I am going to risk asking a stupid question, I have heard you guys give a tough time
is there a market for one off window cleans? Can you get away with charging a premium price
I do realise it is best to build a rounds
It's not a stupid question, but yes some on here will answer like it is.
First of all there is a market for one-off window cleaning. At the moment it is small but in my experience it is a growing market.
Sometimes customers don't know what they want untill you offer it. Many don't offer it because of the price they charge, thinking it should be the same as regular work. So the problem is with the Window Cleaner in this case.
As for charging a premium yes you can however it depends on what you offer and how you do it. You cant just go and spash some water for 10 mins and expect premium prices. For one offs I recommend full inside and outside cleans along with soffits and gutters as an upsell. The customer expects to pay more and in many cases doesn't have a regular cleaner so has nothing to compare with anyway.
The typical customer could be the second-home owner, holiday cottage or larger properties.
If you go for one-offs you dont do so in order to build a round unless you work on the basis that they will have the job done each spring. I have mostly monthly work but I am more than happy to fit in a premium one-off (as long as it is not a builders clean). In fact whenever people phone up now I price it up like it is a one-off and if they want it done regular they get a discount. Again it depends on your approch.
Most window cleaners have a presumption that you must 'build a monthly round'. This can minimise the amount they dare charge, however if the customer wants a one-off they expect a higher fee.
This is the way I would like to move my business, more along the lines of the US. A days pay for a few hours work. You have to offer quality and have experience in order to pull this off, but yes it can work.
