Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: wcs. on March 25, 2008, 06:28:00 pm
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W
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I don't agree with being rigid with prices, people like to barter, so we always go in a little high, if we get it then great, if not the customer will barter and we'll agree on a price thats suits us all.
Either way we always come out winners.
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What you should not do is drop your price because the customer thinks you are to expensive (what do the customers know!).
Ewan,
Customers know the history of what they've been charged before; and may even have had some really good window cleaners who were really cheap too; and retained them for years.
I've a friend who I've strongly encouraged to put his prices up, but he won't; he's happy with what he charges; he's paid off his mortgage, his kids have all grown up; he's a hard worker too; he probably does more hours than your average window cleaner: AND HIS CUSTOMERS LOVE HIM for the personallity he is. I know this from the customers and their kids who've greeted him while I've been 'chewing the fat' with him.
He's a top guy.
How would you complete against a great guy who does a great job at a cheap price.
You can't.
So imagine this guy retires and you're asked to quote for some of his work and you try to treble his prices.
What do you reckon will happen?
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I don't agree with being rigid with prices, people like to barter, so we always go in a little high, if we get it then great, if not the customer will barter and we'll agree on a price thats suits us all.
Either way we always come out winners.
Customers barter? You must be kidding. No way.
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no - I'm not kidding, if I say £15 you can be sure they'll reply with 'I was thinking about £9' to which I'll say 'look I'll meet you halfway at £12, hows that?' to which they say 'thats grand, aye ok'
maybe you lot don't barter but we do. I probably only wanted a tenner for the house anyway.
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I wouldn't barter, not usually, but I wouldn't rule it out; but I definately wouldn't do it in an estate area.
You could end up with two identical houses; both neighbors; one getting charged £15 and the other getting charged £10.
What would happen if they chatted to each other about their window cleaner and his prices?
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I have one particular customer who I quote higher for these days (for extras) as she always tries to beat the price down. The funny thing is that she is a business consultant. One day I asked her what she would do if she had a nearly full workload and someone tried to beat the price down. She changed the subject :)
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I had one who beat me down from £10 to £8.00 for a small bungalow.
It was next door to one i did so wasnt that bothered, while i was cleaning he was on the phone to his daughter and heard him say " He will give you a price but say no and knock him down"
He came out and said heres my daughters adress she needs a window cleaner.
When i went there i was fore armed with over hearing him on the phone, so went in a fiver more than i usually would of.
He who laughs last laughs longest
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I have barted but now I just state my price and that is my price...I do not have a full round but it is now at a point that I know what my current pricing scheme is and that is what it is....I do not mean to come over all cocky
Cheers
Dave.
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I've only bartered once, trouble was, it was the first house of a whole cul-de-sac that i didn't know i was getting so it set a lower price than i wanted for the lot.
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Ewan - If your quote was treble the previous cleaner's price, I doubt you would get the job straightaway - they'd look for another cleaner first.
However, I've recently taken over a dozen jobs from a retired cleaner and all my quotes were one and a half to double his old price. I got a few raised eyebrows, but everyone accepted the quote.
I think most customers know when the've been 'on a good thing' for too long and are willing to pay a 'proper' rate for the job.
If they then see that the job is being done as well as, or better than, the last cleaner, they won't rebel when it comes time for another price increase (which could be after 4/5 cleans).
Mike
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I think window cleaning has a perception of being old fashioned in the publics eye. This is a good thing about new people comng into window cleaning, with working methods and prices that are very different to others who have never put their prices up in years.
People nowadays want to be financially rewarded in a shorter space of time and are prepared to spend more so we can make our hourly rate as profitable as possible.
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I had one who beat me down from £10 to £8.00 for a small bungalow.
It was next door to one i did so wasnt that bothered, while i was cleaning he was on the phone to his daughter and heard him say " He will give you a price but say no and knock him down"
He came out and said heres my daughters adress she needs a window cleaner.
When i went there i was fore armed with over hearing him on the phone, so went in a fiver more than i usually would of.
He who laughs last laughs longest
Classic ;D
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I bartered with a foreign gentleman once on price, and regretted it every time I went back.