[dazmond]

ive never knowingly stepped on anothers toes and never have i undercut a fellow windy to get a job.i have took work off other windys and theyve took the odd job off me no doubt but none deliberately.

im lucky cos where i work their is very little in the way of hassle from other windys.i get parts of my round canvassed at least 3 or 4 times a year.ive NEVER knowingly lost a single account to any newbie in 17 years of trading!! .

i dont feel the need to resort to underhand tactics to win business.i like to think im smarter than that and my pro attitude and the way i conduct myself works much better than anything else and i get respect for it!


dazmond

[Johnny B]

Well said, Dazmond!

John.

[Mr Bungalow]

Hello all,

Business is business, just don't undercut.

People will pay the price as long as your work is good.

Regards.

[Londoner]

In any business environment there is always the competition, both in other people looking to take your work and other calls on the customer's money.

The real effects of the present recession has not been fully felt yet because the old Labour Government were borrowing money to hide the effects. Very soon a lot more people, good people, are going to be out of work through no fault of their own.

Many will stand no chance of ever getting another job so will consider options they have never imagined they would have to consider. A lot of them from public sector jobs with big payouts.

The man directly opposite us was made reduntant from the Land Registry in Harrow. He got five years money as a payoff. Plus a pension.

The franchise vultures are going  to be out in force, eyes fixed firmly on those big wads of cash. You will be seeing a lot more brand new sign wriiten vans about, mark my words. Where will they get the work from?

Plus lots of people at the bottom end getting desperate and willing to try anything. I have noticed a couple of respectable looking men out deliving pizza leaflets lately. Is that the best work they could get?

Prices are set to rise sharply, partly because world prices of fuel, food and clothing has gone through the roof and partly because a bit of inflation is needed to restimulate business.

Interesting times ahead

[Paul Coleman]

In any business environment there is always the competition, both in other people looking to take your work and other calls on the customer's money.

The real effects of the present recession has not been fully felt yet because the old Labour Government were borrowing money to hide the effects. Very soon a lot more people, good people, are going to be out of work through no fault of their own.

Many will stand no chance of ever getting another job so will consider options they have never imagined they would have to consider. A lot of them from public sector jobs with big payouts.

The man directly opposite us was made reduntant from the Land Registry in Harrow. He got five years money as a payoff. Plus a pension.

The franchise vultures are going  to be out in force, eyes fixed firmly on those big wads of cash. You will be seeing a lot more brand new sign wriiten vans about, mark my words. Where will they get the work from?

Plus lots of people at the bottom end getting desperate and willing to try anything. I have noticed a couple of respectable looking men out deliving pizza leaflets lately. Is that the best work they could get?

Prices are set to rise sharply, partly because world prices of fuel, food and clothing has gone through the roof and partly because a bit of inflation is needed to restimulate business.

Interesting times ahead

Indeed Vince.
While I'm normally a moderately optimistic sort of guy, I do see the economy generally slowing down a lot more yet.
There seems to be a great reluctance in political circles to mention the dreaded "d" word but perhaps that's where we would already be but for the tinkering going on at higher levels.
The old cliché of "re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic" springs to mind.  Perhaps that is overstating it.  Perhaps not.  Maybe this type of thinking is a result of my early conditioning in having to see apocalyptic signals in all adversity.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I wouldn't deliberately tread on someones toes, I prefer having a good relationship with other window cleaners.  I don't see too much difference between deliberately undercutting another persons work or taking someones equipment that they have left behind in the street, both are their livelihood, you'd be taking from there family.

On the other hand if someone was doing a bad job then that is a different matter or if they were extorting someone by charging hundreds of pounds for a small job.  However I would feel inclined to speak to the other window cleaner if I knew them and their customers said they were doing a bad job.

As for silly prices of £5 for every thing, most of these people haven't been in business long enough to know the true costs.  In other words they are not putting by for holiday or sick pay and at some point they will come a cropper.

Simon.

[dazmond]

i have noticed more window cleaners/gardeners about and guys offering free first cleans!! : :.more and more people are resorting to all sorts of jobs they wouldnt of considered doing before.

its bound to affect our businesses.its harder to get  good prices for jobs.less money=less need for a window cleaner!!

im doing ok at present as im well established but the constant talk of it on tv and newspapers about cuts etc makes us all feel a tad insecure!

after all window cleaning is a luxury that most people could easily live without!!


dazmond

[Londoner]

One of my customers today, a man who was made redundant from a local factory about five years ago said to me today he doesn't think he will be able to have his windows cleaned after christmas.
He's been working delivering leaflets for a local estate agent but has lost it to somebody undercutting him, a couple of Polish blokes. He was only paid a price per thousand but these guys are younger and faster

I was already very aware that he had to deliver leaflets for 3-4 hours to pay me the money to clean his windows which I could do in about 15 minutes but used to spin it out a bit because I felt guilty. Plus I have never put his prices up.

This sort of story is being repeated all over. Another customer just put a note in with her cheque asking to go on 12 weeks. I am going to do it, I would rather keep her at 12 weeks than lose her.

A hairdresser's shop I do was empty last week, never seen that before. Other shops falling empty around here.

Its all just slowing down.

We are not alone in this, everybody is feeling it and its going to get worse.

[mileslake]

It is business. If we do a good job for a fair price, good customers will remain loyal. If somebody comes along and tries to undercut, all customers are free to choose, but good customers will choose to stay with their tried and trusted w/c if they are happy with him/her. I have been told many times by customers that someone else has been knocking for work, but I cannot remember the last time I lost any customer this way. Whenever this happens, it reminds me to appreciate my customers more, and not to take the business I have for granted.  

John.

I get the same.. I sometimes think it is said just to dissuade us from putting the annual price increase on.

[Londoner]

As for silly prices of £5 for every thing, most of these people haven't been in business long enough to know the true costs.  In other words they are not putting by for holiday or sick pay and at some point they will come a cropper.

Simon.

Yes but for a bloke who's mortgage is on the line and overdrawn at the bank £5 sounds pretty good. He'll have a fiver and thats a whole lot better than nothing.