Clean It Up

UK Contract Cleaning Forum => Contract Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: angela stone on December 03, 2015, 02:46:32 pm

Title: Living Wage
Post by: angela stone on December 03, 2015, 02:46:32 pm
hi, I have a contract renewal for my biggest client to do now.  As the national living wage comes into effect in April I am having to factor this cost in now to the annual contract, so including the rise in October it's a total of 70p per hour.  Adding this onto the current cost per hour, for this customer it's a rise of £308 plus vat per month and that's not incorporating any of my other cost rises.

is everyone going to simply add 70p per hour onto your current rates, or are you going to swallow some of the cost yourself?  I'm just really concerned that they will take the cleaning in house based on this rise.

thanks in advance

Ange  :)
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: B Bailey on December 03, 2015, 05:58:14 pm
We will be adding it, all our costs will be rising so can't afford to soak it up.
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Stoots on December 03, 2015, 09:08:24 pm
up to you really isnt it?

 ???
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: dustee on December 03, 2015, 10:18:34 pm
Also will be adding it on
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Michelle H on December 05, 2015, 03:45:17 am
It is a hard one to do.  I worked it out at 45p per hour increase over the next five years. The biggest problem is that if you past on the cost, do you do it each year which could annoy clients or do you increase it one year twice the amount so the following year you don't increase the cost.
 
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: dustee on December 05, 2015, 10:56:22 pm
For existing client's increase it  " now " and the again in 30 months time
For new clients add on from the start
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: The Great One on January 01, 2016, 12:26:56 pm
\Be careful.

It's easy to say increase it but no one knows your client, you do.

I will be absorbing it as they have another location with different cleaners who are cheaper than me, if I increase I'll lose it.

Don't forget though, this living wage is just the start, it'll be going up to £9-10 pounds over the next 4 years, I feel in April either lots of things will increase in price or staff will be laid off, or both.
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Adam P on February 17, 2016, 11:39:21 pm
Or you hire under 25 and you'll be fine as I understand this is 25 and over only. Minimum wage still exists as is for anyone below 25
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Churchill Contract Cleaners on March 14, 2016, 02:40:29 pm
We absorbed the min wage increase in October 2015 but will be increasing prices in April 2016 for the living wage.  Pretty much everyone is in the same boat with this including your customers so they should understand the need for the rise.  I think any contract price should be reviewed annually to and should increase even if only to accommodate min wage increases otherwise you will essentially reduce your profits year on year for a contract if it is not re-negotiated.
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Strata Cleaning on April 01, 2016, 08:28:25 am
Angela

I would recommend discussing  with the client. You can get a feel then. At the end of the day if they go in-house they don't necessarily save. They would need to pay their staff, manage the cleaning, orders etc.
The increase is  not driven by you  - client should understand it.

We introduced Living Wage in 2014 and all our contracts were negotiated with clients then - I mention this only as the majority of them supported an idea (apart from few) - despite it was voluntary then. 
Title: Re: Living Wage
Post by: Nathan Hartigan on April 16, 2016, 08:32:15 am
We have where possible reduced the hours supplied to keep price the same.
Other older contracts we will increase if the customer is not happy that any new quotes they get will be at the higher rate anyway.