The Advantages of four weekly cleans over eight weekly.

[Parky]

Things are progressing well for my little venture. A good mate of mine passed some work my way and on Monday I had my first day out on my own. (It was hard going and I had some challenges)

I've also managed to pick up a few customers over the last week or so. I tend to ask them how often there looking at getting their windows done. Majority of time they have been asking me what I suggest and I've said eight weeks.

The problem is I can't figure out a way to justify saying four weekly would be a better option. If I was a customer I’d only want them doing every eight weeks to be honest. I don’t want to take the ****, but at the end of the day it’s going to take me twice as long to earn my cash if everyone goes for eight week cleans!!! Any advice chaps please?

 

[BigFoot]

I understand that you may feel that every 4 weeks is not as good value for your customers however we get paid to keep windows in mint condition. A good first clean and monthly maintenance cleans keeps them looking smart, less time for dirt to build up. Think of it this way, 4 weekly keeps them clean, 8 weekly more dirt to clean so marginally longer to clean (could work same time for slightly less money). your customers will value you if you do a good job 4 weekly or 8 weekly but my advice is base your business on your needs and find the customers that match your goals.

 

[Poles Apart]

Yes invest in plenty of stationary and give the customer all options and don't tell them what is best let them decide what is best for them, you can have a look at this quote book it cost me £30 for the 2 books I think and that included design and it's in triplicate! I have a take the pi$$ customer who wanted 4 weekly she keeps skipping cleans and has turned it into a "I'll have em cleaned when they're filthy" service so I don't do any more work than I do for a 4 weekly once over and rinse, sometimes she says did them myself as I don't know what she has put on them.......soap, windowlene whatever I'm not doing a first clean and I haven't got time to keep asking, if they "spot up" tell them they signed for a 4 weekly and tell them the frequency and quote needs to be renegotiated, don't forget your time is precious and if you are like me I can't just turn up to be sent away, sending away even means sent away by phone or text it's still a waste of your time when trying to organise rounds.

Make things easier for yourself one of the hardest things I found was "quoting" I have a new system now where I look at the job eye it up and estimate what that would cost for a regular 4 weekly then I get my calculator out and add 40% for a first time clean so if it's £10 for a 4 weekly then first time £14, if 8 weekly £14 again if "one off" £10 + 70%=£17

The way you do it is up to you but have found it takes the guess work out of it but whatever way suits you, I use Aimee at www.printpeople.co.uk she is great just mention what you want and she tailors it to suit you and will send you loads of test proofs till you are happy, sorry about the essay but I'm off today got car-jacked the weekend and still traumatised.

 

[Poles Apart]

Yes invest in plenty of stationary and give the customer all options and don't tell them what is best let them decide what is best for them, you can have a look at this quote book it cost me £30 for the 2 books I think and that included design and it's in triplicate! I have a take the pi$$ customer who wanted 4 weekly she keeps skipping cleans and has turned it into a "I'll have em cleaned when they're filthy" service so I don't do any more work than I do for a 4 weekly once over and rinse, sometimes she says did them myself as I don't know what she has put on them.......soap, windowlene whatever I'm not doing a first clean and I haven't got time to keep asking if they "spot up" tell them they signed for a 4 weekly and tell them the frequency and quote needs to be renegotiated, don't forget your time is precious and if you are like me I can't just turn up to be sent away, sending away even means sent away by phone or text it's still a waste of your time when trying to organise rounds.Make things easier for yourself one of the hardest things I found was "quoting" I have a new system now where I look at the job eye it up and estimate what that would cost for a regular 4 weekly then I get my calculator out and add 40% for a first time clean so if it's £10 for a 4 weekly then first time £14, if 8 weekly £14 again if "one off" £10 + 70%=£17

The way you do it is up to you but have found it takes the guess work out of it but whatever way suits you, I use Aimee at www.printpeople.co.uk she is great just mention what you want and she tailors it to suit you and will send you loads of test proofs till you are happy, sorry about the essay but I'm off today got car-jacked the weekend and still traumatised.

Dropbox - quote book

 

[Poles Apart]

Not a great picture but if you zoom in you will see 4 weekly, 8 and whatever, you don't do that much more work on 8 weekly and on bigger jobs I do encourage it sometimes if they ask advice it keeps the expensive jobs on board as it actually saves them money over 4 weekly and it's no extra burden for you.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I just say once a month, 90% of my customers are fine with that, a few ask for every other month and I say no problem. Happy days all round.

Glad to hear your getting out there solo and giving it a shot. /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Adams0211]

90% of my customers are four weekly. I prefer four weekly over monthly because I do 13 cleans a year with four weekly as opposed to 12 cleans per year with monthly.

I always offer four weekly to start with but will take on customers on an eight weekly basis if they're not keen on four weekly.

I've not had much resistance to four weekly and the ones who want eight weekly tend to be watching the pennies.

I sell it to them by saying that i keep their windows clean rather than cleaning them when they're dirty.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Jacob]

I advertise on my flyer i can clean 4 8 or 12 weekly, most settle for a 8 weekly which is what i recommend, no real difference to 4 weekly same time to clean plus the custy dont feel like i an on their doorstep all the time, 90% of mine are 8-weekly and i make a living of it

 

[Poles Apart]

Which is why I never recommend any cycle they choose what they can afford, if it becomes an issue from them later renegotiate the frequency and quote another time. If they ask me for advice I may advise 4 or 8 weekly, Like last week had a new job in a road I already had one job in she wanted 6 week I said it's 4 or 8 as other one is 8 saved me going to the job and doing one.

 

[High-tower]

Im seriously considering splitting the difference and going 6 weekly across the board... take it or leave it!

 

[TolishAPurd]

I just say 'it's a monthly round'

"But can I have 6 weekly"?

"No sorry, it's a monthly round."

"OK that's fine"

Simple.

I don't tell them about my 3 monthly round unless it's a big house that would cost 30 a month or more. For them I have them on a 3 monthly cycle as they don't want to splash 30 every month.

I have a hard enough time organising the work I have without loads of people on different schedules.

 

[Damo]

If i could start again i would ONLY offer 8 weekly. You can charge top dollar on every house.

I have quite a few well priced 8 weekly work and everyone is happy (me and customer)

 

[SPCleaning]

Last year I let people have whatever period between cleans they asked for. That became a headache. Now its 6 or 12 weekly no other options. ..........Headache gone.

 

[Damo]

Last year I let people have whatever period between cleans they asked for. That became a headache. Now its 6 or 12 weekly no other options. ..........Headache gone.

I have 4,5,6,8,10 and 12 weekly. I also have Monthly, 2 monthly and 3 monthly.

 

[Adams0211]

I've got a two weekly to do tomorrow [emoji23]

That woman has the cleanest windows in town.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[SPCleaning]

I have 4,5,6,8,10 and 12 weekly. I also have Monthly, 2 monthly and 3 monthly.

Rather you than I @Damo , If you are keeping all that under control than I take my hat off to you. :thumbsup:

 

[Damo]

I've got a two weekly to do tomorrow

That woman has the cleanest windows in town.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

If someone cleans any house 5 minutes after you somewhere in your town then technically they have the cleanest and repeat............

Rather you than I @Damo , If you are keeping all that under control than I take my hat off to you. :thumbsup:

I use cleaner planner bud, so it takes about 1 hour on a sunday to sort Mon - Fri's work out. I am very very slowly, getting it to be 5,8 and 10 weeks. Not ideal at all.

 

[TolishAPurd]

If i could start again i would ONLY offer 8 weekly. You can charge top dollar on every house.
I have quite a few well priced 8 weekly work and everyone is happy (me and customer)

In a perfect world I would too. The problem we all have when we start is that we need work, and if we are going 8 weekly then we need twice the amount of it. I think if I offered 8 weekly, many of my monthly would take it, but not sure that they would appreciate the price hike (per clean). When you first take on work, it's a much easier sell to say £20 every 2 months , when you could only get about 15 a month normally. Yet that extra fiver is not earned through any major effort more than a monthly.

 

[kahoona]

I have twice a week. 3 weekly, 4 weekly, 6 weekly, 8 weekly, 9 weekly & 12 weekly. But 88.7% of my jobs are 6 weekly so the odd ones are manageable.

 

[Trev81]

Domestics get 2 options from me 4 weekly or 8 weekly. Whatever they go for I price strong for the initial clean to get them decent.

Stats currently is approx 75% 4 weekly, 25% 8 weekly. I charge 50% extra on 8 weekly, so a £10 4 weekly is a £15 8 weekly. Never had a issue yet, and tbh they aint that dirty after 8 on most that I do, but it's nice to tell them they do get dirty after more than 4 weeks /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Rosewood]

I offer 8 weekly or 4 but push 8 weekly I'd say about 95 % of customers are on the 8 week cycle. My reasoning being.

I can have twice as many customers which means twice as many people recommending my service. Twice as many properties my vans parked outside. Twice as many neighbours I can knock and say "I clean your neighbours windows"

And when it all goes wrong and I lose a customer, I Lose a smaller % of my business.

I also find a lot of new customers like the fact your pushing a service that isn't the most expensive. When I give a quote I may say " it's £15 for the 8 week clean I could do it for £10 but that would be a 4 week clean, I recommend the 8 week"

The customer sees your recommending they save £5 every other month and you get the job.