Pricing guilt...

[RWCleaning]

What a load of bs!! agreed price was £120 to complete the job and the job was completed! He didn’t quote an hourly rate!!! That’s really annoyed me!

Haha

 

[scottish cleaning service]

He cut corners and took the risk of crawling along the roof. He could have broke tiles or slates but he would never have told the customer. I don't like being so obvious and will hang a job out for an hour at least and keeps the customer happy. I know a roofing company who charged £750 to clear out gutters. It was an old tenement with 11 flats in it with 4 floors. No one would do it unless they got a scaffold or cherry

picker. The guy jumped out the skylight with a harness and his mate tied off the rope inside the attic. A few hours later he was finished but it would have cost double his price doing it the right way. 

 

[Mx19]

I missed the part about climbing on the roof! ??‍

 

[dmw]

Doesn’t sound like ripping off to me.

true story I got called to Clean the gutters & fascias on a property a couple of years ago. I got called out as the first company/person online cleared out the gutters. When I got there he told me the full story. Long story short the last person quoted £120 to clear out the gutters (3 or 4 bed detached can’t remember now) 

There was a communication problem between the customer and the other guy it seems as the customer wanted clear and clean, but apparently they other guy said the price was just a clearance. 
 

Anyway the customer said, ‘do you know how long it took him?’ I said “with a ladder of gutter vacuum?” he said no on a ladder, he climbed up onto the roof and crawled round. I said “2hrs?”

He looked at me annoyed and goes ‘15 minutes!. He came down after 15 minutes with two buckets and said I’m all done.’

The customer went on to say that how can you justify those prices. The customer said that they had a small argument and gave him £100. He said the guy was there for 20 minutes all in including setting up & arguing lol. 

I quoted £90 to clean the upvc. Took me 3hrs haha. 
 

He’s not a cow boy as such, as they have a local sign written van, website etc. Not just a bloke in trainers in a car with no advertisement. 

I think the thing with this one was a mix up with what the job entailed. I've think many of us in the past have ( i  definitely have) have not communicated effectively and when it comes to getting paid it can be awkward and embarrassing to both parties, so now I make a point of walking and talking them through the job so we know exactly where we are at .or even put it in writing.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I think the thing with this one was a mix up with what the job entailed. I've think many of us in the past have ( i  definitely have) have not communicated effectively and when it comes to getting paid it can be awkward and embarrassing to both parties, so now I make a point of walking and talking them through the job so we know exactly where we are at .or even put it in writing.

When a professional goes to clear gutters, you don't expect nor want them to run about on your roof! Do you? No you want them to use a ladder or a Vac. Do you think the chancer would tell the customer I have just broke a few tiles and I will replace them? No chance, he will take the money and run. Lets face it, would you want someone to run about your roof clearing your gutters, of course you wouldn't. We need to be professional and portray a professional image, I believe. fwiw 

 

[NoName]

NewGuy

Pricing is not merely a factor of time, it includes less tangible things:

Reliability (custy's HATE unreliable windies)

Truthfulness (say what you're going do and do what you say)

Quality of finish (inc sill,vents,cloth down front door to prevent drips when door opened etc)

Warranty (offer a call back service - 'if your in anyway unhappy - just ring/txt and I'll return and reclean')

Care taken (remove doormat to prevent getting them wet/closing all gates)

Providing add ons services (cleaning scuffs on doors/salt/limescale removing)

Increased scope (inc the garage door, high veluxes, etc)

Flexibility (custy can move a date to a mutually convenient time - hols etc) 

Trustworthiness (DBS checked etc)

Tidiness (leave as you find)

Confidence (mention near neighbours you do)

Professionalism 

Reflected glory (custys love a well looked after van servicing their house/'clean cut 'uniformed staff etc) 

Personable (when I quote custys often ask will I be calling or a 'minion' - I take that as a compliment) 

Public Liability insurance  ( if you have it, show your certificate - laminate a copy and keep in your quote folder)

Being a registered waste carrier (if removing waste - i.e gutter) show your certificate.

Additional benefits (offer to replace gutter gasket complimentary - cost is minimal when clearing them - or that you can clean solar panels with your pole - not free :1f609: ) 

Freebies (refer a neighbour and get x off your next clean, cocs, wine etc)

Payment options to suit (BACS/£/Contactless/Gocardless etc)

Frequency options (not all Windies like this but custys do)

etc...etc..

All these facets of your service, in your customers mind, add real value to your service - hence you don't need to compete on price because you offer a 'next level' service - which a lot the custys you want - fully appreciate, understand and value!

It's worth noting a list of these type of 'benefits' that you offer, so can trot them out when quoting (or on your flyers) so the custy can appreciate it's not like they are comparing two identical services.

If some doggy geezer, with a battered bucket and dirty water offers to clean our car for £4 'most' don't think, what a deal!

Some might prefer to take it to the unscrupulous modern day slave driver run local 'car wash' and pay £6

Some will use a more reputable cash wash and pay £15

Some prefer to get a professional valet to call by and provide a 5* service on your own drive and happily pay £60 

These 4 are not the same service they offer different things and hence don't charge the same price and yet all 4 have custy's who are happy with the service they receive based on their price point.

 

[NewGuy]

Have been offering customers the frequency they wish, 4, 6 or 8 weeks.  So far, none have opted for the 4 weeks frequency but I want to give them what they want, and not what I want.  I understand this is not the favoured option from our point of view but I do not want customers to pay for a frequency level they do not want.

I suspect as my client base grows, I will change my tune and start stipulating 4 weekly services, at least for the regular size houses.

I did price up a job the other day where they already had a window cleaner.  I priced it at £25 and said that is a good deal and cannot go any lower, to which she replied that's what her current cleaner charges.  I said that he is charging you a fair rate and I cannot beat it.  The last thing I want to do is go round undercutting other cleaners and stealing their customers.  Don't get me wrong, I would be happy taking their customers, but not at a cost to me!