[elite mike]

hi guys
i have just increased my WC prices for the year ,

and have not had to much resistance , in fact its gone better than expected? 

 i just wondered how you have all got on

regards
mike

[WCE]

I assume you increase prices annually. I do just to keep up with the rising costs and inflation and I have found this year to be the easiest year for increasing prices. Everyone is bleating on about recession but this year I have had customers asking when the increase is due and two customers telling me that they were putting my price up on top of the increase (both long standing customers) . I think this is because they are used to an annual increase now and also the press coverage of fuel prices etc. To date I am about 90% through the price increases and domestic wise there hasn't been one complaint. Commercial, well thats a different story!

[elite mike]

hi wce
yes i review prices every year,

i have had a leaflet posted though my door recently,

off another WC stating that he would keep his price for 3 months??   

dont fancy his chances 

[WCE]

3 months! He must have the gift of the gab! In my experience you cant really increase the price unless they have been customers for a year. the blokes mad!

[rah]

Haven't increased my prices for a few years now on most residential's, although some are ready to be increased and if not accepted, they will be dropped without a hesitation.

I generally aim for a price per day and as long as i hit it i'm more than content.

Rob.

[WCE]

Rob,
You haven't increased prices for years? You aim for a price per day is that still based on your prices that you've had for years. If so then you are in real terms taking a pay cut everytime  inflation increases costs. I also aim for a price per day but that goes up in line with inflation. If I wanted £100 per day last year and inflation puts costs up by say 3% then this year I want £103 per day. Over 5 years that would be  £15 per day or on a 5 day week £75. by not increasing prices you are doing yourself  out of money. If I charged the same as you and put my prices up annually I would be £75 more expensive than you in 5 years but I could still afford the same as before due to inflation where as you have £75 per week less to live off in real terms. Inflation drives all costs up so honestly put them prices up annually to avoid what is  really a pay cut. Also if your customers know you increase prices in line with inflation  on an annual basis then you'll find there is less resistance as your customers expect it. Every year council tax goes up due to inflation. This is for a good reason, the councils know that they need to increase the price just to stand still. Window cleaning is exactly the same and deep down the customers know it.   
Pete.

[chrismroberts]

I know I need to increase some of my prices.... but others are, in my opinion, still very, very good. How would you go about increasing prices on half the work on an estate but keep the rest the same.... I worry they talk to eachother  :

[WCE]

Dont worry about it. I tell it customer that the price is for their property and that is that. I have never had a problem with them talking they all know the price is for their property only

[chrismroberts]

I guess so, come to think of it, some of my prices are a bit... odd.... bought a batch of work from a mate last year, and it never occured to me until the other month that they were all over the place.

Theres a large detached house with a conservatory and a big flat roof on the front the ladders have to come off for... takes a good half hour with all the messing around..... £10. And 3 doors down theres a small, simple place 3 windows up 3 windows down on both sides, takes about 10 minutes, and thats £12. I didnt price them, so I think its time they went up!! 

[simon knight]

My prices are all over the place too and it can be embarrassing sometimes.

Eg: A road where I do probably 30% of the houses. The ones which I first got through canvassing when I first started 4 years ago I priced at £20 which to me at the time was good money, bearing in mind that at the time i didn't have a job so any money was "good money".

Now of course I see that £20 is far too low and more recent additions (in the same road) are charged £35 (which is about the right price IMO). But how can I bump up the £20ers to £35 in one go?

What bothers me is if they tittle-tattle over the fence and Mrs Smith says to Mrs Jones " Simon charges me £20" Mrs Jones is gonna think "how comes he charges me £35?"

It's a tricky one for me...any advise appreciated.

[chrismroberts]

My prices are all over the place too and it can be embarrassing sometimes.

Eg: A road where I do probably 30% of the houses. The ones which I first got through canvassing when I first started 4 years ago I priced at £20 which to me at the time was good money, bearing in mind that at the time i didn't have a job so any money was "good money".

Now of course I see that £20 is far too low and more recent additions (in the same road) are charged £35 (which is about the right price IMO). But how can I bump up the £20ers to £35 in one go?

What bothers me is if they tittle-tattle over the fence and Mrs Smith says to Mrs Jones " Simon charges me £20" Mrs Jones is gonna think "how comes he charges me £35?"

It's a tricky one for me...any advise appreciated.

How many of the houses are £20? If you do put the price up... its better I think to lose the low payers because youve put it up than lose some of the high payers because their next door neighbor is paying £20...

What I might do with situations like this (and the one I mentioned) is put a letter through saying something along the lines of "In order to keep up with rising costs, and to bring your price into line with other work in this area....."... could help?

[simon knight]

Out of 31  12 are £20. I think your suggestion of a letter is good. I do like the line "to bring your price into line with other work in this area"...I'm going to use it!

There'll be some grumbling and i might lose a couple but as you say better that than lose some of the correctly priced work.

Cheers

[crystal]

Sheep. if putting the price up i always try and do it face to face, i think its better this way
in fact yesterday i had just finished writing a note to a customer about the price increase when they pulled up outside. Accepted price increase by £2 no problem
sometimes we ponder on things too much just do it !

[Dean Aspects]

I have just put up most of my prices by £1 did the same last year both this year and last i lost no customers which means either they are over the moon with my service or i am too cheap going to increase again next year and the year after(usually every two years) surely i can lose some then

Dean

[chrismroberts]

Sheep. if putting the price up i always try and do it face to face, i think its better this way
in fact yesterday i had just finished writing a note to a customer about the price increase when they pulled up outside. Accepted price increase by £2 no problem
sometimes we ponder on things too much just do it !

That is true, a lot of people I prefer to speak to... but on the particular estate I'm thinking of increasing, they're never in, and are a good drive away so I never see them 

You still doing that customer up on Flint Mountain mate?

[crystal]

its yours if you want it  youve got the full set then 
i told you how much i charged didnt i  btw isnt it time for a price increase on the end one dont sell yourself short pal

[chrismroberts]

its yours if you want it  youve got the full set then 
i told you how much i charged didnt i  btw isnt it time for a price increase on the end one dont sell yourself short pal

Cheers mate

Nah its fine.... the whole lot take me little more than an hour so I'm quite happy with that 

Thanks again