Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 08:42:59 pm

Title: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 08:42:59 pm
I've made the decision to take on my first employee. For you guys that have had employees in the past or have them now, what sort of rates do you pay?

My idea at the moment would be a hourly rate plus a bonus every 4 weeks for quality and completion of workload.

I woud obviously like to retain a good employee and wondered what your experience was regarding finding the right price to pay.

Any information will be much appreciated.
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: NWH on February 23, 2008, 08:45:30 pm
Where are you Tony it will pay a big part in the answer your looking for.
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 08:49:59 pm
Cleaning Notts & Derbyshire
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: dan hughes on February 23, 2008, 09:02:21 pm
I worked for my step dad. I did this for 5 years.
he's family, i love him, i want him to Succeed but he never gave me any reason to further his company.

he gave me a bog standard weekly wage. (better than most people round here, and better than most jobs - but not enough IN COMPARISON)

i worked my gutts out, finger to the bone, and used to make HIM a weekly fortune, taking a pittance for myself.

NOT ANYMORE! I still work with him, sub-contractor basis, going from strength to strength by myself.
(just today won new holiday complex 16 units £10 each monthly!)

My point being, if things got like this between family - if your going to employ someone else - either make it worth their while, don't bother or suffer the (possible)consequences.
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 09:10:06 pm
Thanks Dan

I would rather pay a little more to keep a good person and wondered if that has worked for others too.

Any idea on prices Guys?
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: dan hughes on February 23, 2008, 09:22:37 pm
What had you in mind ? weekly ?
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 09:30:25 pm
£7.50 ish /hr Plus Bonus up to £200 per 4 weeks for 37hr week if all work completed. Would equate to around £9 /hr. OTE 17k
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Rob_Mac on February 23, 2008, 09:38:11 pm
I pay between £9.00 - £12.00 per hour
and my lads get time and a half after 40 hrs

Rob ;D
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: jonah on February 23, 2008, 09:40:33 pm
When can I start ?
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: jonah on February 23, 2008, 09:44:23 pm
By the way whenever I see OTE in an advert for a job it puts me right off !
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 09:55:06 pm
What determines what they get £9-£12/hr
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Dean Aspects on February 23, 2008, 09:57:17 pm
What does OTE stand for?

Dean
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: jonah on February 23, 2008, 10:03:50 pm
on target earnings .......... In english " If you were a a super human this is what you could earn "
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 23, 2008, 10:09:35 pm
Not super human in this case, just complete an achievable workload instead of t***ing it off as a good part of the work would be working alone.
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: d s windowcleaning on February 23, 2008, 10:21:13 pm
look after your workers and they will look after you , midas as got the right idea with time & half after 40 hours, hes looking after his workers who in return will look after him  ;D be fair with a good worker they are hard to come by  :)
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: mci services on February 23, 2008, 10:30:04 pm
i dont employ any body but does no one pay piece rate or price work ie if a job is worth 10 quid the employee gets say 6 quid (thats just an example i havent thought it out yet that way the incentive is to work hard and earn more money or does this only work with commercial
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: darren73 on February 23, 2008, 11:42:10 pm
i have worked for alot of window cleaners in the past and i always work best on a percentage-30 percent when fully up to speed and quality-it gives you a target to aim for so gives you extra motivation-anytime i was on an hourly rate i would go easier-just my opinion
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Ian Rochester on February 24, 2008, 05:28:17 am
All my lads are on a percentage only wage, they get paid for what they do, they earn on average around £18K - £23K pa
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Rob_Mac on February 24, 2008, 07:25:33 pm
Responsibility and levels of it is the answer to what they get paid.

Jonah - You might not be good enough!!!!!!!!!! ;D

Rob ;D
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Neil Williams on February 24, 2008, 08:39:11 pm
I have basically given up trying to work out what the answer is to the topic question.
You pay percentage and they race around in half the time it should take and the quality suffers.
You pay a set wage based on x hours and soon they lose interest.
You pay x amount per hour and they drag it out for as long as possible.
We're now onto the x amount per hour, bonus for turning up each morning and added percentage of work done to quality standards. A flippin nightmare to calculate but it's a bit of everything to cover all the problems.
Through this system he is on £20k a year, but still had the cheek last week to ask for a pay rise.
Title: Re: The right price to retain staff
Post by: Tony Warren on February 24, 2008, 08:50:21 pm
Thanks for this info guys, this is what i'm after

LionHeart- when you say they get paid for what they do, does that mean you give them a % of the price you charge of each job they complete, ie they know exactly what they get paid for a specific job/house if so what is this %.