Just wondering what is the policy others use for when they have to reschedule due to bad weather.
Do you:
The other day I had a restaurant with banquet hall to do (120 windows). Got there and it poured rain. I talked to the owner and told him I would give him 5% off if I could clean the inside and then come back on off hours and finish the outside. He agreed because he respects the service that I provide. Finished The whole inside.I got started at 4 a.m instead of 5:30 the next day and finished the outside. Its funny because this is the only time I ever discount my services. It helps to build strong relationships with commercial customers. Hope this helps!
I try to get them in as soon as possible. Instead of bumping someone already scheduled, I’ll work overtime or on my day off to get it in.
I usually find some way to cram a rainout in as soon as possible or what others have said- do it on a day off. It doesn’t seem fair to put a customer at the end of the line because of weather. If the customer seems to “have something better to do” and is using weather as an excuse, then I’m not too eager to get it done ASAP.
I’ll try to talk them to do the insides anyway (if needed) and get them as soon as I can, no way I will move an already scheduled customer since it will be unfair and unprofessional if you ask me.
I always tell them that I need to do the insides since there’s no reason to keep me for not doing them, and if they let me it will be much easier to complete the job since they don’t have to be home to get the outside done.
That’s exactly how I handle it.
I’ve been on pins & needles this year because I don’t have any extra days for reschedules. I’m booked well into August with no room to play.
Miraculously I have not missed the first gig in spite of the bad weather we’ve had this year. A few weeks ago it was tearing my nerves up really bad. It’s great to be booked solid but it can be stressfull when the bad weather threatens to screw up your already tight schedule.
This is the exact situation I’m in. I’m solidly booked with little room to play with for the next month. This includes working 6-7 days a week. On the few days I do have off from work I have weddings and other family functions to attend. I have to cancel a job today (exteriors only + eaves cleaning) due to rain. It’s good to be busy but it comes with its own kind of stress.
BTW, I always show up regardless if it’s an in/out job and do the insides.
When I was a one man operation and consistently getting booked solid 2-3 months out I knew it was time to hire a helper. Have you all considered that?
There’s nothing worse than working on a Sunday to make up for a rain day or to catch up on estimates, especially when it’s football season!
I have a helper. I still work 6 & 7 days a week and I’m also a freelance musician playing gigs out of town on weekends. I’m making great money but I want to slow down a bit. My calendar got out of hand this year. And the phone keeps ringing. If I could book all the calls coming in I’d be booked solid through September. It’s off the chain!!! HELP!!!
No flyers for me next year!!!
Sounds like you need to hire another person.
I thought of another thing worse than working on a Sunday… it’s turning down work because you don’t have enough man power.
Actually my helper is not full time with me. I could really benefit from a full time helper that works with me all of the time. I could take on more work and still be spread too thin. 
It’s not a pleasant thing when you have to turn down work. Some customers will wait until you are available but some go ahead and hire another company that can do it now. Now that’s what really sucks.
I didn’t even do flyers this year. 
Are you raising your prices for new calls and recurring customers when they call? Your demand is great and supply low. Perfect circumstance to up your rates.
The best decision I made all year so far has been to not do much cleaning myself. I have three full timers, one part-timer, and two in the office. I have made more this year in 6 months, than all year last year. Chris was the one who told me to get out of cleaning and start running the business, not working for it. This has been a decision that should have been made two years ago.
My advice to you guys that are full time cleaners (business owners) is to hire help, train them well, and start them working as soon as possible. You can then sit in the office scheduling more work, bidding bigger jobs, marketing effectively, and still watch the $$ roll in. All of this while hanging out at home with your wife and kids (if you have them), if you office out of your home!
Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten was to do this.
for larger in /out jobs i’ve been scheduling their 1st appt and then a 2nd rain day appt while i have them on the phone so they’ll already be on my schedule the second time if they get rained out
We have had a ton of rain here over the last month. If I see mother nature I’m going to punch her in the face. Anyway I had a helper who has worked with me on and off over the last year. He owns a truck and a seasonal (fall) business. I’m very lucky to have the guy as he is 99% of the time, able to work with a morning phone call. I have been stacking my rain reschedules and having him do those jobs. I freaked out the first day as a repeat customer saw I did not show up and she cancelled on the spot and sent him on his way. I thought it was going to be like that with most of the customers. But she was the only one. But still the weather is becomming a bitch. Nice thing is next year I am going to schedule as much work as 1 man can handle per day and pile up my days and more workers. I’m not cleaning next year. Or at least that’s the plan.
only on my first time cleans do i schedule an exact day of cleaning. after that i always say i “will be back ,AROUND ABOUT a months time”/ so if it rains,or anything else delays me ,nobody is sitting in fretting and waiting for me (old folk tend to do that )
I keep Saturdays open to reschedule “rain out” customers. Usually though, I am able to get 1 of my crews back to a job within a day or so to do the job. Luckily for us we have not had to reschedule on a Saturday yet this year. I have found that the crews would rather work late to get in a rain out job than work on Saturday.
Do whatever you have to. Move smaller jobs to fit the big ones. Call a week ahead and move customers around. They don’t mind as long as they know ahead of time. Although washing windows 6 or more days a week is no good. You’ll burn out.
