Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: andycap on September 24, 2022, 08:58:14 am
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Guys help please,tiny rural village I do and I do about a dozen decently priced houses have done for about 8 years or so,£20 and £30 properties on a 8 weekly.
This past few days had 4 messages from 4 off them seeing if I could match a new price given by someone?
Eg Half price on all pretty much, £30 on offer for £16 etc..for a six week visit as opposed to my 8 week..customers have all messaged me saying we love your service etc etc but can you match price..on the first I said no my price is my price..I now have 3 others pretty much asking the same...bit of a dilemma but my head says would I want to do them all for half the price to keep the work😧no...
I only have a small one man round anyway but this would be a little bit of a blow on top of a few miss me this time brigade..any pointers from experience appreciated 👍
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Definitely don't match the price, if you lose customers over it then they weren't worth having in the first place.
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I know the feeling and have had it before a few times.
A customer of mine recently moved. A few months later she messaged me for a quote. I gave her the price, she then responded by saying ok thanks I have 2 more quotes I am waiting to get back to me so will let you know this week.
Totally put me off, told her to go with one of the other guys was no longer interested.
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At the end of the day you can’t blame the other window cleaners although it’s hard not to get frustrated,if they choose to go with them for half the price it’s their decision.
I had one a couple of months ago the husband called me he’s been at home more I know the wife wouldn’t have made the decision,he said to me we’ve had someone say they can clean them for 30 and you charge 47 I said it’s due to go up so it’ll be 49 because I knew what was coming lol.
They’ve been with me for about 20 years and had what I thought developed a good relationship with them,it’s well worth what I was charging stand alone 2 floors round the front 3-4 floors round the back as the house drops away today I’d quote closer to 65-70 so he can have it.
Think of all the jobs getting cleaned for basically what you’d pay at least 30 years ago good luck to them it’s not even cash in hand either these days.
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Questions to ask:
Are they worth doing at the lower price?
Danger is, drop that amount and you like you’ve been overcharging
I would bite the bullet and keep my price but point out your pro’s - quality- reliability - insured - local etc
Point out the cons of new guy - no track record most likely to stop I a few months etc
Wish them the best if they leave but make it clear they are welcome back
NWH - lol - no sentiment in buisness mate - your just a hired hand paid to wash glass
Darran
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I agree Darren if they want to go with these companies that put a price on leaflets ie 23-27 notes for a big detached house they can do lol,I also agree I would never drop down as you say they would think you’d been rinsing em all along.
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Guys help please,tiny rural village I do and I do about a dozen decently priced houses have done for about 8 years or so,£20 and £30 properties on a 8 weekly.
This past few days had 4 messages from 4 off them seeing if I could match a new price given by someone?
Eg Half price on all pretty much, £30 on offer for £16 etc..for a six week visit as opposed to my 8 week..customers have all messaged me saying we love your service etc etc but can you match price..on the first I said no my price is my price..I now have 3 others pretty much asking the same...bit of a dilemma but my head says would I want to do them all for half the price to keep the work😧no...
I only have a small one man round anyway but this would be a little bit of a blow on top of a few miss me this time brigade..any pointers from experience appreciated 👍
The yearly amount they will pay isn't half price. £16 x 8 cleans = £128 against £30 x 6 cleans = £180.
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In a rural village, everyone knows everyone and news travels fast.
Are they just trying it on en-mass?
We had this happen.
"We prefer you to continue to clean our windows, but match this price."
"No, sorry, I can't. Thank you for your previous custom."
I doubt there was another quote, as their windows just got more dirty over time.
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Definitely don’t match the price, imagine how you would feel cleaning them for £16 instead of £30. It would do my head in before I even opened the van and started cleaning. Time to move on , get some more work, if they are willing to sack you after 8 years , imo I’d say there’s definitely a good chance of them sacking you on the next price increase in the future.
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You are admitting you were over charging already if you did carry on that’s obvious why would you.
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Definitely don't match the price, if you lose customers over it then they weren't worth having in the first place.
This. and its likely the other window cleaner is a start up. whoever they are they will soon realise that the price isnt sustainable .
they wont be able to increase the price enough to make it work and will just stop calling.
just keep calling to the ones that are happy, and maybe leaflet some of the ones close by to replace the penny pinchers
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If you do you'll always begrudge doing them, and the rest of the village will quite probably be networking with each other and there could well be more requests to reduce the price. Its difficult when your still growing your round but try and stand firm, all business needs to be on your terms not the customers.
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They aren’t always new start ups that’s the thing the guy I was talking about has been WFP and cleaning windows for years that’s doing my old 47 job for 30,good luck to him like I say if I was quoting for it today it would be more like 70.
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My first reaction would be to say no way but if you stand to lose quite a few maybe drop down £2 and say it’s the best you can do . Maybe some of them are looking for a little reduction
Tough one maybe time to start a little canvassing again
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You are admitting you were over charging already if you did carry on that’s obvious why would you.
Exactly my thoughts..
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Sadly, this is a race to the bottom.
Also, it could be the way things go. We all have 1 eye on how many we may lose in the next 12 months but it also throws up people topping up their income at prices they think are good. The customers are also looking to save a little.
I think this will become a problem.
I would explain, like everyone else has pointed out about your faultless 8 year service, the quality or your clean and how quickly 6 weeks come round. I would also say they are only topping up their income
People normally buy people, if they like you they most probably will stay with you.
I wouldn’t match the price.
Good luck
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Tell them you'll match the price and never go back. They've then lost 2 window cleaners. If further down the line they contact you to ask why you haven't been tell them you've had a change of heart and can't do them at the lower price. Find out who the other window cleaner is and have a word in his shell like too.
These people who spend £1,000's on extensions etc and try and scrimp on the window cleaner are tw&ts too.
Possibly time to broaden your area of work?
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Never reduce your prices , I would laugh thank them for their custom and walk away , when they phone up in 6 months asking you to go back as the guy hasn’t turned up or done a poor job the answer is always sorry someone who appreciates our service has had your slot , 👏
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Race to the bottom. Stand your ground but remind them that you provide a regular, reliable honest service.
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Guys thanks for all the advice/feedback..going to have to take it on the chin😩 however as it stands I still have work there at the moment 🤞 but my personality is a bit confrontational so words will be had when
Our paths cross...professionally of course 😳
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Although I do wonder what some of these customers will be like when I see them in the street🤔
Had a really good rapport with all of them to be honest..
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Don’t fall out with them. Do you shop in Marks & Spencers for your groceries or Tesco? Do you book your van into the most expensive garage in town?
It’s choice I’m afraid.
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No no not the customers...I’m on about the cleaner
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Don’t fall out with them. Do you shop in Marks & Spencers for your groceries or Tesco? Do you book your van into the most expensive garage in town?
It’s choice I’m afraid.
I agree I had this conversation with another windy only weeks ago when he was harping on about another one we know taking on 2-3 of his jobs,I said to him it’s the customers you should have the hump with really unless he’s said something naughty about you it’s down to them tbh.
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Race to the bottom ..... "I'm out", politely decline dropping prices and leave the door open if they wish to come back at a higher price of course as business is business, it's not personal. Move on to new pastures, we set our own parameters.
When I took on a mortgage I would keep changing jobs to maintain paying my mortgage, perserverance paid off and now I live mortgage and debt free. Would never drop prices, simply find new work.
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In a lot of cases I reckon this is some people purely just trying it on they probably haven’t even seen another window cleaner.
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"I can't match that price, sorry."
If they say they need to cancel:
"No problem, I understand. If the new people let you down don't hesitate to call us back and we'll pop you back on the round"
Result:
1. You're not cleaning them for a price that will pain you every time you go.
2. If they are let down and do come back, you have a customer for life.
Vin
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"I can't match that price, sorry."
If they say they need to cancel:
"No problem, I understand. If the new people let you down don't hesitate to call us back and we'll pop you back on the round"
Result:
1. You're not cleaning them for a price that will pain you every time you go.
2. If they are let down and do come back, you have a customer for life.
Vin
I couldn't have said it better myself....
I have said this on a couple of occasions over the last 29 years of window cleaning.....👍
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It's a difficult situation, but it's part of owning your own business. You just have to accept that this situation can happen.
Never lower your price to match someone else. Why would you? Just replace the work you have lost, that's the actual answer.
Times are getting tough at the moment and people are looking for cheaper alternatives to help save money.
Unfortunately (despite what you might think) there is no loyalty in window cleaning and your customers have been offered a much cheaper price and they've gone for it.
We don't know the outcome; the new window cleaner may be rubbish, may not provide the service, may get fed up with the cheap price and not turn up anymore. He may even do a half decent job! We don't know.
What we do know is YOUR level of service. And in this instance it's always to be polite, offer to take them back on if it doesn't go well.
We rise above these situations, we don't worry about others, we focus on our goals and we succeed.
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Quite simply, no, ask them if they would go to work for half the wages they get. You are running a business. This comes with a cost, maybe remind them of your quality, reliability etc.
If they do change, wish them well, no hard feelings, then if they come back and you have availability, take them on.
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I guess taking them back on if it doesn't work out is the sensible "business" thing to do but i personally wouldn't (unless really desperate for work). They've shown you their cards, they're willing to drop you for a cheaper windy, the trouble with that is there's always someone willing to do it cheaper, they'll probably do it again. Hopefully they'll stay with you, if not drop and forget, there very much is still loyalty in this job so replace with someone hopefully more loyal. My customers get bombarded with flyers all the time, if they wanted a cheaper job they could quite easily find someone im sure but 99% don't and i bet alot of sole traders out there are exactly the same.
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your taking it a bit too personally...
its business - sometimes people change suppliers
Darran
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We've all lost work to undercutting we just don't know it, they tell you they are moving house or the husband is doing it. 3 months later you drive past and oh look the local £5 any house shiner is cleaning their windows and the house move must have fallen through :D
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I’ve just lost 3 on a (higher end) new build site to an undercutter.
Knew it was only a matter of time as my prices were nearly double theirs.
Not bothered in the slightest, move on etc.
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What can you do I had it last month a guy said he’d clean it for 19 quid cheaper than me,how would that have made me look if I’d had dropped to his price.
Yeah no problem Mrs I was ripping you off for 15 years now I’ll start giving you what would seem
Like free cleans in my eyes,I’ve had jobs in the past that I’ve had to charge say 60 because they are so out the way the job windows wise might come in at 30 but you have to factor expenses in to get out to jobs like that etc,when I explain they except that I say if you can get anyone cheaper just let me know but it doesn’t happen often.
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About 16/17 years ago I was doing an estate for £8 per house and had several in 1 road, 1 customer said to me" I've had a quote from another shiner for £6, can you match it?"
To which I replied "no can do my price is a firm £8 per house because if I did yours @ £6 I would have to clean the entire estate for the same amount"
Needless to say she sacked me and took on the other guy.
Moving on 3 months I was cleaning both houses either side of hers and she came out and ask me to take her on again @ £8.
Apparently, the new guy gave up after a couple of months.
My reply to her was "sorry madam but your slot has been replaced by another customer"
after my reply she was not a happy bunny.
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I see where you’re coming from but I doubt she would have jumped ship again.
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Guys help please,tiny rural village I do and I do about a dozen decently priced houses have done for about 8 years or so,£20 and £30 properties on a 8 weekly.
This past few days had 4 messages from 4 off them seeing if I could match a new price given by someone?
Eg Half price on all pretty much, £30 on offer for £16 etc..for a six week visit as opposed to my 8 week..customers have all messaged me saying we love your service etc etc but can you match price..on the first I said no my price is my price..I now have 3 others pretty much asking the same...bit of a dilemma but my head says would I want to do them all for half the price to keep the work😧no...
I only have a small one man round anyway but this would be a little bit of a blow on top of a few miss me this time brigade..any pointers from experience appreciated 👍
Are you not full after 8 years? I lose around 40 a year due to people dieing , moving house , me dumping them , them dumping me. But I gain at least 80 a year without advertising.
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I've had walk ups and recommendations this week. I don't understand it as we're all supposed to be skint!
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I think there is going to be a shake up in the window cleaning industry over the next few years.
Time to hold your nerve shiners. ;D.
Heads down and crack on.
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I think there is going to be a shake up in the window cleaning industry over the next few years.
Time to hold your nerve shiners. ;D.
Heads down and crack on.
There will be no shake up , the government wants 180,000 new homes built annually.