[[GQC] Tim]

How do you price this?

I'm having to travel to London, from Gatwick, traveltime 1Hr 15min, so  let's say 3 hours to travel that day, to do two big houses there, my customer is in the property market, and he needs them asap cleaned, I can see loads of work coming from him in future if I do a good job. Doesn't mind paying big bucks, got a mansion himself.

Miles : 42.6m, Tot. 87 miles (two miles in between jobs)

Now, being the complete anorak in this, I would say that I'd charge the same as I would when working, which would be £50-£60 an hour. To me it seems only fair, since I could make that sort of money if I would be cleaning properties. Buuuuuut, that's probably not the way it works is it?

Thanks.

[NWH]

It`s absolutley the way it works.

[WCE]

yeah but I doubt you could charge anyone £180 for travel time so you will need to be a bit sneaky. Bump up the property price then mention a small charge to cover travel costs as out of your area. 

[m.b.s.]

as you said dont forget you could get a lot of work from this so dont go too mad on travel time like wce said bump the price up abit on the property and ask for a small amount of lets say diesel cost

[NWH]

You could get a lot of work from it yeah,but you could also get a lot of travelling aswell by the sound of it.

[WCE]

which ever way you do it ,by the time you put cleaning price on top of £180 you will be to dear.

I would tend to agree. Another way to approach it is if you leave earlier than you usually would and try to get the job done outside of usual hours, then you could only charge for fuel and be back in time to do your usual work. Yes it would be a longer day than usual but you'd still have more money than usual depends on if you can be bothered to go to the effort of not ( for in reality less money P.H than usual)

[Neil Williams]

Sorry but you can't charge £50/hour for travelling.
If you needed a plumber and he said the clock starts from when I leave home, oh and it's £60/hour and I live one hour away what would you say? I know what I would say.
So explain that with fuel being so expensive and being really busy, that you will have to account for this. Don't overdo it because afterall you're after a larger goal at the end of it.

[NWH]

Havn`t you noticed that whenever you use a plumber he always makes it go on till the next hour though,i would just price it in to the job.I can`t see the point in going miles out of your way for the same money you would normally earn pointless.

[Neil Williams]

Decisions decisions
Big bucks now or possible bigger bucks further down the line.
£180 for what is really a £50 job. The words 'taking the p--- come to mind.

[ronnie paton]

i would say if you can get away with it, but i wouldnt and how long will it be before he OPENS is eyes?? he could get some one closer and most defo cheaper who would do a perfect job!!

[NWH]

That`s what that bloke would like you to think getting you running round all over the countryside big bucks,when you work out how much earlier you have to leave for work etc it amounts to far more time than you think.

[[GQC] Tim]

Maybe he doesn't. He knows he can get window cleaners up there, I think he just wants me to do it.

His secretary spoke to me, it wasn't even a how much would it be. It was mr. x wants this and this property cleaned, how fast can you do it?

In fact when I gave him the quote on his house, he was reading his newspaper, I said £230, and he mumbled sure that's fine, didn't even look up from his paper. It's that sort of work, been doing it for a year now or so.

I tend to agree with NWH, in my mind, why would I charge less for travel time, I'd be making bucks if I wouldn't be driving.

[Clive McDonald]

You are being called out as someone reliable to give  kerbside appeal cleans to two million pound plus houses that are about to go on the market. If he'd wanted someone cheaper he would have got them. The principle is that you are dropping everything to do this.

[[GQC] Tim]

You are being called out as someone reliable to give  kerbside appeal cleans to two million pound plus houses that are about to go on the market. If he'd wanted someone cheaper he would have got them. The principle is that you are dropping everything to do this.

Indeed, it's kind of exciting really, things like this keep your work interesting, and really keep you on your toes, because you have to perform to a high standard, because, well...they do sort of deserve it with good prices they pay.

He goes to his work with a helicopter sometimes, big outside pool, with lounge, bar and gym, 4 garages. Massive house, massive grounds.

Very nice relaxed people too.

[Joe Lauzon]

The furthest I go from home on my round is 4 miles.  Thats it.  Fuel and travelling are a profit killer I find.  Adding that cost always ment I never got jobs in my next town, so don't even bother to quote now as I'm flat out.  The Trowbridge boys will be pleased about that  

If you can make 50 or 60 an hour Tim, your doing bloody well.  Although I guess London prices are a fair bit more.

If you have a full round I wouldn't even bother considering this work.  You could end up sat in traffic and be on a loser.  You have to charge full whack if you need the work, plus fuel and wear and tear in my opinion.  Its not worth bothering with otherwise is it?  

[ronnie paton]

well good on you for how long it lasts, £50 travelling time is excessive, you have to travel from job to job anyway.
Now if i say have to travel 2 hours to the job i will work 5hours and earn my date rate.

You can be too greedy and i leart this losing my biggest job, so this is why i feel £50 travellin is excesive

[NWH]

The furthest I go from home on my round is 4 miles.  Thats it.  Fuel and travelling are a profit killer I find.  Adding that cost always ment I never got jobs in my next town, so don't even bother to quote now as I'm flat out.  The Trowbridge boys will be pleased about that  

If you can make 50 or 60 an hour Tim, your doing bloody well.  Although I guess London prices are a fair bit more.

If you have a full round I wouldn't even bother considering this work.  You could end up sat in traffic and be on a loser.  You have to charge full whack if you need the work, plus fuel and wear and tear in my opinion.  Its not worth bothering with otherwise is it?  

You`ve said it all.

[Clive McDonald]

Would he take his new bentley to the car wash to be valeted, or let the £5 pollacks on it, or would he call someone out and pay way over the odds but have peace of mind?

This works the other way too. I had a woman phone me up she was deperate.Decoraters and carpet fitters coming, she wanting to move in. Windows covered in paint etc, frames in plaster, some new some old (upvc). Old needed restoring. Inside and out.

Quotted £80. Because she started trying to knock me down and didn't realize what was involved i passed, but she begged. Got there on short notice to try and help, start upstairs inside the decoraters can't finish till you've done the window. And that was how the whole job waS, chasing from room to room trying to keep other tradesmen working. She cleared off and told me that the main builder would pay me. He then said could i invoice him?
You've heard me bragg about my hot system, well the outsides were dreadfull but they came up well and I was able to pull some time back from being overlong inside.

You've guessed it she didn't pay. Said I hadn't done this and I hadn't done that. I was there 3.5 hrs, and the builder said that for eighty pounds i should have been there over four.
I think she was something high powered with quite a responsible job, and the builder fancied himself a developer.It struck me that she was attempting to bring these business skills to bear on me when i had genuinely put myself out for her.

When I phoned asking why I hadn't been paid after some argment she challenged me to go over there and speak to her face to face. Needless to say this toughnut business woman ended up running upstairs in tears and the builder got the dressing down of his life.
I did get paid, but it was annoying because i had done a good job, and I had dropped everything to do it.

[ronnie paton]

discount people with money usually have money cause they watch there money bery well, now i guess they wont want osme cowboy but they would want value and quality.
there are lots of window cleaners who offer this at less than say £50 a hour, it is good when you get it and do have a little TOP MONEY WORK but i know by charging this a take the risk in losing it were has most my work is real good value not cheap not at all but value.

I say well played TIm and get what you can and enjoy whilst it lasts cause it doesnt always.

[WCE]

You are being called out as someone reliable to give  kerbside appeal cleans to two million pound plus houses that are about to go on the market. If he'd wanted someone cheaper he would have got them. The principle is that you are dropping everything to do this.

No offence but if I was a millionaire and asked someone called DISCOUNT Window cleaning I would think I was going for the cheaper option. If you then tried to justify a massive charge for traveling then I would tell you where to get off. Anyway just because these people are rich is dosen't mean that they spend their money willy nilly. Generally the more money they have got the tighter they are. They are rich and want to stay that way!