[Paul Coleman]

As Crystal Clear has unfortunately found out today on another post, the client in these difficult times wants to choose who when and how often and the day of the w/c telling the customer "I only do monthly" or whatever seems to be changing

They will buy what they want when they want and as often as suits them not us

On the subject of first cleans I have never ever charged extra for a first clean, I do not agree with it. T clean a window is too clean a window I have never been charged extra for a particularly dirty car at the car wash or from the dry cleaners for my new suits so why would I charge extra for dirty windows. Plus I have never heard of a w/c reducing the cost each month as the windows become easier and then quicker sombrely it is just an "add on" and then you all get mad when the customer catches on

Gordon

I see where you're coming from but I don't think the comparison with car washing works.  This is because, in spite of what you are trying to  do, it is generally more accepted that car washing is an "as and when" service already.  If what you're trying to do catches on, this may end up with being the case with window cleaning too.  Although you say that you don't charge more for first cleans, I think you will need to charge a bit more anyway if you are providing an ad hoc service.
I offered an ad hoc service to some customers several years ago.  Only one ever phoned me for a second clean and that was 8 months later.  So I never offered it again.
I believe that your business model could work but it needs to be a big business to carry any slacker periods.
My hunch is that window cleaning + add-ons might not be enough though.  It would probably need to be a larger, general services business that could carry you through Winters.  Maybe even general household cleaning, ironing, small building works etc.  Maybe add on gardening too.  Perhaps that would get too complex to run though?
I am concerned that this sort of thing might catch on because I'm not in a position currently to offer additional services.

[Perfect Windows]

I have checked with the license officer for the council and there seems to be some irregularities with your w/c license at that address so he has offered to visit you to clear up any problems

Now that has made me smile.

Vin

[groundhog]

The core solutions are that we have already priced every house that we have on the system so ,your "massive" conservatory will come as no surprise to us

Gordon

I like your idea/website etc Gordon, but how do you pre price the houses? 

[prestige cleaners]

Do you really think I would give my real address? After that snide comment, I really do hope it fails, which I'm sure it will.

[Perfect Windows]

At 6pm tonight we go live with click2clean the first true online window cleaning service

It will change window cleaning forever

Houses pre priced

Book online

Pay online

even add your gutter cleaning at a click of a button

and your conservatory

Gordon

Good luck Matey - I'm sure it'll bring in good business, as people like simplicity; you deserve success after so much effort and thought. 

Ignore the neanderthals.  They are the ones who told me I could never grow at the prices I charge...

Vin

[christopher b]

Nice Verry nice.
dont know how it works up north gordon but here in the middle if we take payments up front for a service we need a credit licence, is it the same up north.
thats long term pre payment not one off pay now do next week!

[Lee Pryor]

Im not sure I really get this.

Dont get me wrong I respect the amount of work you have put in so far.

It seems that the one thing that makes our jobs so much better than other trades is repeat cleans not one offs. Maybe im missing something but this idea seems to kill that.

If all my customers started doing this then it would be a nightmare to co-ordinate and the regularity would be gone.

I would like to know how this will be marketed and how 19,000 houses have been priced up. Also what does it cost for the window cleaners involved.

As many of you know I also have been working very hard on my online project www.iwantawindowcleaner.com which goes live on heart fm tomorrow! my projects goal is to sell well priced regular customers to the 30 companies on board accross the southeast. These customers will be sold at low prices with no membership fees.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Im not sure I really get this.

Dont get me wrong I respect the amount of work you have put in so far.

It seems that the one thing that makes our jobs so much better than other trades is repeat cleans not one offs. Maybe im missing something but this idea seems to kill that.

If all my customers started doing this then it would be a nightmare to co-ordinate and the regularity would be gone.

I would like to know how this will be marketed and how 19,000 houses have been priced up. Also what does it cost for the window cleaners involved.

As many of you know I also have been working very hard on my online project www.iwantawindowcleaner.com which goes live on heart fm tomorrow! my projects goal is to sell well priced regular customers to the 30 companies on board accross the southeast. These customers will be sold at low prices with no membership fees.

I have to agree with much of Lee's comments.

The money is in the stability, reliability & organisation of a given customer base IMO. UNLESS you are charging VERY good money, once you break that combination up you're chasing your tail, running around for less money!

[groundhog]

Im not sure I really get this.

Dont get me wrong I respect the amount of work you have put in so far.

It seems that the one thing that makes our jobs so much better than other trades is repeat cleans not one offs. Maybe im missing something but this idea seems to kill that.

If all my customers started doing this then it would be a nightmare to co-ordinate and the regularity would be gone.

I would like to know how this will be marketed and how 19,000 houses have been priced up. Also what does it cost for the window cleaners involved.

As many of you know I also have been working very hard on my online project www.iwantawindowcleaner.com which goes live on heart fm tomorrow! my projects goal is to sell well priced regular customers to the 30 companies on board accross the southeast. These customers will be sold at low prices with no membership fees.

I have to agree with much of Lee's comments.

The money is in the stability, reliability & organisation of a given customer base IMO. UNLESS you are charging VERY good money, once you break that combination up you're chasing your tail, running around for less money!

Agreed!!

[bumper]

once you been payed upfront i wornt like getting out mi pit to go and clean the houses,never pay upfront People  wornt do the job.

[gordonswindows]

Thanks guys I hear you

Traditionally yes the money is in regular cleans but as many have posted previously there are more and more "not this time thanks" as money belts are tightened

However the good money is not in the window cleaning it will come later as clients get used to going to click2clean for all their cleaning needs. As i mentioned in earlier replies people including myself bemoan the loss of the fruit and veg shop, the local buthers and even a local bank but I too shop in Tesco (there are other supermarkets) because a. i know they are open 24 hours (so are we) b. I know they have what I want (so do we) and c. I know it will have a price right there in front of me (as we do) also I have bought electrical goods at Tesco and not Dixons, toys for my granddaughter and even our office supplies it is just so easy to get what you want when you want and how often you want it.

Click2clean is our areas "cleaning store" ready for you when you want us

Also the customer will buy while at work or at home as they do not need to wait in for a visit from a local window cleaner to price and definately they will love not waiting in for the window cleaner to collect when it suits him (or her)

Some of you guys need to understand what customer service means but more so what customer choice means, the days of them being told how often how much and when to be in to pay are gone. How many window cleaners on here brag about "dumping" customers or not going back because they don't need them?

To the supportive posters like Vin thank you I really do appreciate your comments and support

Gordon

[gordonswindows]

Oh no Prestige!

You mean that wasn't a real post? No way, surely someone with such great knowlegde of the business we all enjoy would not post false information......i mean why?..... do you feel better for misleading a fellow business person, did you laugh when you typed by torch light from under your bed covers ?

There are many many good solid posters on sites such as CIU and those genuine people give their time their hard earned experience and their clever little tips to others free, they go out of their way to be helpful and decent and i am not sure your little games put you in the same good light, even if it is torch light

However although I do not encourage your right to ridicule other people I will defend it

Gordon

Gordon

[gordonswindows]

Groundhog

We have priced the houses the same way as we always have the same way that you do the same way that most people do.

We drove, walked and even cycled around all 19,000 address' and put the price next to the address and then upon return each morning we input the data to the data base which was then added to the site.

Yes we looked over gates looked behind properties but we did already have a solid understanding of the area as we have worked it for over ten years now. An unexpected benefit was we could avoid pricing any of the "impossible" houses due to limited access, houses bordered by adjoining garages or local knowledge of other difficulties. Some areas where local window cleaners don't go for fear of not getting paid have been added to our list as payment is made at time of booking and one area in particular has already shown a huge percentage uptake over the already early average amount.

We already have many large homes homes where we already charge £200 + and we just added them at the same cost. We also targeted some business that we have priced previously but never won and we have invited them to try the site too

Gordon

[gordonswindows]

Bumper sorry I missed your post.

Yes I agree I hated being paid up front when I first began because it is always tempting to add another house ahead of the one that already paid but most of the plus points of click2clean is being able to pay upfront especially with the ease of a debit card a credit card or paypal.

The window cleaners doing the work already work on hourly rates for Gordons and we have also added in a little bit of incentive too, plus they do not have to collect. It seems to me and many others not all but a lot on this forum dislike the collecting side of the job and I know the majority of clients hate it too

Gordon

[Perfect Windows]

May have missed it when I looked at your site, but do you allow people to book every other visit?  It'd be a nice halfway house.  The problem it might solve would be the people who want that frequency are otherwise forced to book it as a separate job every other month.  They'll forget, you'll lose the revenue.

Vin

[gordonswindows]

Good point Vin

Surpisingly a lot of the "Get two months free" have been bought which we are delighted with and I think that is the same as your point, the client doesnt want to have to bother each and every time, the opinion seems to be right thats that done now forget about it and of course we will email them a new offer in twelve months time

It also seems to be more men than women that are buying do you think this is the " i will do them myself"brigade or just to keep the women happy

Gordon

[cozy]

Bumper sorry I missed your post.

Yes I agree I hated being paid up front when I first began because it is always tempting to add another house ahead of the one that already paid but most of the plus points of click2clean is being able to pay upfront especially with the ease of a debit card a credit card or paypal.

The window cleaners doing the work already work on hourly rates for Gordons and we have also added in a little bit of incentive too, plus they do not have to collect. It seems to me and many others not all but a lot on this forum dislike the collecting side of the job and I know the majority of clients hate it too

Gordon

Good luck with this mate. As for custies hating collecting, that's not true for all of us. Most of our 300+ custies pay cash on a set collection day. It gives me contact with them and can save any debt issues as they deal with a person and not a paypal account or such. About 5% of our custies pay online.

[Lee Pryor]

Well Im not one to put down peoples ideas and hard work on here as I have been on the wrong end of that many times so forgive me for saying.

I hope this idea never comes to my area, I really see that killing the best thing in the job! regular repeat work! I dont think this is going to do window cleaners any favours at all. I have not experienced the problems you are talking about and my business grows and grows month by month.

My plan, shows the customer a price, gives them a choice of frequency, currently 6 and 12 but will be 4,6,8,12 soon. then they are availiable to purchase by the window cleaner at a rate that is currently 1-1.5x a clean value. Additional services like gutter clearing ect are being sold for just £5! putting the cleaner well in the money on the first clean. Then they are a regular customer for that company and there is no member fee. The only cost is if they decide to buy a customer. My campaign starts tomorrow, I have no idea what to expect but I can say that 200,000 listenters will hear my add on heart fm next week. If sucessfull I plan to scale the business up to a national level within 18 months and become the place for the public to find top window cleaners and the place for window cleaners to grow their REGULAR businesses.

Im really very sorry to put your plan down especially after what must have been alot of hard work but I simply cannot wish something luck that threatens the best aspect of our businesses. My plan makes everyone a winner, not just the customer and the owner of the website.

[Perfect Windows]

Surpisingly a lot of the "Get two months free" have been bought which we are delighted with and I think that is the same as your point, the client doesnt want to have to bother each and every time, the opinion seems to be right thats that done now forget about it and of course we will email them a new offer in twelve months time

I think this is the core point.  Everyone's getting wound up over the potential for abuse over one-off cleans, but I suspect you'll gain plenty of repeats, particularly with the 12 for 10 offer - they are just bona-fide regular cleans, plus you have their cash up front.  Your prices do look to be higher than the numbers we sometimes see bandied about for Scotland, so I really don't see the panic.

Vin

[windowswashed]

Greed has two sides to it. Tesco style window cleaning will kill regular repeat window cleaning just like the milk marketing selling to the shops and remainder going franchise.
Good luck with your venture. Hope it never reaches this area as it will kill off a lot of dole fAg and beer brigade trying to make a dishonest living
The best thing about this job is repeat business,....let the customers dictate terms and it opens up a huge can of worms putting many window cleaners off the idea of starting up with all the hassle of time consuming time management and hassle from customers.