[Tosh]

Well actually, Wor Lass was approached by a Doctor who asked her if we'd clean his windows.

She did the 'prelims', and said we would provide a quote.

He said something along the lines of, 'Don't bother with a quote, just clean them and leave a bill'.

The house is a fairly large one, located in a smart rural area, but I'm in a bit of a dither:

On one hand - if we were face to face - I'd be brave and stick a high quote in (he's got us on reccommendation).

But on the other hand, since we're just to turn up, clean and leave a bill, I'm sort of feeling that I'll end up charging less than I could've; just to make sure he doesn't think I a thieving Geordie.

Do you think he's done this on purpose?

What would you do?

[simon knight]

You really do need to agree a price first IMO.

[cvdewsbury]

do the price on your time taken to clean the job and include   any travelling hey presto you don,t lose if the doc thinks your too expensive this job will be no loss to you..

[Alistair@AWC]

Tosh,

Thats just asking for trouble, if I found myself in this situation I would go round, quote and post the price together with a business card and a note saying something like "we will be calling in 3 days to clean your windows, so if we havent heard from you in the meantime we will presume you are happy for us to proceed"

Regards

AL

[supernova77]

Tosh,

Thats just asking for trouble, if I found myself in this situation I would go round, quote and post the price together with a business card and a note saying something like "we will be calling in 3 days to clean your windows, so if we havent heard from you in the meantime we will presume you are happy for us to proceed"

Regards

AL

Good call. That's exactly what I would do 

Andy

[Tosh]

Tosh,

Thats just asking for trouble, if I found myself in this situation I would go round, quote and post the price together with a business card and a note saying something like "we will be calling in 3 days to clean your windows, so if we havent heard from you in the meantime we will presume you are happy for us to proceed"

Regards

AL

Top reply, thanks!

That's what I'll do; I've done similair using the phone - leaving messages - putting the onus on the customer to phone back to say 'no' (if they wish).

Cheers, mate.

[Moderator David@stives]

Tosh

I do that all the time,
just clean it and bill him

[frames to panes]

I don't see a problem provided it's a fair price - the price you would charge anyway.

[Alex Gardiner]

This has to be the best way to price a job.

You really will know how long it takes, so you can price very accurately.

I was in the fortunate position many years back of getting most of my commercial work this way. They got to know that I always charged fairly and were happy for me to work the price out afterwards.

Don't be tempted to 'under-sell' yourself.

[Tosh]

They got to know that I always charged fairly

Alex,

I think 'charging fairly' is a completely new topic.

I mean, what's seems fair to me may not be fair to you; and what's fair to you, may not appear to be fair to the customer.

Price fairness is quite a subjective area, isn't it?

[simon knight]

The reason I think a price (ish) needs to be agreed first is what if the good doctor thinks that Tosh...a humble window cleaner...works for £6ph.

[frames to panes]

 Simon,in that case he won't get the job in the first place. I would charge your normal price, bill him, he should pay up. If he gets funny and never wants it cleaned again then so be it.

[simon knight]

Simon,in that case he won't get the job in the first place. I would charge your normal price, bill him, he should pay up. If he gets funny and never wants it cleaned again then so be it.

No but that's the point...he has got the job.

Look, I don't know what Tosh charges per hour, but say for arguments sake it's £25.

OK so he takes 1hr to do it, bungs in his £25 bill. The Dr might have been expecting something closer to £10.

[Paul Coleman]

Well actually, Wor Lass was approached by a Doctor who asked her if we'd clean his windows.

She did the 'prelims', and said we would provide a quote.

He said something along the lines of, 'Don't bother with a quote, just clean them and leave a bill'.

The house is a fairly large one, located in a smart rural area, but I'm in a bit of a dither:

On one hand - if we were face to face - I'd be brave and stick a high quote in (he's got us on reccommendation).

But on the other hand, since we're just to turn up, clean and leave a bill, I'm sort of feeling that I'll end up charging less than I could've; just to make sure he doesn't think I a thieving Geordie.

Do you think he's done this on purpose?

What would you do?

In a situation a bit like this, I have taken their mobile number and phoned them wqith the quote - and done the job there and then.  Might be a bit tricky if he's in with a patient though.  Can just imagine the conversation now:-

DOC:  Hold your breath in now Sir.
<ring> <ring> (Tosh phoning with quote.
5 minutes later, patient keels over as Doc is still on phone and patient forgets to exhale.

[Wayne Thomas]

Tosh,

If the doctor got your details from a recommendation he is more than likely to have a good idea of what you charge his friends.
I clean lots of doctors, nurses houses and believe me they all socialise together out of hours and know everything that goes on amongst each others lives.

[jeff1]

I had a couple of Doctors and a pilot do the same to me Tosh, so I just went and did the jobs, no problems with them and I still have them all on my books today.

If it was a someone else I would hessitate a bit, I personally think your ok with Doctors, if the price is far to high for them, they will pay you the first one and then say, they will give you a call when they next need them doing.

[matt]

i get this happen with all of my new work in a certain well off area, they dont care on the price, i had 1 a few weeks back, she was in the house, she came out and said "can you do mine "

sure i said, i will give you a price

dont worry about that, ive heard your good, just do it and let me know how much

i did the house

told her the price, she was happy

i charged a very good price, if they dont want to know the price, it means in my eyes, they feel they have enough money, so its not a issue, they also dont like to lose face either , they wouldnt like to say " thats a bit much " afterall they have a reputation to live upto , it would never do to let a poor window cleaner think they couldnt afford it

do the job

whack a good price on it ( remmber that special tax aswell )

chuckle to yourself,

job done

[frames to panes]

Tosh bill him in squigley handwriting that no-one can read.

[dave0123]

Iv had a few of these myself!

I know what you mean tosh i allways like my customers to agree to the price before cleaning them so we both no the price accpeted and everythings ok..

altho just going ahead and cleaning would give u an accrute price, what i tend to do is turn up when i can as if i was going to clean them look round get a price and ring the person and tell them the price as i am outside or what ever.

[Pj]

Tosh, I get this often

As some have suggested this is what it's all about:

A Senior GP is on anything from £65K - £90K
He hasn't got time to worry about how much the window cleaner is going to quote!  Will it be £25?  Will it be £35? £45?  He hasn't got a clue how much it costs to get his windows cleaned!  That's why he's asked you!!  You're supposed to know how much it will cost to do them!  So do them and leave the bill!  He'll pay you.
Do you know how much a Senior GP gets each time a Flu jab is administered by his practice?  Do you ask him for a quote when he asks you to drop your trousers?  Or any one of a thousand other charges he has to keep up with?
He's like most professionals, just "treading water", trying to keep up with his work load.  

Do not worry at all about all this "oooh I'd leave a note and go back in 3 days" stuff. 

Do the job properly and charge him for doing the job properly every time.  Doctors are a bit slow to pay in my experience, but they pay.