[Wc Solutions]

seems that in our wc trade we always worry about taking over another guys work.

so is it stepping on toes or just simply business?

as more and more wc are popping up for longer and its becoming sooooo competitive with prices...

i see on here guys saying wc in the area doing all houses for just £5 and so on ...

in other trades with offers and prices its just simply business. tesco wouldnt have a go at sainsburys for selling jammy dodgers 5p cheaper than them ... (bad example but you get my point)

whats to stop a wc going around all the shops i do and charging a few quid less than me.

i like to think we all get on and wouldnt take a mans money from his pocket but surely now business is just business?

im intersted to see what we all think?

im sure some will say id never step on toes ... and some will say it just business

[darren clarke]

the is no patchs in this business, the people who claim there are, are scared of losing work,  if some one asks for a quote then so what quote them,  the only time it is a problem is when u know the price of a job and go up to the custy as offer a cheaper quote,  that is when people get upset,  but like you say  it doenst bother other business,

for example if i put a flyer out offering any house for £6  loads would moan that they might lose work,  but from my point of view it would make good business if i picked up a load


the way i look at it is no one is bothered if they take jobs off you,  look at what is happening with national contracts, so why shoudl you be bothered about taking some one elses work

[Jack Wallace]

I used to be very careful not to undercut or take work of others. but after being threatened by a local wc for taking a job off him I now don’t give a rats. As far as I am concerned its business.
I put in the price I need to do the job and make profit. if it’s less than someone else charges, Tough!

And if he ever threatens me again I will target EVERY job on his round!

Incidentally, The job in question was a brand new building, (commercial) it had never been cleaned,  he cleaned there old premises so felt the new one should automatically be his.
The company put it out to tender and I won.

[ian1972]

If someone phones and asks for a quote am sorry they will get a quote,it's irelivant if they have a window cleaner or not,they are obviously looking for someone else to do it so the other cleaner is not my concern.my intrests are putting food in front of my children payin my mortgage end of story.saying that I would not delibratly seek to screw over fellow shiners

[ant french]

ill put it honestly..... its business mate do what you have to do to get the jobs. bet they wouldnt give 2 hoots if they undercut you, its a dog eat dog world and end of the day business is business and nothing personal    think of number one!! yaself!

[geefree]

Why dont the guys who moan about "my patch",

ever come on here ?

[Johnny B]

It is business. If we do a good job for a fair price, good customers will remain loyal. If somebody comes along and tries to undercut, all customers are free to choose, but good customers will choose to stay with their tried and trusted w/c if they are happy with him/her. I have been told many times by customers that someone else has been knocking for work, but I cannot remember the last time I lost any customer this way. Whenever this happens, it reminds me to appreciate my customers more, and not to take the business I have for granted.  

John.

[geefree]

I reckon the guys who say its "my patch"  are the guys who bought a round and paid out a load of money, and are scared of losing customers.

Otherwise , they would have had to go out and canvass and build a round,....therefore , would understand the reasons and benefits of leaflet dropping and canvassing

and it would not bother them,

either that , or they are plain stupid, and dont seem to grasp that all businesses are competetive, .. and that it is ludicrous for them to claim they own a whole area.

[Wc Solutions]

sorry guys i shold of said i was mainly talking about this matter regards the smaller commercial sector type work eg shops and so on...

[andyjm1]

I reckon the guys who say its "my patch"  are the guys who bought a round and paid out a load of money, and are scared of losing customers.

Very true. I have met a few who have bought rounds and think it gives them exclusive rights in that street / area.

[Paul Coleman]

If I know the guy who currently cleans I probably wouldn't but otherwise I would probably quote.  I've had a potential customer ask me to quote before and they've told me what they are currently paying - without me asking.  I just told them they were getting a very good deal and that they would struggle to get a regular service for less than they were paying.  It was true as well.  The guy was astonished that I wouldn't quote but I had no wish to try beating an already low price.  I just quote what I quote regardless of what someone is paying.  I've had people try to nudge it down.  I just ask them what they would do if their employer cut their wages by 10%.  That gets them thinking.

[Paul Coleman]

sorry guys i shold of said i was mainly talking about this matter regards the smaller commercial sector type work eg shops and so on...

The trouble with many of the shops around my way is that I've known some of their window cleaners since way before I started - some of them I used to play with when we were kids.  It's a bit trickier in such a situation.  Plenty of other work about without peeing off people I've known for 40+ years.
Apart from that, I actually sub work from a couple of them and one even covers  my more critical work if I'm on holiday.
I think my situation is more unusual though - especially as I've lived in the same town all my life.

[Paul Coleman]

If I know the guy who currently cleans I probably wouldn't but otherwise I would probably quote.  I've had a potential customer ask me to quote before and they've told me what they are currently paying - without me asking.  I just told them they were getting a very good deal and that they would struggle to get a regular service for less than they were paying.  It was true as well.  The guy was astonished that I wouldn't quote but I had no wish to try beating an already low price.  I just quote what I quote regardless of what someone is paying.  I've had people try to nudge it down.  I just ask them what they would do if their employer cut their wages by 10%.  That gets them thinking.

Of course we would all do that...if we were told a price and it was cheap why would you want to undercut that....BUT,if the price was way over the top of what you would normally have charged you would,like everyone else,have quoted cheap (at your prices) to get the job...that is what business is all about.... :

   I take your point.  What someone else charges won't affect what I quote.  However, whether I quote or not would be affected by who is currently doing the job.
It's not like I go around offering to beat a current price or anything like that.  I do know a couple of guys around my way who operate like that though.  I think they are fools to themselves.

[e newlands]

its dog eat dog out there mate
its whats in your pocket at the end of the week that counts

pound notes are no good in someone elses pocket they aint going to pay your morgage

[ian1972]

At the end of the day if you got the spine for any Freud that could come your way go out and do it,if your the timid type who's bottle goes wen confronted then the job ain't for you yes you do get phone calls threatenin it isn't pleasent but the job can be very rewarding

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

it wouldnt bother me taking someone else's work, if i was asked for a price by the customer. but i would not delibrately undercut

[Steven Ternent]

last one i did, the customer came up to me in the street and asked if i would cleans hers.
I gave her a quote and told her I would do them in two days time.

This gave her time to cancel the other unreliable one (her words not mine!)

I'm charging her almost double what she was paying!

Undercut No, Never!

[e newlands]

agree if a custie is not happy they will go elsewhere whether its you or someone else takes the work
but there is plenty out there without trying to poach others business

[lovewindows]

Most people are quite loyal and wouldn't want to change unless they where unhappy with the service they got.
When i'm asked to quote , i quote what it's worth to me ,but i dont really think the price comes into it.
As for taking other peoples livelyhood, sorry dont like it but i'll do it.

[clearlyclean]

Dog eat Dog if I have majority of the street I ll take the custie on,but if its in a road i dont cover and know the W/C that has work there I pass the contact over and they do the same.what goes around comes around,network with other W/C (businesses).You cant keep looking over your shoulder or the reflection in the window in case someone you've upset is going to thump you.