Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: LWC on April 18, 2008, 08:48:11 pm
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after a chat with a fellow window cleaner, i think i serously need to put my prices up
for the ones that are out i want to make up a note to go in envelope, how do you word it?
you dont put anything like "due to..."
thanks
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Under the present financial climate if you can afford to don't put them up until things get better.
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Hi,
I started new topic a couple of days ago about price increase, whether to put them up or not.
Was advised to and yesterday i started to up prices and out of 25 houses not one moan.
My advise is, do it
Good luck
Darren
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Under the present financial climate if you can afford to don't put them up until things get better.
If your prices need to go up put them up. I do this if they need it.
Sry Neil, I run a business we all have money problems and if we did not increase prices for this reason we would all be out of business.
deisel costs go up (so no prices going up) insurance hikes( dont puty up price) Not good business sence at all.
May sound harsh reading it but I am being 100% honest a business cannot survive without price increases if there costs go up that is fact not fiction.
Ian
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Under the present financial climate if you can afford to don't put them up until things get better.
If your prices need to go up put them up. I do this if they need it.
Sry Neil, I run a business we all have money problems and if we did not increase prices for this reason we would all be out of business.
deisel costs go up (so no prices going up) insurance hikes( dont puty up price) Not good business sence at all.
May sound harsh reading it but I am being 100% honest a business cannot survive without price increases if there costs go up that is fact not fiction.
Ian
How very true,
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Heres how I see it.
Your top 1/3 rd payers wont mind, you always know which ones.
The bottom third you dont mind losing them anyway and they need to go up the most. Hit them the hardest and they may may even leap to your top or middle third, you need to be bravest with these.
But since you dont mind losing these anyway, you will get 2 results, either more time freed up or better paying customers.
The middle third, if you get all these up 20 % with no problems then you have cracked it.
Dave
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May sound harsh reading it but I am being 100% honest a business cannot survive without price increases if there costs go up that is fact not fiction.
And business can't exist without customers who at the moment are being hit from lots of different directions. When they have to make cost cuts where will they start.....fuel, food, fAgs, window clean?
No need to answer that question.
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how can the word f-a-g-s be banned
Anyway I intend to keep as many customers as possible then when things are better we'll go for the increase based on we heldback when things were tight.
Think ahead people think ahead.
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May sound harsh reading it but I am being 100% honest a business cannot survive without price increases if there costs go up that is fact not fiction.
And business can't exist without customers who at the moment are being hit from lots of different directions. When they have to make cost cuts where will they start.....fuel, food, f*gs, window clean?
No need to answer that question.
I know where yo are coming from there 100% I have been putting up prices.
ask the bread makers they put up prices as does everyone, we are just the same.
I am not knocking your poijnt of view I am making mine, I have lost a couple of customers because they have had overtime cut, but to be honest I have kids to feed rent to pay, wife to keep happy and staff to pay, prices go up if needbe. I am not going backward I pick up loads of new work there is no need, if you dont pick up new work you are doing something wrong and that comment is not pointed at you are anyone just to make that clear.
Ian
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Heres how I see it.
Your top 1/3 rd payers wont mind, you always know which ones.
The bottom third you dont mind losing them anyway and they need to go up the most. Hit them the hardest and they may may even leap to your top or middle third, you need to be bravest with these.
But since you dont mind losing these anyway, you will get 2 results, either more time freed up or better paying customers.
The middle third, if you get all these up 20 % with no problems then you have cracked it.
Dave
I do much the same but i do it in stages,1 year i`ll put the top 1/3 up and then the 2 year the middle band will go up and so on.This way every year your prices have increased although it`s not every customer,it`s also a good way because the same customers are not put up every year.If i ever got fed up with a certain job like i used to years ago i would in some cases double the price to make it worth while,if 2 said yes and 2 said no i`m getting the same money for half the work.
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i put up a few prices recently had no bother with any of them, as long as you do a good job then you have nothing to worry about
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I put about a quarter of my work up every year so my customers only get a price rise every 4 years but each year im earning more as im putting a quarter of them up.
I have just put some prices up and put £2 on a lot of them.
I tell them to there face as i see a lot of my customers the one's i don't see i leave them a note.
I have not lost none this year through putting the price's up and many said about time to.
Paul
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I've put up quite a few this Month with no problems, I don't make a song and dance about it, I just simply put a short note onto my note which I give post to let them know that their windows were cleaned, simply saying 'as from next month the price will be £xx' Thankyou. They expect the price to go up every year or so, as long as you don't over do it you should be fine. ;)
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all my prices that needed to go up have with one exception no one moaned the one who said she would think about it and call back changed her mind in an instand when i said i was sorry to lose her and would replace her with somone from my waiting list you have to do it to keep in business
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ive heard it all now a w/c with a waiting list
You'll soon learn not to believe everything that is written/posted on here 8)
Actually I've changed my view. Could everyone please put their prices up by at least 30% ;D
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Simply choose the worst (£££'s, payers, access, rudeness) customers and add say 20%.
The average joe's add 10% or £1 to £2 minimum.
The cream - be careful and judge individually.
Your note should say:-
Dear Mrs. _______
Due to intolerable rises in fuel costs over the last XXXX months, implementing government-introduced health and safety measures, besides general inflation, I am forced to increase your window cleaning from £XX to £XX+.
I have not raised my prices for XX months/years but can no longer absorb these costs any longer. I do hope you understand.
Thank you
Splishsplashgimmethecash window cleaning.
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thank you malc, i like that, does everyone else think thats acceptable?
what about i want to earn more £££ lol ;D
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Our prices generally go up every two years, not by very much, normally only £1 - £2, but %age wise it's a significant increase (10-20%)
As for a waiting list of people who want their windows cleaned, we run a constantly updating list of 40+ requests for cleaning that get added the next time we are in their area.
We also have requests from others where we do not currently service and they are told that if we can get enough houses in the area then we will get back in touch with them and start cleaning theirs.
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I just run a sort of continuous review of prices. we all have a few that stick in our minds because we know they are underpriced. To these I just say "Im sorry but I have to put your price up, from next time it will be £xx." Quite matter of fact, no long explainations. Most don't even query it, frankly there are some I wish would.
Some, I put the price up without telling them and they don't even query it ! I just start chaging them more.
When they say "how much is it again?" I often say £1 more than I know it should be and you would be amazed how many times that has worked.
If they query it I just nip back to the van and check the sheet, then say "Yes, you were right, it is what you said"
Once they have paid me at the higher price I make a note on the sheet to alter George when I get home.
I don't believe in blanket price changes. There are always some customers that need changing and some that don't. Work out a hit list and go for it.
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Our prices generally go up every two years, not by very much, normally only £1 - £2, but %age wise it's a significant increase (10-20%)
As for a waiting list of people who want their windows cleaned, we run a constantly updating list of 40+ requests for cleaning that get added the next time we are in their area.
We also have requests from others where we do not currently service and they are told that if we can get enough houses in the area then we will get back in touch with them and start cleaning theirs.
There is nothing like a waiting list to focus the customers mind. If they know you have a waiting list they take you more seriously, they don't mess you around and you can charge more.
Its psycological
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Just had a person leave me an ansaphone message today, it basically went:
"I rang you several weeks ago and you said you would clean my windows, if they are not cleaned this coming week I shall write to the District Council, the local paper and the MP telling them of the terrible service I have received from Lionheart Cleaning Sevices"
His whole manner sounded aggressive and spoken as if he was the authority. Also he had very much a polished accent and was obviously not a local chap.
This was to be a first clean and then subsequent 4 weekly cleans, we are 3 days overdue the date that I said that he would be cleaned, basically because of the weather and I have had a lad off sick for 5 weeks.
However, I phoned him today and straight away his manner was argumentative and aggressive, so I basically told him that I don't respond to threats and that if he wanted his windows cleaned then would be waiting a hell of a long time before my lot did them.
Drove past his house this afternoon and there is a "For Sale" sign outside, he was obviously just wanting a clean so it looks nice for selling.................tough!! And his windows are absolutly black ;D
Guess I can scrap that one off the "New window cleaning requests" list ;D
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i didnt put up my prices when thatcher was in reccession as things were tight the same with major and now the same with brown they cause it we burn..........same old same old
low prices
result full order book no profit......my solution was to work harder
result minor heart attack..............................and still no profit
i am at the stage when the new custies subsidese the old
some prices are the same as i did 20 years ago .
i am at my wits end as to change my fortune and its easy to say oh just put x on as it is so much trouble even getting 50 pence off em.
new work is the awnser but it comes in slowly i even met an albainian who charged twice more than me. he was trad duff ladders second rate kit no tax on l reg car ect ect
and yes i am wfp all kitted out with the same gear as you guys .it isnt all doom and gloom i earn well but boy oh boy do i knockem and me out to get it.
i know the awnser but it takes soooooo long to get a poor paying round to turn it into a good one. take the advice of and old hand and price well you will live long and prosper
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Just had a person leave me an ansaphone message today, it basically went:
"I rang you several weeks ago and you said you would clean my windows, if they are not cleaned this coming week I shall write to the District Council, the local paper and the MP telling them of the terrible service I have received from Lionheart Cleaning Sevices"
His whole manner sounded aggressive and spoken as if he was the authority. Also he had very much a polished accent and was obviously not a local chap.
This was to be a first clean and then subsequent 4 weekly cleans, we are 3 days overdue the date that I said that he would be cleaned, basically because of the weather and I have had a lad off sick for 5 weeks.
However, I phoned him today and straight away his manner was argumentative and aggressive, so I basically told him that I don't respond to threats and that if he wanted his windows cleaned then would be waiting a hell of a long time before my lot did them.
Drove past his house this afternoon and there is a "For Sale" sign outside, he was obviously just wanting a clean so it looks nice for selling.................tough!! And his windows are absolutly black ;D
Guess I can scrap that one off the "New window cleaning requests" list ;D
nice one :D
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Our prices generally go up every two years, not by very much, normally only £1 - £2, but %age wise it's a significant increase (10-20%)
As for a waiting list of people who want their windows cleaned, we run a constantly updating list of 40+ requests for cleaning that get added the next time we are in their area.
We also have requests from others where we do not currently service and they are told that if we can get enough houses in the area then we will get back in touch with them and start cleaning theirs.
exactly thats why i have always had a waiting list an old trick i learnt from an old boy
There is nothing like a waiting list to focus the customers mind. If they know you have a waiting list they take you more seriously, they don't mess you around and you can charge more.
Its psycological