Price Increases Advice

[Robt100]

Came accross a bit of a dilemma today on the round I had bought, although I had seen 90% of it, some of it was bought 'blind' ie: I had seen the houses but not the prices, just a rough idea of what a day was in that road/estate.
Turns out its 26 properties, mixed between large 3 bed semis and small bungalows with med-large windows (4-5 plus doors)......for £150? Needless to say prices would all need to go over 100% on increases, tried to knock on a few but nobody home so decided to cut my losses, have dropped the round and will go back an canvass it in a few months once everyone is desperate for a window cleaner? the safer option i reckon!

 

[Neil.. Lancashire]

Came accross a bit of a dilemma today on the round I had bought, although I had seen 90% of it, some of it was bought 'blind' ie: I had seen the houses but not the prices, just a rough idea of what a day was in that road/estate.
Turns out its 26 properties, mixed between large 3 bed semis and small bungalows with med-large windows (4-5 plus doors)......for £150? Needless to say prices would all need to go over 100% on increases, tried to knock on a few but nobody home so decided to cut my losses, have dropped the round and will go back an canvass it in a few months once everyone is desperate for a window cleaner? the safer option i reckon!

Some of those customers might not be best pleased you haven't spoken to them about this. It's not there fault that it's under priced! there just paying what you have asked of them.  I would get all there contact number and then explain the situation to them in a text and hopefully some will be understanding.

Communication is everything in business.  Your customers are not mind readers.

hope it goes well far you.

 

[Robt100]

 I would get all there contact number and then explain the situation to them in a text and hopefully some will be understanding.

Communication is everything in business.  Your customers are not mind readers.

hope it goes well far you.

Those I could contact I have. Sadly can't spent a day or two trying to catch people in or posting notes at the moment. 90% of the customers have no contact details, it was just a turn up, clean, put a slip through kinda job. Was hoping the previous cleaner would have told them they were leaving/selling, but it seems not.

 

[Pjj]

Those I could contact I have. Sadly can't spent a day or two trying to catch people in or posting notes at the moment. 90% of the customers have no contact details, it was just a turn up, clean, put a slip through kinda job. Was hoping the previous cleaner would have told them they were leaving/selling, but it seems not.

With the greatest of respect if buying work you should have gone round it all with the guy doing it to see what you are getting and the price of each job it’s only then that you can make an informed decision as to wether the round is worth buying , also there should be a hand over of all names addresses and contact details before taking work over , so you know exactly how to contact them , the previous cleaner should also inform the customers that you will be taking over that’s just common courtesy.

 

[BigFoot]

Saw a company the other day. Someone mentioned on here. £15 for front only if I remember correct and they are reportedly very busy. Southampton way I think. 

I’ve done some work in Surrey and it was easy to pick up front only for a two up one down and door for £12.50 could probably push to £15 I think it’s  possible in more affluent areas to even get compact work around the highest price mark, it was working there that got me thinking how To develop and squeeze the most out of my area here. If I wasn’t established in my area I’d seriously consider relocating.

 

[Neil.. Lancashire]

Those I could contact I have. Sadly can't spent a day or two trying to catch people in or posting notes at the moment. 90% of the customers have no contact details, it was just a turn up, clean, put a slip through kinda job. Was hoping the previous cleaner would have told them they were leaving/selling, but it seems not.

Not the best of situation's.  I guess it was very well priced the work you have bought.

Hope you get the prices you really want.

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

I’ve done some work in Surrey and it was easy to pick up front only for a two up one down and door for £12.50 could probably push to £15 I think it’s  possible in more affluent areas to even get compact work around the highest price mark, it was working there that got me thinking how To develop and squeeze the most out of my area here. If I wasn’t established in my area I’d seriously consider relocating.

Two up one down for £12.50?! Dam forgot this, I'm moving! Where is it I'm driving down tomorrow?

 

[BigFoot]

Two up one down for £12.50?! Dam forgot this, I'm moving! Where is it I'm driving down tomorrow?

I had commitments that dragged me to the area every month so decided to do Windows to subsidise the travel and accommodation expenses, we only took on easy fronts as we wanted fast work with no fuss as we had other things to do. It more than paid for the trip and we eat well too!
East Grinstead area. 

 

[Robt100]

@chris70 A little update for you which may help you have a bit of piece of mind. Had two houses today that were severly underpriced on this round (£10 for a 4 bed detached, and £7 for a large 3 bed semi with extra windows?). Explained to them that I can't make it financially viable at that price, explained how the old WC hadnt put prices up for years (about 20 in this case!) and inflation etc etc.

Had both of them agree to double their prices? Now I just need the whole round to do that and I'd have a few £k more to play with?

 

[NewGuy]

I’ve done some work in Surrey and it was easy to pick up front only for a two up one down and door for £12.50 could probably push to £15 I think it’s  possible in more affluent areas to even get compact work around the highest price mark, it was working there that got me thinking how To develop and squeeze the most out of my area here. If I wasn’t established in my area I’d seriously consider relocating.

I had commitments that dragged me to the area every month so decided to do Windows to subsidise the travel and accommodation expenses, we only took on easy fronts as we wanted fast work with no fuss as we had other things to do. It more than paid for the trip and we eat well too!
East Grinstead area. 

Hate to be a pedantic but East Grinstead is in West Sussex, not Surrey!  But still, it is indeed an affluent area!

 

[BigFoot]

Hate to be a pedantic but East Grinstead is in West Sussex, not Surrey!  But still, it is indeed an affluent area!

I would actually work  5 mins up the road in Redhill and Godstone I think both are in Surrey, just said East Grinstead area as more people would know where I was on about as its a larger town but yes correct. Either way very pretty area, if I could afford to relocate that would do me nicely. On a side note the weather was much better than the foothills of the Breacon Beacons, the climate alone is worth the move ? 

 

[NewGuy]

I would actually work  5 mins up the road in Redhill and Godstone I think both are in Surrey, just said East Grinstead area as more people would know where I was on about as its a larger town but yes correct. Either way very pretty area, if I could afford to relocate that would do me nicely. On a side note the weather was much better than the foothills of the Breacon Beacons, the climate alone is worth the move ? 

I spent 4 years in Surrey (Weybridge and Walton-on-Thames) - moved away to go to college and they wouldn't allow me back.  They pushed their property prices up and up just to keep me from returning.  

 

[mike007]

Just wondering about price increases i have not put prices up in 4 years and really need to do so now but don't want to loose to many customers because of it for example houses i currently clean for £15 i wanted to put up to £20 and and ones i clean for £20 want to put up to £25 does this seem to much just wondering what other people on here do Cheers

Decisions and their consequences is part of running a succesful business my friend. Personally if you are charging me £15 and said next time it will be £20 I would think it is a bit steep percentage wise charging me a third more for the same job.

 

[Robt100]

Decisions and their consequences is part of running a succesful business my friend. Personally if you are charging me £15 and said next time it will be £20 I would think it is a bit steep percentage wise charging me a third more for the same job.

Although that would entirely depend on when it last went up I would think?
With the increases I've had to do on this recently bought stuff, Most im givin a few months grace to get used to the better quality clean to soften the blow?, but some were so cheap I had to increase them right away, so far they have went up by between 60-100% in price (yep, doubled) and nobody has refused, most just agree they knew the last guy was cheap and understand that the price has to change, they seem to have more of a 'well it was good whilst it lasted' reaction rather than a 'how much?!'. But then again, its been 10-20years since they had a price increase. If it was 1 or 2 years and you added 30% to the price I can understand some may not be too keen.

 

[Neil.. Lancashire]

Although that would entirely depend on when it last went up I would think?
With the increases I've had to do on this recently bought stuff, Most im givin a few months grace to get used to the better quality clean to soften the blow?, but some were so cheap I had to increase them right away, so far they have went up by between 60-100% in price (yep, doubled) and nobody has refused, most just agree they knew the last guy was cheap and understand that the price has to change, they seem to have more of a 'well it was good whilst it lasted' reaction rather than a 'how much?!'. But then again, its been 10-20years since they had a price increase. If it was 1 or 2 years and you added 30% to the price I can understand some may not be too keen.

I think you have been lucky!  But there nothing wrong with being lucky ?

 

[Pjj]

Decisions and their consequences is part of running a succesful business my friend. Personally if you are charging me £15 and said next time it will be £20 I would think it is a bit steep percentage wise charging me a third more for the same job.

I agree with what you have said but I put up quite a few from £15-20 and didn’t loose a single one , I explained to the customers that I hadn’t put up the price in years and that I couldn’t continue doing it at £15 all understood and were fine with the increase , try a few over the next few months explain  to them why it needs to go up you might be pleasantly  supprised how they respond . 

 

[mike007]

Although that would entirely depend on when it last went up I would think?
With the increases I've had to do on this recently bought stuff, Most im givin a few months grace to get used to the better quality clean to soften the blow?, but some were so cheap I had to increase them right away, so far they have went up by between 60-100% in price (yep, doubled) and nobody has refused, most just agree they knew the last guy was cheap and understand that the price has to change, they seem to have more of a 'well it was good whilst it lasted' reaction rather than a 'how much?!'. But then again, its been 10-20years since they had a price increase. If it was 1 or 2 years and you added 30% to the price I can understand some may not be too keen.

You bought a well underpriced round ...chris70 has been doing their windows 4 years and is thinking of lumping a increase of a third in price . I personally think a heck of a increase. Could of done incremental increases over the 4 years instead. Course hindsight is a wonderful thing. Big difference in your two situations.

I agree with what you have said but I put up quite a few from £15-20 and didn’t loose a single one , I explained to the customers that I hadn’t put up the price in years and that I couldn’t continue doing it at £15 all understood and were fine with the increase , try a few over the next few months explain  to them why it needs to go up you might be pleasantly  supprised how they respond . 

So am I, situations are different for everyone, such as local competition.

 

[Chris33]

Pricing is defo often a mental thing. How much you feel your worth, what your used to charging, what others charge etc...

These are all just ideas. Things we make up to be facts, that are often just what we are comfortable with though. 

Tonight I tested this a tiny bit. I had three enquiries for window cleaning to get back to from earlier. Job one would have been £10 normally (front and back x council), job two would have been £13 and the third would have been around the same now.

Put £2 on all enquiries and so far two have accepted. This is micro in comparison to your price scaling, I understand.

But defo trial your next enquiries first as part timer suggested early on (a mini experiment)..and if nothing else, dependent on results; this will give you confidence to gradually transform your round to a better priced one over time (with new enquiries)

And if that doesn't work? Well you know you were pricing what was an acceptable figure to start with

 

[Omega]

Pricing is defo often a mental thing. How much you feel your worth, what your used to charging, what others charge etc...

These are all just ideas. Things we make up to be facts, that are often just what we are comfortable with though. 

Tonight I tested this a tiny bit. I had three enquiries for window cleaning to get back to from earlier. Job one would have been £10 normally (front and back x council), job two would have been £13 and the third would have been around the same now.

Put £2 on all enquiries and so far two have accepted. This is micro in comparison to your price scaling, I understand.

But defo trial your next enquiries first as part timer suggested early on (a mini experiment)..and if nothing else, dependent on results; this will give you confidence to gradually transform your round to a better priced one over time (with new enquiries)

And if that doesn't work? Well you know you were pricing what was an acceptable figure to start with

What a great reply. Price is relative and value is diff for each and every person.

 

[mike007]

What a great reply. Price is relative and value is diff for each and every person.

Which means to the customer as well as the windie, which is why so much debate on the forum with some saying your under pricing and others saying your over pricing. The truth often is a mix of the two, and why it is the hardest part of the job coming behind getting customers as they are both inter related.

 

[Robt100]

Thought I'd continue on this thread as it's pretty recent and I mentioned some of the experiences I've had on this new round so far....

The time has nearly come for the price increases, having done each house 2-3 times now I have a good idea of time taken and no. of windows. The worst priced round I'm currently just finishing off for the 3rd time, and its 99% half price work. As there is too much work for too little pay I've decided im going for devil may care mode on the price increases for this village, theres going to be no incremetal increase, just straight up to the 'should be' price. For one lucky customer that means going from £20 to £50!? He ownes 12 XKR and F-type Jags, so he should be able to cover it..

Have already been to a couple more that were less than £10 and told them already I can't clean at that price. Gave a quote to all of them at about double the original price minus £1, and they've all happily accepted! I was hoping to drop a few as its 2.5 days of work, but at this rate I'm just going to end up with a load of decent stuff?