[Perfect Windows]

I must say I love people telling me that we can't charge what we do and that we'll either not get customers or we'll lose them or we'll not make money servicing them.  I've been listening to that for five years.

Those statements all fly in the face of the reality, which is that since June 2013 we have gone from one van on the road to five.  So, it is possible.

And, by the way, our pricing is on our website and every leaflet we send out so our customers know what they will pay before they call.  We're not conning them into high prices with high-pressure sales tactics.  They come willingly.

Vin

P.S. Assume in your answers that I already know I'm wrong.

[Frankybadboy]

 Love the replies vin

But your still wrong,just can't educate pork lol

[Spruce]

Love the replies vin

But your still wrong, just can't educate pork lol

 

I find this such an interesting thread.

The way I see it is that Vin's franchisor start up fee covers all the equipment the franchisee will need to run his business. If  he starts a completely new business from scratch , he will still need a sign written van, a pole, an r/o, etc. which he needs to buy.  He will then have to find work as well as learn how to manage his business, usually by trail and error.

I would be more than happy to give an up front amount to the franchisor for supplying me the right equipment first time, full on the job and business management training and a full daily worksheet from day one. Actually, Vin is only asking a 20% royalty fee for every clean his franchisee does. All those other costs the franchisee would have to pay for anyway. In fact it would probably cost him more if you consider some of the newbie questions that get asked on this forum.

I'm a typical example of this. I would have been in a much better position in those early days had I got the right equipment to do the job from day one.

[Tom-01]

Love the replies vin

But your still wrong, just can't educate pork lol

 

I find this such an interesting thread.

The way I see it is that Vin's franchisor start up fee covers all the equipment the franchisee will need to run his business. If  he starts a completely new business from scratch , he will still need a sign written van, a pole, an r/o, etc. which he needs to buy.  He will then have to find work as well as learn how to manage his business, usually by trail and error.

I would be more than happy to give an up front amount to the franchisor for supplying me the right equipment first time, full on the job and business management training and a full daily worksheet from day one. Actually, Vin is only asking a 20% royalty fee for every clean his franchisee does. All those other costs the franchisee would have to pay for anyway. In fact it would probably cost him more if you consider some of the newbie questions that get asked on this forum.

I'm a typical example of this. I would have been in a much better position in those early days had I got the right equipment to do the job from day one.

Playing Devils advocate here Spruce... Do you think you would still be a franchisee if you had gone down that route originally or would you have gone on your own by now?

[8weekly]

I'm sure there's plenty out there who're willing to pay £27.00 for a three bed semi. Funny how they all live in Southampton. Anyway, charging those rates you're leaving yourself wide open to being undercut.  Sure some won't jump ship but a good percentage will.

But you're missing the point of my post.  These are all people who have had enough of cleaners who were cheaper.  They don't want the hassle of replacing their cleaner because he's given up over the winter/ got a job in a warehouse / gone inside / got bored / decided he'll only come if the pub's shut and there isn't an "R" in the month.

Your statement that a "good percentage" will jump ship flies in the face of our experience over the past five years.  It's only 12-weekly customers who are charged that much and we lose a staggeringly small number of them.  Six-weekly, yes we lose some, but very few 12-weekly.

It's easy to convince yourself that price matters but it's not always so.

Ask yourself, do you drive the cheapest car it's possible to buy?  Why not?

Vin

I have had this conversation numerous times but some will not budge and continue to believe that a customer will jump ship as soon as someone cheaper comes along. There also seems to be a mistaken belief that customers get numerous quotes for window cleaning. Simply not true. Generally if the customer thinks your price is reasonable and your face doesn't offend them, you get the job.

[Perfect Windows]

I have had this conversation numerous times but some will not budge and continue to believe that a customer will jump ship as soon as someone cheaper comes along. There also seems to be a mistaken belief that customers get numerous quotes for window cleaning. Simply not true. Generally if the customer thinks your price is reasonable and your face doesn't offend them, you get the job.

Plus, once you've cleaned three or four times, done a good job and not kicked the cat, they'd sooner chop off their little finger than drop you for an unknown.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

...a full daily worksheet from day one...

Spruce, thanks for your kind comments.  Just to clarify this - the franchisee starts with about a quarter-full round.  From there it's about three or four months to fairly full.  A year or two later it's time to go to full to the brim.  The gap is to get the franchisee up to speed with time to deal with problems and fit enough to go at it full time (the franchisees aren't in the first flush of youth - younger than me, though).

Vin

[KS Cleaning]

I'm sure there's plenty out there who're willing to pay £27.00 for a three bed semi. Funny how they all live in Southampton. Anyway, charging those rates you're leaving yourself wide open to being undercut.  Sure some won't jump ship but a good percentage will.

But you're missing the point of my post.  These are all people who have had enough of cleaners who were cheaper.  They don't want the hassle of replacing their cleaner because he's given up over the winter/ got a job in a warehouse / gone inside / got bored / decided he'll only come if the pub's shut and there isn't an "R" in the month.

Your statement that a "good percentage" will jump ship flies in the face of our experience over the past five years.  It's only 12-weekly customers who are charged that much and we lose a staggeringly small number of them.  Six-weekly, yes we lose some, but very few 12-weekly.

It's easy to convince yourself that price matters but it's not always so.

Ask yourself, do you drive the cheapest car it's possible to buy?  Why not?

Vin

The bit about the car is silly, no comparison what so ever.

[Clever Forum Name]

Do you sell a franchise kit Vin? Or considered it? Or do it?

[SeanK]

Sean, you're delusional at times. To think that you wouldn't find another customer willing to pay £27 for a 12 weekly clean (£117 per year) within let's say a forty minute drive, assuming the house takes 20 minutes to clean is ridiculous.

My average customer pays over £200 annually for window cleaning. That's not a boast, I'm merely  stating what people are prepared to pay for a certain level of service.

This thread seems to have been hijacked somewhat anyway.  In response to the original question, you need a grafter, that's prepared to work in all weathers (within reason) that can sustain a good quality clean in volume, all day every day.  Chances are he's going to know you're house prices, which is going to get his little brain ticking over, working out how much money he is earning you each day.  So unless you pay him well, he'll walk or cheat or try to set up while working for you.  Just my opinion   

How do you call getting your windows cleaned 3 or 4 times a year good service, the windows will be dirty for 90% of
the year.
Yes my customers also pay around £150 to £200 quid a year but for that they don't have to wait until they cant see though
the glass before they get cleaned.
Some nonsense talked on here at times.

[Perfect Windows]

The bit about the car is silly, no comparison what so ever.

Why are people so utterly, tediously literal on the Internet?

Let's assume that what you've said is correct and, for some reason cars are outside the world of not buying the cheapest you can find.  Use your imagination.

Do you have the cheapest jeans it's possible to buy?
Do you have the cheapest shoes it's possible to buy?
Do you have the cheapest carpet it's possible to buy?
Do you take your car to the cheapest garage available?
Do you use the cheapest tyres it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest plumber available?
Do you buy the cheapest TV it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest window cleaning equipment available (IKEA sell a squeegee for 95p)?
Do you buy the cheapest beer it's possible to buy?
Do you buy the cheapest food it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest builder available?
Do you go to the cheapest restaurant in your area?
Etc, etc. Repeat a thousand times for all the things you purchase.

Hopefully at least one of those might just strike you as not "silly".  In which case, think if there ever might be a time that you didn't just buy on price.

See, there's the point I was (pretty obviously) making.  Well done.  Customers are the same.  They. Do. Not. Buy. Solely. On. Price.  Nobody does.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

Do you sell a franchise kit Vin? Or considered it? Or do it?

No I don't.  I'm an Ian Lancaster disciple.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

How do you call getting your windows cleaned 3 or 4 times a year good service, the windows will be dirty for 90% of
the year.
Yes my customers also pay around £150 to £200 quid a year but for that they don't have to wait until they cant see though
the glass before they get cleaned.
Some nonsense talked on here at times.

Clearly it's a service level that people prefer, as 2/3 of our customers choose 12-weekly rather than 6-weekly.  Giving people what they freely choose might be considered as "good service".

12-weekly is not "3 or 4 times a year".  It's 4.

If your claim is true and a clean every 12x7 days = 84 days leaves them dirty for 90% of the time, then customers' windows must be getting dirty in 8.4 days.  Do your customers live down coal mines?  If you clean every month then on the same basis (8.4 days to dirty) your customers are paying for their windows to be dirty for 72% of the time.  What a terrible service to pay "£150 - £200 a year" for.  Our customers would pay £108.

You are indeed correct about nonsense being talked on here.

Vin

[8weekly]

Sean, you're delusional at times. To think that you wouldn't find another customer willing to pay £27 for a 12 weekly clean (£117 per year) within let's say a forty minute drive, assuming the house takes 20 minutes to clean is ridiculous.

My average customer pays over £200 annually for window cleaning. That's not a boast, I'm merely  stating what people are prepared to pay for a certain level of service.

This thread seems to have been hijacked somewhat anyway.  In response to the original question, you need a grafter, that's prepared to work in all weathers (within reason) that can sustain a good quality clean in volume, all day every day.  Chances are he's going to know you're house prices, which is going to get his little brain ticking over, working out how much money he is earning you each day.  So unless you pay him well, he'll walk or cheat or try to set up while working for you.  Just my opinion   

How do you call getting your windows cleaned 3 or 4 times a year good service, the windows will be dirty for 90% of
the year.
Yes my customers also pay around £150 to £200 quid a year but for that they don't have to wait until they cant see though
the glass before they get cleaned.
Some nonsense talked on here at times.

If you are charging £15 for a 3 bed semi twelve times a year (which is what your figures suggest) then you are doing very well indeed. I am not worthy.  My customers won't pay that monthly, but they don't mind paying £17-£18 two monthly. I know they prefer £108 a year to £175.

[SeanK]

How do you call getting your windows cleaned 3 or 4 times a year good service, the windows will be dirty for 90% of
the year.
Yes my customers also pay around £150 to £200 quid a year but for that they don't have to wait until they cant see though
the glass before they get cleaned.
Some nonsense talked on here at times.

Clearly it's a service level that people prefer, as 2/3 of our customers choose 12-weekly rather than 6-weekly.  Giving people what they freely choose might be considered as "good service".

12-weekly is not "3 or 4 times a year".  It's 4.

If your claim is true and a clean every 12x7 days = 84 days leaves them dirty for 90% of the time, then customers' windows must be getting dirty in 8.4 days.  Do your customers live down coal mines?  If you clean every month then on the same basis (8.4 days to dirty) your customers are paying for their windows to be dirty for 72% of the time.  What a terrible service to pay "£150 - £200 a year" for.  Our customers would pay £108.

You are indeed correct about nonsense being talked on here.

Vin

Well yours must be under a dome because I have a few that get cleaned every 12 weeks and the windows are filthy.
Your not the guys who was offering a 12 week clean guarantee by any chance.

[KS Cleaning]

The bit about the car is silly, no comparison what so ever.

Why are people so utterly, tediously literal on the Internet?

Let's assume that what you've said is correct and, for some reason cars are outside the world of not buying the cheapest you can find.  Use your imagination.

Do you have the cheapest jeans it's possible to buy?
Do you have the cheapest shoes it's possible to buy?
Do you have the cheapest carpet it's possible to buy?
Do you take your car to the cheapest garage available?
Do you use the cheapest tyres it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest plumber available?
Do you buy the cheapest TV it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest window cleaning equipment available (IKEA sell a squeegee for 95p)?
Do you buy the cheapest beer it's possible to buy?
Do you buy the cheapest food it's possible to buy?
Do you use the cheapest builder available?
Do you go to the cheapest restaurant in your area?
Etc, etc. Repeat a thousand times for all the things you purchase.

Hopefully at least one of those might just strike you as not "silly".  In which case, think if there ever might be a time that you didn't just buy on price.

See, there's the point I was (pretty obviously) making.  Well done.  Customers are the same.  They. Do. Not. Buy. Solely. On. Price.  Nobody does.

Vin

Ah, there we are, some better examples there in your condescending post.

[SeanK]

8 weekly I charge between £7 and £9 for a 3 bed semi depending on size 6 weekly but the majority of
my work is detached 4 or 5 bed at between £20 and £25 six weekly.
You see where I live people who live in 3 bed semi's don't have a fortune in earnings so if a shiner called at the door
asking for £27 for a 20 minute window clean 12 weekly or not they wouldn't be thinking well that's only £107 a year
they would be thinking this guy needs to get a grip.

[supernova77]

How do you call getting your windows cleaned 3 or 4 times a year good service, the windows will be dirty for 90% of
the year.
Yes my customers also pay around £150 to £200 quid a year but for that they don't have to wait until they cant see though
the glass before they get cleaned.
Some nonsense talked on here at times.

SeanK

What nonsense has Vin said in any of his posts?

The fact is he has 5 vans on the road and his customers are happy to pay his prices.

You should try and learn from some of the posts on here instead of putting them down all the time...

[supernova77]

You see where I live people who live in 3 bed semi's don't have a fortune in earnings so if a shiner called at the door
asking for £27 for a 20 minute window clean 12 weekly or not they wouldn't be thinking well that's only £107 a year
they would be thinking this guy needs to get a grip.

Fair enough... But that doesn't mean that others can't charge £27 for a 20 minute job!

[SeanK]

You see where I live people who live in 3 bed semi's don't have a fortune in earnings so if a shiner called at the door
asking for £27 for a 20 minute window clean 12 weekly or not they wouldn't be thinking well that's only £107 a year
they would be thinking this guy needs to get a grip.

Fair enough... But that doesn't mean that others can't charge £27 for a 20 minute job!

Mate I never said Vin didn't get or charge that amount, I'm just defending myself over sunshine windows remark,
saying I was delusional because I believed that I couldn't get those prices.