[steve m]

they have the same sort of agreement in aylebury. I was told by one w/c'er over there that they all got together, agreed "patches" and set their own prices so that they all charge the same rate for the same size house, and if you try to move in on a patch, or undercut one of them, you then have ALL the window cleaners coming down hard, not just one. Whether its true or not I dont know, but I aint got the bottle to find out

[Paul Coleman]

You can`t have it all to yourself,i have half of it LOL.

Ok ok.  I'll take the West and you can have the East.

[Ian Lancaster]

I'm very glad to say that in all my years I've never come across this problem.   If I did though, how about this for a response?:

Listen, sonny, how long have you been in this business?  I've been cleaning windows all over Noth Kent for nearly 40 years now........


You're on MY patch.

[NWH]

That suits me Shiner,i`ll keep the east.Get orrrrrrfffffff my laaaaaaaaand.

[Biscute]

I think you miss understood my post, I was simply telling Dave how the other guy probably saw it. It was not my point of veiw or opinion, or ment to strat a debate, it was a reply to a question someone asked and to try and clear up what Dave might of thought.

[davids3511]

Hi WCR

It is an affluent area in Cheshire. The average house price on the estate is £300000. It isn't a council estate.

David

[danny mckim]

Think we are all going to have to agree that in certain areas you can canvass even if a windowcleaner has about 90% of the work you are entitled to canvass and hope some other customers jump ship, where in other areas  where the windowcleaners have most of it tied up you accept you were too slow and the other windowcleaner deserves some praise for doing his best to stay in top of his work and build a decent wee round.I would also give this guy a massive pat on the back and using his brain by doing the showhouse for free, soon he will have the lot and also the people who move into the showhouse. This is not a dig at anyone just an opinion.
 
                          Danny

[Nathanael Jones]

Biscute had a point though about the pricing. In my limited experience of housing estates the customers are mainly interested in price. Nothing more.
Quality customers and prices seem to be few and far between on estates.
Always playing wc's off of each other for the cheapest price.
As you will begin to notice when you've had a presence on them for a while.

I intentionally quote higher than other window cleaners in my area, and I'm never short of work. My customers usually come to me when their old shiner disappears or comes only when the mood takes him. If you offer a professional and regular service (And I think most people on here do), then price should have little to do with building your round.
Maybe I'm just lucky that my competition aren't all that!

[Sanity]

My roundapparently (so I have been told by customers) strays onto the patches of three other window cleaners.  Only one has stoped and asked me about the house I am doing.  when I told him my price, he was astonished that I was charging a tenner and he was charging 3 quid and I still got asked by word of mouth to do the job.  He then went on to try and sell me his round!!

All I gotta say is that there are more than enough windows for everybody, and estates is where new wc tend to start (i am currently at this stage).  People moving into and out of estates all the time, and as long as your quality is better, then you will get the few quality customers...

Tell this guy who threatened you to ball off and bounce.

[williamx]

Send him a text message that you are passing his details to the DSS and Tax Man, and do it.

Also post his number here so we can all have our windows cleaned free of charge.