Customer Cancelled Because I Put Her Windows Up A Pound

[watty1980]

hello lads just wanted to hear your thoughts on this,today I told one of my customers I was putting her windows up from 7 to 8 pounds,as I hadn't put them up for 4 years,her response was window cleaners don't need to put up their prices as all we need is a ladder,squeegee and bucket and that I was being greedy,so she cancelled me.the other customers I cleaned today were fine about it,but now I'm scared to tell the other customers incase more cancel.do what should I do lads ? Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

 

[rcproperty]

If you are worried, just start putting a few up first, then put a couple up in a month or 2 and carry that on.

 

[sdrah]

hello lads just wanted to hear your thoughts on this,today I told one of my customers I was putting her windows up from 7 to 8 pounds,as I hadn't put them up for 4 years,her response was window cleaners don't need to put up their prices as all we need is a ladder,squeegee and bucket and that I was being greedy,so she cancelled me.the other customers I cleaned today were fine about it,but now I'm scared to tell the other customers incase more cancel.do what should I do lads ? Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

window cleaners don't need to put up their prices as all we need is a ladder,squeegee and bucket??

nonsense - ask her what about web designers - they can get away with just a Notepad++

 

[Crsmck]

Me personally, mate I'd just tell the other customers. I'd put money on the extra pound from each decent customer making up for the miserable ones that drop you (which have done you a favour in the long run). And the next customer that makes the whole "all I need is ladders and a squeegee" comment. Say to them they can come out and borrow yours, offer them a shot of cleaning their windows...I doubt they will worry about an extra pound after that.

 

[sdrah]

apart from squeegee and bucket - there are other expenses which goes up every year - fuel , insurance etc food ?! forget what she said

 

[MikeJP]

By the sounds of it, you're probably better off without this ignorant little rat! /emoticons/ohmy.png

If that's her attitude, then i'd be happy not seeing her again anyway if it was me.

Replace her with someone who appreciates a guy working hard trying to make a living for himself and as for the others, do what RC said! Lol /emoticons/wink.png

 

[M.K Cleaners.co.uk]

Dont be put off by one person.. even a few people. Even if you broke even when putting prices up its all good. Your working less time for same money

How mnay are you putting up 1.00 pound?

 

[watty1980]

Thanks for the responses lads,appreciate it.i don't think it's too much to ask considering I haven't put them up in 4 years,I mean there's another window cleaner that works in the area that charges more than I do,but 1 pound a month isn't much is it.i know there's a recession going on,but if u can't afford an extra pound,then maybe they shouldn't have a window cleaner,but at the same time I don't want the customers I lost getting someone else who would do it at my old prices,or worse cheaper.

 

[Posh]

hello lads just wanted to hear your thoughts on this,today I told one of my customers I was putting her windows up from 7 to 8 pounds,as I hadn't put them up for 4 years,her response was window cleaners don't need to put up their prices as all we need is a ladder,squeegee and bucket and that I was being greedy,so she cancelled me.the other customers I cleaned today were fine about it,but now I'm scared to tell the other customers incase more cancel.do what should I do lads ? Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

Wonder if she cancels when her gas leccy & water goes up? Must admit this has also crossed my mind.

 

[Gmeister]

Wonder if she cancels when her gas leccy & water goes up? Must admit this has also crossed my mind.

Same here Posh lol.
Bigger companys can put prices up, they make billions of pounds a year and still put prices up!

So why not smaller companys people think we cant

 

[instrength]

Have you not got to make a good living? Don't worry, focus on replacing her chances are you'll get two better customers by the end of the week. Keep you chin up and don't loose the faith.

 

[watty1980]

Wonder if she cancels when her gas leccy & water goes up? Must admit this has also crossed my mind.

they can't cancel the leccy etc,but they can cancel the window cleaner as it's not a necessity m8.and that's where they've got u.for a split second I almost changed my mind and was going to just do them for 7 as I didn't want to lose a custy,but If I done that I'd be getting 7 quid off of her every clean till the day I retired.

 

[Posh]

they can't cancel the leccy etc,but they can cancel the window cleaner as it's not a necessity m8.and that's where they've got u.for a split second I almost changed my mind and was going to just do them for 7 as I didn't want to lose a custy,but If I done that I'd be getting 7 quid off of her every clean till the day I retired.

True I Spose

 

[Belfastcleaning]

People think window cleaning dosent cost anything to run..

Diesel

Insurance

Public liability

Tax/ni

Equipment

Website

Yep there's about £4000 in costs...

I'm planning on putting a lot of my prices up, min of £1, some £2.. And a few between £3-£5.. This is all work I haven't put up in 4-5 years.. Im not worried about loosing anyone, and I don't think that I will lose much anyway cos everybody loves me!! If they can't afford it, I can't afford to continue cleaning them..

 

[joe34]

last year i put alot my customers up ,and the average price was 3 pound,a few dropped off but the ones i'd put up covered them and gave me more space to take on more houses and earn more in the day.I know pricing differs from area to area but i wouldn't be scared.I use to hate the feeling of doing houses which i know are worth more and having to do them each time,now that i've put them up i enjoy doing them.Your always going to get people dropping off even if you raised if it 50p .Start high and if you see their jaw hit the ground when you say how much then try and meet them half way it's a good feeling when it comes off.

 

[OoO]

Take this bit of advice /emoticons/wink.png

If you have 300 customers (each customer is worth £10) and you raise each one by £1 you earning £300 more per cycle for nothing. Assuming they are all every 4 weeks.

If you take your average customer as £10 and you loose 10% (30 customers) You have lost £300.

So you are left with 270 customers at £11 which = £2970

300 customers at £10 which = £3000

So you have lost £30 of your monthly income, but you do around THIRTY HOUSES LESS!

Apply this logic to your round.

if you only have 100 customers, tread carefully!

 

[harunh]

Put prices up /emoticons/smile.png im planning on putting myn up next month

 

[shazzy692002]

Should of just handed her a business card and said "call me if you change your mind"

 

[Tmo]

Don't worry about her, most of the customers will be fine if they are happy with the work you are doing , if she's gonna be to tight over a pound , you will make up the job you have lost by putting up the extra pound

 

[CNS-southwest]

If she got rid of you for £1 then she wasnt worth it and would have only caused you more problems down the line

 

[rugbywolf]

hello lads just wanted to hear your thoughts on this,today I told one of my customers I was putting her windows up from 7 to 8 pounds,as I hadn't put them up for 4 years,her response was window cleaners don't need to put up their prices as all we need is a ladder,squeegee and bucket and that I was being greedy,so she cancelled me.the other customers I cleaned today were fine about it,but now I'm scared to tell the other customers incase more cancel.do what should I do lads ? Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

People don't think of it like that, best to put prices up every year regardless, even if it's only 50p, and always at the same time each year. I do mine in April, and I find, come March, they're saying 'is it still the same?'.