[TDW]

Anyone here clean one or more of these? Apparently there are about 500 of them nationwide.

I've been cleaning one now for about 4years and been charging £195. Its a big place but probably abit overpriced. More reasonable would be about £120-£150 but I priced when I first started and didn't realise how quick WFP could be.

Anyway had a call from the manager yesterday and she said that a UK wide cleaning company had quoted £30 for each nursing home in the country.
Not only that but this was inside and out. (Normally its takes 2 of us about 3 hours to do in and out)

Its impossible to compete with this but surely they'll never be able to do it for this price.

Has anyone else been affected?

[lovewindows]

Heard a story once about Wall Mart i think , basically they sold stuff at a loss until the competion had folded and gone, then they put the prices up !
 Explain to the manager that the only way they can do that is to pay less than £5 per hour [ taking into account equipment & travel ] or do an inferior job [ you've done it for 4yrs and take 6hrs ] to pay less than £5 per hour is illegal or by using kids [ which is probably illegal in some way or another ] or illegal immigrants, or more likely they've messed up the quote.  Offer to reduce to £150 for goodwill and ask if you can tender for the other 499.

[niceandclean]

I lost a big school today in and out. They called me up two weeks ago saying that wanted to go ahead with my quotation, but they wanted it cleaned before the end of the year. Well to cut a long story short, i could not get access at weekends because the caretaker wont work weekends to open the gate, unless its an emergency ect. So i said i have rearranged work for us to start the day after the school breaks up for the holidays to help them out. They said they will get back to me to confirm, this was monday. Anyway they call me today to say that they have found someone else that is cheaper?? I was charging £1950, this other company is going to do it for £300, what a fool. I do think sometimes that council run schools are a waste of time for the hassle, and large care/nursing homes!

[monkeyboy950]

how on earth can there be such a big price difference £300 - £1950 surely the council must be wary of using folk that are that cheap

[RSWindows]

think the nursing home is seriously pulling your leg! Firstly the care homes are the last persons to hear of such a changeover and im sure that everything is done at head office so someone is talking pants in my opinion. Im sure there would have been a whole load of W/C's on here speaking about it before now if that was the case.

[Chris Galloway]

think the nursing home is seriously pulling your leg! Firstly the care homes are the last persons to hear of such a changeover and im sure that everything is done at head office so someone is talking pants in my opinion. Im sure there would have been a whole load of W/C's on here speaking about it before now if that was the case.

Perhaps check with Head Office if that is the case then.

[peter holley]

think the nursing home is seriously pulling your leg! Firstly the care homes are the last persons to hear of such a changeover and im sure that everything is done at head office so someone is talking pants in my opinion. Im sure there would have been a whole load of W/C's on here speaking about it before now if that was the case.

thats what i think! how can 500 care homes all be £30 , they are all different sizes and shapes etc.... :

[TDW]

I know it sounds totally ridiculous but that what she told me. I wouldnt thought she was spinning a yarn as shes always been really decent. If she wants a reduction I'm willing to negociate.
I think I will phone head office, thats a good idea.

I thought someone else here may of done one of these nursing homes though but seems not.

[lovewindows]

I know it sounds totally ridiculous but that what she told me. I wouldnt thought she was spinning a yarn as shes always been really decent. If she wants a reduction I'm willing to negociate.
I think I will phone head office, thats a good idea.

I thought someone else here may of done one of these nursing homes though but seems not.

Not at £30 

[Jack Avery]

Four Seasons:
I clean two, have heard that a national contract is in the pipeline. I have not been told yet, but will not be surprised when I am, thats the way things are going. 

[[GQC] Tim]

Boy, am I glad I don't have much commercial work.

Sure it is very nice, but you get brushed aside so easily, your just a figure on a piece of paper.

It is absolutely mad, the prices some want to charge. £30 pff.       :

[Andrew McCann]

My suspicion on this one is that the national company are doing ALL the cleaning for them and have quoted window cleaning as a loss leader as part of the whole deal to get the contract. They usuually do a cr+p job on the windows and cut whatever corners they can.

I would be amazed if it really is just window cleaning at £30 a pop.

Andrew

[RSWindows]

im an idiot, i wasnt thinking too much when i was reading this post earlyer, i have some information on this company and their plans, there is a national contract and it starts Jan 09 but from what i remember its only down to Liverpool area

[Paul Coleman]

Anyone here clean one or more of these? Apparently there are about 500 of them nationwide.

I've been cleaning one now for about 4years and been charging £195. Its a big place but probably abit overpriced. More reasonable would be about £120-£150 but I priced when I first started and didn't realise how quick WFP could be.

Anyway had a call from the manager yesterday and she said that a UK wide cleaning company had quoted £30 for each nursing home in the country.
Not only that but this was inside and out. (Normally its takes 2 of us about 3 hours to do in and out)

Its impossible to compete with this but surely they'll never be able to do it for this price.

Has anyone else been affected?

I don't do any nursing homes myself.  I reckon the sort of job they will get is where a full clean is done first time.  The next few visits will consist of a quick flick over the entranceways, manager's and accountant's offices, and an occasional other window where they think they may get noticed.  That's the sort of service that many of these operators provide and it has the potential to destroy any large sacale work such as this.
You say the full job takes six man hours.  By bumping the job they can possibly get it down to two man hours (wage of say £17 by the time employer's NI etc taken into account), a bit of fuel to get the van there and, by the time the office admin is paid for, they may even turn a fiver profit.  They come unstuck when the vehicles need maintaining though or they can't cover workers' holidays.

[niceandclean]

how on earth can there be such a big price difference £300 - £1950 surely the council must be wary of using folk that are that cheap

Spoke to the head this afternoon, as i couldnt understand why there is such a massive difference in price. He confirmed that the price was £370 for in and out. The only thing the company is not doing is a small bit of guttering along the front of the school. I asked for the number of the company so i could call them, as it would be cheaper for me to employ them to carry out all my commercial work!!!!

[bluez]

did he give it to you

[niceandclean]

did he give it to you

No he just laughed.

[williamx]

I was asked to clean the carpets in a lap dancing club even though they have a cleaning company who are supposed to do them.

I was recommended by a friend and when I did the 1st clean the manager was astounded on the results i had achieved.

The other cleaning company said they would clean all the carpets 4 times a year for FREE just so they could get the other cleaning (domestic and like).

I found out how they clean the carpets, they turn up and "borrow" some fairy liquid from the kitchen, then they squirt it all over the carpet, then they hose the carpet down with water while giving it a scrub with a broom then they extract the water with a wet & dry vac, how very "Professional" : :

The carpet took a week to dry, it smelt like a corpe and it wasn't even clean.

I now have the contract to clean the carpets and upholstery every 12 weeks, and I charge plenty for it.

The moral to the story is pay peanuts, get monkeys

[Busby]

I wouldn't lower my prices at all,if i was in your situation.

Nevermind what other people are quoting or charging, YOU stick to your price mate.

When i quote for a job i explain why my price is the price it is, i explain that I AM the best window cleaner there is, and will carry out my work in a safe & professional manner at all times, and the standard of my work is of the highest quality, and the references i could provide will clarify this.

I was once told by an old gentleman who dealt in implementation with very well off managing directors, to always be dearer than my competitors.

The point he was making he explained, was that if you want to deal with the poor give them f----- money.

He was saying DO NOT budge from your initial quote, and allow someone to get your price down.

He explained if you can get into a decent job, then as long as you do the work properly, HIS words to others would be, Archer window cleaning are bloody expensive, but they are bloody good = THATS THE WAY TO GET THE GOOD JOBS.

The referals from one of the top MD's.

Over the past 2 months this has proven to be correct, as i quoted for a very large commercial job & NEVER brought my price down = Got the job, sign the contract soon & will start the work end of january, its worth between £60 - £75k.............. Thats all because i had the bo----cks to carry out what i was told, in a time when many firms are losing work.

KEEP your head up, Do NOT bring your price down, & KEEP doing a proper job, working efficiently, effectively, in a friendly and approachable manner

Thats just my opinion mate, if you need any help with anything give me a call anytime 07788 503775 

[TDW]

Cheers for all the advice.

I'm not finished with commercial, I've got some good local commercial contracts but thats it as far as large UK wide chains are concerned. Thats the second one(M&S) in 3 months I've lost in total worth about £4000 grand a year.

BTW Archer you'll playing us in the 3rd round of the FA cup. Remember 76!!