Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: mlscontractcleaner on November 07, 2014, 09:22:53 am
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Have you ever taken on a job that was underpriced simply because you liked the place?
A strange question perhaps but I have a customer in Plymouth, a restaurant right on the sea front, no more than 10m from the salty stuff, and for the price they're willing to pay ........ £5 more than a BIG local company were charging ...... I should be doing it in 30 minutes yet try as I may I can't get it down below 45 minutes.
BUT, it's such a flippin lovely place to work each fortnight that I don't mind.
I wouldn't make a habit of it but I just work on the theory that I have plenty of work that makes me way above my expected hourly rate so I can live with this one being slightly under priced.
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ITs your business only you need to please yourself. Stick with it.There is enough boring work in each day its a little big of joy to look forward to.
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Yes I have one, I don't if its really under priced or is because I linger to long in the area.
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ITs your business only you need to please yourself. Stick with it.There is enough boring work in each day its a little big of joy to look forward to.
I'm inclined to agree with this.
There are many different types of people in this world all motivated by different things.
Some are motivated by money where others are motivated by doing a good job. Most high achiever sales people are motivated by money which isn't always a good thing from the customer's or employer's point of view. On the other hand there is a dying breed of tradesmen out there that take pride in their work. And then there is another lot that don't give a damn and do as little as they possibly can get away with - work being the finance needed for the next party.
As per Slap, when you are suffering with your health then you are inclined to see things differently. You start to appreciate that you are mortal so take time along the way to pause and enjoy your surroundings. For us older ones, it also a time to catch our breath. ;D
I have always believed that cleaning windows is a give and take thing. You can have two 'identical' semis together with the same UPVC windows, yet one will always seem to take longer than the other, yet you have priced them the same. The one giveth and the other taketh away in my books.
I have a number of houses which I do which just cover our costs. We are also aware of some old ones who genuinely can't afford to pay large sums for window cleaning, so these are below our usual pricing structure. Somewhere along the line we hope that we are doing a tiny bit to help those less fortunate. But overall, we are paying the bills just. I'm happy about that.
The problem is when you start to begrudge doing the job. When that extra 15 minutes of extra time means more than other things, such as the view, the piece and quite, the lovely cup of coffee and piece of cake after, etc. Then maybe its time to call quits on the job. It doesn't mean that you have a wrong attitude at all - as Slap says its up to you and how you feel about that job.
Doing a job right on the sea front can be very soul destroying as salt spray makes the windows greasy and if using WFP can cause streaks. I know from experience as we clean a couple of sea front homes on the North East coast.
I recently commented on a thread about a windie cleaning a McDonalds I was in. I felt for the windie as those just cleaned doors where already filthy before he had finished the next couple of windows. I could see that this windie really took pride in his work, so for him, doing a 'perfect' job was his motivator. But I could see that he did the best that he could, even cleaning the 'offending' doors a second time as he left.
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I have loads if underpaid that's why I have all the work as I'm a lot cheaper than others but brings us in a good amount of money each month so who cares !!!!
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if you dont do it, someone else will. gets you noticed
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Have you ever taken on a job that was underpriced simply because you liked the place when you priced it the lady came to the door in a towel?
Yeah, been there.
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Hhmm, not sure I'd want the owner greeting me in a towel, he's a 60 something year old man; I'll just settle for the scenery and cuppa :)
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Hhmm, not sure I'd want the owner greeting me in a towel, he's a 60 something year old man
You're just fussy.
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ITs your business only you need to please yourself. Stick with it.There is enough boring work in each day its a little big of joy to look forward to.
I'm inclined to agree with this.
There are many different types of people in this world all motivated by different things.
Some are motivated by money where others are motivated by doing a good job. Most high achiever sales people are motivated by money which isn't always a good thing from the customer's or employer's point of view. On the other hand there is a dying breed of tradesmen out there that take pride in their work. And then there is another lot that don't give a damn and do as little as they possibly can get away with - work being the finance needed for the next party.
As per Slap, when you are suffering with your health then you are inclined to see things differently. You start to appreciate that you are mortal so take time along the way to pause and enjoy your surroundings. For us older ones, it also a time to catch our breath. ;D
I have always believed that cleaning windows is a give and take thing. You can have two 'identical' semis together with the same UPVC windows, yet one will always seem to take longer than the other, yet you have priced them the same. The one giveth and the other taketh away in my books.
I have a number of houses which I do which just cover our costs. We are also aware of some old ones who genuinely can't afford to pay large sums for window cleaning, so these are below our usual pricing structure. Somewhere along the line we hope that we are doing a tiny bit to help those less fortunate. But overall, we are paying the bills just. I'm happy about that.
The problem is when you start to begrudge doing the job. When that extra 15 minutes of extra time means more than other things, such as the view, the piece and quite, the lovely cup of coffee and piece of cake after, etc. Then maybe its time to call quits on the job. It doesn't mean that you have a wrong attitude at all - as Slap says its up to you and how you feel about that job.
Doing a job right on the sea front can be very soul destroying as salt spray makes the windows greasy and if using WFP can cause streaks. I know from experience as we clean a couple of sea front homes on the North East coast.
I recently commented on a thread about a windie cleaning a McDonalds I was in. I felt for the windie as those just cleaned doors where already filthy before he had finished the next couple of windows. I could see that this windie really took pride in his work, so for him, doing a 'perfect' job was his motivator. But I could see that he did the best that he could, even cleaning the 'offending' doors a second time as he left.
As usual, nice post Spruce.
Your man doing Maccy D's-should do the doors last.