Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 12:18:27 pm

Title: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 12:18:27 pm
How do you price up your jobs? Square metre rate, guesswork, experienced guesswork, £1.00 per hole plus weighting??
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Perfect Windows on June 04, 2012, 12:33:20 pm
By house type: 3-bed semi, detached, terrace, flat, etc, plus a chunk for a conservatory.  Simple and effective.

Vin
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 12:47:19 pm
By house type: 3-bed semi, detached, terrace, flat, etc, plus a chunk for a conservatory.  Simple and effective.

Vin

Hey Vin, so no matter how many windows you have a price for a semi, right like £9.00 right?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 04, 2012, 12:58:47 pm
anyone use a quote caluclator?

I have a spread sheet im starting use ..

1. you input your hourly rate you seek to achieve £30 £40 £50 whatever...

2. input travel time (eg 20mins)

3. Input set up time (eg 3 mins)

4. Input job time ( e.g 20mins etc etc... )

then it calculates the cost of the job... to the penny


Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Perfect Windows on June 04, 2012, 01:02:05 pm
By house type: 3-bed semi, detached, terrace, flat, etc, plus a chunk for a conservatory.  Simple and effective.

Vin

Hey Vin, so no matter how many windows you have a price for a semi, right like £9.00 right?

£16 or £24!

I ask a series of questions when they call.  One of those is "Is it what I'd call a standard semi?".  If they say "yes" then it's that price.  So, I have some seriously big semis for that price and some pitifully small ones.  It all evens out.

If they say it's unusual, I do the first clean for the standard price then discuss the future price.  That way I very rarely have to waste time visiting to give a price.

Full details at: http://www.perfect-windows.co.uk/pwpricing.html

Vin
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 01:13:36 pm
anyone use a quote caluclator?

I have a spread sheet im starting use ..

1. you input your hourly rate you seek to achieve £30 £40 £50 whatever...

2. input travel time (eg 20mins)

3. Input set up time (eg 3 mins)

4. Input job time ( e.g 20mins etc etc... )

then it calculates the cost of the job... to the penny




Is that something you did yourself or you bought? What if you have 5 houses in a row do you still charge travel?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 01:15:35 pm
By house type: 3-bed semi, detached, terrace, flat, etc, plus a chunk for a conservatory.  Simple and effective.

Vin

Hey Vin, so no matter how many windows you have a price for a semi, right like £9.00 right?

£16 or £24!


I ask a series of questions when they call.  One of those is "Is it what I'd call a standard semi?".  If they say "yes" then it's that price.  So, I have some seriously big semis for that price and some pitifully small ones.  It all evens out.

If they say it's unusual, I do the first clean for the standard price then discuss the future price.  That way I very rarely have to waste time visiting to give a price.

Full details at: http://www.perfect-windows.co.uk/pwpricing.html

Vin

Yeah I guess that would make things a lot simply ( just looked on your web)
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: William McCafferty on June 04, 2012, 01:24:06 pm
I use a variety of methods, if it's me quoting I look at the job and I know how long or hard the work is and quote accordingly, there is also a travelling element.

I also do a day rate, this is simple just £300 per man per day with free travel
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 01:37:46 pm
I use a variety of methods, if it's me quoting I look at the job and I know how long or hard the work is and quote accordingly, there is also a travelling element.

I also do a day rate, this is simple just £300 per man per day with free travel

Hey whats a day to you? 6 or 8 hrs?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: William McCafferty on June 04, 2012, 01:47:56 pm
It depends on the job but normally it's from 10 to 6
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 04, 2012, 01:50:27 pm
It depends on the job but normally it's from 10 to 6

Yeah, I get it.... your working on 300 for 8 hours work. Cool!
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 04, 2012, 05:04:36 pm
anyone use a quote caluclator?

I have a spread sheet im starting use ..

1. you input your hourly rate you seek to achieve £30 £40 £50 whatever...

2. input travel time (eg 20mins)

3. Input set up time (eg 3 mins)

4. Input job time ( e.g 20mins etc etc... )

then it calculates the cost of the job... to the penny




Is that something you did yourself or you bought? What if you have 5 houses in a row do you still charge travel?

The travel time gets divided between the 5 houses..

Think to price right and well.. travel time has to be factored in... just my opinion though.. works ok for me...and i'm just new to this service but its how i want it to work so im not leaving myself short changed..

Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: GDwindowcleaning on June 04, 2012, 05:08:47 pm
Just an observation, do you think your customers should pay for travelling time? Do you think they would be happy to know they are paying more cos they live further from your house?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 04, 2012, 05:18:44 pm
Just an observation, do you think your customers should pay for travelling time? Do you think they would be happy to know they are paying more cos they live further from your house?

Let be realistic here.. travelling costs time & Fuel (if you employ someone then when they are travelling you are still paying their wage).. who fund this???.... we all know its its customer.

Costs asscoiated with equipement producing water etc... ... who pays this??... the customer..

Then the actually labour time on the job... who pays this???... the customer..

I agree the more compact the work the less travel .. costs etc...

But to look at just plucking prices out the air and taking into account all of the above is short sighted IMO and not good business sense...

Thats how i structure my pricing ... it may not work for all but thought i'd just share how use my structure..
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: king marko on June 04, 2012, 08:12:49 pm
Dont like pricing blind unless I definitely know the area and houses involved
Sometimes I'll go on a quid a window but generally nowadays I've got to a point where I know how long the house will take (give or take a few mins :)) and so price them based on what I want to earn and what my current prices are for that area
I work in several towns and villages fairly close to me - one town in particular I charge a lot more for a standard 3bed semi than in my own home town So it's difficult to have a standard 'overall' price
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: GDwindowcleaning on June 04, 2012, 08:16:23 pm
Hi Paul

Yes the customer pays for all this but do you charge more for houses that are further away?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: richardlingard on June 04, 2012, 08:31:41 pm
300 for six hours should be better I go for the time about a pound a min for domestics A counsel house without a conny should take about eight mins
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: William McCafferty on June 04, 2012, 08:39:57 pm
Hi Paul

Yes the customer pays for all this but do you charge more for houses that are further away?

It all depends on what the job is and do I already work the area, at the moment my furtherest job is 120 miles away, its an all day event so I don't charge extra, but I do have some that are 20 to 30 miles away and these are small jobs, so they carry a travelling time element to the price.
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 04, 2012, 09:49:46 pm
Hi Paul

Yes the customer pays for all this but do you charge more for houses that are further away?

basically yes...as the more you travel the more the cost...its simple ( i undesrtand if you get more clients in that area then its more beneficial on you and the customer) all my clieants are within 5 miles of my home at the mo

What youve got remember we provide a professional service and have overheads etc.. depending on the services you provide you charge accordingly... I have set myself a min job price of £10... my lowest at the mo is £12.. its 2 mins from my house and is an upstairs flat...i have 3 in the same street ... all boxed off within an hour...all happy with the price too

Thing is would i look better if i had 6 in the street for £6???... i would get the same money ... think thats the problem with some... they have the volume of work but its pried low... why clean 100 houses for £6... when yiu can clean 50 for £12... ( even a 100 for £12)...

I price what i price ... they either take it or leave it mate...

I also find the work i pick up want a quality service .. with good communication skills / service etc etc... and are happy to pay the price... 

i dont compete on price i make that clear... i prefer to focus on quality...

Those with access issues are informed when i'll be coming etc... its those little things that matter and make them feel special to you ... therefore no issue with the cost...   
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: GB Window Cleaning on June 04, 2012, 10:55:50 pm
Hi Paul

Yes the customer pays for all this but do you charge more for houses that are further away?

basically yes...as the more you travel the more the cost...its simple ( i undesrtand if you get more clients in that area then its more beneficial on you and the customer) all my clieants are within 5 miles of my home at the mo

What youve got remember we provide a professional service and have overheads etc.. depending on the services you provide you charge accordingly... I have set myself a min job price of £10... my lowest at the mo is £12.. its 2 mins from my house and is an upstairs flat...i have 3 in the same street ... all boxed off within an hour...all happy with the price too

Thing is would i look better if i had 6 in the street for £6???... i would get the same money ... think thats the problem with some... they have the volume of work but its pried low... why clean 100 houses for £6... when yiu can clean 50 for £12... ( even a 100 for £12)...

I price what i price ... they either take it or leave it mate...

I also find the work i pick up want a quality service .. with good communication skills / service etc etc... and are happy to pay the price... 

i dont compete on price i make that clear... i prefer to focus on quality...

Those with access issues are informed when i'll be coming etc... its those little things that matter and make them feel special to you ... therefore no issue with the cost...   

i like your style pual, you sound very professional mate! carry on doing what your doing sir!

george
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 04, 2012, 11:13:04 pm
thanks ..

i'd also like to point out sometimes ... i get "you are the 3rd window cleaning service i called ... but the only one that turned up... and on time when you said you would "... little things like i said... like tescos motto "every little helps"... its really does mean a massive amount to custys
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: anderclean on June 05, 2012, 06:07:14 pm
great thread and very interesting comments.

i don't have a simple formula, but wish i did.
over 20 years experience, it's now some thing i regard as "needs sorting"
 
...i have made a rod for my own back as i have to do my own pricing, all the time !!

i want to employ a canvasser, but don't know how to teach my pricing method below..

i price on windows (quantity, size, accessibility,)
parking and accessibility around the house,
how long the job will likely take,
frequency
and the type of people (customers) they are likely too be.
initial clean premium can be +10% too "double" the regular clean price.

i get most quotes and have very, very high customer retention


i believe if you get every single job you price - you're pricing too cheap.
i hate getting it wrong but hate being under priced more than any thing, so don't mind losing a few.

interesting and encouraging to see how some guys on here price near blind and so simply and are doing well...
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 05, 2012, 07:03:13 pm
great thread and very interesting comments.

i don't have a simple formula, but wish i did.
over 20 years experience, it's now some thing i regard as "needs sorting"
 
...i have made a rod for my own back as i have to do my own pricing, all the time !!

i want to employ a canvasser, but don't know how to teach my pricing method below..

i price on windows (quantity, size, accessibility,)
parking and accessibility around the house,
how long the job will likely take,
frequency
and the type of people (customers) they are likely too be.
initial clean premium can be +10% too "double" the regular clean price.

i get most quotes and have very, very high customer retention


i believe if you get every single job you price - you're pricing too cheap.
i hate getting it wrong but hate being under priced more than any thing, so don't mind losing a few.

interesting and encouraging to see how some guys on here price near blind and so simply and are doing well...

I get one of my employees, Sam to quote some jobs. Sometimes, if its a referral then if an employee quotes the job you give him the first months clean ( or percentage )
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Perfect Windows on June 05, 2012, 07:05:53 pm
interesting and encouraging to see how some guys on here price near blind and so simply and are doing well...

With my menu method you initially have to persuade yourself not to get annoyed at "underpriced" jobs in the knowledge that you'll shortly be doing an "overpriced" one.  My Joey assistant could never get used to it and used to whine if we got to a biggish job that he considered too low.  He'd never rejoice at the other end of the scale, though...

Vin
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: anderclean on June 05, 2012, 07:23:15 pm
your self vin, lee and a few others was who i was thinking of...

Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: supernova77 on June 05, 2012, 08:02:36 pm
I work out how long the house will take to clean and base the quote on an hourly rate.

I do have a price guide on my website though, just to put off any "price shoppers" >> http://www.iconicwindowcleaning.com/?page_id=194

Andy :)
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Lee Burbidge on June 05, 2012, 11:49:20 pm
I work out how long the house will take to clean and base the quote on an hourly rate.

I do have a price guide on my website though, just to put off any "price shoppers" >> http://www.iconicwindowcleaning.com/?page_id=194

Andy :)

I like your website Andy :)
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: sham33 on June 06, 2012, 08:14:29 am
I work out how long the house will take to clean and base the quote on an hourly rate.

I do have a price guide on my website though, just to put off any "price shoppers" >> http://www.iconicwindowcleaning.com/?page_id=194

Andy :)

Do you get many people ringing up to get there 3bed semis cleaned at £20 a pop?
Title: Re: Pricing
Post by: Ian101 on June 06, 2012, 09:59:34 am
I work out how long the house will take to clean and base the quote on an hourly rate.

I do have a price guide on my website though, just to put off any "price shoppers" >> http://www.iconicwindowcleaning.com/?page_id=194

Andy :)

Do you get many people ringing up to get there 3bed semis cleaned at £20 a pop?

Im guessing he is quite full so perhaps not too worried if they call or not but was wondering the same myself ??

food for thought when Im rammed full again but not maybe as high in North Wales  ;D