[Blue Frog Systems]

Ask them how much they pay for a hair cut, how much it costs & how long it takes. If they tell you, tell the the houlry rate. Bet they would be suprised

Mine is £10 and takes 15mins

Works out about £35 an hour with getting the next person in and out of the chair.

[TonyD]

I used to be a car valeter and hear the same thing.  Even for a £25 mini valet.  " £25, flipin heck " etc. etc.  This was normally when asked to quote £60k worth of car that's probably costing them £500 or more a month to pay for.
I'd usually just say take it through the supermarket brushwash then and when it's covered in swirls and marring and dull and worth a few thousand less you'll see the value of my hugely expensive £25 !  :

[Gleaming windows]

I'll ask them how much they earnt this week.

[Scrimble]

no work today jp?

[sgibsoncleaning]

see our job from the customers prespective. we turn up do 15 minutes work and take 8 to 30 quid [depending on how  much you lie].
they then do the maths and say thats an outragous hourly rate.
what dont they see.
the unpaid hours we put in.
collecting nice cold evening work  and unpaid, i told a customer this and they could not grasped that it was unpaid as i get a pocket full of cash. i did the work already its not hard to work out.
refilling tank and mainatnce on systems. i got a seperate tank and use a transfer pump but its still half an hour to fill, check ppm  and do a bit of maintance daily.
paper work
the list goes on and on.

[Ian Lancaster]

Don't bother arguing.  You open a can of worms if you do.  Ask them if they think you do a good job, and how long it would take them to achieve the same results.  Then ask if they think they are getting value for money.  If they still say no, drop them, they're trouble brewing.

[daz1977]

the problem i see, in this country the gov says you can live 65 per week, (dole) aand you can do a 40 week for £240 (40 x 6) before tax, say 200 after, so that what a lot of custy thing we should be on as they themselves think that 300 a week is good money  the so called average wage is 20000 - 24000 a year so at most  this only 330 a week,after tax and that is a well paid job, so when we do 10 minutes work for £10 they think we are on 40000 + a year, i think a lot of it is jealousy

they worked hard got loads of qualifications, got what they thought was a really good job and there luxury might be a curry once a week

[lee_dewing]

yep, i've tried all the explaining you just end up in another row, it's usually the people in the biggest houses that say this.

time you've stood there explaining and then argueing, you could be having someone else over. 

[clean]

My hair cuts are free my wifes an hairdresser   

[Murdie window cleaning]

I don't think it's even worth trying to argue with them. What I can earn doing this job is no ones business except mine and the tax man. If I quote a price and the customer agrees with the price then how long it takes to do should be irrelevent.

As you say, there is more to this job than just the cleaning of the windows.

[wizard]

A PEARL OF WISDOM. . The answer is don’t argue with them Just always agree with them say, just like most things  e.g. say just like car repairs they cost me a arm and a leg last week and rant on a bit...........................................Then say I supposed its took them time to develop speed and experience " Look as if you in thought"Never get defensive and don’t justify your price. BY agreeing with him is having empathy you are not condemning or justifying your actions. Your PRICE IS YOUR PRICE.Good Luck Guys

[leapstallbuildings]

yep, i've tried all the explaining you just end up in another row, it's usually the people in the biggest houses that say this.

time you've stood there explaining and then argueing, you could be having someone else over. 

Ha ha.  Classic one Lee. Got me laughing.

[pingu]

We do as a profession seem to have to justify any number of things whether to the customer or to our selves...

Lets all start the fresh year with a fresh approach...

For me...that is to make as much money as possible, whilst providing a 'good' service and try not to get as defensive about situations that will test my patience.

So when the next cold snap of the winter 2010 hits...I will not be as bothered about it as I am right now...

Dave.

[leapstallbuildings]

My hair cuts are free my wifes an hairdresser   

Mine are almost free.  Last Christmas I bought myself some decent hair clippers for £21.  I do a no1 on myself (no giggling at the back     ) about once a month.  So far I've had about 10 haircuts for my £21 plus the cost of a bit of electricity.

[Steve CM]

i never argue or explain myself. The most i would say is

"You were happy to pay the price of £xx for clean windows, do you have clean windows?"

they answer "yes" then i may say

"its irrelevant how long it takes as we have done the job we said we would and you were happy to pay it?"

[lee_dewing]

when they say something like "£10; you only been here 20 minutes!"

answer:

"but a brief moment, but a lifetime of experience, luvey"

I think it was oscar wilde that said something similar? (can't find it on web)
I don't think he was doing windows when he thought of it

[1wayno]

i jus charge what i feelis fair and the amount id like to earn an hour,at the end of the day day,we still got tax,insurance,petrol,equipment/supplies to pay out of our wage. and not forgettin we dont get holiday pay,or sick pay,or if we are rained off, or anythin like that,we dont work,we dont get a wage,simple.

[Blue Frog Systems]

I havent argued to date, but the right time right person i would come out with it.

Mark.... Yeah ive been out today matey. Got my last 12 done for the year. My wife was going out so i stayed home with my lad.

[david watts]

i just tell em i need that money to buy a branded baked bean otherwise i have to buy
the supermarket brand;
while we are on about baked beans go into morrisons pick a tin up
what are you paying for the manager the lighting; the bloke that stocks the shelves;
the delivery driver ect ect ect.
now you dont want me eating crap do you?

[dazmond]

wayno has hit the nail on the head.who are they to question you about how much they think u earn?they dont know what it takes to run a window cleaning business!accountants,tax,insurance,no holiday/sick pay/bad weather days.then theres ur underpriced bread and butter work that doesnt earn u as much.not forgetting having to write off money owed to us sometimes then theres the collecting/administration/equipment to upgrade etc.its not like working for someone else and getting a monthly wage paid in the bank and thats it!!! ::)THIS USUALLY SHUTS THEM UP!!!