Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: H2GoKent on August 16, 2011, 05:27:41 am
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Reading some posts on here about pricing jobs or selling/buying work I often see the word 'greedy' to describe someone who charges more than you.
Now I am against taking advantage of old confused grannies by charging them a fortune, and I'm against not doing what you say you will, but with those exceptions I charge as much as can.
I do a confused granny's windows and I charge her less than her neighbours just to be sure.
But I am more expensive than a lot of guys down here.
So am I greedy or just someone who wants to make a good living for his family.
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Greed is a relative term.
Tell a shop worker you earn £30+per hour and they'll brand you a crook.
Tell a banker you earn £30+ per hour and he'll brand you an idiot for working for so little.
Explain (If they'll listen) to a salaried person that your £30+ hires one operative, specialist vehicle and equipment, insurance, vehicle related expenses etc and that the operative in question doesn't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension and their earnings are directly affected by the weather...then no you don't sound greedy at all.
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Greed is a relative term.
Tell a shop worker you earn £30+per hour and they'll brand you a crook.
Tell a banker you earn £30+ per hour and he'll brand you an idiot for working for so little.
Explain (If they'll listen) to a salaried person that your £30+ hires one operative, specialist vehicle and equipment, insurance, vehicle related expenses etc and that the operative in question doesn't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension and their earnings are directly affected by the weather...then no you don't sound greedy at all.
Best explanation post I've heard in a long while.
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VERY TRUE POST
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The key thing to remember is that they are not paying for your time, they are paying to save theirs.
Its about the value to them of the work that is done.
Could they do the job themselves? What other options are availiable?
You would be suprised about the number of people who think we work for next to nothing when they hand us £10 as they value the job higher.
Its one reason why set prices are a folly.
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An excellent reply from EandM that I completely agree with but I was thinking more of other windys who charge less.
They have a tendency to act as if charging less is a more honourable way to behave somehow.
It's almost as if they say we should 'know our place'.
One guy recently said 'that's £40 an hour you're not a plumber'
So what? Charge what you can. Don't underestimate your value.
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I tend to find that the oldest pensioners in a council house/ assisted rent accomodation are the ones who get charged minimal rates for their window cleaning because of who they are.
Whilst most live hand to mouth, saving up for Christmas and Birthday presents for their family, there are some that are very well off but still live frugally.
Reminds me of the one who always moaned at the cost of everything including her window cleaning and how she just couldn't afford it, but when she died had £250,000 in her bank account.
Spruce
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When I was in England I used to undercharge, not to be confused with undercutting. I had so little confidence in my abilities that I felt I wasn't worth any more than what I was charging. I also take 2-3 times longer to clean an average 3 bed semi than most w/cs that I know. As I am extremely thorough (near the top of the OCD premier division) I was always very busy, but still barely scraped a living, as in my view quality was more important than high earnings.
Since I moved to Ireland, I resolved that I would not allow this to happen, so I now charge what I believe is a realistic price. The work is coming slowly, but I am earning so much more than in England, even on minging first cleans (which at the moment is everything). And I still do not compromise on quality.
I used to think that high earners were greedy, without taking everything into consideration. I concede that I was very wrong.
John
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some windys are greedy same as every profession you will find people who are greedy.Theres a fine line between making a good living and being greedy/ripping people off.The question you need to ask yourself is? would you be willing to pay someone the same price you charge.If not, then its got nothing to do with you making a good living for your family and more to do with you being greedy!
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some windys are greedy same as every profession you will find people who are greedy.Theres a fine line between making a good living and being greedy/ripping people off.The question you need to ask yourself is? would you be willing to pay someone the same price you charge.If not, then its got nothing to do with you making a good living for your family and more to do with you being greedy!
What a complete load of rubbish. We value things in different ways. Iwouldn't pay to have my windows cleaned as I can do them myself. I would pay for things I can't do or don't know how to do.
There are many price points for most things on sale. Get off your high horse and realise were in business to make not just a living but a profit.
I bet there are very few window cleaners who actually make a profit after paying themselves. They are 'hobby businesses' or 'lifestyle businesses' as described on Dragons Den.
Get over yourself. If a service is offered and a price given the house holder they have the choice to say yes or no. The time it takes is of no issue, it's the value of the job not the cost.
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some windys are greedy same as every profession you will find people who are greedy.Theres a fine line between making a good living and being greedy/ripping people off.The question you need to ask yourself is? would you be willing to pay someone the same price you charge.If not, then its got nothing to do with you making a good living for your family and more to do with you being greedy!
Exactly the kind of tosh I meant as if someone naive enough to charge £10 for a house some people would charge £20 for is somehow morally superior.
It doesn't make you a better person just a bad businessman.
You are neither a public service nor a charity. As long as you agree the price and do
what you said would do where does morality come into it?
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Greed is a relative term.
Explain (If they'll listen) to a salaried person that your £30+ hires one operative, specialist vehicle and equipment, insurance, vehicle related expenses etc and that the operative in question doesn't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension and their earnings are directly affected by the weather...then no you don't sound greedy at all.
If I ever feel the desire to justify my price, I hope I can remember word for word the above.
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Some guys in this game undervalue themselves badly. These are the guys on low profit usually. People will pay what the market demands. If the job wasn't worth the price you are charging, they wont pay it. IMO, charge what you can get away with. Always do your best work for your best price though.
Any mong can work for pennies. That's what mongs do.
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I know of an old lady who was quoted £80 to clean a basic flat windows 30s council semi. Thats greedy. Did here for £12 till she died last year.
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For what I know about,it`s not the price your quoting,
It`s the price the client/customer is willing to pay.
Lewis Doubtfire
8) ::) :-X
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some windys are greedy same as every profession you will find people who are greedy.Theres a fine line between making a good living and being greedy/ripping people off.The question you need to ask yourself is? would you be willing to pay someone the same price you charge.If not, then its got nothing to do with you making a good living for your family and more to do with you being greedy!
What a complete load of rubbish. We value things in different ways. Iwouldn't pay to have my windows cleaned as I can do them myself. I would pay for things I can't do or don't know how to do.
There are many price points for most things on sale. Get off your high horse and realise were in business to make not just a living but a profit.
I bet there are very few window cleaners who actually make a profit after paying themselves. They are 'hobby businesses' or 'lifestyle businesses' as described on Dragons Den.
Get over yourself. If a service is offered and a price given the house holder they have the choice to say yes or no. The time it takes is of no issue, it's the value of the job not the cost.
Well said stuart :)
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I know of an old lady who was quoted £80 to clean a basic flat windows 30s council semi. Thats greedy. Did here for £12 till she died last year.
I think that would fall under the heading of trying to take advantage!
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Were all greedy Im not ashamed to admit to being greedy.Some on here obviously are.I dont charge peanuts and feel my prices are fully justified,due to the high level of service my customers recieve.
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Charging a fair price isn't being greedy.
But some on here think that if you charge £20 for a house they would charge £10 for then you are doing something wrong, clearly this can't be the case.
However I think this is different from Vince's example of charging an old lady £80 for a couple of windows. The people doing that know they are doing something wrong and unfair, like the bloke who kept pestering my Gran for money with made-up hard luck stories when she was living on a small state pension till we stopped him.
You agree a price with your customer, do the work, get paid.
If you do what you said you would then as the phrase goes.
'A fair exchange is no robbery'
Just think of it this way, if we 'greedy people' were to do a bad job, we would lose work all the time, and speaking for myself I don't.