Do you charge more?

[francie]

So does no one do fortnightly anymore? 

 

[Part Timer]

So does no one do fortnightly anymore? 

Virtually all trad work done in my area is fortnightly, WFP is monthly

 

[francie]

@Part Timer how come watered is every month mate? 

 

[Part Timer]

Because, without trying to upset trad guys, the windows stay cleaner longer and we charge more. Some do 4 weekly but I find it easier to do monthly as most of my work is monthly commercial.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I only do monthly cleans and I'm glad I never started anything else. Do a commercial clean every 3 months though. If a new customer asks for a clean then I say its every month and the cost is x amount. Think I have had one who wanted 8 weekly and she wouldn't budge so I never took her on. You can't allow new customers to dictate your business plan as I found out a few months ago. A person I knew wanted gutters cleared and a one off window clean. Told her £80 and she got me down to £55 and then dictated how I done the job. It was the best thing that happened to me because I will not let it happen again. I told her I will only be doing my customers from now on so she became my customer and then cancelled even before the next clean. Never going to do anything again for her and then I found out she does this all the time with every tradesperson and no one will work for her.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Because, without trying to upset trad guys, the windows stay cleaner longer and we charge more. Some do 4 weekly but I find it easier to do monthly as most of my work is monthly commercial.

Aye, some of my customers were saying their windows the second time with wfp were great but I had reverted back to trad by then. I have a 5 bed detached to wfp as a first clean. I'm going to wfp them and then have a break and then wfp them again to see how they come up but I will be using hotwater. He asked me about his windows some time ago and caught me again as I clean his neighbours. I said £100 to clear your gutters but £50 if you are my windy customer so he jumped at the chance for £65. I find this is a good way to get new customers but they can cancel after its done which has already happened to me.

 

[Pane]

I only do monthly cleans and I'm glad I never started anything else. Do a commercial clean every 3 months though. If a new customer asks for a clean then I say its every month and the cost is x amount. Think I have had one who wanted 8 weekly and she wouldn't budge so I never took her on. You can't allow new customers to dictate your business plan as I found out a few months ago. A person I knew wanted gutters cleared and a one off window clean. Told her £80 and she got me down to £55 and then dictated how I done the job. It was the best thing that happened to me because I will not let it happen again. I told her I will only be doing my customers from now on so she became my customer and then cancelled even before the next clean. Never going to do anything again for her and then I found out she does this all the time with every tradesperson and no one will work for her.

There can be a "fine borderline balance",to achieve where a degree of flexibility is needed.Thats not just for clients ,also for us Business Owners.

Being able to "adjust,change,be flexible within reason",are some ways Business's do & will survive in a changing economy.Nothing Ever Stays The Same.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

There can be a "fine borderline balance",to achieve where a degree of flexibility is needed.Thats not just for clients ,also for us Business Owners.

Being able to "adjust,change,be flexible within reason",are some ways Business's do & will survive in a changing economy.Nothing Ever Stays The Same.

Everything is a balance but when one has a full book then you should dodge the timewasters. I've had my fair share of them but best words I have found is "sorry I'm too busy at the moment". You wouldn't believe the tricks folk play to get you to do work for them. I was fitting doors once and then she told me to finish off the tiling in her kitchen, fit new blinds and build shelfs all over the place. I just looked at her and then realised no one else would do it. Folk take kindness as a form of weakness and walk all over you. fwiw

 

[dazmond]

I only do monthly cleans and I'm glad I never started anything else. Do a commercial clean every 3 months though. If a new customer asks for a clean then I say its every month and the cost is x amount. Think I have had one who wanted 8 weekly and she wouldn't budge so I never took her on. You can't allow new customers to dictate your business plan as I found out a few months ago. A person I knew wanted gutters cleared and a one off window clean. Told her £80 and she got me down to £55 and then dictated how I done the job. It was the best thing that happened to me because I will not let it happen again. I told her I will only be doing my customers from now on so she became my customer and then cancelled even before the next clean. Never going to do anything again for her and then I found out she does this all the time with every tradesperson and no one will work for her.

i find a lot of larger domestic customers are happier with less frequent 8 weekly cleans......your missing out on good paying jobs only excepting 4 weekly cleans IMO....then again you might work areas where there isnt many larger posh houses,i do....4 weekly is too often if their paying upwards of £30-£50 a pop from my experience....

 

[Iron Giant]

i find a lot of larger domestic customers are happier with less frequent 8 weekly cleans......your missing out on good paying jobs only excepting 4 weekly cleans IMO....then again you might work areas where there isnt many larger posh houses,i do....4 weekly is too often if their paying upwards of £30-£50 a pop from my experience....

I do £30-50 jobs every 4 weeks and have done for years, although they either surrounded by trees or exposed properties so for the clients looking out they are wanting or needing cleaning every 4 weeks, or mine are more loaded than yours ?

 

[Chris34]

i find a lot of larger domestic customers are happier with less frequent 8 weekly cleans......your missing out on good paying jobs only excepting 4 weekly cleans IMO....then again you might work areas where there isnt many larger posh houses,i do....4 weekly is too often if their paying upwards of £30-£50 a pop from my experience....

This is what I am finding.  All the 'big' jobs that are £40+ I get turned down for, when quoting I state every 4 weeks.  I went to quote one today for £50 every 4 and they thought it was too much, they understood my reasoning about it taking a while but they just thought it was a lot to be forking out every 4 weeks.  I explained I could work something to suit their budget and settled on £50 every 8 weeks.  I'm not sure if they will stick to it though, I think they might change their mind.

The problem is that I've got a job that I do in less than 30 mins for £18 and I would rather do three of them than do this big house.  I mean yes it's more money but it's a lot more work involved, any less and it's just not worth it, like I say I'd rather have the smaller jobs.  

What I've been toying with is offering a regular monthly payment of say £20 per month on a set day (say 1st of the month) and say for that you get 4 cleans per year.  Want 6? sure that'll be £25 per month etc.  I was thinking of doing this for the small houses but it's the big houses that are the problem.  

I think it's the high figure that scares them, break it down for them and it's less scary.  Funny really, it's the smaller houses that seem more willing to pay for a good service, that's what I'm finding anyway.   

 

[Pjj]

Aye, some of my customers were saying their windows the second time with wfp were great but I had reverted back to trad by then. I have a 5 bed detached to wfp as a first clean. I'm going to wfp them and then have a break and then wfp them again to see how they come up but I will be using hotwater. He asked me about his windows some time ago and caught me again as I clean his neighbours. I said £100 to clear your gutters but £50 if you are my windy customer so he jumped at the chance for £65. I find this is a good way to get new customers but they can cancel after its done which has already happened to me.

Is your hot water  working now ?.. what was the problem ?. 

 

[Part Timer]

The problem is that I've got a job that I do in less than 30 mins for £18 and I would rather do three of them than do this big house.  I mean yes it's more money but it's a lot more work involved, any less and it's just not worth it, like I say I'd rather have the smaller jobs.  

It's called refining your round, only really achievable when you're full or nearly full 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

i find a lot of larger domestic customers are happier with less frequent 8 weekly cleans......your missing out on good paying jobs only excepting 4 weekly cleans IMO....then again you might work areas where there isnt many larger posh houses,i do....4 weekly is too often if their paying upwards of £30-£50 a pop from my experience....

We don't have much in the way of large houses where I live. Did a quote for a couple of doctors in a £750k house. Quoted £40 and she nearly fainted because last guy charged £14 and there must have been 30 windows. I bodyswerve these houses from now on and would rather do three £15 houses. The moneypit houses I find are a nightmare because they don't want to pay for maintenance and usually falling to bits.