[suds window service]

just lost a 3bed semi with conny to another wfp outfit.
i was charging £12 for this the new guy/s are charging considerably less.
the point is undercutting is it fair game ?
would you do it?
these guys knew we did the house yet quoted a much cheaper price to get the work.
   personally i wouldnt undercut  if they looked at the bigger picture undercutting is bad for all of us and devalues our work imo.

[darren clarke]

but they aint bothered all they see is 3 jobs, 

the bloke who cleans our local halfords lost a restuarant he does   he use to charge £15 the new bloke is £5


i got quoted 3.50 to do my house  4 windows and door at front and 3 windows and door at back

[mikecam]

the point is undercutting is it fair game ?

Yes.


would you do it?


Yes if i wanted the work and it paid me to do it.

[mci services]

how long does it take to clean?

[suds window service]

how long does it take to clean?

takes about 15/20 mins theres a tricky extension that requires step ladders and not much room to work in.
not so bothered about losing it just the undercutting that bothers me imo the job was priced right and fair.

[suds window service]

the point is undercutting is it fair game ?

Yes.


would you do it?


Yes if i wanted the work and it paid me to do it.

bet your popular with the other windys

[Paul Coleman]

how long does it take to clean?

takes about 15/20 mins theres a tricky extension that requires step ladders and not much room to work in.
not so bothered about losing it just the undercutting that bothers me imo the job was priced right and fair.

If anything, it sounds like you should have been charging a bit more than £12.
Mind you, it might be a bit of that regional variation stuff.

[windowswashed]

Good things come to those who wait,,,,,,, don't get mad, get even and outsmart your competitor.

[suds window service]

Good things come to those who wait,,,,,,, don't get mad, get even and outsmart your competitor.

the job was replaced in the hour and no i did,nt undercut another windy

[mark mann]

just lost a 3bed semi with conny to another wfp outfit.
i was charging £12 for this the new guy/s are charging considerably less.
the point is undercutting is it fair game ?
would you do it?
these guys knew we did the house yet quoted a much cheaper price to get the work.
   personally i wouldnt undercut  if they looked at the bigger picture undercutting is bad for all of us and devalues our work imo.

right with u on this one have 3bed semi with smal conny priced at 12 coz thought that was a bout right despite really wanting 14. personally if i lost that one at 12 id be miffed but would just to look to replace with similar or better - as the undercutters may get busy doing loads but they cant do everyone and at low prices service/quality customer rapport gotta be on the low end - keep plugging away is what im doing - dont want to do 30-40 houses a day when i could earn the same doing pucker job on 10-20 - at some point these undercutters are going to let someone down and personally im looking to canvasss an area at least twice a year. keep a good relationship by sounding professional when u part with anyone you lose and most defo not let the seem your phased or bothered coz im sure opportunity looks more attractive when its moving away from you - ie being polite but kool with custy

[geefree]

There will always be desperate , dole sponging , low life , anything for a beer /drug fix scum ball out there , trying to earn a bob ... with his rag , dirty water.. dirty clothes,

Trying to undercut you,

They only care about there £25  per day.

[e newlands]

what rate did they go in at

if you were happy with your price stick to it
there a point at which you have to stop otherwise you aint going to make a living

theres always someone out there who will underut you but if the quality or service isnt the custies will soon come back

[Steve CM]

i lost a house we charge £12 for. the new quote was £9.50.  :

If a custy wants to change its up to them. you just need to concentrate on yourself on how you want to run your business. I try to look as pro as possible. That means i can charge a premium. Does it work?

You win some, you lose some!

Some customers get it, some don't.

I wouldn't lower my prices as there is always someone round the corner willing to pay what i think our service is worth.

Don't under value yourself

[Londoner]

Prices, like water, find their own level.  Its all about what your expectations are.
To some people as long as they are earning more than the minimum wage per hour they see themselves as being out in front.

Unfortunately, I think we are going to see a few more of these people about soon. Once they start cutting benefits some of these people are actually going to have to work.

[Perfect Windows]

theres always someone out there who will underut you but if the quality or service isnt the custies will soon come back

And that's the point...

I do wonder about the people on here who say they'll never take back on a customer who dumped them.  They are letting pride get in the way of good business.  People who move to someone who is cheaper will come back if the service is poor (and it often is).  They'll come back with some education about why other cleaners may be cheaper than you.  Take their move with a smile, remind them of your contact details and wait...

Vin

[Lee13]

I never undercut, if anything I am more expensive than my competitors. I usually find, when door knocking, that if someone says 'I've got a WC thanks', I'll ask 'Are you happy with the service they provide?'

If I get an answer like 'not really' I'll find out why and off them a better service. Such as, many wc round my way have become slack and stopped cleaning frames!

If someone was to undercut me then it shoudn't matter, if the customer is happy with your work then I would expect them to say 'no thanks' to the undercutter. If they are one of these custies who are always looking for a cheaper deal then I think sod em, your better off finding new customers who don't mind paying a bit more for a better quality service.

So if anything, I'm always more expensive, and I tell my customers I compete on quality NOT price ! 

[clearlyclean]

The cheaper price is not always the best value for money,I rarely undercut if someone says they already have a W/C then I just say thanks for your time and walk away if they want me to clean their windows they'll as when they see me do their neighbours

[dazmond]

i have a lot of cheaper very compact work and pockets of well priced bigger accounts.i personally think £12 for a 3 bed semi with a conservatory is too high if its compact work.


some of you guys think that you should only work 4 hours a day and earn over £200 a day.


why should you?i charge £15-£20 for bigger 4 bedroom houses and make good day rates on these accounts coupled with a few commercial etc.but my compact work is £5/£6/£7/£8 a house.150 of them very very compact.i still make good day rates on these without being greedy!

i am up north though and im well established with lots of compact work.

i would charge £8-£9 for a smallish 3 bed semi with a average conny if it was near other work and £12 if it was a stand alone.

i have lost a few of the higher priced stand alones meself.they just cancelled.im not sure whether i was undercut or whatever.

im in business to make money yes but also i try and protect my round by not letting other windies on to my run of the mill work by keeping prices low therefore i dont get undercut and i keep lots of compact work with minimal set up/driving time.its not worth a windy cleaning 1 house sandwiched between 50 of mine unless he charges a much higher price so therefore the householder invariably ends up taking me on as i clean nearly all of the estate for half the price of other windy.

i also get a lot of add on jobs from these custies in the spring.conny roof/fascia cleaning etc and plenty of xmas tips! .


its all good common sense!!


dazmond

[Paul Coleman]

theres always someone out there who will underut you but if the quality or service isnt the custies will soon come back

And that's the point...

I do wonder about the people on here who say they'll never take back on a customer who dumped them.  They are letting pride get in the way of good business.  People who move to someone who is cheaper will come back if the service is poor (and it often is).  They'll come back with some education about why other cleaners may be cheaper than you.  Take their move with a smile, remind them of your contact details and wait...

Vin

I would always take a customer back in these circumstances - provided they hadn't messed me about in other ways and they had given fair notice of the previous cancellation (i.e. not waited until I got there before sending me away).  I would probably up the price a bit too.

[formb]

i have a lot of cheaper very compact work and pockets of well priced bigger accounts.i personally think £12 for a 3 bed semi with a conservatory is too high if its compact work.


some of you guys think that you should only work 4 hours a day and earn over £200 a day.


why should you?i charge £15-£20 for bigger 4 bedroom houses and make good day rates on these accounts coupled with a few commercial etc.but my compact work is £5/£6/£7/£8 a house.150 of them very very compact.i still make good day rates on these without being greedy!

i am up north though and im well established with lots of compact work.

i would charge £8-£9 for a smallish 3 bed semi with a average conny if it was near other work and £12 if it was a stand alone.

i have lost a few of the higher priced stand alones meself.they just cancelled.im not sure whether i was undercut or whatever.

im in business to make money yes but also i try and protect my round by not letting other windies on to my run of the mill work by keeping prices low therefore i dont get undercut and i keep lots of compact work with minimal set up/driving time.its not worth a windy cleaning 1 house sandwiched between 50 of mine unless he charges a much higher price so therefore the householder invariably ends up taking me on as i clean nearly all of the estate for half the price of other windy.

i also get a lot of add on jobs from these custies in the spring.conny roof/fascia cleaning etc and plenty of xmas tips! .


its all good common sense!!


dazmond

This implies that you would actually reduce someone's price if their next door neighbour wanted their windows cleaned?

I have been doing this 10 years and have never reduced a customers price for fear of being undercut.

I charge a standard rate across the board. Setting different prices depending on your nearest customers seems a bit dodgy to me. What if you lose a few on a street and are left with 1 there which will by your own pricing structure be underpriced? Do you tell them "sorry your neighbour cancelled/moved/died so your price is going up"?