Considering lowering my prices

[john trickett]

Hi guys i know this is all pretty much individual but im considering lowering my prices for window cleaning.
Currently for me

Fronts only £10 small/normal £12 for larger

Whole houses £15 minimum up to £25

Now I think as competition is getting harder and harder im thinking of trial and error. Keeping all current custies where they are at the moment but going out canvassing im going to try

£5 - £7 fronts

£10 - £15 whole house.

I reckon i could bag 4 x as many jobs and hopefully all neighbours so no travelling or moving.

Hourly rate may be the same.

Anyone tried similar?

Prices are estimated by the way in what ill charge.

 

[john trickett]

I would agree with this.
This is the conclusion I've finally reached in my area. A good 70% of my quotes are rejected and I'm not particularly expensive. £12 average 3 bed semi, 15 with a conny. I find it rings true for the add on work as well, connys ,fsg and pressure washing I can get great prices on those either.

I mean I can get a full round at my prices that's just a matter of time, I thunk in any area you can get good prices if yiu persevere long enough but if I ever wanted to grow my round in a bug way I would have to lower prices because the volume simply isn't there.

We are looking at moving to a better area end if the year but only once Ibe built a full round where I am, I've started so I'll finish lol.

your very lucky to get these sort of prices ....where I work there are half a dozen window cleaners for almost every road

 

[john trickett]

25 years ago I worked for a large fancise consisting of 17 rounds worth 4 k set ups for two people and was knocking out around 225/350 aday all trad 225 was if a day of leds on the south coast and a few gutters\roofs average £35 an hour so don't undercut your self going cheap cause in the end you will end up splitting round up and selling off for peanuts and will hate it in the end

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25 years ago there were far fewer window cleaners around, could name your price ...but now , with the advent of reach and wash pole work , there are too many new guys on the scene , cleaning for peanuts

 

[john trickett]

A large company operates around my area, they bombard all new estates with flyers with low prices on - no 4,8,12 weekly option on, you choose what you want - and it's the same price. What I would quote £12 for they are charging £8. They pay staff £7.50 an hour and have numerous vans. I watched one of their guys work when I was on one of these new estates (door knocking). He moved his van a few times but did - what I saw - around 11 houses. The next day he was back, the next day he was in another estate where I was working. I have three houses on one of these estates and 1 on another. I too have considered lowering my prices, but these companies are well and truly established in theses estates so the thing that holds me back is 1. You will get messers (the cheap guys) & 2. Your still not guaranteed the work, you might just end up with one on an estate that's a pig to get round!

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totally agree with what you are saying ,,, happens to me ..

 

[john trickett]

This is the main issue now where I live, teams of idiots running around doing any type of house for peanuts,, I have stopped doing Windows as there is no cash left in it anymore where I live!

same where I live ,,, too many kids on the block

 

[Clisty1989]

I

same where I live ,,, too many kids on the block

there are 6 of us that live on my road, and at least 20 living within 1/2 a mile! That just the legit ones. Loads round by me, I started 2 years ago, since then its at least tripled, and with the mild winter its not culled as many as usual.

 

[adamangler]

your very lucky to get these sort of prices ....where I work there are half a dozen window cleaners for almost every road

Same here mate. There's only one outfit I know of who charges more than I do. But like I said 70% of my quotes didn't get accepted as too pricy. Just this morning o posted a fb ad, 3 quotes didn't get any. 2 said I will let you know (we all know what that means) 1 didn't bother with a reply.

What I'm saying is if I keep to my prices and keep going eventually I will get a full round but of I ever want to grow a lot bigger and employ them realistically it would take far too long to do it at my prices so I would have to either lower prices or move area. Or start doing something completely different.

 

[Skxawng]

You can not possibly do a good job for those prices and run a legitimate Business with all the costs it entails they are Dolers.

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You're right 95% of the time. My mum and dad have a windy who does their 3 bed semi with bay window for £2.50. Has a massive round and has been doing it over 30 years. He's trad too. Doesn't have a car, he leaves his ladder in the garden of whichever house he finished on and comes back next day and starts from there. He's made a career out of it cheap but he's the most miserable guy you've ever met. Never smiles, never says thanks for a cuppa. He's known round here ironically as smiler /emoticons/smile.png Moral of the story, if you want to be happy, you want quality not quantity.

 

[Skxawng]

Funny story, he used to charge £2.30, one day when he came to the door he said 'two thirty' my dad gave him the money and said tooth hurty? Go to the dentist then! He just stared blankly and walked off without a word. Next time he was there he said £2.50 :rofl: