[dai]

I was talking to a mate of mine from Prestatyn yesterday. He has a newbie Wfp window cleaner. 6 windows and a large con £4.00.
I read on here every week about guys earning £300 a day. I wish these newbies would sod off and move to their areas.
Underpricing in order to get work. is the number one mistake newbies make.

[cozy]

Like you said mate, most newbies make that mistake. When they get peed off after a while working for 10 quid an hour, they jack it in. In the meantime, your area has crap prices, annoying I bet.

[erithwc]

its not just the new window cleaners their are loads of old window cleaners that are cheap and dont put their prices up people brag about what the charge when its not even close to what the actualy charge

[darren clarke]

its not just the new window cleaners their are loads of old window cleaners that are cheap and dont put their prices up people brag about what the charge when its not even close to what the actualy charge

that is so true, there are wc near me who claim they charge 8 just for fronts only,    plus a lot on here dont want to look like they aint making the money they should be, so lie

[andyM]

Its not just a newbie thing that creates price ceilings.
There are some old school window cleaners with high volume compact rounds in my area that charge half what I do.
From their perspective they have a regular income and risk losing few or no customers due to price.
Although they have an income, they don't have a profitable business.
And no margin to absorb unexpected costs due to illness etc.
It is no good for the window cleaning business and customers become only focused on cheap prices usually regardless of the fact you may be offering a better service. 

[Crystal-clear]

Remember there is so much ground 1 man can cover.....if he keeps those prices he will get sick soon thats when you see these rounds knocking about for sale for less then 2 cleans then you simply buy it after you cleaned it to get you money back up the prices i bet 70% will accept

[ian1972]

Think were going to have a lot more undercutters out this year

[andyM]

Remember there is so much ground 1 man can cover.....if he keeps those prices he will get sick soon thats when you see these rounds knocking about for sale for less then 2 cleans then you simply buy it after you cleaned it to get you money back up the prices i bet 70% will accept

Interesting business philosophy you have there 
I would advise steering well clear of seriously underpriced work in the hope that customers might accept a price hike of 100% in some cases

[Crystal-clear]

Remember there is so much ground 1 man can cover.....if he keeps those prices he will get sick soon thats when you see these rounds knocking about for sale for less then 2 cleans then you simply buy it after you cleaned it to get you money back up the prices i bet 70% will accept

Interesting business philosophy you have there 
I would advise steering well clear of seriously underpriced work in the hope that customers might accept a price hike of 100% in some cases

nah im just saying that the lad shouldnt worry.. everyone has an underpriced window cleaner i know a guy who works in the same street as me and charges 50% less... but my point is i know he can only cover the same amount of ground as i can or less cos his moral will be low and he looks sick as a dog..

all i am saying whats the chances he will sell up or just dump work?in which case you pick up...
what i am sayin in a nutshell is whoever is constanly keeping prices that low can not survive

[andyM]

Very true Crystal-Clear, we know those prices are unsustainable.
Unfortunately some customers don't always get it.

[jsm]

Hi Dai , ive just moved to the area in question and are horrified of the prices the locals are charging , met a few so far, i think it has the most wiindow cleaner's per sq mile in the country due to not much work in the area. prices -  4 bed seems  lucky to get £8 - £10 with a conny ..

even been to a few chip shops and on the walls bungalows £7 3 beds £7.50 and they where WFP ing .

so think i may have to come to LLandudno to pay the bills 
lol

[dai]

Hi Dai , ive just moved to the area in question and are horrified of the prices the locals are charging , met a few so far, i think it has the most wiindow cleaner's per sq mile in the country due to not much work in the area. prices -  4 bed seems  lucky to get £8 - £10 with a conny ..

even been to a few chip shops and on the walls bungalows £7 3 beds £7.50 and they where WFP ing .

so think i may have to come to LLandudno to pay the bills 
lol

.
I live near Ffynongroew John, most of my work is round Llandudno. the prices are no better, but it's all really compact.
You will know where I'm coming from, some of the prices guys on here are getting, I wish. It's not easy finding work when you are charging more than anyone else.
My lad has lost his job, so I am looking to take on some more customers, but not at the daft prices some are charging.

[ronaldo]

All i can say on prices is this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The cheapest price will allways be the cheapest but not necessarily the best, put the price in your happy to job for and dont worry about weather somebody else is getting more if your happy with your lot thats all you need to bother about, there endeth the lesson.

[Matthew Bateman]

put the price in your happy to job for

And ensure the potential customer knows when they ask such quesions as 'is that the best price' that you dont compromise on quality. Everyone wants the best job they can get, its not until its pointed out to them that they realise they have to pay for it.

[cozy]

Hi Dai , ive just moved to the area in question and are horrified of the prices the locals are charging , met a few so far, i think it has the most wiindow cleaner's per sq mile in the country due to not much work in the area. prices -  4 bed seems  lucky to get £8 - £10 with a conny ..

even been to a few chip shops and on the walls bungalows £7 3 beds £7.50 and they where WFP ing .

so think i may have to come to LLandudno to pay the bills 
lol

.
I live near Ffynongroew John, most of my work is round Llandudno. the prices are no better, but it's all really compact.
You will know where I'm coming from, some of the prices guys on here are getting, I wish. It's not easy finding work when you are charging more than anyone else.
My lad has lost his job, so I am looking to take on some more customers, but not at the daft prices some are charging.

Most of your work is 30 miles away then Dai? We do upto 40 miles, thought I was one of the few who had to travel.

[andy1975]

i find usually customers never change me for someone cheaper as we have built a relationship and they can trust me on their property when at work.undercutters are only cheating themselves and i will always have the last laugh

[CLEANCARE WC]

half of my round is 29 miles away cozy

[richard jagger]

Some time ago I tried to point out the problems of over trading is areas and so many still kept on painting a rosy picture of this industry. Slumps also tried to correct this by not giving all the" it’s an easy way to make money" But not to many thickoes still sell the same old story. Once a fellow has invested in equipment and does not have the business knowledge to match the shiny new equipment he will sell himself cheap and we fan this on with stories of our success with out telling them of the hardship to get there. It’s the short sightedness of so may on here. Time to wise up and stop looking for recognition for your meagre success.

[Londoner]

When two dogs fight one may kill the other but the winning dog is often in barely better state himself.

Price wars benefit nobody, you may be able to kill off the undercutting newbies but the damage they do remains.

What annoys me is when the newbies have bright shiney new vans and you know that somebody within the trade (no names but most of us know who) has put them up to it, filling their heads with big ideas while emptying their bank account in the process.

[richard jagger]

Vince you are rght, why not say its Ionics and the like.They thing this the market will last for every.Short term gain will be long term loss.