[windows_chepstow]

I've just put up £1000 pounds worth of work by around 11%, so this amount is now worth £1120 (all figures are accurate; give or take £15).

But I've had two complaints in the past hour; one of them saying they'll phone me back after speaking to her other half, after telling me that there's window cleaners who'll do it for £5 or £6.00.

I told her to 'go for it' and get one, but I doubt she could.  These are big semi's. 

The other asking if I could do 'tops only'.  I cancelled that one.

These were both from one particular street where I've 12 semis.

Two years ago I charged £5.50 for them; grossly underpriced; then increased them to £7.00 last year.

Then put them up another £1.00 this year.

So I can see why they complained.  I did explain to both that the reason was  that they were underpriced to start with.

What tact do you take with complaints like this?

[H h20]

They should either like it or lump it,i have been window cleaning for 18 years and i have got my prices just right,i do a perfect job and never get complaints,you get what you pay for,don`t under sell yourself Tosh,the cheap pricers never last stick to your good prices and let your customers see what they are paying for  ,Gaz

[David 'Duck' Clare]

Tosh i think you just need to be simpathetic to the customer and justify your case. most customers will stay with you (within reason) however if you have increase from £5.50 to £8 in a year you are going to have to expect drop off...but these customers might think they can get another w/c for £6 but i doubt it - i wouldnt do a semi (2/3 bed) for less than £7/9

Keep at it fella

DC

[sunshine windows]

If i was you Tosh i wouldn't sweat over it. You'll no doubt replace the customers you lose with better paying ones anyhow.

As for tact, you've done about all you can do. Explaining that they were underpriced in the first place.

If someone comments on the fact that i'm a bit pricey compaired to their last wc i point out the fact that i clean all the framework and pvc and wipe the edges of panes and sills over too. Bung in the fact that you're also paying your taxes and not just topping up your Giro and they'll either understand wholeheartedly or be a tight a**ed bugger and tell you to go jump.

Hope this helps
Sunshine

[callum macleod]

hi i would stick to your price increases as it appears you underpriced to start with i would continue to increase prices £1 per year till you reach what you want to earn you will probably lose some but your are better of without them.!!

[windows_chepstow]

Bung in the fact that you're also paying your taxes

Sunshine

I am.  They're forcing me too!

But it does naff me off.  

The two complaints both came from houses I didn't like much anyway; one had a flat roof and the other had a garage to climb over.

Not exactly good WFP houses.

I think what bugs me is what my other customer's think of me in that street?

If you cleaned these semis using ladders, it would take seven ladder climbs to clean the tops.

They've got long/big windows front and rear, ground and first floor, with a small window on the gable end.

They're bigger than your average semi.

I'd hate anyone to think I was 'pulling a fast one', but £8.00 is a fair price.  

My only mistake was underpricing, due to inexperience, from the outset.

[carl stanton]

if they say cost more than the last wc turn about and have a look around and say he/she is not here i wonder why?
tosh i can see its fair from there side, how would you like it if gg3 went up from £8 to £10.50 in one go!
i think there should be 2yr gap between increase.
it hurts every time you lose a customer but then another 2 come along for 1 lost, and they are more than happy to pay your price  

[windows_chepstow]

i think there should be 2yr gap between increase.

I agree and disagree.

On one hand it's kinder to the customer, but on the other I want to improve the quality of my round.

The stuff I consider 'well priced', I won't increase.

The stuff I consider 'fairly priced', I'll increase them by 50p; mostly.

The stuff I consider 'under priced', I'll increase them to a 'fairly priced' level, even if I did raise their prices from 'Grossly Under Priced', to 'Under Priced'.

I don't want to appear 'hard-nosed' to my customers, but I do want to be a bit harder-nosed than I have been in the past.

I may put a guarantee on my chits explaining that after this price increase, I won't increase my prices for two years!

If I still have any customers left!

[carl stanton]

fair comment tosh, i have been doing this for 12 years, i think i have finnally learnt how to price! or more like more acertive on keeping the price i should get,  yes tosh on the quality,
you get what you pay for if its not a good price for you then you lose heart and do a not so good job and lose the job any way!

[Mr. S]

I sympathise with you Tosh, a short while ago i did a post about pricing, it seems to me we all underprice to build our rounds at first.

Ive been spending past weeks going on my round writing new prices next to my customers on worksheet, (think ive been seriously underpricing, or am i going to be seriously overpricing)?!

Whatever, im confused too, but at the end of the day when i do up my prices possibly next month i will tell my customers with pride that i as they know am not a fly by night dole dosser as they know, i am the best window cleaner in the area and they obviosly do get what they pay for with myself.

We should be proud of the job we do!

Many out there try and cant hack it!!

Keep at it everyone!!

[carl stanton]

what is even more worrying is when your customers say when are your prices going up, or you havent put your prices up in a while!

[callum macleod]

I think most people know its getting very expensive to live in uk so they have to pay for a friendly reliable service and unfortunately this costs money!!!

[macc]

Tosh, why do a gaurentee, you know your doing a good job for a fair price, you cant keep them all happy.

you may loose a few but i bet the majority appricate the service you provide, the odd moan about the increase but they stick with you.

macc

[jinky230]

TOSH GET A FRIEND TO CANVAS THE 2 CUSTOMERS, TELLING THEM HE IS NEW IN THE AREA.THEY AGREE TO ACCEPT HIM AND THEN HE HITS THEM WITH THE BOMB,
BY THE WAY i CHARGE £12, THIS WILL GET THEM THINKING YOUR PRICES ARE OK

IF THEY ACCEPT THE £12 THEN SAY THE GUY PASSED THEM ON TO YOU, AT £12
EACH , BUT YOU ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHARGE YOUR NORMAL RATE OF £8

THEY WILL NOT QUESTION YOUR PRICES AGAIN

JINKY

[Moderator David@stives]

Tosh

dont make the mistake of not increasing your best priced work ,because after time it will not be best priced it will just become average ,in order to keep them good priced put them up at least 5% above inflation.

Every time i put my prices up it is by at least 20% and that aplys to all customers good or bad and never seem to lose any especially the good ones.

Your customers will not be aware they are the good ones.

Dave

[JohnL]

Tosh

I may put a guarantee on my chits explaining that after this price increase, I won't increase my prices for two years!

Woops!  that doesnt sound like a good business plan. When putting up your prices you must have been  aware that some will not accept that increase so you shouldnt worry unduly about the drop outs. Its business, the seller has a price and its up to the buyer to accept that price or not.

But if you gaurantee a price for 2 years you will be having this discussion again about those who took up the offer. You will find yourself in another mess.

Just put the prices up on the undertsanding you have been undercharging for some time. Some will understand, some will not. Move on with those who stay with you and search out replacements for those who dont.

JohnL

[ronaldo]

Your customers will not be aware they are the good ones.

Dave

Good reply Dave.

[brett walker]

One of the hardest things about this job is putting the prices up and trying to do it without upsetting the customer, i have known customers cancel because its gone up 50p, and change over to a window cleaner that does a crap job and doesnt even wipe the sills just to save 50p a month.  Not worth bothering with, we all do our job to our best ability and theres nothing so funny as customers

The customer is not always right

stick to your prices as you are putting the prices up to make the job pay, not to rip the customer off. Easily replaced

Brett

[pjulk]

i have known customers cancel because its gone up 50p

I used to be a milkman and whenever the prices went up a penny a pint we always used to lose a handfull of customers.

The good thing about putting your prices up are the one's you lose are made up by the price rise anyway.
So less work for the same money.
I know we would all like it same work for more money but you are always going to lose some.

Paul

[mark dew]

Its ok losing the odd customer or few but if they are in a cluster of other customers it is a blow to lose for the convenience alone.
Tosh, I don't think a letter is the best way to deal with price increases.
It seems too impersonal and implies a like it or lump it attitude.
I always put up prices for the next clean, to their faces. I may be too cheap but i have never had anyone cancel. Have had a few wanting me to justify to them though.
3 months ago I put 2 up from £14 to £20 and another in the last 4 months from £8 - £10 - £15. A host of others went up too but not as much as these.
The last 1 wasn't happy at all but the other 2 were fine. I kept them all. So far.
I think they would all of cancelled if i left a letter saying price increase next time...
People can see the sincerity in a face to face situation and are always more likely to agree to a positive solution than they would a bit of paper.
You have some good arguments for them to accept your increase.
Been wfp for several months now and the ones who aren't happy with it would have cancelled by now. They must be happy with your service. Focus on the positives.
You should explain to them face to face:

was underpriced in the beginning and if you priced this job up now it would be X amount instead of just your increase

emphasise strong points of wfp and the quality of your work

regular as clockwork

family business 

it isn't viable for you to continue to do below price mentioned

If that doesn't work then console yourself you are cleaning less for still more money.
I am a few months behind you with wfp and i have just got over justifying price increases to now trying to justify wfp and have lost 6 so far. Better off though with other gains.

good luck.

mark

ps it might be worth just counting the actual number of windows beforehand because it might be suprising how many windows you are actually cleaning, including the small ones.

[Trevor Knight]

My domestic customer are increased every two years and commercial contracts every year. With commercial its never a problem, with domestic you do get the odd complaint but as posted below by the other guys, explain in person why?

I tell my customers if they can find a petrol station that is decreasing its prices, a county council that doesn't increase its council tax, a VAT man that won't take 17.5% of my money and a Tax man that will let me off this year then I will be happy to maintain their prices.

Am still waiting for a customer to find them for me, if they do I will post for you!

The main points to raise with an awkward customer are these:

Your reliable - How many previous w/c's have you had and lost?
You do a good job! Have they complained about your work this year?

Some people will always go elsewhere to look for a cheaper alternative and they normally come unstuck and then have to pick the phone up and grovel, I always increase these guys by 25%, my way of saying "told ya so"!

Stick to your gun's Tosh and get their prices up,

Nice trick JINKY, made me laugh 

[Simon Carter]

Trevor,
Just took a look at your web sight. What's this ' All our operatives are registered with the local police'?. How does that work?

[Trevor Knight]

Basically I got sick and tired of people calling the police, particularly when we were in quiet villages, assuming we were robbing the place. I had a week when were we stopped by the police 3 times and I said to the officers that there must be a way to stop wasting both our times with these silly checks. I was told to go into our local station and register our names and vehicle registration with them using that form G4, that way if anyone wanted to ring up they could check us without having to send out a car.

This maybe a local arrangement not sure if its avalable throughout the country, does work though and gives customers great peace of mind.

regards, Trev

[scrimit2]

I've just put up £1000 pounds worth of work by around 11%, so this amount is now worth £1120 (all figures are accurate; give or take £15).

But I've had two complaints in the past hour; one of them saying they'll phone me back after speaking to her other half, after telling me that there's window cleaners who'll do it for £5 or £6.00.

I told her to 'go for it' and get one, but I doubt she could.  These are big semi's. 

The other asking if I could do 'tops only'.  I cancelled that one.

These were both from one particular street where I've 12 semis.

Two years ago I charged £5.50 for them; grossly underpriced; then increased them to £7.00 last year.

Then put them up another £1.00 this year.

So I can see why they complained.  I did explain to both that the reason was  that they were underpriced to start with.

What tact do you take with complaints like this?

Tosh when you say these houses are semi's, how many window do they have? I'm just curious to compare my pricing,

On price rises, every other bill goes up, electric,water,fuel,council tax, we need to cover those increases, so our prices need to go up accordingly, I think the electric alone has gone up 20% this year.

[AuRavelling79]

Interested in what Mark Dew said cuz I do the opposite - a note stating the increase and why (fuel/bank charges/inflation - I don't mention EGT ) and to some who I don't mind losing I offer every other month at 50% extra on the new price.

BTW - my round is full - I don't want staff - and I haven't lost more than a handful of customers in the last five years.

[simbag]

I can't remember where I read this, but I remember reading on  a thread regarding price increases:

If you increase you prices by 11% (as Tosh did) then really you can afford to loose 11% of your customers (or thereabouts, depending on your prices). OK, you won't be getting any more money, but you will have a more compact round that is the same value, therefore allowing more profitable work to be canvassed.

...does that make sense!!

[matt]

im putting mine up a quid a time right now, done it for the last 2 weeks (so 6 days) and not had 1 complaint

this is my first increase in 2 and 1/2 years

it got to a point when 2 or 3 were asking me everyday "when you putting your prices up"  i took the hint

[AuRavelling79]

I can't remember where I read this, but I remember reading on  a thread regarding price increases:

If you increase you prices by 11% (as Tosh did) then really you can afford to loose 11% of your customers (or thereabouts, depending on your prices). OK, you won't be getting any more money, but you will have a more compact round that is the same value, therefore allowing more profitable work to be canvassed.

...does that make sense!!

Yeh! So if I increase my prices by 100% and lose 100% of my customers that'd work eh?

Actually it's exponential.

[matt]

my thoughts on it are

put em up by 1 quid

if 1 in 10 cancel then you still have the same earnings, just a little earlier home OR space for another house (thus 1 quid  better off )

[simbag]

I can't remember where I read this, but I remember reading on  a thread regarding price increases:

If you increase you prices by 11% (as Tosh did) then really you can afford to loose 11% of your customers (or thereabouts, depending on your prices). OK, you won't be getting any more money, but you will have a more compact round that is the same value, therefore allowing more profitable work to be canvassed.

...does that make sense!!

Yeh! So if I increase my prices by 100% and lose 100% of my customers that'd work eh?

Actually it's exponential.

I think you're probably right there, I'm sure if my prices went up a 100%, I probably would loose them all!

[thewindowcleaner1]

I still pick up more than I loose...
I try and increase my prices just after Christmas, when the weather is realy foul and the casual work force are still in the pub all day, just before the credit card bills hit the letterbox, and the budget ain't in the news

(every year) by .50p (jobs price Ok so this increase works without priceing myself out of the market)

I used to have comments that I was increasing by around 15%to 20% but as the prices rise I now achieve an increase rate of around 8%
(soon be time to increase my increase figure)

Another trick for the tight customers (a few months before increase s due) is that I tell them how pleased I am that I have just picked up a lot of work a few miles down the road (same style house but I'm charging £3 to £4 more per clean

And like you say Tosh you tend to loose the ones you don't like anyway (saves you dropping them)

[dai]

I told some customers last week that when I came to their estate my earnings dropped by 30%. I said that I could not continue cleaning at the price I was charging. I was telling the truth. I said I had to choose between taking on some of the houses on my waiting list at a higher price and drop the estate, or charge a substancial increase. I told them that I understood that higher costs were affecting them too, and I would be prepaired to continue cleaning their windows for a 50% increase, and do them bi-monthly. They opted for the latter option. after two customers had aggreed to this I told the rest my proposal, saying the others had agreed to it. They are a bit like sheep really. Once they hear the others have accepted it, they tend to follow suit.
YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM FACE TO FACE THOUGH. Dai

[gaza]

IVE JUST HAD A MOMENT: Why not put a note through a customers door telling them of a pay rise,and if its not accepatible to ring and let you know.saves all that running around explaining yourself,you can sit there with a beer.
 {but dont put a phone no on it}

  gaza