I’m looking to get a consensus on how everyone handles getting rained out, too windy, cold, etc.
Example: I have the next 10 days booked. Day 2 gets rained out, can only complete 50% of work. So now I’m at day 3 which was already scheduled but still need to complete the other 50% of day 2.
The way I see it is you have two options:
you push back the entire schedule
you get to day 2’s 50% when you can but not at the sacrifice of screwing up day 3-10.
How do you handle this?
Currently I’m doing option 2. I plan to continue doing it. It has worked thus far, but sometimes I feel like the customer experience is not what it should be when it takes 4 days to complete a job that should have been done in 1. Especially if it’s half done.
I use the weekends as back up days, mainly sunday. Just have a day you never schedule anyone doesnt matter the day. Now if something happens on their scheduled day, you have an opening. I also use the day for “i need my house cleaned yesterday” people if the weather looks good for the week.
I just push back my whole schedule. Explain to customers, never had any backlash because they could be in same situation since it rains every other day around here lately.
Yep, but when I schedule them I tell them depending on weather I’ll be there day X. But I explain that if something happens they’ll get rolled back. Everyone understands. But it’s no biggie. I purposely try to leave a few holes for emergencies, and for reg customers who may call. And I can use the weekends or just some real long days to catch up if needed. Also, I rarely hard schedule out for more than a few days except for special projects. When people book I tell them I’ll try to work them in sometime next week or whenever but not sure when. I’ll call them a couple of days before. They love it when I call. It’s like winning the lottery, lol.
It’s all how you position yourself. Me coming to wash their home is like getting Picasso to come do your family portrait.
I’m like the Postal Service I work no matter what the weather conditions except lightning… if it’s lightning I’ll stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat try and wait it out we don’t get much freezing weather here in Charleston. Only time I have to not service a customer is if a piece of equipment breaks and I can’t fix it instantly… then I just make a couple phone calls and apologized profusely!
How does your chemical dwell if it’s raining hard? I’ve done it in the rain plenty of times, but only light rain. It’s a pita in light rain, impossible in heavy rain. What’s your secrete?
Flatwork, no post treatment? Brick work sometimes requires me to leave chemicals after removing surface mold.
Roofs. If it’s too windy it’s damn near impossible to control your overspray. Sure you can ask the neighbors to move the car sometimes, others you can’t. If it’s too windy you’ll end up washing the neighbors house for free. (I’ve done this before)
Deliberately under-schedule each work week. If you get ahead of schedule and are able to do some jobs sooner than expected, you’ll be a hero. On the other hand if you have to make that call to bump somebody back, that’s a strike against you.
I do mostly commercial monthly contracts most of the time I dont do a post treat…just pretreat and surface cleaner… if it’s pouring I’ll just spot pretreat the oily stained areas and hit with a deck brush before the surface cleaner…I have sat in the truck a time or two and waited for a lull in the rain…especially if it’s like 40 or 50 degrees out and pouring…some days you just can’t do anything but grin and bear it…you end up soaked and cold and you weren’t able to do anything but hit it with the surface cleaner and degreaser the grease dump…
Your right on dwelling on walls though…if it’s raining bad sometimes I am able to just Hotten up the house wash for less of a dwell time so I didn’t have to stop and wait it out…I use the Dark sky app so I can normally set up and a just my day to avoid most of the big rain… but like any job doesn’t always work out in my favor… One time I was like three quarters of the way done with a house and it started down pouring sideways I looked at the app and it was supposed to continue for the next 5 hours I broke out the X Jet and I swear I think I was using 75% -85% sh …ZERO dwell time LOL…not ideal but got it finished up…
That’s something that I love about what we do. We can always and modify what we do and how we do it to get the desired results needed…
Now roofs are another whole animal…I can see not doing them in the rain. I’ve literally softwashed two roofs…im thinking this Summer I might try to get a couple just to get some under my belt., but I don’t have a lot of spare time for residential work.
Roger that. Makes sense. Be careful with roofs and wind. I’m no expert either but it’s some strong mix on roofs. It can kill and damage stuff with over spray. Looking forward to the day that most of my work is commercial. For now, residential is my bread winner. I haven’t quite figured out how to acquire more commercial. The only thing that I know how to do that I’m not doing is joining the chamber of commerce and going to all the social events they have way too often. Dont have the time or will, but I’m sure money is left on the table.
I think this will be the plan going forward. Nothing scheduled on weekends. I was just curious how everyone handles these situations. I don’t like a open job lingering on too long but there’s no way around it, especially since I still a one man show for the most part.
I just push everyone back. The next person on the calendar was there before everyone else anyway so they’re next in line. I work 6 days a week anyway during the peak of season, but you or they are nuts if anyone thinks I’m coming to wash their house on a Sunday. I’m not religious, but some folks are. And Sunday is often family day.
I’m not gonna throw a wrench in anyone’s Sunday. That’s crazy talk.
I love when weather gives me a day or two off. And even love it when some customers bump me back a week or two.
Ringless voicemail blast and a copy and paste text template. It’s not that hard to make up one house wash a day and be caught back up in a few days unless you have to drive all over creation.
I use bidslot for inbound calls, but they’ll do outbound calls too. Worst case scenario April and her team will make all the calls and reschedule anyone who wants to move their day.
Weather delays always even out in the wash. They’re less than no big deal.
I was thinking about Joining the local Chamber of commerce here too but I’m actually a little afraid to…if I only get one or two extra monthly commercial jobs it would be awesome but I’m worried if I even got 4 or 5 I wouldn’t have time to handle them and my real job…and I hate to turn work away
