[afssm123]

I am really getting into this forum now - the problem is I read so many answers to different threads that it creates more questions for me :

So here goes .... I notice a lot of cleaners charge more for a first clean - I had not thought about this before, so if you are out touting for business and you get a potential customer is it a case that you charge £15 the first time you clean a house and then £10 thereafter?? (please dont dwell on the prices I have used - its just an example)

When I have had window cleaners call at my door in the past they have just quoted a price from day one - never its £15 the first time and £10 thereafter.

Your thoughts gentleman please (and ladies of course if there are any on here!)

[mark dew]

I think it is down to individual preference.
I personally give 1 price and expect to take much longer on a 1st clean. And i will make the time up on future cleans.
Almost all 1st cleans i do are continual cleans anyway. If i started getting too many 1 offs, i would charge extra for 1st cleans. Until then i don't.

[mci services]

yes a lot do, i dont although i may do soon, if you need work i wouldnt advise it but if you have a full round then it gets rid of the wasters if that makes sense. you soon pick up the vibe that they dont want it done regular so thats when i charge more, if they are up front and honest and tell me its a one off i do not go over on the charging extra but it gets done when i have time to do it and if they need it done straight away then charge more

[afssm123]

Well Mark thats what my thought was - just accept first cleans take longer

[d s windowcleaning]

i allways charge double on first cleans in somecases ive charged more than double , last week i did 2 first cleans that hadnt been done in over 18 months and were really filthy for this house type i would normally charge £12 they both took over a hour to do , if i hadnt charged more for the first clean i would have earnt £24 for over 2 hours work , take away a few running cost , add about a hour for return travel time and im maybe getting £6 per house by the time everything is taken into account .
charge as much as you can for first cleans otherwise you minght aswell do them for free .

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I have a full round so new customers are charged as if they are a one-off customer. If they want a monthly clean then I have a very good job. If it is a one off its no problem as it has been priced as such.

[d s windowcleaning]

I have a full round so new customers are charged as if they are a one-off customer. If they want a monthly clean then I have a very good job. If it is a one off its no problem as it has been priced as such.

thats the way it should be .

[james44]

As per your example price £15 then drop a pound on each clean ie: 1st clean £15 2nd £14 3rd £13 and so until you get to the £10 that you would charge for a normal clean, That way they get their £5 back for turing into a regular customer, but if it is a one off then charge as to how long you think it is going to take you!

[mci services]

james44 sorry to ask but where are you in scotland just out of interest

[james44]

where are you in scotland just out of interest

West coast!

[bobby p]

i always ask  is it a one off or do you want it done regular? if immediately they say oh yes,i want it doing regular,whats the normal / then i know they arent a messer or one off type.      now that ive a full round i dont do one off jobs,no point as not only are they hard work but they take longer as im not sure the best place to place my ladder and theres more chance of a slip as im on uncertain territory

[Window Washers]

As per your example price £15 then drop a pound on each clean ie: 1st clean £15 2nd £14 3rd £13 and so until you get to the £10 that you would charge for a normal clean, That way they get their £5 back for turing into a regular customer, but if it is a one off then charge as to how long you think it is going to take you!

seems a long winded way of doing things James.

[richard jagger]

A quick way to resolve this problem of first cleans is to charge more the first clean and say to your customer what you will do is to give a discount of that overcharge off the 3 and 4th clean.Eg normal price say 12.pound, first clean 20 pound 3rd and forth clean 9 pound.So you force there hand to see if they will stick with a regular cleaning.

[Smudger]

same as the other posts on this in that there is a charge for 1st clean esp. if really bad and dirty.

from personal experience i found you can get caught by only charging 'normal' on a first clean as when you go back the custy cancels you.

charging extra helps to cover your time and effort should they cancel.

since doing this i have not had a single custy cancel after the 1st clean.

Darran

[Dave Willis]

As per your example price £15 then drop a pound on each clean ie: 1st clean £15 2nd £14 3rd £13 and so until you get to the £10 that you would charge for a normal clean, That way they get their £5 back for turing into a regular customer, but if it is a one off then charge as to how long you think it is going to take you!

they get five pounds back? How do you work that one out? They are paying £12 over the asking price over the period of four cleans. More than double the initial cost.

[Smudger]

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