Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ftp on October 31, 2008, 05:56:57 pm
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Did a full gutter clean for one of my customers today then picked up one opposite. Old chap opens his double garage and shows me his camper van - very posh. Went on to the next house and the guys just bought his wife a top of the range volvo estate, leather and all the extras. Next door starts chetting about his Audi then lets slip he has a BMW convertable in the garage but he hardly drives it these days. Seems a big divide between rich and poor.
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Seems a big divide between rich and poor.
When hasn't there been one?
One of my customers, only a street away from Squeaky (bottom of Portwall Road) lives in a big detached house which backs onto the Portwall of Chepstow town's old defences.
They've just had a brand new kitchen; granite worktops everywhere; installed.
I'm going to stick their price up by a fiver! ;D
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Trouble is when you take them on you can't always tell what they are worth untill you've done them a couple of times. One of my jobs is a bit underpriced at £16 especially when i found out they were paying £17 per hour for a cleaner to flick a duster about.
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when i found out they were paying £17 per hour for a cleaner to flick a duster about.
Carefull with the snobbery bit; their cleaner could say that you get paid just to spray a bit of water about!
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;D yes at nearly £30 an hour.
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Hold on guys. You do a job at a rate per hour. What the customer has in the bank is nowt to do with you.
Tesco don't charge £2 for a tin of baked beans to the shopper who turns up in a Ferrari ;D
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;D yes at nearly £30 an hour.
nearly? pull ur finger out B-)
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Hold on guys. You do a job at a rate per hour.
No we don't. We do a job based on what we think it's worth. I have some easy jobs that take an hour; and I have some tough jobs that take an hour.
I charge more for the tough jobs.
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Hold on guys. You do a job at a rate per hour. What the customer has in the bank is nowt to do with you.
Tesco don't charge £2 for a tin of baked beans to the shopper who turns up in a Ferrari ;D
I couldn't have put it any better myself
I try to be consistant with my prices regardless of whether the customer is wealthy or not.
Tosh - I agree, a more difficult job will cost more, but plenty of guys on here charge more because they reckon the homeowner is a soft touch, or they have loads of money.
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Hmm so you charge the same hourly rate for a lone pensioner in a council house as you would a footballer on six grand a week? Buggered if i would.
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Tosh - I agree, a more difficult job will cost more, but plenty of guys on here charge more because they reckon the homeowner is a soft touch, or they have loads of money.
I'm afraid I fall into that category; if they look rich; and I've been asked to quote on recommendation, I'll stick in a good price; higher (given the amount of time taken) than if I was quoting for a commercial unit or a semi-detached house. I normally get it too, because the customer feels safe that I'm not going to 'rob them' and do a top job, since I haven't stolen from their equally affluent friend; and they're happy with their window cleaning service we provide; and of course, for over-priced customers, you will go that extra-mile!
Matt (of the DIY forum) has a name for this, he calls this the 'rich tax'.
Anyway, I don't feel bad about it. Why should I? I do one house with electronic gates, stables, a big indoor swimming pool, under floor heating, granite worktops, fish ponds filled with Japanese Coy; and the owner asks me for an invoice without my address on it! Why? Because he puts my cleaning bill through his books as if I'm cleaning his company offices, which is in another part of the country.
So he's happy to fiddle his taxes for the small sum I charge him, I'm happy to charge him well for the relatively small amount of work I do for him.
Normally it's the working class's that have the privilege of paying more for services and getting less.
If they're rich, charge them well, especially if they find you on reccomendation.
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Hmm so you charge the same hourly rate for a lone pensioner in a council house as you would a footballer on six grand a week? Buggered if i would.
Nope the lone pensioner would be charged less than my going rate...but that's me being a softie ::)
The footballer would get charged my rate: £25 per hour
Bill Gates would get charged my going rate: £25 per hour
I have to have a price structure or my business goes to rat-poop.
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Tosh - when the job becomes complicated or difficult then the price is adjusted, but thats only because it takes longer.
a customer who wants to fiddle the books is fine - I'm doing the right thing as its put through on my side.
Simon - yes old people who have paid their stamp all their life deserve a break if you ask me, they do get a discount from us - but everyone else pays same rate, whether they be wealthy or not.
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Bugger that.
Range Rover in drive = high price.
It's called my rich-tax. ;)
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I charge a standard rate but am trying to adjust it a bit - eg -
4 bed modern detached, no bays, porch or conservatory - say £15.00
Then possible add-ons - reductions any or all of the following:-
Lone property add £4 - two close by - standard price - several nearby - reduce by £1
Awkward parking/hose run/bushes/angles add £1/£3
Phone call prior to unlock gate add £2
Every other month add £5
Recommended by another custy add £1/£2
Blade front door/back door add £1
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:o Some of you guys should be ashamed of yourselves, no wonder window cleaners get a bad name......
Price on job not on what they have ::)
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Same for commercial then Saint Ian? ::)
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Tosh - when the job becomes complicated or difficult then the price is adjusted, but thats only because it takes longer.
a customer who wants to fiddle the books is fine - I'm doing the right thing as its put through on my side.
Simon - yes old people who have paid their stamp all their life deserve a break if you ask me, they do get a discount from us - but everyone else pays same rate, whether they be wealthy or not.
I wish the goverment knew that they might stop taxing the pensioners on they savings and pensions
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what about nice drive extra quid or pedigree poodle extra 2 quid ;D ;D
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I am a salesman, and when I price a job I try to get the highest possible price that I can for each job, and I have some very very well priced jobs, but if I went in with a set hourly price then all of my work would be average, and I would be restricted to what I could earn in a day!! ;)
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I am a salesman, and when I price a job I try to get the highest possible price that I can for each job, and I have some very very well priced jobs, but if I went in with a set hourly price then all of my work would be average, and I would be restricted to what I could earn in a day!! ;)
I understand exactly where you're coming from (and don't blame you if it works for you) but in my case the reason I have an hourly rate is because 30-40% of my work now comes from recommendations.
Now; Say I clean Mrs Smith's house for £25 because it takes me 1hr. Then Mrs Smith gives my number to her mate who has to all intents and purposes an identical house...BUT her mate has a Porsche 959 sitting on her driveway...how can I charge her £35 or £40 just on the basis of her car (therefore her presumed wealth)?
Fact is Mrs Smith will tittle-tattle with her mate and if the conversation should turn to me...well they will compare prices and discover the discrepancy....puts me into the shyster league and in the close-knit community where I ply my trade I don't need that reputation for the sake of a few extra £
Nope, for me I price fair and square and earn good consistent money...which works for me ;D