Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: millennium-wc on November 03, 2011, 09:05:08 am

Title: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: millennium-wc on November 03, 2011, 09:05:08 am
seen this this morning-question is, should i buy one or not? I was thinking of buying as a present for my parents-i can sit in the warm and watch!  :D :D :D

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/kingston_upon_hull/cleaner-brighter-window-cleaners/1381144?nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_1_0_0_307&a=24

Am a bit confused-does it mean i will have to wash the fascias after he's gone? i looks like it only the gutters included?
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: colley614 on November 03, 2011, 10:01:04 am
Hhmm.... "Uses high-reach purified water fed pole system." "50% off driveway, fascia and soffit if booked on same day." He would need a new brush head after doing my driveway!

I think this is going to be his way of earning some money back. by charging a lot for these services. If booked on the same day!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 12:53:30 pm
So if you had a 5 bedroomed house, would you really expect a good job to be done for £24.00? In fact full price would have been £60 which is really :o cheap for that sort of work.
Now lets remember that this is groupon so the £24.00 includes vat, so take that out which makes it £20.00 then groupon take their cut say 40% leaves the cleaner with £12.00 for his trouble. Upsell on other services, yes he could, but he will never make up the loss made on the initial offer. Oh dear :'(
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: H S and Son on November 03, 2011, 01:04:43 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Wc Solutions on November 03, 2011, 01:10:16 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.

very well said mate.

im guessing they are hoping to get the customer for a clean each month and make money in the future cleans.

i suppose you could look at it as a very different way of canvassing - never under estimate the power of word of mouth from customers hey!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: clean on November 03, 2011, 01:46:47 pm
Some people are really desperate and scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with these ridiculous ideas  ::)
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 01:47:02 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.

very well said mate.

im guessing they are hoping to get the customer for a clean each month and make money in the future cleans.

i suppose you could look at it as a very different way of canvassing - never under estimate the power of word of mouth from customers hey!

It is a form of marketing and we all know you don't get something for nothing! In this case you have to "give" away ridiculously low prices in order to get in a database, or should I say "hope" you end up with a database, nothing is sure in this life!
Unless this bloke is brilliant at upselling add ons I cannot see how this is going to help his business grow.
The worst scenario I gave on a 5 bedroomed house could be for ALL the vouchers purchased and all of them may be strong enough not to go with any add ons.
I have no idea on pricing in Hull but I suspect 25 windows and full house gutter clean ect should be more than £60 in the first place anyway. :)
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 01:48:28 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.

Thought I just saw you 20 minutes ago at the top of town......? do you drive like a maniac? ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Dave Willis on November 03, 2011, 02:08:51 pm
Blimey, he could make as much as seventy five pounds on a really good day I reckon  :o
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Alistair@AWC on November 03, 2011, 02:21:23 pm
I'm pretty sure that guy is a member on here!

Maybe he'll let us know what he is hoping to achieve from it.


Al
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: H S and Son on November 03, 2011, 03:19:12 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.

Thought I just saw you 20 minutes ago at the top of town......? do you drive like a maniac? ;D

Yup, that was me I guess  ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 03:46:52 pm
Sme people are a danger to themselves.

Thought I just saw you 20 minutes ago at the top of town......? do you drive like a maniac? ;D

Yup, that was me I guess  ;D

Guess you was getting home quick to see how your Groupn deal is doing ;D ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Tom White on November 03, 2011, 03:58:59 pm
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tosh0987/logo.jpg)

The guy whose doing the groupon thing is a member here, because I recognise the logo.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: DaveG on November 03, 2011, 04:07:03 pm
Yeah thats kev with the really long name
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Tom White on November 03, 2011, 04:11:50 pm
If he was in my area, I'd get some of my customers to go for it, for £60, and I'd pay him the £24, and I'd have made a tidy profit for doing next to nowt!

 ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 04:23:42 pm
If he was in my area, I'd get some of my customers to go for it, for £60, and I'd pay him the £24, and I'd have made a tidy profit for doing next to nowt!

 ;D

If you paid him the £24 he would be making more than on the Groupon deal ;)
Of course it's all about the add ons and marketing though ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Helen on November 03, 2011, 04:26:30 pm
seen this this morning-question is, should i buy one or not? I was thinking of buying as a present for my parents-i can sit in the warm and watch!  :D :D :D

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/kingston_upon_hull/cleaner-brighter-window-cleaners/1381144?nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_1_0_0_307&a=24

Am a bit confused-does it mean i will have to wash the fascias after he's gone? i looks like it only the gutters included?

Yes unless you want to pay extra
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Dave Willis on November 03, 2011, 04:28:33 pm
The only person this would suit is someone desperate for work. If he makes £50 in a day then he's better off than earning nothing at all. Unfortunately there are probably several on this forum in the same position. Able to dish out all the advice on how to run a business etc when in fact they are really struggling.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: lee09 on November 03, 2011, 04:41:00 pm
The only person this would suit is someone desperate for work. If he makes £50 in a day then he's better off than earning nothing at all. Unfortunately there are probably several on this forum in the same position. Able to dish out all the advice on how to run a business etc when in fact they are really struggling.
Even if he's desparate for work and earns £50 for the day there are still exspense's incurred.
He would be better off door knocking or parking his sign written van at any supermarket or diy store car park.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: taylored on November 03, 2011, 05:38:01 pm
how much would you pay for new custys? 3x the clean, how many of them say no next clean? hes getting paid for getting new custys not paying for them. i dont think he needs the money but if you have days on your round to fit more work in £50 a day is better than 00000000 a day. ;) best of luck Kev hope it works well for you.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Tom White on November 03, 2011, 05:40:21 pm
I did a new clean yesterday, and it was a renovated farm house; not particularly big; but awkward to get to, and awkward to get around.  I charged £50 for a first clean (£35 for subsequent cleans), and it took two of us just over an hour to get right.  The windows were covered in paint and some of em hadn't been cleaned in years.  Subsequent cleans will be about 15 minutes for two of us.

Stuff doing jobs like that for £15.  A few days of these would sound like a nightmare.

I charge more for new cleans, not less.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: taylored on November 03, 2011, 05:54:16 pm
2x the 6 weekly price on all 1st cleans if they phone me, hes got 13 today if 4 of them stay with him thats a min of £500 a year plus £150 for 2 days work and he did not have to knock on doors for it. ;)
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 06:17:18 pm
If you look its external gutters aswell as the windows and is £24!
It is not the internal gutters!!!!
I make anything upto £200 a day im not desperate but im trying to get the 2nd van on the road so whats the problem with that?
Infact i do a commercial every 2 weeks that takes £235 for 4 hours work!
Theres a lot of people that are very annoying or very jealous of others on here,you know what i couldn't care what you all think to be quite honest!
 I have a round that averages over £10 a house!
Im negotiating a commercial lock up aswell!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 06:19:20 pm
Also it will take 1 hour max!
Just a shame Groupon arent putting on the Lincolnshire site until next week!
The phone hasn't stopped ringing with other work booked in.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: dazmond on November 03, 2011, 06:46:56 pm
i did a 3 bed semi at 9am yesterday

£7 for the windows

£40 for outside gutters/fascia/soffits cleaned


its on an estate of around 100 houses i also clean.it took me an hour with just pure then over the road to another 20 maintenance window cleaning jobs.

no need to be greedy.£24 is far too low though!! ??? ???
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 06:50:52 pm
dazmond its just the outside of gutters which will take 15 mins max on a 5 bed house!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: taylored on November 03, 2011, 06:54:22 pm
15 now looks like you will be sold out in a week Kev ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 06:55:53 pm
15 now looks like you will be sold out in a week Kev ;D
like i say its on the wrong place,should have been Lincolnshire im nowhere near Hull!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Richard Neal on November 03, 2011, 06:58:27 pm
All i can say is good luck mate, hope it works for you
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 06:59:38 pm
All i can say is good luck mate, hope it works for you
thanks Richard!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: deeege on November 03, 2011, 07:18:08 pm
"including all their windowsills and frames. Once they and the doors have been squeakily cleaned, the gutter exterior and downward pipes are given a high pressured cleanse to ensure their fair share of the sparkle too."

I hope you don't clean the windows and frames first and then move onto the gutters? Badly worded description at best.

Good luck with it though! I just hope for your sake that you are VERY good at upselling other services at a normal (much higher) rate.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 07:29:24 pm
theres fools on here that clean windows on houses for £5 £6 and £7 now that makes me laugh!
then they have the cheek to criticise!
the ones that charge £200 to clean gutters out havent the money to buy poles backpacks and trolleys,really makes me laugh tbh!
 Theres one on here biggest business man ever  ;D couldn't stump £400 for a guttervac!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: deeege on November 03, 2011, 07:47:09 pm
theres fools on here that clean windows on houses for £5 £6 and £7 now that makes me laugh!

True. Would rather be cleaning 5/6 windows on a small semi for £7 (I don't) than cleaning 16 windows, frames, doors and gutters for £10 though.

Seriously though, start a thread and keep us updated every week or so. I would be interested to see how you go and you could prove all the doubters wrong if it works for you.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: DMC Window Cleaners Ltd on November 03, 2011, 07:49:55 pm
kev whats your email
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 07:52:35 pm
kev whats your email

contact@cleanerbrighterwindowcleaners.co.uk
cheers
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: mike roberts on November 03, 2011, 08:01:41 pm
kev whats your email

DMC ... Mike pleased to meet U, interesting posts ... curious how long have you been in business ....
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: DMC Window Cleaners Ltd on November 03, 2011, 08:09:48 pm
hi mike,

Been trading as Ltd for 3 years
expanding very quickly.

just round the corner when your in the area fancy a coffee

Danny
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Catherine10 on November 03, 2011, 08:18:44 pm
Im kinda along the thoughts dont knock it until you have tried it.......... not sure.  Who knows ey?  I dont know the ins and outs really, but if it does/dosent work, learn from it and move on.  My book anything is worth a go.   I think though it is a short term marketing plan- its not  long term , like Helen said earlier its marketing.  Short burst of customers to convert. Its a condensed plan, you may have to be cheap, then its what you can pick up along the way - bit of a gateway I suppose for better things.  It dosent appear to be a long term strategy
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 08:25:17 pm
Im kinda along the thoughts dont knock it until you have tried it.......... not sure.  Who knows ey?  I dont know the ins and outs really, but if it does/dosent work, learn from it and move on.  My book anything is worth a go.   I think though it is a short term marketing plan- its not  long term , like Helen said earlier its marketing.  Short burst of customers to convert. Its a condensed plan, you may have to be cheap, then its what you can pick up along the way - bit of a gateway I suppose for better things.  It dosent appear to be a long term strategy

Hows it not a long term strategy?
You can go on Groupon as many times as you want,anybody thats been on just has to speak to your rep and go back on when you want!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Catherine10 on November 03, 2011, 08:28:37 pm
Is the current offer for 7 days?
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 08:32:49 pm
Is the current offer for 7 days?

today and tommorow in Hull then Lincolnshire on Monday!
If was meant to of been on Lincolnshire but some spark in London said put it on Hull first!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: mike roberts on November 03, 2011, 08:34:35 pm
hi mike,

Been trading as Ltd for 3 years
expanding very quickly.

just round the corner when your in the area fancy a coffee

Danny
Fair play.. Yer likewise seriously pop in... might be able to push some work your way

That offer is quite clever not including soffit fascias .. makes you wonder ..
just dont like the idea of groupon making so much ..... .. mayb another way



Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Catherine10 on November 03, 2011, 08:36:31 pm
 Hey Im not knocking you. I think anything is worth a go.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: mike roberts on November 03, 2011, 08:37:10 pm
Is the current offer for 7 days?

today and tommorow in Hull then Lincolnshire on Monday!
If was meant to of been on Lincolnshire but some spark in London said put it on Hull first!

kev wish you all the best with it  ..... finer details what happens if say weather goes pear shaped assume there is a disclaimer or extension  ?
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 08:40:18 pm
Is the current offer for 7 days?

today and tommorow in Hull then Lincolnshire on Monday!
If was meant to of been on Lincolnshire but some spark in London said put it on Hull first!

kev wish you all the best with it  ..... finer details what happens if say weather goes pear shaped assume there is a disclaimer or extension  ?

Sorry mate what to do you mean pal?
Its just a trial to see how it goes.I've spoke to another window cleaner who has converted 60% of 281 customers  into regulars from Groupon.
He also estimates another 15% will become regulars.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Nameless Drudge on November 03, 2011, 09:47:55 pm
Three things,
                      1. I think that information about 60%  becoming regulars is spurious rubbish,it needs qualifying,how often and at what price.
                      2.  I clean some houses for £7 and am thus deemed a fool by you.
                      3. You can buy books of tickets to get a small discount at the toll booth crossing the Humber Bridge.           
 
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Nameless Drudge on November 03, 2011, 09:51:30 pm
 And a prediction.

   You`ll have taken a paid job by the end of next year if not this one.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: stuart mc on November 03, 2011, 10:58:48 pm
And a prediction.

   You`ll have taken a paid job by the end of next year if not this one.

yes Sean ;D but are you jealous

to catherine yes try it and see, but there is a reason why people don't think it will work, because it doesn't

kev good luck though, good on you for trying, I hope you prove me wrong but I doubt it, I would rather clean 5 or 6 houses an hour at £5 to what you are doing
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 03, 2011, 11:06:22 pm
Three things,
                      1. I think that information about 60%  becoming regulars is spurious rubbish,it needs qualifying,how often and at what price.
                      2.  I clean some houses for £7 and am thus deemed a fool by you.
                      3. You can buy books of tickets to get a small discount at the toll booth crossing the Humber Bridge.           
 

I have 2 books of toll passes but i have no intention of going to Hull as i only work within 10 miles of my home!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Paul Coleman on November 04, 2011, 06:54:43 am
If a decent percentage are converted into regulars at normal rates, it might just work.  I won't be trying it myself though as I currently have no need or wish to expand my business beyond picking up the odd customer in passing.  If that changes it's more likely that I would door knock than go for Groupon but I won't say never.
As an aside to this, I know a local window cleaner who has been getting phone calls from customers who bought this service.  He knows nothing about it though.  He is in the unfortunate position of having a similar name to a window cleaning company based about 25 miles away who are involved with Groupon.  He even got a bit of verbal from one guy who thought that he was trying to con him.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Perfect Windows on November 04, 2011, 01:22:26 pm
Oh, OK, he's locked his other thread, so given Kev's attitude to anyone diagreeing with him, I need to stress that this is not a personal attack, it's just based on the maths of advertising on Groupon.  By all means attack the maths; I may well have made an obvious mistake.

As I said elsewhere ( http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=137871.msg1156246#msg1156246 ), the maths simply doesn't add up. There are much cheaper ways of getting better business.

It's all well and good saying anything is worth a go but that simply isn't true (to test: is it worth running  a peak hour three minute national TV advert for your local window cleaning service? No).  So, the aim is to get the most for your money.  Getting a bundle of price-sensitive customers by spending four times as much as leafletting to get non-price-sensitive ones is not worth a go.

I may be wrong and you may well end up feeling it's been worthwhile; I just get a kick out of getting the most for my money and time.  I feel that Groupon is the wrong way to go about it based upon the numbers.

Kev, if you do reply, remember, this isn't about open or closed minds or about you personally, it's about maths.  If my calculations are wrong, I'm all ears.  If you can show that Groupon is a better way to get customers, I'd like to know, as I'll go that way myself.

Vin
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Tom White on November 04, 2011, 01:33:44 pm
I think this link says it all:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15574954
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: rosskesava on November 04, 2011, 03:46:49 pm

Sorry mate what to do you mean pal?
Its just a trial to see how it goes.I've spoke to another window cleaner who has converted 60% of 281 customers  into regulars from Groupon.
He also estimates another 15% will become regulars.

281 window cleans and 160 new customers?

To be honest, I do not believe it.





Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: wfp master on November 04, 2011, 04:37:14 pm
not for me iam out. ::)
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: wfp master on November 04, 2011, 04:39:40 pm
deffo sounds like desperate measures.
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: gary999 on November 04, 2011, 04:57:21 pm
personally i dont think it will work out

but i really hope it does and hopefully it will shut up
some of the people on here who cant wait to see others
fail and love nothing better than getting a dig in.

dont get me wrong some on here have put together some
valid arguments against,but some just cant wait to have a go
(must be desperate,mug etc)

you know what we are more or likely right it wont work but
you just never know it just  might.so why dont the ones amongst
you with the heads with the density of lead lay off and wait and see
what happens.

if or when it does go wrong the dead heads can really go
to town and really put the boot in!

best wishes gary :)
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: daniel worgan on November 04, 2011, 05:58:34 pm
personally i dont think it will work out

but i really hope it does and hopefully it will shut up
some of the people on here who cant wait to see others
fail and love nothing better than getting a dig in.

dont get me wrong some on here have put together some
valid arguments against,but some just cant wait to have a go
(must be desperate,mug etc)

you know what we are more or likely right it wont work but
you just never know it just  might.so why dont the ones amongst
you with the heads with the density of lead lay off and wait and see
what happens.

if or when it does go wrong the dead heads can really go
to town and really put the boot in!

best wishes gary :)

That reminds me i must look at my roses and fuscias this weekend.... ;D
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Mike_G on November 04, 2011, 06:27:41 pm
theres fools on here that clean windows on houses for £5 £6 and £7 now that makes me laugh!
then they have the cheek to criticise!
the ones that charge £200 to clean gutters out havent the money to buy poles backpacks and trolleys,really makes me laugh tbh!
 Theres one on here biggest business man ever  ;D couldn't stump £400 for a guttervac!

I hope you do not mean everyone who cleans houses for £5, £6 or £7 are fools? I guess not. I do quite a few for about that price and I'm no fool! There's more than likely plenty of fools doing houses for £50 as well!

I agree with your comment about the guttervac, I dont know who you are on about, but it never ceases to amaze me the amount of people who claim to earn £200 plus a day and the cannot afford to buy the most basic equipment unless its secondhand rubbish. I reckon we have a few story tellers on this site, perhaps it makes them feel important.

As for groupon and your prices, good luck, personally I hate doing gutters, I always get soaked and I reckon I might of waited til spring if I was tempted to advertise, much nicer conditions to work in (imo). They phoned me the other day and asked if I wanted to go on there but I didn't fancy it, too busy already. You will have to keep us informed on how well it works, and no porkies!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Pope vader on November 04, 2011, 06:39:29 pm
CIU is full of story tellers,  give it a few weeks and people will be on here moaning that they are skint after 2 days of snow

5, 6, 7, houses are the norm around here as a lot of houses are lucky if they got more than 6 windows and 2 doors

if i was to start from scratch i would look at a groupon offering window cleaning at say £7,as it is good way to start, as might get a few 100 custys,  lots of practise and retain a few
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: mister bit on November 04, 2011, 06:43:18 pm
I was wondering who did the write up on the ad? Was it Gropeon?

... "purified water containing minerals a plenty"....  :o

Are you cleaning with Evian or summat?
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Mike_G on November 04, 2011, 07:03:43 pm
I was wondering who did the write up on the ad? Was it Gropeon?

... "purified water containing minerals a plenty"....  :o

Are you cleaning with Evian or summat?

If we had a "like" button I'd be pressing it for that comment, very good
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: windiewasher on November 04, 2011, 07:16:55 pm
I was wondering who did the write up on the ad? Was it Gropeon?

... "purified water containing minerals a plenty"....  :o

Are you cleaning with Evian or summat?

yes it was groupon,i told them its a crap write up,you can't edit it!
Title: Re: Offer of the day-or not?
Post by: Moderator David@stives on November 04, 2011, 07:54:46 pm
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