[Mike 108]

Hi everyone.

What a great forum! Lots of sound advice (even when widely differing views!).

2 questions:

Been cleaning for three months now and think I'm just about getting the hang (and confidence) of proper pricing.

So had a sign made for the van and ordered some new leaflets/receipts printed - on which I offer fortnightly or monthly cleans.

(1) Should I have stuck to fortnightly cleans (which seems to be what most people are used to round here)?  I might still have time to change the leaflet order.

(2) Sometimes, after only 2 weeks, the windows still seem so clean that it seems a real shame to go through the motions again. What do you do?

Thanks everyone.

[Ian_Giles]

If your customer base is happy with fortnightly then stick with it!!!!

You need half the customers for one thing!

And your life will be so much easier and quicker.

Around our area, fortnightly isn't heard of, it is all monthly or 2 monthly (for domestics of course)
But don't mix things up by having odd numbers!

such as 3 weekly or 5 weekly, stick with 2 weekly, 4weekly, 6 weekly and so on.

Some work stictly on a monthly basis as against a 4 weekly basis, i hate this system personally, and much prefer to base things on weekly rather than monthly.
But whatever your system, don't let customers throw you a loop ball by asking you to clean their house outside of your normal rota, any multiple of your normal rota is fine.
So if its mostly a fortnighly clean, any multiple of 2 weeks is fine for you.

I wish I could persuade all my domestic accounts to be fortnightly!!

Ian

[pylofm]

I am also a new starter and have now decided the best for me is either 4 or 8 weekly...It makes for easier scheduling....

Cheers
Dave.

[welmac]

im fortuante that 90% of my work is fortnightly, which is great!

bit of a bummer though when you sadly lose a job.................not because ive done a bad job, just cause customers move.

my round is commercial though. on domestic most go for monthly.

[drew86]

I am new and finding most want 4 or 6 weeks 2 weeks unheard of, on the comercial side 8 weeks.
One of the problems I am haveing is people just wanting 1 off cleans, usualy a conservatory and the window above because there trad window cleaner cant do them, It's ok for now because it means I have some money comeing in but not good long term.
Drew

[pylofm]

Hi I have had requests for 1-offs but have declined them as they were in Streets/estates that I am getting new work from...I believe that word does get around so am not willing to cut my own throat....So have decided that I will not do 1-offs in semi & terraced type estates.

Maybe wrong but I am really wanting to establish myself with regular work...maybe in the future I may take on 1-offs....but for the moment...my every waking hour is working towards regular work.

Cheers
Dave.

[LSB]

In over ten years no-one has ever asked for fortnightly cleans ! you are incredibly fortunate , and i would stick to that for as long as you possibly can ! i am mainly domestic and most of my customers are done 4 weekly ( with a small % 8 weekly ) my commercial work is monthly . from day one i have always refused one-offs , i do however manage to turn quite a few of those requests into 8wkly cleans !             Even on 4wkly it quite often seems like ive only just done them , it must be a strange feeling with a 2wk turnaround.

[zeusjazmin]

every 2 weeks here

[P®oPole™]

Do you get the same money for 2weekly cleans?

[chineapplepunks]

I don't think it's so much what PEOPLE want, it's what YOU want. I don't think a given area dictates whether it's a fortnightly clean or 4 weekly. It may just be what they're used to. If you want to do monthly cleans, tell your customers that that is how you work. Although you clean a house less often, it allows you to charge a higher price than on a fortnightly clean (and get away with it). So you're getting more money for doing the same job.

[zeusjazmin]

yep set price every 2 weeks

[Mike 108]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

As I said, its mainly fortnightly cleans round here. I live on the coast near Blackpool so sometimes its very windy (mixed with sand and sea spray) - perhaps that's why most people want it fortnightly.

As I am getting quicker (novice traditional), my prices are working out at about £9 an hour (I was working for £4 an hour for the first few weeks!!).

With better pricing and, hopefully, further improvements in speed/technique I hope to be soon earning £10-12 an hour.

 I've thought about charging 50% more for monthly cleans, but haven't had the 'bottle' yet.

By the way - after 6/7 hours cleaning I'm absolutely knackered.

Thanks everyone

[Alistair@AWC]

Hi Mike,

Im a new starter as well and the one piece of advice that I have really listened to is to price correctly.

I offer cleaning every 4 or 8 weeks and charge accordingly so say if you have a 2 week clean at £5 go for a 4 week clean at £8/£8.50 and a 8 week clean is 50% on top and when quoting I always give both prices this cuts down on the not this month merchants cos I just inform them that there next clean will be priced at the 8 week price.

The benefit of the 2 week clean as mentioned is 1/2 as many customers, but if you put the extra work into building a 4 week round you'll be earning more in the long run

 I've thought about charging 50% more for monthly cleans, but haven't had the 'bottle' yet.

Mike don't mess around start charging 50% extra for the 4 week cleans as of now or stop offering them, your just making work for yourself, believe me if you come across well people are happy to pay the extra, and I even explain it that they're actually saving money over the course of a year and the reason your charging 50% extra is because it takes you 50% longer to clean, it doesnt but just tell them that and watch your hourly rate rise.

Good Luck

Alistair

[windows_chepstow]

I clean 'calander monthly' and it works out okay.  Sometimes I'm a day or two early; sometimes a day or two late.

No-one seems to mind (or care).

I think the 'two-weekly' thing is a left-over from before window cleaners had cars and were limited by how far they could travel with their hand-cart; therefore they had a smaller area they could get their customers from.

I'm sure Ian_Giles could tell us if I'm right from experience ( ).

Personally, I think if a customer saw me every-two weeks; they'd get sick of me and sack me.  Once a month is just enough.

However, what-ever your terms and conditions; don't put up with the 'not this time' type of customer.  Politely remind them of your terms and conditions and if they don't agree to them; drop them.

[Alistair@AWC]

However, what-ever your terms and conditions; don't put up with the 'not this time' type of customer.  Politely remind them of your terms and conditions and if they don't agree to them; drop them.

They're not, not this time customers anymore they're just exercising they're right to switch from a 4 week to a 8 week clean and are being charged accordingly - suits me. 

 Im not exactly over run with customers at the moment but when I am I'll love my 8 week cleans I have 1 at the moment at £30 and the house really isnt that big 3 maybe 4 bed Detached.

Alistair

[JohnL]

I'm pretty new to WCing and have a small round but do my cleans on a 5-6 week basis.

The customers are very happy - 4 weeks being to quick between cleans and 8 weeks too long, so in a way I have tailored the round to suit

It suits me and the customer

JohnL

[geefree]

Hi,
i HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF BUILIDNG MY ROUND UP oops  (not typing that lot again lol)....

so i decided to start telling people i call once a fortnight... they say how much?.... i tell them a price... they accept... then i say and i clean once a fortnight... they say ok!..... got 7 new customers today and they all accepted.....

Ok, so after a month or two they may say can you leave it as still clean etc and shift me to monthly,

but as it grows it can only be a good thing and hopefully i wont lose many to monthly...

just another way of building my round,

more from existing customers is better than than trying to get new ones.

what do you guys think.

Gary.

[williamx]

What you do is price the job for a 2 week cycle at say £7.00 you then offer the customer the following rates for the following cleaning times. 

£10.00 per 4 weekly clean
£15.00 per 6 weekly clean
£20.00 per 8 weekly clean

Anything above this, is classed as a one off clean and you should charge at least £25.00.

With this method you will be getting more money for the same work

Remember its pays to work efficiently. 

[geefree]

Thanks

I do work efficiently thats why i am trying different ways of building my round, what i have done is got them to have me clean fortnightly instead of monthly,

now that is worth all of of those prices you quoted in one go. but i take your point, and i will do as you say when have built a round


Gary.

[master cleaner]

95% of my work is fortnightly i prefer it that way

gary