[Wrekin C S]

I do the windows for a women who runs a company that organises industrial and commercial courses for the workplace.

Now I would have thought that her business would be one of the first to notice changes in the health of the economy, lets face it lots of people are going to see courses as surplus to requirement, an unnecessary cost and probably the first thing to go when a business is trying to cut down on costs.

So I was surprised when talking to her after doing her windows that she didnt know what recession it is theyre all talking about.

Have to say I couldnt help but agree with her.

A lot of this recession is Media Enhanced!

[Wayne Thomas]

I've lost a couple this week and gained a couple. Still managing to quote sensible prices and get them. I've made myself a promise not to lower my prices just to pick up work for fear of the recession we're in at mo. I expect some window cleaners will, I'm sticking to my prices otherwise what's the point in taking a pay cut per hour.

[Steve CM]

i have picked up a £35 a month house today from a flyer
a £23 house from a recommendation
a £30 house from a recommendation
 ...but i've lost a £10 house and another £15 needed to go every other month.

i've also priced up a school, a leisure centre and another £20 house. i'm just finding that i'm turning a few customers over at the moment but the business is still coming in

[Colin_Glenn]

For a long time my round has been growing and ive been falling behind so now I am going round about every 6 -8 weeks anyway. I've even had a customer thank me for being considerate and not going so often.

I'm also in college one day per week training as an electrician so that in a couple of years when the economy picks up I will be ready to jump on the gravy train. If tradesmen can pinch our work when times are hard, why cant we do the same in return??? 

[davids3511]

For a long time my round has been growing and ive been falling behind so now I am going round about every 6 -8 weeks anyway. I've even had a customer thank me for being considerate and not going so often.

I'm also in college one day per week training as an electrician so that in a couple of years when the economy picks up I will be ready to jump on the gravy train. If tradesmen can pinch our work when times are hard, why cant we do the same in return??? 

Even without a gravy train, the more feathers you have in your cap the less likely you are to be out of work.

[Pj]

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines wil be thrown in to the sea".

[Slash]

What if they are not insured,people won't want them really especially with ladders,even though they might be cheaper will they be insured.......I don't think so!

[dave0123]

What if they are not insured,people won't want them really especially with ladders,even though they might be cheaper will they be insured.......I don't think so!

People arent really botherd about insurance there just botherd about the price, unless its commercial

[davids3511]

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines wil be thrown in to the sea".

Good old Eric

[groundhog]

Gary have you ever read the book " chicken little " ?

I think you have hit the nail on the head there!! I have had exactly the same thought about a lot of Gazza's threads!!! 

[groundhog]

more window cleaners will bring down what we charge, its only natural

i guess the people who have kept prices real will be ok, its the people who charge silly money who will find people will undercut them

i did a house today, its not really in my area i work, but i drive past it, so when asked if i would give them a  price i did, i did it for 10 quid ( which is fair ) they had a qoute a fews months ago and it was 25 quid, its only a 3 bed semi with small extension ( that add's 2 windows ), 25 quid  took me under half a hour

£25 sounds about right to me, although I would have probably tried my luck at £30!!  If there last quote was £25 matt, dosn't that make you think that perhaps your pricing far too low? other cleaners are obviously getting jobs at higher prices or they wouldn't be quoting at that level. If that had happened to me I would be kicking myself every time I did the job, knowing that I could probably be getting double what I am charging!! This is not a criticism matt, just trying to give you something to think about! 

[paulscotney]

more window cleaners will bring down what we charge, its only natural

i guess the people who have kept prices real will be ok, its the people who charge silly money who will find people will undercut them

i did a house today, its not really in my area i work, but i drive past it, so when asked if i would give them a  price i did, i did it for 10 quid ( which is fair ) they had a qoute a fews months ago and it was 25 quid, its only a 3 bed semi with small extension ( that add's 2 windows ), 25 quid  took me under half a hour

£25 sounds about right to me, although I would have probably tried my luck at £30!!  If there last quote was £25 matt, dosn't that make you think that perhaps your pricing far too low? other cleaners are obviously getting jobs at higher prices or they wouldn't be quoting at that level. If that had happened to me I would be kicking myself every time I did the job, knowing that I could probably be getting double what I am charging!! This is not a criticism matt, just trying to give you something to think about! 

Sounds extremely logical.  Groundhog always talks sense.  £25 to £10 is a big drop.

[mlscontractcleaner]

I'm living in the wrong area; £25 for a 3 bed semi??

In Plymouth you'd be doing well to get the tenner in most areas.

To be honest I'd be looking at getting 3 of them done in an hour (WFP) and would be quite happy making £30 per hour; I like doing my blocks of flats ...... £6 each, maybe ten in a block, seven or eight flats an hour, it soon adds up, and after almost twenty years in the job it earns me a very comfortable living.

[Slash]

What if they are not insured,people won't want them really especially with ladders,even though they might be cheaper will they be insured.......I don't think so!

People arent really botherd about insurance there just botherd about the price, unless its commercial

Well they would if somebody went through their conservitory roof while cleaning the window above if they were cleaning trad way and then sue them for injuries,I always say to people if they think I am more expensive than the last guy..........."I doubt the last guy was insured",the customers feels more at ease then.

[ftp]

Has anyone been through a conservatory roof yet? I've stood on one before and they are pretty robust.

[Slash]

A chap up the road from me did,showed me his arm with a big scar running down it,he told me thats why he made the change to WFP, can't say I blame him.
I have stood on the beam things before and can be slippery,thats when I first started and a bit silly taking chances,not now though

[Londoner]

Has anyone been through a conservatory roof yet? I've stood on one before and they are pretty robust.

Technically, by law all roofs - even glass conservatory roofs must be walkable. However..........

[dave0123]

Well they would if somebody went through their conservitory roof while cleaning the window above if they were cleaning trad way and then sue them for injuries,I always say to people if they think I am more expensive than the last guy..........."I doubt the last guy was insured",the customers feels more at ease then.

of course there intrested in your insurance if that happens  :  but most are just intrested in the price end of! WHY do you think most say oh my last window cleaner only changed 5 pounds or what ever. So in a recession more and more people are going to  be going with the cheaper window cleaner if moneys tight and one says its gna cost 15 quid mate! n the other says its gna b 6 quid mate  :

.... insurance would't pay out anyway probs for climbing over a convservatory roof it's abit stupid in the first place.

[matt]

more window cleaners will bring down what we charge, its only natural

i guess the people who have kept prices real will be ok, its the people who charge silly money who will find people will undercut them

i did a house today, its not really in my area i work, but i drive past it, so when asked if i would give them a  price i did, i did it for 10 quid ( which is fair ) they had a qoute a fews months ago and it was 25 quid, its only a 3 bed semi with small extension ( that add's 2 windows ), 25 quid  took me under half a hour

£25 sounds about right to me, although I would have probably tried my luck at £30!!  If there last quote was £25 matt, dosn't that make you think that perhaps your pricing far too low? other cleaners are obviously getting jobs at higher prices or they wouldn't be quoting at that level. If that had happened to me I would be kicking myself every time I did the job, knowing that I could probably be getting double what I am charging!! This is not a criticism matt, just trying to give you something to think about! 

it did make me think, yet i know that the last guy got booted because he charged too much, so 30 quid wouldnt have got the job, i clean ALOT of houses of a similar size, in a slightly better area and 10 quid is the price, sometimes 12.50 , but its a 10 quid house, i speak to a few other window cleaners and  speak to the owneds of houses i dont do, 10 quid is the price

[peter holley]

i pulled up in a cul-de-sac that i clean a few weeks ago ....to find 2 wc canvassing my customers..... i introduced myself and we got talking...their price for these houses was £15....mine was £12....they were shocked and asked how i coud justify doing them at that price?

my reply

because i do that one , that one that one , that one , that one , that one, that one , that one, that one,that one etc,,etc.. and in the next street i do that one , that one , that one , that one,,,,,etc, etc , and in that street i do that one , that one, that one etc

i then said ....(poitey)

thats why people like you wont get a look in! :

it appears my hourly rate is higher than theres as i dont need to travel inbetween jobs

compact , compact, compact..... cheap? NO!......SENSIBLE?    ....YES