[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

a local guy as been under cutting me on a few flats we do for a management company and takeing our work away its good  can be done in the rain , and early mornings or weekends ,

so today i get to speak to the woman in charge and i was in he mood to up set things alittle  , we now have all our work back plus 5 more blocks of flats  at our old rate  

 after a years window cleaning  on each block wewill be cleaning all there stairs and hall ways carpets for free that's right free  !!!  

its will cost me a weeks labour with the truck mount and around 140 pounds in cash but hubbys labours is free , and ill work it in so it doesn't count (will do it on quite times)

guess most will say i am out of order but sometimes its got to be done it will save the man. company around 1100 pounds ayear beat that under cutters    

[Clever Forum Name]

This happens all the time with window cleaning which then creates dead areas. Some areas near me you can't even get £10 for a detached house.

Two or three firms must have got into a frenzy and it's caused no end of issues.

With what you have done I would have done the same. But what's to stop them from going back to the under cutters and getting them to undercut you?

It can really push down your profit margins. Just remember when to walk away.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

This happens all the time with window cleaning which then creates dead areas. Some areas near me you can't even get £10 for a detached house.

Two or three firms must have got into a frenzy and it's caused no end of issues.

With what you have done I would have done the same. But what's to stop them from going back to the under cutters and getting them to undercut you?

It can really push down your profit margins. Just remember when to walk away.

thanks ian your right ,

 just wanted to see what happens really , new water for me to tread on in London so we will see , I wont think twice about dumping them off but I find dealing woman on woman helps spent 40mins talking about kids and parents evenings ect ect so good commen ground finger crossed

[Carpet Dawg]

The only people laughing will be the management company...

[PoleKing]

Similar thing myself but much smaller scale.
Go for it girl!
All the best with it.
Hate the undercutters-beat them at their own game

[Carpet Dawg]

Similar thing myself but much smaller scale.
Go for it girl!
All the best with it.
Hate the undercutters-beat them at their own game

By ripping yourself off? where does it end? doing it for free maybe?

[H20cleaning]

I have never undercut anyone intentionally... But would i do it? Of course i would if it fits in with what i charge per hour!
Every business needs competition

[bobplum]

i do find it strange how we hate under cutters and yet we we search the internet for the cheapest deals on a set item

[H20cleaning]

i do find it strange how we hate under cutters and yet we we search the internet for the cheapest deals on a set item

Thats true however if that item looked cheap ad tacky i would go for the next best one;)

[Clever Forum Name]

Been undercut twice.

Once by a "mate" the other buy a local windy who has no scruples.

Lost out on both jobs by £5 on each job.

One job I has been doing for 11 years. Then they sacked me over a fiver. Then they wanted me to match his quote. No chance.

Glad I got rid of the company I was working for. She was giving me nothing but rubbish jobs and skimming money everywhere.  

[roundbuilder]

Undercutting is just simple business. You Win some you lose some.

[H20cleaning]

Similar thing myself but much smaller scale.
Go for it girl!
All the best with it.
Hate the undercutters-beat them at their own game

AMEN mate! Hit the nail on the head
By ripping yourself off? where does it end? doing it for free maybe?

In a recent thread I posted I would've done the job for free.
As it happened it I didn't have to.
The estate pays very well. The last thing I needed was some tw@ charging 'dole money'
I'm not subsidising my business with benefits.
I work hard and claim nothing.
The dossers and wasters working for FA can F off!
If the guy got in on one job he could've taken more.
I already subsidise his crap life by paying tax.
As if I'm going to let him take money from my pocket.

[Crystal-clear]

Bloody hell It doesn't sound worth it just walk away and replace with some houses more profitable

[robertphil]

theres good money to be had on regular hallway cleaning in blocks of flats from what i see

[home6442]

Similar thing myself but much smaller scale.
Go for it girl!
All the best with it.
Hate the undercutters-beat them at their own game

By ripping yourself off? where does it end? doing it for free maybe?

In a recent thread I posted I would've done the job for free.
As it happened it I didn't have to.
The estate pays very well. The last thing I needed was some tw@ charging 'dole money'
I'm not subsidising my business with benefits.
I work hard and claim nothing.
The dossers and wasters working for FA can F off!
If the guy got in on one job he could've taken more.
I already subsidise his crap life by paying tax.
As if I'm going to let him take money from my pocket.

Sorry Darren you have lost me on this one, how would you stop him taking work by doing one house
for free.
Does the fact that he was only able to get one house on the estate not tell you something.
On domestic properties undercutting does not lose you work unless your horrendously overpriced
or doing an inferior job.
What if this customer had taken you up on this offer and another neighbour had found out, do you
think that they would have been happy being treated differently to another customer.
If you lose a customer to an undercutter then that customer isn't worth having and the same goes to any
that follow.
I think Susan should have walked away and got better work elsewhere.
The customer now knows that if they can get a lower price then you will try to beat it,
so they will be actively trying to do this in future.

[p1w1]

theres good money to be had on regular hallway cleaning in blocks of flats from what i see

Not if your doing it for free

[Dave Willis]

How can your hubbies labour be free - is he nuts too? Does he clean for a hobby? A weeks labour and £140
He'd be better off working in Macdonalds surely?  

Have you broken the news to him that he's actually working for nothing?

[bobplum]

does sound like you have cut your nose off to spite your face, i think thats how granny use to say it
as mentioned the only people who have probably gained is the block management company

Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity

[TheWindowManChris]

does sound like you have cut your nose off to spite your face, i think thats how granny use to say it
as mentioned the only people who have probably gained is the block management company

Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity

I make Management companies sign a contract with me to clean it.   I charge one stair £1200 for 3 story block and I use use WFP.    They tried to cancel and I said your Termination fee would be £1200 as there was a guy who was under cutting me by £100 however that was a few months ago and they just signed a new contract at £1200 again for 1 year!

As Bob said 'Profit is sanity'   

p.s I sometimes under cut other cleaners just to p them off.   I got a women on ground floor about 4 windows OAP home for £1.50 and she always makes lads cup tea, sandwiches & biscuits and normally pay in £18 for the year!   I did that just to p off the other guy coz he does same to me.

[windowswashed]

Never match an undercutter as chances are the customer gets peed off with a crap job from undercutter and comes back eventually at a higher price.....good things come to those who wait and do a good job, stuff the undercutters. I have a set minimum price and that's the bottom line, wont budge an inch on prices for no undercutters.