[The Jester of Wibbly]

Two quotes this week lost due to being beaten by ridiculously low pricing.

One job was a large commercial building - 2-3 hours work.  Was quoted just £25 by another w/c.   

Another was a large B&B three floors around 30 windows Plus large conservatory.  Was quoted at £12 by another w/c.

They must be cutting corners somewhere.  Or I'm too expensive?    Rant over!

[PoleKing]

Two quotes this week lost due to being beaten by ridiculously low pricing.

One job was a large commercial building - 2-3 hours work.  Was quoted just £25 by another w/c.   

Another was a large B&B three floors around 30 windows Plus large conservatory.  Was quoted at £12 by another w/c.

They must be cutting corners somewhere.  Or I'm too expensive?    Rant over!

No, you're not.

Think how annoyed you'd be if you got the job at that price.
Those are less than minimum wage prices.
You can't run a business like that.
You can top up your dole/DLA/jobseekers etc.

Don't be annoyed you didn't get them. You should be overjoyed.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Two quotes this week lost due to being beaten by ridiculously low pricing.

One job was a large commercial building - 2-3 hours work.  Was quoted just £25 by another w/c.  

Another was a large B&B three floors around 30 windows Plus large conservatory.  Was quoted at £12 by another w/c.

They must be cutting corners somewhere.  Or I'm too expensive?    Rant over!

No, you're not.

Think how annoyed you'd be if you got the job at that price.
Those are less than minimum wage prices.
You can't run a business like that.
You can top up your dole/DLA/jobseekers etc.

Don't be annoyed you didn't get them. You should be overjoyed.

Too right.  I await another call later down the line when the winter kicks in.  Will probably just tell them I'm too busy now

My frustration is that these cheap quotes are setting the mind set on customers thoughts of pricing in the future.   I wonder what the B&B would think if they had a resident cancel saying they found another B&B for £4 a night

[HampshireWindowCleaning]

I find it strange these penny pinching companies, surely they can claim window cleaning as an expense so why employ these cheapo mugs that don't have a clue what they are doing, have no insurance etc.

[PoleKing]

Two quotes this week lost due to being beaten by ridiculously low pricing.

One job was a large commercial building - 2-3 hours work.  Was quoted just £25 by another w/c.   

Another was a large B&B three floors around 30 windows Plus large conservatory.  Was quoted at £12 by another w/c.

They must be cutting corners somewhere.  Or I'm too expensive?    Rant over!

No, you're not.

Think how annoyed you'd be if you got the job at that price.
Those are less than minimum wage prices.
You can't run a business like that.
You can top up your dole/DLA/jobseekers etc.

Don't be annoyed you didn't get them. You should be overjoyed.

Too right.  I await another call later down the line when the winter kicks in.  Will probably just tell them I'm too busy now

My frustration is that these cheap quotes are setting the mind set for customers for the future.   I wonder what the B&B would think if they had a resident cancel saying they found another B&B for £4 a night

Where are you mate?
Unless in somewhere like middlesborough (no offence intended) i think the property owners will be fully aware of how much of a cheap deal they're getting.
They probably think along the lines of 'we'll give him a punt and chuck him if he is absolutely awful' in reality if they porthole all the windows trad but the've only gotta pay a fiver for a full days work, some people would, and do, take that.

[David stewart]

Same here mate, got work in a local town. Started off with a call and canvassed a bit and it eventually grew to a days work a week, then started getting calls and texts saying can ya leave it, doing them myself now etc.
then one of my customers produced a leaflet of a recent start up and told me he is charging half what I and others in the area who I know do. I told her if I was to work for those prices I'd have stayed working in a kitchen factory and not forked out thousands on a van and equipment. Funnily enough she came up with a complaint that a vent has started leaking and she wouldn't be needing my services anymore. I regularly pass and she def still has them done so I take it she went with this sniper.
My work there has basically dwindled to nothing in that area now, I cannot understand how they can make a living for those prices unless as already has been mentioned its to top up their dole. And what can ya do about it ruling out calling round and having it out with him?
Very frustrating 

[Tom White]

There's millions of windows out there and a window cleaner can only clean so many of them, which gives us plenty of scope to find customers who're willing to pay a fair price for a fair service.

Target the rural accounts!  Big houses with people with a few bob to spare, who like pleasant window cleaners who they think won't rob them.

(Not around Chepstow though; they're all mine.)

[rosskesava]

2 weeks ago I quoted a stupidly high price for a very, very large house because I didn't want the job. The windows were all those fake Georgian windows but all double glazed. In total, thousands of 6" X 8" panes.

To my complete and utter surprise he accepted the quote.

He'd had the windows done a few weeks before hand by a splash and dash wfp'er who quoted a third what I quoted. The bloke did the windows in about an hour and what a mess. I did the windows today and it took me 6 hours solid and I can now hardly lift my arms.

I now have an extremely well paying job every 6 weeks and the lady of the house is as pleased as punch to have 'sparkly windows'.

This is now the 5th time I've quoted an OTT price because I don't need or want the work and the 3rd time it's been accepted.

There are people prepared to pay extra for a quality job.

[dazmond]

Two quotes this week lost due to being beaten by ridiculously low pricing.

One job was a large commercial building - 2-3 hours work.  Was quoted just £25 by another w/c.   

Another was a large B&B three floors around 30 windows Plus large conservatory.  Was quoted at £12 by another w/c.

They must be cutting corners somewhere.  Or I'm too expensive?    Rant over!

leave em to it mate but if they ring you in a few months still quote but put in a proper price and do a good job and you could keep the jobs for years.good price,good job,be reliable,printed invoices,online payments etc.

trust me these guys will soon get bored of earning £25 for 2 or 3 hours work!they wont last 2 mins!thats where you come in!!

[The Jester of Wibbly]

trust me these guys will soon get bored of earning £25 for 2 or 3 hours work!they wont last 2 mins!thats where you come in!!

True, but I think the above needs to be explained to the customer.  Sometimes they don't realise that's why their window cleaner stopped turning up. 

This week I picked up a garden centre; the previous window cleaners had went in cheap; then provided a shoddy service and rarely turned up; obviously on their B List.  I explained it to the manager and he nodded in agreement.

We stuck in a decent price and we got the job at a very good frequency too.

Some good points from everyone, glad we're on the same page.

I did explain the difference between quality and price to them.  Said corners are being cut as to be a fully insured, CRB checked, tax paying business with the correct equipment, that price could not be achieved. 

If price is more important than quality and reliability, then I'm not the w/c for them. 

[Scrimble]

i just lost a big house with tennis courts, range rovers on the drive etc custy said they are happy with my service and have been for 4 years but they have found someone else who has quoted them less than half, they are going to "try him out" and if they are not happy they will give me a call,

cheapskates

[Ian101]

i just lost a big house with tennis courts, range rovers on the drive etc custy said they are happy with my service and have been for 4 years but they have found someone else who has quoted them less than half, they are going to "try him out" and if they are not happy they will give me a call,

cheapskates

will u take em back

[C o z y]

Had a guy move into one of the MOD areas we work recently. He was all over Facebook explaing that he wanted to start a window cleaning round here like "in UK". Two weekly tour, €5 a pop, for 2 and 3 bed semi's.
We charge €15 a pop for these houses, on a 6 weekly basis. So he costs the same as us, but has to do 3 times the work.
Never seemed to get off the ground. People want a window cleaner, and if available, one that's known and trusted and does a decent job. They mistrust "cheap", as most know, if they swap for a cheaper guy, the chances are, you won't take them back.
I'm limited in the amount of Brit custies I can get, but even I don't worry about guys like this.
There are millions of properties in UK who need a window cleaner. You have all managed to get some customers. Why have you stopped getting customers? Go and keep getting customers, and then trim the crap off your round.
The answer to most "problems" with customers is: get more customers. Keep things simple.

[LT carpet cleaning]

Same here mate, got work in a local town. Started off with a call and canvassed a bit and it eventually grew to a days work a week, then started getting calls and texts saying can ya leave it, doing them myself now etc.
then one of my customers produced a leaflet of a recent start up and told me he is charging half what I and others in the area who I know do. I told her if I was to work for those prices I'd have stayed working in a kitchen factory and not forked out thousands on a van and equipment. Funnily enough she came up with a complaint that a vent has started leaking and she wouldn't be needing my services anymore. I regularly pass and she def still has them done so I take it she went with this sniper.
My work there has basically dwindled to nothing in that area now, I cannot understand how they can make a living for those prices unless as already has been mentioned its to top up their dole. And what can ya do about it ruling out calling round and having it out with him?
Very frustrating 

Have it out with him?? Just because you don't like his prices?

[SB Cleaning]

i just lost a big house with tennis courts, range rovers on the drive etc custy said they are happy with my service and have been for 4 years but they have found someone else who has quoted them less than half, they are going to "try him out" and if they are not happy they will give me a call,

cheapskates

will u take em back

I wouldn't! !

[Ian101]

Me neither as will probably drop u again for the next cheap price

[David stewart]

Same here mate, got work in a local town. Started off with a call and canvassed a bit and it eventually grew to a days work a week, then started getting calls and texts saying can ya leave it, doing them myself now etc.
then one of my customers produced a leaflet of a recent start up and told me he is charging half what I and others in the area who I know do. I told her if I was to work for those prices I'd have stayed working in a kitchen factory and not forked out thousands on a van and equipment. Funnily enough she came up with a complaint that a vent has started leaking and she wouldn't be needing my services anymore. I regularly pass and she def still has them done so I take it she went with this sniper.
My work there has basically dwindled to nothing in that area now, I cannot understand how they can make a living for those prices unless as already has been mentioned its to top up their dole. And what can ya do about it ruling out calling round and having it out with him?
Very frustrating 

Have it out with him?? Just because you don't like his prices?

No because he's intentionally canvassing other window cleaners work and undercutting us. Myself and others I've spoken to go by the rule that if you knock a door and ask "do you have a window cleaner?" If they have one most have the decency to say that's fine, thanks for your time but not this person in particular...

[LT carpet cleaning]

Same here mate, got work in a local town. Started off with a call and canvassed a bit and it eventually grew to a days work a week, then started getting calls and texts saying can ya leave it, doing them myself now etc.
then one of my customers produced a leaflet of a recent start up and told me he is charging half what I and others in the area who I know do. I told her if I was to work for those prices I'd have stayed working in a kitchen factory and not forked out thousands on a van and equipment. Funnily enough she came up with a complaint that a vent has started leaking and she wouldn't be needing my services anymore. I regularly pass and she def still has them done so I take it she went with this sniper.
My work there has basically dwindled to nothing in that area now, I cannot understand how they can make a living for those prices unless as already has been mentioned its to top up their dole. And what can ya do about it ruling out calling round and having it out with him?
Very frustrating  

Have it out with him?? Just because you don't like his prices?

No because he's intentionally canvassing other window cleaners work and undercutting us. Myself and others I've spoken to go by the rule that if you knock a door and ask "do you have a window cleaner?" If they have one most have the decency to say that's fine, thanks for your time but not this person in particular...

Ah, I see. The only problem is (putting etiquette to one side) unless a binding contract is signed, the customer can go with whoever they choose. But I agree, it's sneaky and I imagine very frustrating tho.

[G Griffin]

This problem is due to the Mafia getting involved in window cleaning.
Be careful if having it out with them.

[SeanK]

Same here mate, got work in a local town. Started off with a call and canvassed a bit and it eventually grew to a days work a week, then started getting calls and texts saying can ya leave it, doing them myself now etc.
then one of my customers produced a leaflet of a recent start up and told me he is charging half what I and others in the area who I know do. I told her if I was to work for those prices I'd have stayed working in a kitchen factory and not forked out thousands on a van and equipment. Funnily enough she came up with a complaint that a vent has started leaking and she wouldn't be needing my services anymore. I regularly pass and she def still has them done so I take it she went with this sniper.
My work there has basically dwindled to nothing in that area now, I cannot understand how they can make a living for those prices unless as already has been mentioned its to top up their dole. And what can ya do about it ruling out calling round and having it out with him?
Very frustrating  

Have it out with him?? Just because you don't like his prices?

No because he's intentionally canvassing other window cleaners work and undercutting us. Myself and others I've spoken to go by the rule that if you knock a door and ask "do you have a window cleaner?" If they have one most have the decency to say that's fine, thanks for your time but not this person in particular...

Ah, I see. The only problem is (putting etiquette to one side) unless a binding contract is signed, the customer can go with whoever they choose. But I agree, it's sneaky and I imagine very frustrating tho.

Have to disagree there's nothing sneaky about it.
Is it sneaky when Tesco's check out Asda's prices and then undercut them, no its what happens in business.
Don't think its a good way to build a window cleaning round but each to their own.