[Rogue Trader]

How much do you need to pay a window cleaner?

[smiler]

£50/day to someone whos desperate to work for you

[Moderator David@stives]

I reckon as a starting point £350 gross a week, forget the cash in hand stuff it will just lead to tears.

Dave

[Helen]

£350 gross a week is good money for window cleaning, but don't make it a set rate, build it as a low hourly rate, attendance bonus and a quality bonus against your standards being achieved. Ours are on £20k+ OTE with the above system.

[Paul Coleman]

£350 gross a week is good money for window cleaning, but don't make it a set rate, build it as a low hourly rate, attendance bonus and a quality bonus against your standards being achieved. Ours are on £20k+ OTE with the above system.

What part of the UK is your business in Helen as this can make a difference?

[Helen]

Southern to South East England, although sometimes South West when they move the county boundary lines!!!!

[Van the man]

I pay my guys "performance related", better for them, better for you. If they don`t work, they don`t get paid. If they get stuck in, they earn good money.
Once they do £120, we get half each, anything over that, they keep it. On average for a 9-5 day they earn between £60 - £100. Obviously, these figures are only a guide, it depends where you work and what you charge, but the principle still works. If at the end of the week, I`ve received my £300, then they can work Saturdays and keep all the money.
In my experience, when it`s not performance related, there`s no incentive for them to get grafting, as, they`ll get the same money regardless.

[Helen]

very generous van the man! do they use your vehicles, equipment etc, your customers when they get "all" the income? Can we all work for you?

[Clive McDonald]

Both you ,Helen and Van man believe in motivating your employees. I think van man has explained this before when he used to be on here.
Both of your systems are excellent and well thought out. On balance I'm with Van, you are okay for a woman Helen, but if you don't mind me saying you are a bit of a control freak. I would prefer to work for Van, especially of I hit my targets I would think I was getting one over on him. The only way I could get one over on you would be by being deceitful (doing custy's you don't know about).

[dave0123]

Iv searched my local area on job centre to see what people are paying1 Its jus the mim wage from 5.35 somepaying 5.50 most around 6.00 an hour 1 7.00 per hour!!

Pritty low compaird to u guys

Dave

[Clive McDonald]

They are not talking about people who just turn up, they are talking about people who get stuck in.

[dave0123]

[They are not talking about people who just turn up, they are talking about people who get stuck in./quote]


I no! i was just saying what there advertising wages for around here!

[billozz]

I pay my guys "performance related", better for them, better for you. If they don`t work, they don`t get paid. If they get stuck in, they earn good money.
Once they do £120, we get half each, anything over that, they keep it. On average for a 9-5 day they earn between £60 - £100. Obviously, these figures are only a guide, it depends where you work and what you charge, but the principle still works. If at the end of the week, I`ve received my £300, then they can work Saturdays and keep all the money.
In my experience, when it`s not performance related, there`s no incentive for them to get grafting, as, they`ll get the same money regardless.

van when you say "once they reach 120 we get half each anything over that they keep it " do you mean you split the money with them up to £120 and then they keep anything above that. so if a guy earned £200 in a day you would get £60 and he would get £140 have i got that right
thanks
Bill

[Helen]

Hey Rainwater, I don't mind you saying that as obviously over a forum emotions etc don't show. Yeah I'm ok for a woman, but can match any of the staff we have as we believe in don't asking them to do what we can't! We have tried different ways of paying staff and at the moment this is working best for all. For example if they don't turn in for 5 days they lose £50 plus an average £56 per day and cos they don't work they can't achieve a quality bonus on top of that. We find that with this system they don't want to get one over as they are well happy with what they can earn The £20k OTE to the right person should be a minimum figure. A control freak..... not quite a freak, but yes controlling as we are running a business and without control it would go wrong. Weekend work...we do not schedule a lot of this as Monday to Friday we do work extremely hard and weekends are there for rest and relaxation, but when we do, we pay at £15 per hour with quality bonus. IF I were looking to work for someone though, on the face of it, because of the attitude I have Van's looks very good.

[nat]

Vans way to me looks to generous! sorry!! i pay a performance related scheme as well, if the jobs done right, they turn up every day, theres no complaints then they get maximum money, if something gives then the money is deducted accordingly. i'n my experience it sorts the wheat from the chaf and business is smooth (ish) 

[Clive McDonald]

Thanks for not getting the hump Helen, rereading i was being a bit rude, but where would be if we all went round being nice to each other all the time. I judge you (if i'm in a position to judge) by the quality of your thoughts, and these are amongst the top 5% on the forum.

I like to argue -debate, and put counter points. But I accept that employing no one and just having had my record day of £120, I am not an authority.

In general when you push someone, on this post or any other, they reveal more possibly than they sometimes intend to whether it be about themselves or the subject. It is some of these little glimpses and insights, often quite unexpected that enliven the forum.

[DASERVICES]

OCS pay £5.50 per hour and have the cheek to ask their employee to get their own ins and licence

[Lakes and Pennine]

I talked to an OCS guy when I was buying my wfp kit. He was grossing about 210 a week, not 2 days for me then trad. !!! Scandalous

[Trevor Knight]

Pay is an interesting subject.

In my early days I paid the average wages and found I suffered a high turnover of staff.

Now I pay way over the going rate and have a happy and loyal workforce who are on time, work hard and don't play games.

I guess its down to what you can afford to pay and what long term visions you have.

Remember, these guys are your lifeline, they represent you when out working and are responsible for thier actions. If you pay them peanuts then for a start they will soon work out how much money they have cleaned for you each week and then look at the pay they receive. This can lead to resentment and next thing you know they will be doing thier own PRIVATE customers behind your back.

If they work next to you they will then start thinking "oh, it's allright for him, raking in the money while I earn the average wage"!! Then you find they leave and set up on thier own leaving you in the deep end.

I would suggest paying them as much as you can, teach them the round and develop a good working realitionship with them. Lead by example and be prepared to do the horrible jobs with them. Show them you are on the same level and they will stick with you.

[Simon Carter]

Maybe this is another subject, but if you have a few working for you on the books, you are very soon over the VAT threshold.  Do you simply charge your residential clients VAT. Most window cleaners aren't VAT registered, which makes anyone who is 17.5% more expensive than most immediately.