Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: simon knight on February 13, 2010, 07:25:29 am

Title: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: simon knight on February 13, 2010, 07:25:29 am

Yesterday spent 2 hours cleaning a largish house, all Georgian windows. I'm up the ladder just redoing a bit I wasn't happy with and the lady of the house comes to the window and mouths "how much?"  I put up 5 fingers. She nods and next thing I know she's walking out the front door to her car.

"I've left the money with my husband"
"OK" I say.

Finish the job and knock on door. Hubby comes out and hands me a fiver  :o ::) ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: A & J Owen Window Cleaning on February 13, 2010, 07:58:48 am
well said mate wait till you put those prices up she will faint  ;)
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: JamesTurnbull on February 13, 2010, 09:06:46 am

Yesterday spent 2 hours cleaning a largish house, all Georgian windows. I'm up the ladder just redoing a bit I wasn't happy with and the lady of the house comes to the window and mouths "how much?"  I put up 5 fingers. She nods and next thing I know she's walking out the front door to her car.

"I've left the money with my husband"
"OK" I say.

Finish the job and knock on door. Hubby comes out and hands me a fiver  :o ::) ;D

well you did put 5 fingers up! you should have put 50 up lol
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: paul rulton on February 13, 2010, 09:25:58 am
simon, do u wanna come n work 4me? i will pay u double ur hourly rate :o lol
m8 i bet ur jaw hit the floor when he handed u a fiver. :o
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: Nathanael Jones on February 13, 2010, 11:08:34 am
I should really lower the price.

I thought there were rules against swearing on this forum?!!! :o ;D ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: RO-Sheen on February 13, 2010, 11:37:56 am
I do a farmers house out in the sticks.  The lady disliked her last window cleaner (the lady is a nice lady; so I can only imagine the window cleaner wasn't very nice), but I didn't want the job; it was a small detached house with a conservatory.

So I charged £25 and Wor Lass and I can do the job in about fifteen minutes; very easy work too.

Anyway, the farmer husband went to pay me once and gave me £10, I assume that was how much the previous window cleaner charged, and I felt awkward saying, "Er, ahem, it's £25!"

I still clean their windows though, and she's recommended me to other people close by.  I should really lower the price.
A similar thing happened to me a while ago. I charge £25 for the house. When I finished the daughter handed me a tenner and asked me if I had change!!! Dont know who looked the most embarassed when I said it was £25!
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: dai on February 13, 2010, 11:43:14 am
From five fingers to two fingers in double quick time.
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: R W C™ on February 13, 2010, 02:03:59 pm
So she asked you how much while you where already cleaning, dont you price up before you do the job  ???
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: paul rulton on February 13, 2010, 02:15:45 pm
maybe its just the fact that simon need a bit more finger practice.....
any1 know the phone number 4 TED RODGERS ( 321 ) haha :P
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: simon knight on February 13, 2010, 02:59:14 pm
So she asked you how much while you where already cleaning, dont you price up before you do the job  ???

It's a house I've been doing for years...and every time she asks "How much?" and it's been £50 for 3 years (at least)...so why she suddenly thought £5 I don't know. She's quite elderly and has recently had a hip operation so perhaps she's on strong painkillers that cloud the mind? Anyway please trust me when I say I didn't have any kind of embarrassment asking for the £50 from hubby. 8)
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: gewindows on February 13, 2010, 03:01:04 pm
Next time take an abacus  ;)
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: michael papworth on February 13, 2010, 03:17:50 pm
"And if you go round to the servants' entrance, cookie will give you a nice cup of tea."
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: G Griffin on February 13, 2010, 05:57:32 pm
"And if you go round to the servants' entrance, cookie will give you a nice cup of tea."
that`s it. With 5 sugars.
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: paul saunders on February 13, 2010, 06:15:44 pm
  I should really lower the price.

It's officiall ............ Tosh has lost the plot.  ;D ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: ccmids on February 13, 2010, 06:42:11 pm

Yesterday spent 2 hours cleaning a largish house, all Georgian windows. I'm up the ladder just redoing a bit I wasn't happy with and the lady of the house comes to the window and mouths "how much?"  I put up 5 fingers. She nods and next thing I know she's walking out the front door to her car.

"I've left the money with my husband"
"OK" I say.

Finish the job and knock on door. Hubby comes out and hands me a fiver  :o ::) ;D

five fingers £5 whats wrong with that ??? have i missed something
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: gewindows on February 13, 2010, 06:56:06 pm

five fingers £5 whats wrong with that ??? have i missed something

The corners mate, you missed a bit  :)
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: simon knight on February 14, 2010, 08:11:34 am

Yesterday spent 2 hours cleaning a largish house, all Georgian windows. I'm up the ladder just redoing a bit I wasn't happy with and the lady of the house comes to the window and mouths "how much?"  I put up 5 fingers. She nods and next thing I know she's walking out the front door to her car.

"I've left the money with my husband"
"OK" I say.

Finish the job and knock on door. Hubby comes out and hands me a fiver  :o ::) ;D

five fingers £5 whats wrong with that ??? have i missed something

£5 for 2 hours work?  Perhaps on the Cotswold borders it's the going rate but not in London 8)
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: weetot on February 14, 2010, 09:19:02 am
  I should really lower the price.

It's officiall ............ Tosh has lost the plot.  ;D ;D

Yeh, its ever since he went to see that avatar 3d film.  ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: ccmids on February 14, 2010, 02:34:58 pm

Yesterday spent 2 hours cleaning a largish house, all Georgian windows. I'm up the ladder just redoing a bit I wasn't happy with and the lady of the house comes to the window and mouths "how much?"  I put up 5 fingers. She nods and next thing I know she's walking out the front door to her car.

"I've left the money with my husband"
"OK" I say.

Finish the job and knock on door. Hubby comes out and hands me a fiver  :o ::) ;D

five fingers £5 whats wrong with that ??? have i missed something

£5 for 2 hours work?  Perhaps on the Cotswold borders it's the going rate but not in London 8)

why did you tell her £5  for then ??
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: s.hughes on February 14, 2010, 02:52:13 pm
Good job you didnt stick 2 fingers up
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: ccmids on February 14, 2010, 08:21:55 pm
think your self lucky , she might of given you 5 pence  ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: Dick on February 15, 2010, 03:50:06 pm
Why is it that customers ask 'how much is it' even though you've been charging the same for a while. I'm sure they know how much it is, because if you said more than it usually is, then they'd say, 'it's more than usual.' Very strange.
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: simon knight on February 15, 2010, 05:28:44 pm
think your self lucky , she might of given you 5 pence  ;D

That's also happened. Another elderly lady once gave me 70p when it was £7...perhaps my customers think my cleaning is so crap that 70p is all it's worth :'(
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: ccmids on February 15, 2010, 06:13:48 pm
felt like you just been through a time warp ;D
Title: Re: "This is 2010 not 1910 Ma'am"
Post by: weetot on February 15, 2010, 06:44:25 pm
Why is it that customers ask 'how much is it' even though you've been charging the same for a while. I'm sure they know how much it is, because if you said more than it usually is, then they'd say, 'it's more than usual.' Very strange.

Yes, very true  that is.  ???