Running your own business and dealing with the public

Having run Shining Windows - Window Cleaning Services for over 20 years now, I must say that some of the customers I have come across has been somewhat eye opening and have undoubtedly left me feeling exposed to the sad natures and standards of others social engagements.

I think its fair to say that anyone self employed is entitled to the same working conditions as those within secure employment, apparently not the case with those "self-employed" people, as described by one client. Like we, the self employed are a subordinate race of unethical lowlife, living under the radar just to annoy others. Nah, we're just human beings with a little more sense than what the last "secure employment!" had to offer our families and future.

The best (worst) of all the experiences was that of a lady who owned a dog grooming, transportation company... To turn up and find that the property had been run into the grounds, I'll explain... Upon each and every job that has been booked I will open up google calendar and read the service details, then click on the address and magically google maps opens up. All searches have an image of the property, and upon this search there was a little old lady standing in a beautiful garden, I mean grey hair short little old lady that had put thousands of hours into her garden, and I suspect she wasn't alone having a marriage that lasted though thick and thin, unlike the youthful relationships where at 6 months into life, still living at home with parents, no career options and a future of nothing but debt, they turn on each other like animals. This image depicted a life of happiness and to be honest, the garden looked like something from the crafting hand of Alan Titchmarsh.

I arrive and find a building site? pallets of brick which have been sat there for a decade, weeds and long grass and a general feeling of being unloved. None the less, trying to be non judgemental I knock on the door and introduce myself to someone who was clearly not being the lady in the photo "Hi, I am from Shining Windows and I am here to complete your service today, is there anything you would like to ask?" Clearly not being the lady in the photo, roughly 40yrs younger, the conversation lead onto her going to clean up the side access, so I went to grab some tools and get on with the service. After extending my hose 50m and guiding the equipment to the side of the house, to my surprise I find an access area with no path and the lady holding on to a bag with dear life, it appeared to be full of sludgy dog shit, hmmm. I gently approach the subject and asked if that was dog mess? to which her reply was "Yes it is, it's none of your business, just get on with your job". I was astounded and highly offended, I advised that I owned the business and that I couldn't complete the service as I didn't want to get my tools covered in shit, the faeces' would cover my hose, go up and inside my pole and that I wasn't comfortable with the working conditions. The clearly moronic lady shouted at me, became offensive and so I walked off... but that wasn't the end of it! I sent her an email stating that it was disgusting and that I wouldn't be returning to the property, immediately provided a refund through the website store and went to the next service. Unbelievably, this quite questionable character left a negative review on Facebook, going on about me being a bad person, a conman and that I have mental health issues, I addressed the situation and certainly agitated the conversation.

Personally, I will stand up for myself, as I said in the reply... No one is willing to have shit on their desk, chair or pencil, other expect their working environment to be clean and respectful during "secure employment". Clearly I didn't win the war with this scumbag of society, I didn't expect to with a mindset like hers and outcome of her expectations. I have a dog, I pick up the shit when it shits, I offer a certain level of respect, I treat other how I expect to be treated... its that's easy.

That's just one situation which clearly spiralled out of control, many others and I'll give you an summary through example of said events. It's a exclusively a service providers fault when it rains, when the traffic makes you late, when you're ill and have to reschedule, when a family matter is prioritized over work i.e your kids, when your vehicle breaks down and it take 4hrs to be recovered by AA or RAC... This is when you find out who is a good, kind, understanding, responsible client or that they're simply an idiot. On top of this, to those people who sign and agree to terms and conditions and couldn't care less about what they say; legislation, lawful terms are important to protect businesses from unethical consumers, that do not know their consumer rights... Simply, educate yourselves and read the terms about cancellations and refunds, it's not difficult.

Then there's the violent ones, lets keep this short... Service was booked in for a £500 external window clean on a newly developed luxury home including several out buildings. Arriving at approximately 09:00 -09:30 we were met by an incredibly angry couple, angry that we were 30 mins late. After being told to stay off site, we had no choice but to turn around on site and they lay the problem within the service, there were no windows to clean?! I obviously got out of the van to address the fact that we had just been sacked for being reasonably on schedule; due to traffic and that in fact the real issue was that the site wasn't ready for us to be attending. The arguments then really got going when I asked to photograph the site without any windows, to which I was aggressively attacked by the "Husband" to which a huge scaffolder stood between his client and protected me, odd circumstance to be in, let me tell you!. Inevitably, for security I had started to video record the event that were unfolding before our very eyes, my staff were absolutely disgusted with how they had been spoken to and I had simply had enough, collated my evidence and left site as soon as possible. We wrote to the clients, demonstrated our video editing abilities demonstrating what they had done and how they had clearly acted, we advised them that there would be no refund and to leave us alone otherwise this evidence would be used against them in county court. we never heard back from them or their lovely treats and endeavours towards us. Sometimes, I think to myself.... What a wonderful world!

Outside of personal experience, it has been really difficult to find sustainability though lockdown and then to deal with the loss of trade, debt and find a way through some inventive business plan that goes nothing like you once planned, the headache, the tongue twisting factors that keep you from sleeping at night, the stress that rips families apart and tests ones individuality to a thread of existence.... It's all worth it though, finding that spark and energy to carry you through is certainly the important factors. Writing a blog about what actually happens in life might be of some interest to someone, somewhere, none the less it feels really good to express these experiences and then there's the beautiful customers, the ones who are considerate, respectful and a pleasure to meet.