Dear customers, 

First and foremost, thank you for all your support over the years. Only thanks to each of you did the visions materialise, and once drafted; the logo became a successful business. Customers increasingly turned to JoeCleans Windows services for their quality, price, and service scheme. Due to this, the company appeared at a decision-making crossroads. To keep this growth sustainable, including a healthy cash flow and reputation, and delivering the promised quality, improving the way the company works is inevitable.

Currently, the company faces several challenges, increasing its implications alongside its growth. These are overdue outstanding payments, customers rescheduling regular cleanings, and simply forgetting to provide access to the properties. On the other hand, the customer may not receive the message announcing the cleaning, experienced a lack of communication from JoeCleans Windows, received their invoice late, or experienced the missed cleaning for unknown reasons. 

Late payments

Outstanding payments are a sensitive challenge for the business and may be so for the customer. Reasons such as forgetting, lack of perceived urgency, busy life, or simply inattention to the phone notifications play a significant role. On the other hand, invoices sent days later impact JoeCleans Windows's cash flow as well.

Rescheduling

As the business concept is based on cleaning rounds like delivery drops, rescheduling regular customers leads to administrative, economic, and sometimes reputational disaster. In addition, prioritising the customer out of their schedule before the properly scheduled customer is unfair. The weather, traffic, water availability in the tank during the day and distances are considered when planning the rounds. Agreement on conditions would prevent possible disappointments and ensure everyone receives their service on time.

Access

A locked gate led to rescheduling or skipping the service, leading to an unpredicted cash flow drop. It could be the lack of a message from the window cleaner, leading the customer to assume that the service will not be provided, or simply a forgetting. These issues stem partly from the lack of communication, the fast-paced life nowadays. 

That means changes to ensure growth, customer's satisfaction and cleaner effectiveness is inevitable here. What will change?

Simplifying through the complexity

• All customers will receive fair contracts, ensuring both sides know their responsibilities and rights.
• A new method – GoCardless direct debit scheme – for regular customers ensures hassle-free dealing with payments.
• One-off services are bought as a ‘package for delivery’ online. This concept is unique in the cleaning industry (I could not find competition for a similar concept) and is in the testing phase.

Due to amendments on the company's core principles, JoeCleans Windows is rebranded to Window Cleaning Reading.

Contracts

Each customer will receive a contract, which will automatically end in February or March every year. The contract conditions protect customers from uncertainty or inadequate service and Window Cleaning Reading from unpredictable events that lead to unsustainable business. Conditions are developed to 1. distribute the responsibility to both sides of the agreement, 2. simplify and automatise procedures from administration to cleaning, and 3. Improve trust and rely on each other. The contract has no upfront charges and can be cancelled anytime.

Prices

Price raise is inevitable. It is impossible to avoid it in order to keep the equipment and van in top condition, as well as to keep the pace of increasing cost of living. There is no 'greedflation' in place; prices were always calculated from the real expenses.

Payment

Payment for the service will be through direct debit or cash on the day of the service. One-off cleanings will be done only by cash, online payment or card payment - no bank transfers. The direct debit will be supervised by GoCardless, an FCA-controlled provider. Furthermore, it is a safe and trusted procedure within the industry providing subscriptions or regular services. Window Cleaning Reading has complete control over the scheme, meaning that the customer will be charged only the agreed amount on the cleaning day. Additionally, the customer can cancel the direct debit from their bank account after all liabilities are settled.

I hope these changes will improve the quality of service and trust. Every customer will soon receive the

• Link to set up the direct debit, where you provide your name, bank details, home address and email address. After filling up your details, a
• Digital Contracts  will be send to you, which you have to 'sign' by filling up your name in the field.

It seems a bit reverse procedure, but If you disagree with the contract and do not want to proceed with the direct debit, nothing will be charged and your details will be immediatelly deleted.

I hope you will understand these changes and challenges as well. Thank you very much for your ongoing support and trust. 

Jozef Dubovsky
Window Cleaning Reading, 2025