, only to realise I have a dud on my hands. One thing I would add is as part of the conversation with the customer, if they mention to me they used to have a window cleaner but he stopped coming? I see that as a red flag now. Customers that I took on in the past that said that, I soon found out why a business just stopped coming to them. Most times they were dropped by the company, rather than something else. Good work buddy.
Makes sense, we have a few customers who follow you around, i don’t whether it’s conversation they want or maybe realising i’m getting faster at the job and trying to slow me down lol
Where I live... If people's windows haven't been done in years... I sell them on the system... Every window needs to be cleaned and scraped (many times cleaned and scraped twice) for which they are charged accordingly (this is the sticker shock window job)... But then I sell them on the future, which is the quick and much cheaper water fed pole cleanings... If they are done with frequency, it costs half as much... and I can be in and out in 1 hour. But your got to get them clean before you can keep them clean... and most people only remember the sticker shock of that initial cleaning... The town I'm in is a gold mine and I dug me a nice little adit last fall...
Great video. I do both trad and wfp I would like to go wfp all the time. I do have a good few jobs that I need to bin and new customers I pick up are wfp. I cracked a rib last week trying to lean over a gate to unlock. The customer forgot to unlock the gate. It happens to often. Have taken on board what you have said in your video. Thanks 👍
Kye Horton if you just finished E Myth time for E Myth revisited. Remember however that the author went bust. He was however of that sort of personality .
Green Pro Clean Ltd 100%. finished revisited , it’s more like a text book but it’s easy to follow with its step by step chapters! I would recommend the E myth to any one reading this comment!
We use gocardless I love how you tell the customers it’s direct debit or nothing .... this how I myself will start running my payment methods like you direct debit or we don’t clean ...... having to collect payments is like second job and it’s fucking ball ace when you’ve gotta keep calling back for outstanding payments...
What a GREAT position to be in!!! I'd love to be right there where I can afford to turn away clients because I know they are going to be a nuisance LOL. Hey, have you ever asked a client for payment up front because they seemed shifty? If so, how did it go?? I'd love to hear about that LOL
This is why you got a good business and good customer as its so easy to .can you do a video off go cardless ,I'm setting window cleaning up and been watching your video, yes it's your business need to tell them customer 100%
Hi Darren Great vid what go cardless system do you use? I can see how it works from your explanation I haven't seen it before so if you could point me into the right direction it would be great Thanks Dave
Funny enough I have been cleaning everything from gutters to windows to pressure washing and I allways find the people with the nice houses and everything perfect are the ones that you end up chasing up for payment
Steve Hughes sort of yes and no. I know many will continue with add ons which is why I made the video on pricing and keeping the info. As for my own clientele I still price the work up and pass it along to a mate that does all odd jobs.
To the casual observer, this guy sounds too picky over customers...BUT...he's spot on with ALL of it. He's right...the sort of person who leaves dog poop in the yard, and bike frames laying there, doesn't respect themselves, so they're definitely not going to respect you...so you likely will not get paid
I wouldn't judge the profile too much,I have plenty of customers who never clean thier insides, all filthy, yet do the outsides, pay really well,the key is nailing them on questions, how often will you have them cleaned ,don't do them any less than 2 monthly for me
Bit late to the party but these videos are bloody brilliant. So informative.
I love that it's a business first and not just "being a window cleaner."
I'm starting up myself and this channel is the best reference point I've found. Hope you're doing well
Glad it's of use to you.
Im back here again for a re watch . Entertainting to a tee .
Im glad your in a position to pick and choose
Yes, but remember, it didn't start like that, took a couple of years of graft to get to that position.
Fair play
Hey I rewatch your videos as different situations arise. Very good advice. Just wondering if you could maybe do a video on buying and selling rounds. Haggling, and how much information you should tell buyers? Ta
Well said Darren, I and i suspect many more have been busy fools for years!!. Not anymore.
Respect the way you run your business with pride.
You are going for the cream jobs and sticking by your principles, you will have a business if we are all honest would like to run
All the best Mr Green
Nice advice Darren, I guess when everybody starts out they all do the same as I did, even though your gut instincts tell you differently (Gut instincts being the 5 principles you detail here) I took on everybody I could, to get the business going.
Now, I am very selective about who has the right attributes to be a customer.
Now and again though, I have given in to them not meeting all the requirements and been taken in by the charm of the customer, only to realise I have a dud on my hands.
One thing I would add is as part of the conversation with the customer, if they mention to me they used to have a window cleaner but he stopped coming? I see that as a red flag now. Customers that I took on in the past that said that, I soon found out why a business just stopped coming to them. Most times they were dropped by the company, rather than something else. Good work buddy.
Makes sense, we have a few customers who follow you around, i don’t whether it’s conversation they want or maybe realising i’m getting faster at the job and trying to slow me down lol
Great video Darren, great help. Love your style🥰
Where I live... If people's windows haven't been done in years... I sell them on the system... Every window needs to be cleaned and scraped (many times cleaned and scraped twice) for which they are charged accordingly (this is the sticker shock window job)... But then I sell them on the future, which is the quick and much cheaper water fed pole cleanings... If they are done with frequency, it costs half as much... and I can be in and out in 1 hour. But your got to get them clean before you can keep them clean... and most people only remember the sticker shock of that initial cleaning... The town I'm in is a gold mine and I dug me a nice little adit last fall...
Great video. I do both trad and wfp I would like to go wfp all the time. I do have a good few jobs that I need to bin and new customers I pick up are wfp. I cracked a rib last week trying to lean over a gate to unlock. The customer forgot to unlock the gate. It happens to often. Have taken on board what you have said in your video. Thanks 👍
Amazing! I’ve finished reading the E myth and these are the systems I hope to have in place. Being a start up business I’ll take anything for now.
Kye Horton if you just finished E Myth time for E Myth revisited. Remember however that the author went bust. He was however of that sort of personality .
Green Pro Clean Ltd 100%. finished revisited , it’s more like a text book but it’s easy to follow with its step by step chapters!
I would recommend the E myth to any one reading this comment!
Class all your vids are real helpful.. wish I had found you earlier
...And another good vid, Darren. Thumbs up 👍🏻
Always good advice as usual - cheers !
Great advice, wanted to see if the way I was doing it was the same as you before you gave the five points out. And I am 😎
We use gocardless I love how you tell the customers it’s direct debit or nothing .... this how I myself will start running my payment methods like you direct debit or we don’t clean ...... having to collect payments is like second job and it’s fucking ball ace when you’ve gotta keep calling back for outstanding payments...
Well said thanks for another great video and advice
What a GREAT position to be in!!! I'd love to be right there where I can afford to turn away clients because I know they are going to be a nuisance LOL.
Hey, have you ever asked a client for payment up front because they seemed shifty? If so, how did it go?? I'd love to hear about that LOL
On the contrary, you can't afford NOT to turn away most of these customers. They'll run your startup into the ground.
Food for thought...good content
Great tips.
Great video lots of valuable lessons 👍👍👍
This is why you got a good business and good customer as its so easy to .can you do a video off go cardless ,I'm setting window cleaning up and been watching your video, yes it's your business need to tell them customer 100%
I do have a video somewhere, check the playlists.
Great advice 🇮🇪
Hi Darren Great vid
what go cardless system do you use? I can see how it works from your explanation I haven't seen it before so if you could point me into the right direction it would be great Thanks Dave
Dave Hodges www.gocardless.com
Great advice mate 👍
Sorry this is so random. But can you rinse on the glass with pencil jets?
Yes I did all the time.
Started doing this, I got so fed up of having agro and hassle with customers with these exact issues!
Brilliant
Funny enough I have been cleaning everything from gutters to windows to pressure washing and I allways find the people with the nice houses and everything perfect are the ones that you end up chasing up for payment
Very true - and yet when you do catch them they look at you almost as if you are joking about wanting payment! :)
Great stuff
So you only recently stopped going to price properties?
Darren this is a turnaround from your previous posts where you were pricing roofs and gutters etc. Is this a start of the year process going forward?
Steve Hughes sort of yes and no. I know many will continue with add ons which is why I made the video on pricing and keeping the info. As for my own clientele I still price the work up and pass it along to a mate that does all odd jobs.
(pressed enter too soon. lol) so no turn around Steve as so can still provide the services just not by me and I always get a pint out of it
To the casual observer, this guy sounds too picky over customers...BUT...he's spot on with ALL of it.
He's right...the sort of person who leaves dog poop in the yard, and bike frames laying there, doesn't respect themselves, so they're definitely not going to respect you...so you likely will not get paid
Amen
Not everyone has a nice personality including you . It’s part of the job.
In these times you cant afford to be a nice guy, its all about survival mate!
if you are just starting you window cleaning business and watch this video - then you OWE Darren a pint
Crikey, I'll collect in that at current prices. 🤣🤣🤣
ladderless window cleaning :D :D :D :D ohhhhhhhh brill
ad have no one left
Great video Darren.
I wouldn't judge the profile too much,I have plenty of customers who never clean thier insides, all filthy, yet do the outsides, pay really well,the key is nailing them on questions, how often will you have them cleaned ,don't do them any less than 2 monthly for me
No fuckin about! I like it!!
Eny jobs
No, not presently. Sorry.
It’s a wonder you have any customers Ffs.
No, not a wonder Edward, hard, smart work and perseverance sir.