Out working today in a area I am very strong in. A new van pulls up and starts cleaning next door I have seen the van 3 time in the last 3 months working on different houses.All the signage is new and all the ladders on the roof. After the fellows finished He come over for a chat. He tells his been in the industry for 8 years and working in that area for 3 years.Then he tells me his got 100 houses he cleans in the area . This made my ears perk up I don`t think there area a hundred people having there window cleaned, I do 67 of those.
Just before he leaves I ash him how much he charged for the four be townhouse he had just cleaned? This is in the South of England price are higher. Definitely not a pound a window
His answer 11 quid, I was absolutely gob smacked.
What made him think I would believe him he had worked in that area and |I am there daily and I know all the windies.Why lie about how long he has been a window cleaner?
Slumpy, if you are literally in the area daily and have 67 customers then you are too slow - like me.
We have worked the same street for 7 years and have only seen another window cleaner there twice - he has 6 or 7 houses on the same street. First time I went over and chatted to him and the following time he asked me if it was ok to quote an ex customers who wanted trad rather than WFP. I haven't seen him for a few years now but all those windows are clean.
Maybe your fellow window cleaner has just invested in a new van etc. It happens often enough. The question is though; did he seem a 'master window cleaner' as he was working? You can tell a newbie - trad or wfp.
Would you really expect the competition to be honest with you regarding the price he was charging? Giving you a low price is a way of scaring you off and protecting his business - and he's done a good job. Will you canvass this customer? At that price - probably not.
But if you knew he was charging more than you and getting it, what would you do?
