How low do you go?

[Jake]

No idea can't see the backs!

 

[MrBump]

Just imagine they look the same as the fronts /emoticons/wink.png

 

[Jake]

£20-25

£30

£70

 

[MrBump]

Dang and peeps thought I was the expensive one around here haha /emoticons/wink.png Even I think £25 is a little on the north side for the first one :laugh:

 

[Jake]

I'm

Basing that on the exact same layout at the back though...

And the odd side windows /emoticons/wink.png

 

[Jimroot]

Isn't that your van behind the Lamborghini @MrBump ?

£20 for house B better hope he doesn't tell house A /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[MrBump]

Would love to see your prices if there were even more windows at the back then the front haha. I'm just kidding, its good that your prices are up there! Plus it makes me feel like mine are ok, I might even raise mine a little j/k

 

[MrBump]

Yeah I wish lol! Couple of million for that house no doubt! Its not far from me though, maybe when I get 10,000 customers a month I might be able to afford it :rofl:

 

[Jimroot]

Nice looking pad it has to be said, prob has a pool and jacuzzi in the basement to hang out with the groupies. When they ain't flying over to the Caribbean beaches. Defo a bit of 'arsehole tax' (jealousy tax?) to be levied

 

[adamangler]

12.

16.

3rd one theres not much to clean, bars diwn left hand side and id never get my wfp to those set back ones.

 

[boarcity]

a-19 b 40 c 70+

 

[MrBump]

40 for B, holy moly! Although you do have a minibus of workers to pay for /emoticons/wink.png

So although you all have lower minimums than I, my prices are down the middle overall :thumbsup: Which is good as I can't cut my prices off my leaflets without ruining them lol

 

[Jimroot]

He didn't say 40 pounds, could be 40 carrots or 40 Essex Francs /emoticons/wink.png

Sounds like your flyers are fine for the 'up market' and you just need some more for smaller houses Mr B if you target them

 

[MrBump]

Haha. Or maybe 40 bottles of orange spray tan? /emoticons/biggrin.png

I think I'm a little cheap now after seeing Jakes and Boars prices lol

 

[Jake]

Essex prices are a bit high

So many cool people here - joey Essex etc :rofl:

 

[Jacob]

Does it really matter so much what others are charching? I mean if you are happy with the wage youre getting and you get enough work then dont be concearned what other makes, we all have different overheads afterall, so therfor different hourly different targets.

And like Greener said its okay to take your time and chat to the custys, make them feel they know you and therefor less likely to change windy, i get many refferals and win new jobs just to the fact i am one man band, nice to chat to, and give a good clean on the windows. Dot know if you do bump, but use ur face in the marketing if your on your own, it works beacsuee people call Mrbump not some big shiny company with a phonelady.

 

[MrBump]

It matters if charging too much and not getting enough work, likewise don't want bring the overall cost of the industry down like those £4 northerners are doing /emoticons/tongue.png j/k! I think I'm fairly priced, yet I'm still not getting enough work lol. Going to brave it and do a week of door knocking next week so we'll see how it goes. I really want another 20 custies by the end of the month, an ambitious target I know

 

[SolarPanelCleaning]

That's not ambitious. 3 full days of canvassing will get you that.

 

[MrBump]

I can only dream of that happening next week /emoticons/biggrin.png Damn I'm having to actually knock doors now, doh

 

[Greener]

Greener great post! And very well done getting 280 custies in 8 months! How did you get most of those, with good old fashioned door knocking?

Hi @MrBump :thumbsup: To be honest I ask myself this on a daily basis :laugh:. All I can pass on is my experience since starting, I probably knocked on roughly around 80-120 houses and leafleted many more in the first couple of weeks and yes I gained a few customers but if I'm honest with you I absolutely hated the door knocking part so I found myself aimlessly walking around just putting leaflets through doors and hoping for the best, but I found I got very little return regarding the hours spent posting. You see I have the utmost confidence and belief that "I WILL" make this work, that I struggle coping with the face to face rejection when knocking on some random door trying to sell what I believe to be a fantastic product "MY SELF and MY POLE" /emoticons/wink.png.

So I went with plan B, now plan B consists of many small flakes but when combined has seemed to have created one hell of an avalanche, well for me anyway.

I created a Facebook business page and got all my friends and family on board with that, so every time I posted something they would share it and all their friends would then see it /emoticons/wink.png this then started generating enquiries. I politely ask all my new customers that if on FB that it would be very much appreciated if they would be so kind and like and share my page and "BOOM" massive coverage :thumbsup: I joined every community FB page in my area and regularly post scouting for new customers, also its great to see my existing customers offering recommendations when someone posts looking for a window cleaner.

I spent many years working for VW/Audi in the after sales (Not Sales) sector

and the one main thing I took away with me was these three words:

"Communication,Communication,Communication"

I spent a lot of time reading threads on this great forum regarding contacting customers prior to the clean and the pro and cons attributed to doing this, and I think the main consensus was NOT to do it through fear of cancellations, but I chose to do the opposite (As a customer this is what I would expect) and commit to each new customer that I would ALWAYS let the customer know the night before each clean that I would be coming.

If for some reason I cant carry out the clean on the day ie rain,wind ect then they are told asap on the day. I always send a personalized Thank YOU text on the same night as I've done the clean, customers seem to love this /emoticons/smile.png

I made the decision that I would answer all enquiries within five mins whether Im working or not,having my tea or even in the bath LOL AND I DO :thumbsup:

Trust me its a lot of work but I get lots of great feed back from the majority my customers regarding the above.

I also Joined a National but community based website called STREETLIFE, have a look and see if it operates in your area????? Twice I paid around £17 to advertise on it for a month and picked up loads of new customers from it /emoticons/smile.png and the great thing is I rarely go on it now but still get loads of recommendations if someones looking for a cleaner.

Always do what you say your going to do, if you say Ill clean all doors and frames every clean then do it, no missing those small bathroom windows around the shed side where nobody ever goes LOL

I know I've said I'm slow and I am compared to a lot of the lads on here, but I have a theory and its "YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING" people are inherently nosey and you can bet a pound to a penny that every time you clean a house 2 or 3 people across the road will be hiding behind the net curtain seeing what a great job that window cleaner is doing on old Dorothy's house and thinking how thorough he is???? "GET THE PEN ARTHUR, WE NED THAT IN OUR LIFE" :laugh:

Finally and most importantly " IF YOU CAN MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THEN THEY'LL BUY FROM YOU" sounds soooooo corny I know but sooooooooooooooooooooooooo true.

As I said above a fantastic product "MY SELF and MY POLE" /emoticons/wink.png

I always make time for customers if they want a chat, make a note of the kids,husbands even the dogs name and drop it into conversation if someone going on hols or going to a wedding ect, I always make a note when back in van and mention it again on next visit.

If anyone personally recommends me and I win the business then they get a £2.59 box of Maltesers left on the front door with a thank you written on one of my business cards next time I'm in their area, I don't advertise this I just do it.

Good luck next week @MrBump and keep smiling buddy /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[MrBump]

If carlsberg did customer service, they could still learn a thing or two from you haha :thumbsup: Much credit to you.

I too ignore the worriers and text the night or during the week before (most need side gates left open or have electric gates or what not anyway) and then I leave a card when done but I don't bother texting a thank you later (unless they text me first), I spend enough time texting and other junk as it is lol, you must be forver on your phone to your almost 300 custies

Also I take the "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" approach and wait 24 hours before getting back to any enquiries haha :rofl:

I have recently started a facebook page for my business, although most of my friends are like me and avoid it like the plague lol. But its started now so it will grow organically, I just need to push it a little more with custies and on groups and such like you say.

Online and recommendations only (or mostly) have done you very well. As others also promote that online (website/social media) is a good source of enquiries and self promoting and time saving and clearly once a certain size it just snowballs. I'm going to do a weeks worth of door bashing next week to help grow a bit more, its going to suck but I have a long way to go to get to the tipping point where it grows itself mainly through word of mouth!

Thanks for all the great tips. I'd wish you more luck in your venture but it appears you don't need it! /emoticons/biggrin.png