[Conflagration2000]

Dean, don't get your knickers in a twist over this. I agree with you, I don't try to pinch other wc work and I deffo don't undercut. My view is there is plenty of work out there so there should be no need to poach work. That tactic might lead to tit for tat targeting of your customers and then your one step away from customers playing you off against the other guy to get a lower price, then we'll ALL be in the cack! Lets stick together, show a little respect to one another and we'll all prosper

[windowwashers]

Dean, don't get your knickers in a twist over this. I agree with you, I don't try to pinch other wc work and I deffo don't undercut. My view is there is plenty of work out there so there should be no need to poach work. That tactic might lead to tit for tat targeting of your customers and then your one step away from customers playing you off against the other guy to get a lower price, then we'll ALL be in the cack! Lets stick together, show a little respect to one another and we'll all prosper

great words, but unlikely to happen 

[Dean Aspects]

Dean, don't get your knickers in a twist over this.

 
Just re read this whole post and you are right i did get my knickers in a twist needlessly
I think we were trying to argue different sides of the same coin

Dean

[Jago]

Well OK what do you do if a potential custie says
they want you to do the job as you can reach the 3rd floor with your WFP system and the other cleaner can not do it. they also add that they have become a bit irregular and are happy to change even though you charge a couple of pound more?
What would you guys do?

[Trevor Knight]

Targeting another window cleaners work is a definate no no

Absolute rubbish! Window cleaning is like any other business, go out and try and get all the business you can.

You don't hear McDonalds saying "We can't open up in this area, theres a Burger King other the road"

your right MacDonalds don't say that but they also don't get their staff to stand outside Burger king's door saying don't go in there come over to us!!

Competition is healthy but one thing is for sure, you will succeed in this business far easier by making friends not enemies with the other window cleaners in your area. There are enough houses for everyone to make a living without deliberately taking work from each other?

Over the years i have lost count how many people try to undercut my work only to disappear shortly afterwards because they are working for peanuts??

I regularly pass on work to other window cleaners when i get enquiries from areas I am not covering and vice versa, we have enough problems to deal with in the weather, collecting etc...without fellow window cleaners deliberately targeting our work, just doesn't make any sense at all?

[Helen]

[quote
You knock, the householder says "No thank you, I've got one already"  So what are you going to do then?  Tell them they've got to move over to you or you'll bash 'em with an iron bar?

 

[Helen]

[quote
You can't poach another man's work unless you ask the customer how much they're paying, then offer to do it for less.  Anyone who does this is stupid, because they'll make enemies who could be very nasty, and the customers they gain won't be worth having because they'll drop you for the next one who comes along.

There are some that ask the ££ question just for this reason! But remember the customer may be paying £20.00 really, tell the canvasser £16.00 and then get told "i'll do it for £14.00"
Never ask potential custies for the price they are paying at the moment until you have done your assessement and formed your own price. In fact what is the point of asking anway...you are only there because you would like their business, so just go with your own pricing structure

[Conflagration2000]

Helen that is fantastic!!

I'm going to try that tomorrow, I'll let you know how I get on.


ps: Are you allowed internet access whilst in custody?

[Mhall]

your right MacDonalds don't say that but they also don't get their staff to stand outside Burger king's door saying don't go in there come over to us!!

Your missing the point Trevor, nobodies talking about trying to undercut and poach customers here, we are simply saying unless you followed a window cleaner around and noted his work, how could you possibly target it?

Were simply saying that there is no such thing as "my area" / "my patch"

[Paul Coleman]

Targeting another window cleaners work is a definate no no

Absolute rubbish! Window cleaning is like any other business, go out and try and get all the business you can.

You don't hear McDonalds saying "We can't open up in this area, theres a Burger King other the road"

your right MacDonalds don't say that but they also don't get their staff to stand outside Burger king's door saying don't go in there come over to us!!

Competition is healthy but one thing is for sure, you will succeed in this business far easier by making friends not enemies with the other window cleaners in your area. There are enough houses for everyone to make a living without deliberately taking work from each other?

Over the years i have lost count how many people try to undercut my work only to disappear shortly afterwards because they are working for peanuts??

I regularly pass on work to other window cleaners when i get enquiries from areas I am not covering and vice versa, we have enough problems to deal with in the weather, collecting etc...without fellow window cleaners deliberately targeting our work, just doesn't make any sense at all?

You're so right about keeping things sweet with other window cleaners Trevor.  A fair bit of work has come my way from other window cleaners who don't have a pole system.  I've even covered a couple of their holidays on their scheduled commercial work.  It's nice to have a good reputation for not being a poacher because word soon gets around if you don't play it straight.  As for gaining new domestic work, I have sometimes asked a new customer how much their previous window cleaner charged.  I have only got the work usually because the previous guy stopped calling and I only ask the question after my quote has been accepted.  I only ask to try and guage how my pricing structure is in a particular area.  I'm nearly always more expensive though, at one job, it turned out that the previous guy used to charge about 5 times more than me.  It sounded like he was taking liberties because my price was a good'un

[windowwashers]

when it gets like this you need to start to worry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ07TjyHfw8&feature=related

and for contracts I go for and dont get watch out.


thank is a joke by the way  : 

[williamx]

Every cleaner has a price that he is willing to work for, this price varies from one cleaner to the next.

Now if he wants to canvass an area where a window cleaner is already working, and he is also cheaper than this cleaner, what should he do? should he increase his prices or should he not canvass the area.

If he moves away from this area because someone is already cleaning, what about the houses that don't have or can't afford this cleaner?

I am expensive compared to other cleaners, but it dosn't bother me if other cleaners start to canvass my customers, (I have helped quite a few to get started) if my customers are unhappy with the service I give them, then they will move to another cleaner, if they think that I am overpriced for what I do, then they will also go to another cheaper cleaner. but if they feel that I offer value for money then they will stay with me.

At the moment I DO NOT clean every property in the areas that I work and I don't think that any cleaner, cleans every property in his area, untill this happens then any area is open to compertion. 

[davids3511]

It's all well and good to talk about not steping on toes when you hav an estalished round. I started in July and since then have had 10000 leaflets dropped in my area. I am so glad I didn't get my address printed on the leaflet and that would be my advise to any startup. In the months since then  I have had so many threats I don't like using the mobile that takes the calls from the leaflets anymore. It just feels nasty!

If I was to try and be matey matey with the local cleaners I wouldn't have got off the ground. They are running a business the same as us and will not want you to gain custom regardless of how friendly you are. I know there will be exceptions but in general if they have any sense they will not want you to succed at their expense.

Having said all that, specifially targetting another cleaners round is a no no and could land you in hospital, afterall that is a pretty in your face thing to do.

[Dale Smith]

When I door knock, if they say they have a w/cleaner already, I just say 'ta very much' and I'm off.
I target people who do not have a window cleaner, not people who do have one, that makes no sense.
There is enough work out there for all I think 

[windowwashers]

When I door knock, if they say they have a w/cleaner already, I just say 'ta very much' and I'm off.
I target people who do not have a window cleaner, not people who do have one, that makes no sense.
There is enough work out there for all I think 

That is so so true Dale  now if only others followed this there would be less bloodloss

[Dale Smith]

Anyway, can't you lot sleep?...... that goes for me as well

[windowwashers]

Anyway, can't you lot sleep?...... that goes for me as well

sleep  have sites to design 

[Londoner]

Quite a lot of people don't tell you they already have a window cleaner and just ask you for a quote. When you tell them your price they say "Oh no my present window cleaner only charges me £xxx."

Sneaky

[chris@c.m.s]

Well OK what do you do if a potential custie says
they want you to do the job as you can reach the 3rd floor with your WFP system and the other cleaner can not do it. they also add that they have become a bit irregular and are happy to change even though you charge a couple of pound more?
What would you guys do?

you have a good point in that question and one I would have liked to have seen some answers to mainly because I was in that exact situation last week, The only reason I had been asked to quote was because of 2 windows over a conservatory and one  2nd floor window, she picked up on the fact i wasn't keen to take the job when I asked if she was happy with there work in general,
she's calling me if they don't turn up but I think she'll end up ditching them anyway.   

[Paul Coleman]

Well OK what do you do if a potential custie says
they want you to do the job as you can reach the 3rd floor with your WFP system and the other cleaner can not do it. they also add that they have become a bit irregular and are happy to change even though you charge a couple of pound more?
What would you guys do?

I didn't notice this post before.
Although I don't intentionally target other people's work and I don't go around trying to undercut, I would offer a quote in this situation.  Indeed, I have gained several jobs like this.  If someone is unable to do the whole job because they haven't invested in the tools to do it, I believe it's perfectly reasonable for me to quote for such a job.  I picked one up fairly recently where my quote was a fiver higher but I could get to two windows over the conservatory.  I didn't know the other guy's price when I quoted.