Im rung up, can I do a quote bla bla my name xyz and I live in such and such
I get to the house she a bit wierd, I tell her we do charge more for a 1st clean - she immediately asks why!
Err they havent been cleaned for months.
I look round the property with her and count the windows she asking we why im counting the toliet window as it tiny - I say, because it all averages out with your large front room bay windows etc etc.
Ok so 16 windows - I say £17.5 - pretty standard quoting or so I thought! She looks at me like ive just kicked her cat.
Right thats expensive she says "er pretty standard I say most cleaners would charge that and I know a couple that would charge more"
Ok well next door has theres done for £8.50. Ok, well have you asked him for a quote.
Yes "he says he too busy" - too busy to come next door I say? (Terraced houses basically)
I said no window cleaners are really to busy to come directly next door ( could have done the ups on both houses together, no fence separating)
I think, I tell her, that its a case of hes been coming for 10+ years and that is a very old price and he does want to loose any more money coming next door to you for that price either. 10 years ago you could buy a Chomp Bar for 10p now I think they are 18p - STUFF GOES UP IN PRICE. Its called inflation and im not George Osbourne.
Next house I get to - Im having a quoting morning, £25 quider. Right well we have had a quote for £19. Ok I say, if you just wanted it for a comparison hes cheaper go with him? Well hes not come, said he would come a month ago.
Do you want me to be honest I say again hes under quoted and its not worth his time at all. Oh she says I see. She then tells me the guy that did them for 10 years before him, we told him we were moving and it fell through and we saw him in the local shop and he said he would come to but hasn't. Right I say what was he charging? £15. Ok 10 years ago 15 was fair more like 25 now. OK ill think about it she says.
The moral of this story therefore must be to take on work for HALF what you normally would charge and never put your prices up. NOT. Makes me sounds like a bit of an arse but its comes back to that age old saying "do you want you windows cleaned or not?"