Price increases is it wise?

[cleaniac]

I have every confidence in my ability and I have a good reputation for what I do but when you get dropped for increasing prices for something people see as not essential it's concerning.

I am sorry but you really need to get a grip and take control.

YOU are the one standing in YOUR way to better profitably.

A drop in customers is EXACTLY what you want to achieve when putting up prices.

Why do you think SKY or any other large company massively hike up their prices if you are loyal to them? Are they worried that they're going to loose a bunch of customers? No..it's what they want, less work, less stress on their business for more reward. SKY is not an essential service..


I'm going back to work on Tuesday, I only have 5 jobs to do to ease me in from.yje shoulder op, and they are simple window cleaning jobs, about 2 hours for the day max, each job is between 40 and 55 quid, long standing customers that i have had now for 16 or 17 years..I have ALWAYS put their prices up...ALWAYS.

Whilst off work, I had a friend who covered for me, and reaped the rewards of my prices whilst I healed. He came to me and said that doing my work opened his eyes and made him realise just how much more profitable my time is compared to his.

He thought because he is making 400 a day, doing 20 houses a day he was doing well.

When he had to cover some of my work, he made more money in 3 hours, than he did in 8 over his, and not being rushed off his feet either. He could never understand how had time to go out on my motorcycles during the week, or have time to take out doing stuff I like to do.

I explained to him, you need to be able to gauge your customers. You want them to be ever-so slightly uncomfortable with your prices at all times, you need to push the boundary just up to, and a bit over the limit of what they are willing to pay, it keeps them justifying the price, and re affirming the value that they have the best person for the job. You will loose customers every time you do this, but a core base will form that stick with you, you replace the lost customers and keep the strategy, that core grows and grows.

It's the Core that you build up that becomes your business over the years.

You cant grow that core if you don't make room for it.

If you are scared of putting up your prices, you are clogging up space for that high profit core to grow.

It's simple business.

 

[Reliable Lead Gen Canvas]

We just put all our prices up. Was waiting 2 years, kept putting it off but in the end it needed to be done. There is no perfect time to do it. So far we lost about 10 new customers which is totally fine, price rises more than make up for that, plus theres extra space on the round.

When we are in may i'll take a look at all the customers we have lost, then just do a big campaign and replace with new customers at higher prices anyway. I used to worry so much about price rises, but it's never as bad as you think it will be.

 

[Pjj]

I am sorry but you really need to get a grip and take control.

YOU are the one standing in YOUR way to better profitably.

A drop in customers is EXACTLY what you want to achieve when putting up prices.

Why do you think SKY or any other large company massively hike up their prices if you are loyal to them? Are they worried that they're going to loose a bunch of customers? No..it's what they want, less work, less stress on their business for more reward. SKY is not an essential service..


I'm going back to work on Tuesday, I only have 5 jobs to do to ease me in from.yje shoulder op, and they are simple window cleaning jobs, about 2 hours for the day max, each job is between 40 and 55 quid, long standing customers that i have had now for 16 or 17 years..I have ALWAYS put their prices up...ALWAYS.

Whilst off work, I had a friend who covered for me, and reaped the rewards of my prices whilst I healed. He came to me and said that doing my work opened his eyes and made him realise just how much more profitable my time is compared to his.

He thought because he is making 400 a day, doing 20 houses a day he was doing well.

When he had to cover some of my work, he made more money in 3 hours, than he did in 8 over his, and not being rushed off his feet either. He could never understand how had time to go out on my motorcycles during the week, or have time to take out doing stuff I like to do.

I explained to him, you need to be able to gauge your customers. You want them to be ever-so slightly uncomfortable with your prices at all times, you need to push the boundary just up to, and a bit over the limit of what they are willing to pay, it keeps them justifying the price, and re affirming the value that they have the best person for the job. You will loose customers every time you do this, but a core base will form that stick with you, you replace the lost customers and keep the strategy, that core grows and grows.

It's the Core that you build up that becomes your business over the years.

You cant grow that core if you don't make room for it.

If you are scared of putting up your prices, you are clogging up space for that high profit core to grow.

It's simple business.

Quite agree with this but when I say things like this certain ones say Ime boasting or lying ???? well said Mark ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Quite agree with this but when I say things like this certain ones say Ime boasting or lying ???? well said Mark ?

I don't think you've ever said anything like this as you're too busy boasting ?

Now can we all behave tonight as I am going on the lash and will be fragile tomorrow

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Quite agree with this but when I say things like this certain ones say Ime boasting or lying ???? well said Mark ?

I get the feeling some folk on here want people to fail. Up here we call it the West of Scotland culture because many don't want you to succeed in life. Usually the first thing you have to do is move away from the naysayers.

 

[carp boy]

I get the feeling some folk on here want people to fail. Up here we call it the West of Scotland culture because many don't want you to succeed in life. Usually the first thing you have to do is move away from the naysayers.

May sayers are everywhere mate.
Plenty down here in swamp land norwich. Sour grapes if u ask me.

 

[Iron Giant]

Had a corker yesterday and I was only increasing his price because he wanted to go 8 weekly, instead of £12 every 4 I said it would be £16.00 for every 8 weeks, he said that was too expensive with everything increasing, which made me shake my head as he has recently bought a brand new Range Rover sport and has a 2nd home in the Lake District

 

[Poles Apart]

I am sorry but you really need to get a grip and take control.

YOU are the one standing in YOUR way to better profitably.

A drop in customers is EXACTLY what you want to achieve when putting up prices.

Why do you think SKY or any other large company massively hike up their prices if you are loyal to them? Are they worried that they're going to loose a bunch of customers? No..it's what they want, less work, less stress on their business for more reward. SKY is not an essential service..


I'm going back to work on Tuesday, I only have 5 jobs to do to ease me in from.yje shoulder op, and they are simple window cleaning jobs, about 2 hours for the day max, each job is between 40 and 55 quid, long standing customers that i have had now for 16 or 17 years..I have ALWAYS put their prices up...ALWAYS.

Whilst off work, I had a friend who covered for me, and reaped the rewards of my prices whilst I healed. He came to me and said that doing my work opened his eyes and made him realise just how much more profitable my time is compared to his.

He thought because he is making 400 a day, doing 20 houses a day he was doing well.

When he had to cover some of my work, he made more money in 3 hours, than he did in 8 over his, and not being rushed off his feet either. He could never understand how had time to go out on my motorcycles during the week, or have time to take out doing stuff I like to do.

I explained to him, you need to be able to gauge your customers. You want them to be ever-so slightly uncomfortable with your prices at all times, you need to push the boundary just up to, and a bit over the limit of what they are willing to pay, it keeps them justifying the price, and re affirming the value that they have the best person for the job. You will loose customers every time you do this, but a core base will form that stick with you, you replace the lost customers and keep the strategy, that core grows and grows.

It's the Core that you build up that becomes your business over the years.

You cant grow that core if you don't make room for it.

If you are scared of putting up your prices, you are clogging up space for that high profit core

 

[Poles Apart]

I'm sorry but you are way off point you don't just replace customers just like that I've got an ad in a vetted trader book I'm the only window cleaner in it and no enquiries for ages it gets delivered to thousands of properties window cleaning is not top of the list of priorities now eating and keeping warm is as for SKY most would dump the window cleaner first before cancelling that.

 

[Pjj]

I'm sorry but you are way off point you don't just replace customers just like that I've got an ad in a vetted trader book I'm the only window cleaner in it and no enquiries for ages it gets delivered to thousands of properties window cleaning is not top of the list of priorities now eating and keeping warm is as for SKY most would dump the window cleaner first before cancelling that.

I think this is an area issue , we have customers that would rather have clean windows and cut back in other areas in life , we are still picking up a lot of work but not to the normal degree for this time of year which is a good thing . I don’t advertise at all only website , I personally don’t think advertising in magazines is worth it most will Google services theses days evan I food Ime looking for something and ime a technical diinosour ???

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I think this is an area issue , we have customers that would rather have clean windows and cut back in other areas in life , we are still picking up a lot of work but not to the normal degree for this time of year which is a good thing . I don’t advertise at all only website , I personally don’t think advertising in magazines is worth it most will Google services theses days evan I food Ime looking for something and ime a technical diinosour ???

Have to disagree with you on advertising or VW, BMW and Merc wouldn't advertise. Checkatrade was the best move I have done to pickup work. I'm off to do an internal where the window flips round, she found me on the wee buddy book or council book as I call it.

 

[AllGleam]

Price increase is a must with everything else rising, or it hits hard and you'll be even worse off if don't roll with the times and custys will still shop and ones who want to keep there propertys looking will generally want to carry on, really short cash flow families will be more likely to cancel sadly real down side to rises on everything is tips/extra generous bits won't happen much lol ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Price increase is a must with everything else rising, or it hits hard and you'll be even worse off if don't roll with the times and custys will still shop and ones who want to keep there propertys looking will generally want to carry on, really short cash flow families will be more likely to cancel sadly real down side to rises on everything is tips/extra generous bits won't happen much lol ?

I increased the ones that were hard to do first. If I lost them then I would have been fairly happy so win win situation but only lost one which was a £6 to £7 a month.

 

[Pjj]

I increased the ones that were hard to do first. If I lost them then I would have been fairly happy so win win situation but only lost one which was a £6 to £7 a month.

Do you have a minimum price ??

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Do you have a minimum price ??

£8 but I moved it to £9 now. Still have some £6 and £7 cleans for neighbours which were a fiver for years.

 

[chris70]

put my prices up between £2 and £5 this month not lost any customers so all good

 

[Iron Giant]

I'm sorry but you are way off point you don't just replace customers just like that I've got an ad in a vetted trader book I'm the only window cleaner in it and no enquiries for ages it gets delivered to thousands of properties window cleaning is not top of the list of priorities now eating and keeping warm is as for SKY most would dump the window cleaner first before cancelling that.

With respect, you are thinking too much about the negatives and the impact it may or may not have, without knowing the type of customer you clean it's hard to say, but 7 years is way way too long not to have put prices up, its pure madness when covid hit suppliers bumped up their prices by 30-40% and everything has gone up and will continue to do so,

A lot of my jobs are new builds as in built in the last 10 years these are mainly 4 bed detached houses new Audi's etc on their drives, some aren't but people have decent jobs on the whole plus retired folk etc most of which are living in houses I could never afford to buy, I have put some prices up last year by £1 and some of them have gone up again this year then the ones I will wait to put up next year will be going by £2 after 2 years since the last increase,

So far I've lost two jobs one which went up from £8 to £10 after 4 years which I had overlooked and a bloke who has a second home in the Lake District who said I was too expensive after requesting to go 8 weekly and I told him it would an extra £4 per clean he clearly didn't think I was worth it or valued my service enough despite saying I was a decent lad and the job I did was always spot on and he never had any reason to complain, these jobs have been replaced 4x over with new higher priced work, onwards and upwards my good man!!

 

[Jaygti]

Yes too much negativity on this thread.
Window cleaning is the ideal job this situation we are in.
If you work for a company and you’ve just got a 2% pay rise, there’s very little you can do about it other than find a new job ( or go on strike?).
With inflation expected to hit almost 10% that’s a huge hit to your standard of living.

With window cleaning there’s loads you can do. Put your prices up, if you lose some just canvass some more. Work more efficiently, adjust how you work , or tweek you equipment etc. or just work longer hours as a last resort.
You don’t have to sit passively and take a hit.

Ultimately if you were happy to earn £300 a day you need to be earning £330 just to stay still.
If you were on £1000 a week you need to up that to £1100 now.

So don’t moan just get stuck in. ??

 

[AllGleam]

With respect, you are thinking too much about the negatives and the impact it may or may not have, without knowing the type of customer you clean it's hard to say, but 7 years is way way too long not to have put prices up, its pure madness when covid hit suppliers bumped up their prices by 30-40% and everything has gone up and will continue to do so,

A lot of my jobs are new builds as in built in the last 10 years these are mainly 4 bed detached houses new Audi's etc on their drives, some aren't but people have decent jobs on the whole plus retired folk etc most of which are living in houses I could never afford to buy, I have put some prices up last year by £1 and some of them have gone up again this year then the ones I will wait to put up next year will be going by £2 after 2 years since the last increase,

So far I've lost two jobs one which went up from £8 to £10 after 4 years which I had overlooked and a bloke who has a second home in the Lake District who said I was too expensive after requesting to go 8 weekly and I told him it would an extra £4 per clean he clearly didn't think I was worth it or valued my service enough despite saying I was a decent lad and the job I did was always spot on and he never had any reason to complain, these jobs have been replaced 4x over with new higher priced work, onwards and upwards my good man!!

I know bud i got that some people have asked for quotes and when i quoted have said i paid that for last window cleaner obviously hunting for cheaper windys some think paying a couple quid is more than acceptable, some don't believe its worth it for cleaning windows and look outside the box as to why prices go up

 

[Iron Giant]

I know bud i got that some people have asked for quotes and when i quoted have said i paid that for last window cleaner obviously hunting for cheaper windys some think paying a couple quid is more than acceptable, some don't believe its worth it for cleaning windows and look outside the box as to why prices go up

It's common knowledge and sense that everyone knows the price of everything is increasing, but some folk make more of a deal out of it, Netflix for example put the price up by £1 which they hadn't done for around 7 years and it was national news, I know some people will be more pushed than others and they are looking at saving what they can off their bills, but if you are say increasing prices by £1 on a 4 weekly clean it's not that much in the grand scheme of things when it's Gas & Electricity that has almost doubled.

I am fortunate that I am not getting calls from people looking for a cheaper price, they're all calling me because of my reputation, some are out of my work area so they either get passed on or declined.

 

[paulben]

Not put prices for a long while but going up this month by 10% if I lose 1 in 10 I am still even with time to take on another customer to replace ones lost . If I lose less than 1 in !0 then I am a happy bunny