[richard groves]

Just had a text from a customer informing me he had a flyer through with a cheaper price.
The thing is , its a flat and I only recently started cleaning the flat above. I got that one because another wc mate had cleaned it and told me my customer had complained because I had only cleaned his a few days before, subsequently he gave the new customer up to me and I passed a job to him on another block that he cleans. I don't consider myself to be expensive but the other quote was over a third cheaper and lower than I would be willing to go. Have you ever dropped your price to keep the work ?

[SeanK]

You have answered your own question, you don't consider yourself to be too expensive.
So then why would a loyal customer want to go elsewhere ? the answer is they wouldn't.
Even if you did drop your price tomorrow some other guy is going to come along later on with a cheaper price
still so where does it end.

[gary999]

Nope!

[richard groves]

The point is , if I were not to reduce my price ( not necessarily match the quote ) then I will risk losing the flat above or certainly cause issues as they had already been raised, hence why I acquired both customers .

[Pure Shine]

stick to your guns and let him go customers like that are not worth having keep doing the one above if u loose it its not gonna bankrupt your business crap customers come and go good ones stay . I recently had someone knock all my customers in an area I do and offer almost half price .never lost one customer loyal customers are the way forward.

[Ian101]

Im assuming text went summit like this

from customer "hi Gordon just letting you know I had a leaflet thru door offering to clean windows for £XX"

if so then my reply would have been "thanks for information ... ive seen his quality and if I was as bad as him then I would charge that as well ..... fortunately I do a proper job of glass, sills and frames so can charge that little bit more after all missus pennypinchertightarse quality costs   have a great weekend ... Gordon "the ace" windie xx

[Ian101]

and if they didn't like that then see ya love ..... no doubt you will pick up at least 1 new customer within the week

[Soupy]

Nope!

Yup.

I mean nope.

[Pure Shine]

oh my god ima victim of the same crime just now lol .I just received a text saying as u did not reply to my e mail asking u to price match a recent quote I had I assume u cant match it so I will go with them lmao its a
500000 house and I was charging 35 how much cheaper could u get.

[richard groves]

Well thanks for the replies but it would seem I have broken the cardinal rule of the window cleaning illuminati and slightly ammended my price ( not matched it ), to one we are both happy with. It takes perhaps 30 % longer to clean both flats as oppose to one allowing time for parking , setting up and packing away. So by my reckoning its not worth upsetting the apple cart, losing one and possibly causing future problems for the other or opening an opportunity to lose both to another cleaner.

[PoleKing]

I dropped my price once.
When it came to the next clean she paid the original price.
I reminded her that the price had been dropped, she said nah-I decided to keep to the original price, you're worth it!
I was amazed.

[DeLuce]

I dropped my price once.
When it came to the next clean she paid the original price.
I reminded her that the price had been dropped, she said nah-I decided to keep to the original price, you're worth it!
I was amazed.

  probably coz you look like David Ginola!!

[PoleKing]

I dropped my price once.
When it came to the next clean she paid the original price.
I reminded her that the price had been dropped, she said nah-I decided to keep to the original price, you're worth it!
I was amazed.

  probably coz you look like David Ginola!!

Lol-more like Gary Lineker (check my website)i

[zeontech]

Gordon, my advice would be to either drop your price and accept that not all work is priced right (  most of my work £56k turnover - is well priced but the odd job isn't) or go canvass some new work at the right price. The best solution is probably to canvass anyway and then drop the cheap job if it gets on your nerves doing it.
hope this helps. best wishes tony

[SeanK]

I think you have been played Gordon, this chancer knows that you need to clean his to do the one above
so is using it to his advantage.
So now that you have dropped your price what will happen if others in the same flats ask you to clean theirs,
do you clean them all at the lower price or at your original price ?
What will happen if the one above finds out that your doing the one below cheaper and want their price dropped
also ?
What would happen if some customers elsewhere find out that you can be pushed into dropping your price, I know
that this is unlikely but do you see where I coming from.
You cant let customers bully you into price dropping with threats of going elsewhere, for a start its not fair on your
good loyal customers that they are now paying more just for being good customers.

[richard groves]

I think you have been played Gordon, this chancer knows that you need to clean his to do the one above
so is using it to his advantage.
So now that you have dropped your price what will happen if others in the same flats ask you to clean theirs,
do you clean them all at the lower price or at your original price ?
What will happen if the one above finds out that your doing the one below cheaper and want their price dropped
also ?
What would happen if some customers elsewhere find out that you can be pushed into dropping your price, I know
that this is unlikely but do you see where I coming from.
You cant let customers bully you into price dropping with threats of going elsewhere, for a start its not fair on your
good loyal customers that they are now paying more just for being good customers.

Fair comment Sean
I've not been played though.
The flat above has only been cleaned twice by myself, both times he was not home and would not have known about it.
I asked who the cheaper quote was from and he was upfront  and texted a photo through of the flyer with price on, a similarly established cleaning firm that I am aware of.
He was happy with my slight reduction in price as he did not really want to cancel and considered it "bad form". A little bit of compromise has worked still in my favor on this occasion . 2 easy jobs that pay online same day. If this were to become more frequent I would take a different view but I think it is an isolated incident.

[SeanK]

Sorry Gordon I misread your original post, I thought its was the lower floor that was looking the cheaper
quote.
I see where you coming from now.

[richard groves]

Sorry Gordon I misread your original post, I thought its was the lower floor that was looking the cheaper
quote.
I see where you coming from now.

No you didn't misread, it is the lower flat that has been price dropped .

[8weekly]

Sorry Gordon I misread your original post, I thought its was the lower floor that was looking the cheaper
quote.
I see where you coming from now.

No you didn't misread, it is the lower flat that has been price dropped .

I wouldn't have done it. Same as I don't discount because I do next door's. Just because I do next door this month, doesn't mean I will still be doing it next month. Customers are fickle.

[slap bash]

Ask your customer the following questions:
Does he the customer believe all window cleaners produce the same results?
 Do all window cleaner  the frames like you do?
Are all window cleaners regular and polite like you are? Then tell him you take pride in What you do and not prepared to negotiate a lower price and result.
All you need to do is raise a doubt  as to what he might get looking for better.