When you guys and gals out there schedule either an estimate or a confirmed residential job. Do you specify an EXACT time for you or the crew to sho up. Or do you give a (pardon the pun)… window of from 12 to 1 that they will arrive. With many variables between jobs and point a to b. I use a window of time usually 1 hr. We tell the customer please write down this time. “The guys will be arriving tommorrow between 10am and 11am. ok have a nice night “ok next day customer calls up at 1015 and says” are you coming to clean the windows today ???” most service business es I know of are like 8-12 or 1-5 Cable guy, phone guy, what do you do ? So your not late in the customers eyes even if you call at 945 to say Im running behind I’ll probably be there closer to 11 She’ll say oh I was expecting you at 10. ???
I always give a half hour window and try to be their at the earlier time. The extra is just in case I hit traffic or they gave me the wrong address.
For estimates, no time as the customer does not need to be home. For actual jobs I always give a 1 hour window.
I always call customers the day before the job is scheduled to reconfirm and remind them of our arrival window.
Same policy here as well.
ditto
same here
Estimates are a “anytime” thing here. We have our time frames more open than most. We offer 4 time slots a client can choose from.
Arrival
AM1- 8:00-8:30
AM2- 9:00-12:00
PM1- 12:00- 2:00
PM2- 2:00- 5:00
They are pretty wide open but we have alot of washers. This gives us the freedom if a guy is running behind we can rework the schedule and get someone else there in time. Some of our clients want an exact time so we will try and get there on that time but I like to leave at least an hour window. For example if I know they won’t be home till 11:00 I will schedule for a 12:00-2:00 arrival and let the customer and washer know they can get there as eairly as 11:00. We run so many crews in the summer I can normally schedule the routes so the guys are arriving either at or 30 mins after when we told the client we would be first arriving.
1 hour window as well.
wow scott how many guys are you running in peak season ?
GP
In JAN/FEB we run 3-5 guys and we rotate the schedule so they get something in between full and part time work.
April-December I will normally have 12-16 washers full time 6 days a week.
I use the 30 mins rule too, but I think that I should bump it up to 1hr just in case
Being in Mallorca, I could get away with anytime in the week. I usually tell them an exact time & depending on traffic say I’ll be ten minutes either way. Longer than that I give them a courtesy call.
I’ve only ever done one job per day. I work by myself and give the customer an exact time and always arrive within a few minutes. Most of my jobs are within 5 minutes of me though.
I just hate when the phone, or cable guy gives me that " I’ll be there between 10 and 12" crap. Then Im waiting thinking is this guy even going to show up. So with my customers whatever time we schedule Im on time not a minute late. Thats just me.
I’m ex-military so when I tell them a time I mean that exact time. If running late I will call them (literly) the moment I see I will be late. I give ETA’s and try to make sure I am with in 5 mins of that time, when running late. I think being on time shows a differant level of professionalism. In fact my customer commented today how me being on time, straight forward in my price and calling back for bi yearly service sets me apart from other companies they had in staten island.
My estimates are now done via phone, but when i was doing them on site I was there at the time I told them. Even if they were not going to be home. I think it shows respect for the customers time.
that’s not just you, that sucks…
