Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ronnie paton on March 13, 2009, 05:11:32 pm

Title: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: ronnie paton on March 13, 2009, 05:11:32 pm
....i went to one of my commercials in southport a sheltered housing place, well i was cleaning it as usual and the scheme manager told me some one had been round canvassing for work, well i said its normaltimes are hard and peole are pushing for work.

then she went on to say that they were trying to sell there company but she told them she is extremly happy, so he still pushed and said he would like to speak to the residents and would guarentee to save them money, luckily the scheme manager is extremly happy with RCW Cleaning Services LTD and told them no thanks.

my point is you cant undercut QUALITY ;)

(by the company are a member on this site )
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: sparklebright on March 13, 2009, 05:22:25 pm
One of the old boys at a block of flats I do, gave me a card he'd been given.

"We will beat any written quote" it said. Yeah you know who you are...

"Of course that's of no use to us" he said and gave it to me. "I'm always very suspicious of this kind of thing"

So  :P to you who dropped leaflets like confetti promising to undercut
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: trevor perry on March 13, 2009, 05:22:32 pm
....i went to one of my commercials in southport a sheltered housing place, well i was cleaning it as usual and the scheme manager told me some one had been round canvassing for work, well i said its normaltimes are hard and peole are pushing for work.

then she went on to say that they were trying to sell there company but she told them she is extremly happy, so he still pushed and said he would like to speak to the residents and would guarentee to save them money, luckily the scheme manager is extremly happy with RCW Cleaning Services LTD and told them no thanks.

my point is you cant undercut QUALITY ;)

(by the company are a member on this site )
this is the trouble with large contracts as the people who award them seem to just look at price and not quality of job, i lost a couple last year where the price that was excepted wouldnt even cover wages i was paying and you cant compete with that.
  the bloke who tried to get your work sounds a pushy arrogant type you should name and shame him ronnie.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: AuRavelling79 on March 13, 2009, 05:41:58 pm
Yep! Agree with Trevor Perry - Name and shame!  >:(
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: Tosh on March 13, 2009, 06:05:30 pm
Why the 'shame' part of name and shame?

It's a business at the end of the day; we win some; we lose some.  I'm not saying this because I 'undercut'; but it's not exactly immoral or shameful in the same way paedophillia is; is it?

It's just business.

If Ronnie kept the job, it's probably more down to his personality than his work; I honestly believe that our customers buy the 'tradesman' and not the 'product'.  I doubt Ronnies contractor checks every window; so how would they really know, especially on larger jobs?

But there's no shame in someone vying for new work.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: AuRavelling79 on March 13, 2009, 06:12:06 pm
Why the 'shame' part of name and shame?

It's a business at the end of the day; we win some; we lose some.  I'm not saying this because I 'undercut'; but it's not exactly immoral or shameful in the same way paedophillia is; is it?

It's just business.

If Ronnie kept the job, it's probably more down to his personality than his work; I honestly believe that our customers buy the 'tradesman' and not the 'product'.  I doubt Ronnies contractor checks every window; so how would they really know, especially on larger jobs?

But there's no shame in someone vying for new work.

To go into sheltered accommodation and speak to each individual resident after being told by the manager that they are happy is arrogant in my view. To add they "guarantee" to save them money shows an undercutting spirit of desperation. Which was "seen through" by the manager.

I agree it's not the same as paedophilia Tosh but in the context of this forum it's not good form.

Anyway if they are named we can hear the other side of the story; which is fun! ;D
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: trevor povey on March 13, 2009, 06:13:27 pm
Why the 'shame' part of name and shame?

It's a business at the end of the day; we win some; we lose some.  I'm not saying this because I 'undercut'; but it's not exactly immoral or shameful in the same way paedophillia is; is it?

It's just business.

If Ronnie kept the job, it's probably more down to his personality than his work; I honestly believe that our customers buy the 'tradesman' and not the 'product'.  I doubt Ronnies contractor checks every window; so how would they really know, especially on larger jobs?

But there's no shame in someone vying for new work.

 Still with quite a few of these contracts  the residents still have the overall say as to who is awarded the contract so I,m sure its more than Ronnies personality that keeps retaining the job it has to be the quality that he produces or if not the residents would vote him off....ps I have held long standing contracts for 15 years on the same kind of work.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: jonisondell on March 13, 2009, 06:23:34 pm
blar blar blar why do people keep whinging, its called business, if the scheme manager was happy with you would hardly divuldge your price to your undercutter would he??
and your point is, you cant undercut quality, are you saying your the only good window cleaner out there??
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: ronnie paton on March 13, 2009, 06:27:48 pm
trevor your right the person who awards the jobs (propert manager  actually isnt in charge of ,making the decision its the scheme manager who in turn is a resisdent and in turn takes on the residents comments.

maybe my personality help but i truly feel its my proffesional approach and doing things right!

if there not happy i sort and make sure they know that i care if there is a problem.

i dont know the person personally and i dont know if they were pushy but i believe to say we will undercut any price to be desperate what if i do it really cheap?

is that good business?

is that good for our business?

NO it drives down and under values our service.

so in my opinion WRONG WRONG WRONG
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: ronnie paton on March 13, 2009, 06:40:41 pm
blar blar blar why do people keep whinging, its called business, if the scheme manager was happy with you would hardly divuldge your price to your undercutter would he??
and your point is, you cant undercut quality, are you saying your the only good window cleaner out there??


were did i say they divulgerd the price?

in my opionion you need to know your price so how can you rovide a roffesional, quality and value service by guarenting to undercut a price you dont know?

i could do a job for £100 that they would do for £200 but then you would undercut to say £80, is that good business?

i think it undervalues them and our business, but each to there own im happy with my expanding business and obviuosly im doing some thing right. ;)
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: Tosh on March 13, 2009, 06:41:35 pm
Why the 'shame' part of name and shame?

It's a business at the end of the day; we win some; we lose some.  I'm not saying this because I 'undercut'; but it's not exactly immoral or shameful in the same way paedophillia is; is it?

It's just business.

If Ronnie kept the job, it's probably more down to his personality than his work; I honestly believe that our customers buy the 'tradesman' and not the 'product'.  I doubt Ronnies contractor checks every window; so how would they really know, especially on larger jobs?

But there's no shame in someone vying for new work.

 Still with quite a few of these contracts  the residents still have the overall say as to who is awarded the contract so I,m sure its more than Ronnies personality that keeps retaining the job it has to be the quality that he produces or if not the residents would vote him off....ps I have held long standing contracts for 15 years on the same kind of work.

Trevor,

I do a similar type of job; it's a place full of retired types who pay a service charge for their window cleaner, gardener and communial area cleaner.

Each year they have a 'management commitee' where they vote to keep or get a new tradesman in.

I just clean the windows, smile and chat to the residents; and they're fine with me.  I'm sure if someone offered a cheaper service they'd be turned away, because the 'devil you know is better than the one you don't'.

Simple as, and it's got nothing to do with how shiny their windows are left.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: s.w.c on March 13, 2009, 08:21:50 pm
I'm not a fan of poor conduct like this, it gets me when people push it to far there is no need, Ive always classed myself as a gentleman of a window cleaning, people say business is business but not at such poor conduct, i call them scrotes.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: Window Washers on March 13, 2009, 08:42:42 pm
I'm not a fan of poor conduct like this, it gets me when people push it to far there is no need, Ive always classed myself as a gentleman of a window cleaning, people say business is business but not at such poor conduct, i call them scrotes.
I tend to agree on that smithy, I offer my service have a window cleaner I walk away, if they ask for a quote becoause they are not happy, I dont ask the price I quote and then leave them to make up there own mind I dont need to push myself on people if they are really not happy they will cancel change whatever. Purly just undercutting prices is a little sad business yes, bad business yes, undercutting people on purpuse drives down prices and quality.
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: s.w.c on March 13, 2009, 09:04:33 pm
we don't need the prices pushed down anymore, its can be hard enough to make a honest living as it is without prices being forced down, Ive been a window cleaner since 93 and its been hard going over the years, theses days thing are starting to look a little brighter as window cleaning has been changing since wfp came about,
Title: Re: some one tried to undercut me.
Post by: mark dew on March 13, 2009, 10:05:54 pm
who was it?  ;D