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Price increases

TolishAPurd

Well-known member
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For those of you that increase your prices regularly, I was just wondering what you consider a reasonable price or percentage for a 1 year or 2 year increase? I know its a bit like asking "how much do you charge" but I would just welcome any thoughts you have. Almost all bar 2/3 houses are priced well and I dont want to lose them, as all the chaff has already been culled, but I figured its been nearly 2 years so a small increase must be on the cards.

 
Maybe just test the waters with ones you don't really like doing first and see what reaction you get.

 
For those of you that increase your prices regularly, I was just wondering what you consider a reasonable price or percentage for a 1 year or 2 year increase? I know its a bit like asking "how much do you charge" but I would just welcome any thoughts you have. Almost all bar 2/3 houses are priced well and I dont want to lose them, as all the chaff has already been culled, but I figured its been nearly 2 years so a small increase must be on the cards.
Thats the problem I have smurf, all the chaff is gone, the ones I have now are great, and I'm expanding in all the areas I'm in. I don't want to embarass myself asking for a price increase, and then backing down if they kick up a fuss. The 2/3 that are underpriced are just because they were very early customers that came over from my handyman work when I branched into this. They'll be getting brought up to normal price no doubt, but the others I'm not sure about.

 
If you are happy with what you get for each job why worry about a price increase. That is unless you feel you are selling yourself short. I'm sure if they are loyal customers and are pleased with the level of service you offer they may not mind it going up a quid or so.

 
The price of almost everything and every service rises through the years. Your overheads no doubt rise, as does the cost of your living so it seems only fair to raise your prices.

Can imagine it's difficult though when faced with customers who are used to your existing price. If your service is good enough though I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem @TolishAPurd :thumbsup:

 
If you are happy with what you get for each job why worry about a price increase. That is unless you feel you are selling yourself short. I'm sure if they are loyal customers and are pleased with the level of service you offer they may not mind it going up a quid or so.
Like simplybiz says its all about increasing overheads. The ones I have had the longest have never been increased, so what was a good price is not necassarily good anymore.

One thing that got me thinking about it was one of my handyman customers that has a different windy got a note through the door the other day saying about an increase, and she just shook it off and said "it goes up every year". Made me think I'm missing a trick, but more so I got thinking that what happens if I leave it the same for 5 years then the increase will need to be bigger which will probably **** people off more.

 
I'm in the same boat. I'm gonna say 50p to £1 a year increase. I haven't done it yet but I should do. If I do 15 jobs a day on average then it's a 7.5 to 15 quid extra a day.

 
I would not bother with odds like 50p's as you will need to give out more change than you need too. Therefore I would go for just £1's increases myself

 
its a great post as getting the right price or putting one up is hard....cheapie being a big coward that is...

my method seems to be...

to leave it that long before I reappear that they cant remember and make the mistake of saying...

how much..?

thats what cheapie waits for...

had one today....should have said eight..but said seven...

but he gave cheapie nine cause he had a chat and cheapie showed him his new brush thingymajig...

so frank got the money in his hand and promptly dropped one of the two pound coins....

nicely onto the decking ...right by the join gap...

boy did I drop to the floor fast....

once through that gap thats two pound gone for sure...

bloody frank and his fumbly fingers../emoticons/biggrin.png

I er...do find that the way I work sure changes if the price hasnt changed in a while..

 
i like to remind myself to increase prices by carrying a wad of "new price>> £... " preprepared stickers in my wallet,to attach to my slips.

 
I would have to up my prices a lot as a lot of my customers tend to round up what they owe me anyway to the nearest note ie 13 quid they give me 15

 
I put mine up £1 every year, some went up £5 this year as they were too underpriced, if you are good and polite and have a good rapport with your customers they shouldn't have a problem.

 
hey even cheapie can do a five pound increase....

the post recently when I waited in the hall whilst they had the coffee...

its gone up five pounds last two cleans..

I blame that bloody smurf...:rofl:

not going up for a bit anymore...im not greedy...well...too greedy..

 
I knocked a house, he said they've got a cleaner, I said I didn't want to take others business but he asked me to quote: £16, he said the existing guy does it for £10... Then added it's been £10 for 5 or 6 years :rolleyes:

 
i would say a yearly increase is fair. if someone dont like it, ask them if their wages have been the same for 5 years, probaly not. And why should you not deserve to get more in your pocket, you do a hard job every day.

 
I made a bad judgement on one of my customers when I took him on 3 months back and was way under what I was happy with after doing it twice, was honest other day and told him reasons why and gave him a new price, from £10 to £16, he did not like it at all and is now gone, he liked his glass conny roof cleaned each time and had to go next door to get to part of it, was a rate pain for a tenner, I made a error but he was not willing to pay more, I say good luck finding a replacement to do it for less! But I reckon a general price increase each 12 months for regulars of 10% ish would be reasonable as like all business costs are always rising.

 
I've kicked myself with some low quotes that weren't accepted, now I push it a bit higher than I think I should, but if they accept, it means I can take my time, have the chat they seem to like too, and feel good about the job.

Im finding people don't want to pay decent amounts for the gutter clearing though like I thought they would.

Any more threatening phone calls @Trev81 ?

 
I've kicked myself with some low quotes that weren't accepted, now I push it a bit higher than I think I should, but if they accept, it means I can take my time, have the chat they seem to like too, and feel good about the job.
Im finding people don't want to pay decent amounts for the gutter clearing though like I thought they would.

Any more threatening phone calls @Trev81 ?
If they don't want to pay then fine, just do something on the ground that'll pay the same money and let some other mug go up there getting covered in gutter bukkake and risking there life. Thats the way I look at it anyway. Its a **** job, the only reason I do it is if it pays. I always chuckle at the thought of a homeowner having a go himself and getting 'disco legs' at the top, as I don't think people realise how dangerous it is until you are looking down from gutter height.

Fall from window height, generally= Broken bones, bruises, hurt pride.

Fall from gutter= Disability, Death

Stakes higher, money higher.

 
I'm going to try and stick to my guns. Because potential customers have been underwhelmed by my presentation on gutter vacuuming, I've become jaded and devalued it. They like the idea but not the price

 
I've kicked myself with some low quotes that weren't accepted, now I push it a bit higher than I think I should, but if they accept, it means I can take my time, have the chat they seem to like too, and feel good about the job.
Im finding people don't want to pay decent amounts for the gutter clearing though like I thought they would.

Any more threatening phone calls @Trev81 ?
Hi Jim

No more threatening calls from the smack heads so far, I was thinking afterwards it may well of been this @Frank Feck Up bloke trying to put me off! I made a special effort this week to leaflet the area where the call came from targeting the 'better' homes and new estates along with my cousin. Much to my mums dissapointment as shes a worrier and thinks because I had a bad call I should stay away lol, and let some skets win! I don't think so!!

How do you do your gutter clears and cleans? I get some good interest from fb as I really push the gutter clearing vac system with a seperate business page, the 1 min video trailer I got with my Skyvac works great shared on all the selling pages in my area, I genrally quote about £30 a side on a standard 3 bed semi. And find alot they twist there neighbours arm to have theres done been the same length of guttering and all that. But it does come in waves, and if I dont push it I don't get much call for it. Hoping to get alot more soon when my van goes in to be sign written up nicely and will make a point of the gutter clearing on it.

I'm alot better with quotes now on windows, don't get win them all like I was doing initially but the ones I get now are prices I am happy with! I blag the "hot" water and state it's a premuim service and it seems to go down a treat with the right customers!

 
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