[Sunshine Cleaning]

Quote From Mike:

Tendering for work is not the best way to get good profitable business unless you don't intend to offer the full service they require.

The way contract cleaners get around this for office work is by offering a Gold, Silver and Bronze service. That way if the customer goes for a low quote, the contractor has already lowered the expectations of the client. Maybe it's worth considering for window cleaning!?

It works for us when we sell WFP systems - they can have Concept 2o, Ionic or Brodex 

Regards

Mike

How could this be done with window cleaning?

[S.Carpenter]

well, u could offer to do a crap job for nothing....or a good job for a lot.....

Seriously, maybe a 'Gold' Service could include a 24hr guarantee that you will return and redo any windows they are not satisfied with, of course you're always gonna the clean the windows to the best standards, but this way you get extra money for them.

A bronze service might be not doing the frames.

To be honest, I dont think this is a good idea for window cleaning. Your better off just finding out exactly what the customer wants and them quote accordingly.

[Tosh]

Stewart (Sunshine),

I once priced up a big posh hotel/golf club/fitness spar; it was really big and would've taken me and another window cleaner at least two days per week to get round it all within a month.

Anyway, we didn't get the job and I found out OCS were continuing to do the job at HALF the price we quoted.

Then I had the chance to do three big care homes and quoted a fair price for a high-quality job; and never got any of the jobs.  Other window cleaners went in cheaper.

I asked here how this could be done.

I found out that on big jobs, you have to prioritise what needs cleaning, making public areas and the management offices number 1; then just checking the lesser priority stuff; missing them if they don't need doing.

Anyway, the guy who posted the advise received a bit of flak, but just stated that this was common practice for big jobs on a budget.

But it sounds like common-sense to me.

In future, when asked to do a big job I really want, I'll go in with a low quote and do a shoddy job.  If I get sacked, I've lost nothing, but with a bit of common-sense; I bet I can still keep the job and still make it profitable to me.

[steve k]

Brodex will not be happy with your award of a bronze...

[AuRavelling79]

Stewart (Sunshine),

I once priced up a big posh hotel/golf club/fitness spar;

Is that like a supermarket with bedrooms and sports facilities, Tosh? 

[steve k]

Tosh...
I read that post you refer to and although accepting its validity...I was amused to read the signature on the avatar: "we dont cut corners, we clean them"

I have a friend who does commercial window cleaning and I seen one of his colleagues vans in a big retail park near to me..I had a good, train spotters look at the set up in his van and it was MINGING!!!!
I spoke to my mate about this and he said he gets a 12 month contract...cleans the first couple of cleans good and then does not even bother to purify his water...it is straight out the tap...he said this is the only way he can make money as it is so undercut that quality is the last priority...getting as much time out of a contract is the main thing and then move onto another contract if they get the sack...

[Ladders]

Tosh...
I read that post you refer to and although accepting its validity...I was amused to read the signature on the avatar: "we dont cut corners, we clean them"

I have a friend who does commercial window cleaning and I seen one of his colleagues vans in a big retail park near to me..I had a good, train spotters look at the set up in his van and it was MINGING!!!!
I spoke to my mate about this and he said he gets a 12 month contract...cleans the first couple of cleans good and then does not even bother to purify his water...

Steve do you do any contract work ?

[steve k]

no...just domestic and a couple of schools.