[patwoods]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DR2a8TRSgzZY%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&h=5da45

[mci services]

Yes from an Indian takeaway tried to pay me just the external quote for insides and out, I was there for ages trying to get my money and in the end I stormed off, with little cash he had offered :

but 4 weeks later I seen him on the high street asking other window cleaners and he even had the cheek to ask me again, only this time his wife was there and when I replied no chance I told you the price and you refused to pay last time she went off on one giving him verbal in their native tongue whilst I walked away knowing no one will touch his shop

[CLEANCARE WC]

get yourself a fishing bait cattapult and half dozen eggs... cheap b@@@##d

[bobby p]

recently if i hear a sqwarker ive  been turning to face them and saying "this is my price,,look,do you want me to carry on or not ,"     and that seems to put them on the backfoot

[Londoner]

A mate of mine says this sort of thing happens regularly with kitchens and bathrooms where people withold the final payment and try to haggle after the work is done. I had one woman on a first clean recently say she wasn't happy and she wasn't paying. But its only £15, I can live with that, different if it had been £1500. Thats the beauty of window cleaning.

[groundhog]

I always allow a little bit extra when I price up in case they haggle, very rarely have to use it though.. so I end up with some very well priced jobs!!! 

[G Griffin]

Yes. It`s saved me loads of money  .

[GB Window Cleaning]

@ vince...
                agreed that is the beauty of window cleaning. i was a plasterer before this and my boss was owed hundreds if not thousands at a time, i dont know how he slept looking back now! he was such a layed back guy too.

[Johnny B]

I used to clean a fish and chip shop, inside and out a few years ago. The original owners were the best customers you could hope for: friendly, always got a tea and a free meal. All was well until they retired and sold up.

The new owners turned it into an Indian takeaway. I was asked to carry on, but they were reluctant to pay me the same price that I had been charging, yes the same price!  In addition they moved the cooking hobs etc to the front, next to one of the large windows. To clean this I had to stand on a swivel chair and risk falling onto the hob! There's more...

... The small fanlight over the door was smeared in chip fat (inside and out) which took ages to remove. No other windows were affected. I mentioned it to the owner, who clearly didn't care. He also made me wait before before paying me.

Two weeks later everything in the previous two paragraphs happened all over again. I never went back, although I wrote him a letter saying I wouldn't be doing his windows again.

John.

   

     

[patwoods]

John
I don't mean to laugh but that takes the biscuit!especially the chair!Cheers me up tday...some jobs & customers u just got to laugh at or else they'd see us headbanging the wall outside 

[Johnny B]

Hi, Woodsy,

It's all true! I am pleased it cheered you up! And I completely agree with your last sentence.!

Here's the best bit: I cleaned a few of the houses nearby, so was able to keep a check on how the shop's windows were looking. He obviously couldn't get another window cleaner, 'cos the insides were covered in smears! And I don't think he ever got the self-inflicted chip fat off the fan light either! And to think I was only charging him £6 for the whole job!

John.

[groundhog]

Haggling over price is all part of business in my opinion, I'm just amazed more people don't do it!!! when I price up a job I'm always looking to get the best price I can, and I have no problem if the customer tries to haggle as I've already allowed for that in my price!! 

[Londoner]

There is a difference between haggling and being rude and treating you disrespectfully.

[Spruce]

The Indian community do expect to haggle for everything as it's part of their culture. They also want a bit more for the lower reward as well. I worked with a few of them in South Africa and they were all the same - wanted a discount for everything - "discount for cash."

I have only had one person try to haggle a price down. In those days he was quoted by £5.00 for his 3 bed semi by another cleaner who never turned up. I quoted £6.00 which he refused to pay, even although I was cleaning frames and I know the other cleaner didn't.
I said I would do the job and if he was happy then it's my price, but if he was unhappy, he would get the job for nothing. Did the job a couple of days later and went back on the Friday evening (collection night) and £6.00 was on the table waiting for me to collect.
Still do the house today - great model customers; wish they were all like them.

As they both work, it was some 3 years later that she was at home when I cleaned them. She was horrified that I didn't dry them after I finished. It took a bit of convincing for her to understand how the system works and that they have been happy for the last few years and I am doing nothing different that day. Would love to have been a fly on the wall when he got home in the evening.
Spruce

[mci services]

Sure they will haggle and that is fine, but when they agree eventually to a price and you do the work then they try haggle some more, then enough is enough That is why I walked away from the job I was doing, it is ok saying it is there culture, but they are living in my culture now,

Do you think if I go into the takeaway look at the price and order, wait for it to be served then refuse to pay the full amount they would be totally understanding.

The answer would be no, but it gives me an idea

Maybe I can say to him but £4 very good money for curry yes, like he said to me don't think so.

[John Atkinson]

recently if i hear a sqwarker ive  been turning to face them and saying "this is my price,,look,do you want me to carry on or not ,"     and that seems to put them on the backfoot

Yeah, sometimes you just need to say things straight! There is no need to weasel...

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

funny enough you read my mind on this had a chap wanting a gutter clean and wanted to pay £20. well this is a big job and will take a few hrs so i said £50 is the price mate this is a good price. no £40 i will go to he said, i just ignored him for a while and we agreed the £40 he was asking. but he will only get the 80% of the job done when i do it. why do they do this you will not be out of pocket will we mates.

[alfynokes]

Sure they will haggle and that is fine, but when they agree eventually to a price and you do the work then they try haggle some more, then enough is enough That is why I walked away from the job I was doing, it is ok saying it is there culture, but they are living in my culture now,

Do you think if I go into the takeaway look at the price and order, wait for it to be served then refuse to pay the full amount they would be totally understanding.

The answer would be no, but it gives me an idea

Maybe I can say to him but £4 very good money for curry yes, like he said to me don't think so.

Done this  , how would you like it if I started bidding you for your pizza/takeaway. Only had to do it 3 times. Another one is to start putting the price up each time they bid you under. Dont bid me bread bin dont bid me

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

right on mates it works the other way aswell.

[Neil Gornall]

I have had people try to haggle me down many times. I enjoy it now.
If I say its £10 and they say will you take £8 I always reply with the same line. yes £8 is ok, which windows would you like missed?
When they say I want them all done I say "ok thats £10 then". It works every time.