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Pricing please help
- Thread starter Rejuven8
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Unfortunately there is a lot involved with pricing.
There was a formula put in up on the forums recently pricing per window, french door, bathroom window and front door for a 3 bed semi.
For houses on our estate, the price per clean would work out to £17 using that formula.
There is no way i would get £17 for a clean. Currently I'm between £10 and £11 which is a similar price other cleaners are charging.
One of the cleaners working the estate raised his price from £12 to £15 and his customer cancelled. His customer told me he felt £12 was the very limit of what he would pay for his windows to be cleaned.
Now £17 would probably not be enough for a clean in the South. So pricing is very much dictated by area and region. There still areas not far from where we live where cleaners are charging £5 for a 3 bed semi.
We also haven't taken into consideration that obstacles like locked gates add the cleaning times. No 2 houses on the same estate are the same even although they are identical.
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Here's an example of pricing by a window cleaning franchise in Southampton.
His competition laughed at his pricing structure." You will never get those prices in Southampton," they said. But he is still a growing business.
He started on his own around 2005/6 and then added franchising in around 2010.
His competition laughed at his pricing structure." You will never get those prices in Southampton," they said. But he is still a growing business.
He started on his own around 2005/6 and then added franchising in around 2010.
Cleanco
Well-known member
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- Manchester
I suppose being a vat registered franchise he will have a lot of overheads etc with him actually only seeing a very small percentage of what the business actually turns over making his prices essential for his business to work. Compare that to a sole trader working on his own that could probably charge 50% less than them prices and still turn a good profit.
Window Cleaning Solutions | Expert Exterior Cleaning Ellesmere Port
Window Cleaning Solutions is a local family business based in Ellesmere Port with over 15 years of window cleaning & exterior cleaning services experience.
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- Cornwall
Exactly these ones that say it can’t be done it can it’s lack of self confidence and marketing
vin started off on his own and got that busy he started franchising rather than turn work away trust me he makes a very good living
Cleanco
Well-known member
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- Manchester
Think you’re missing my point. Yes he could be making a good living but you can also make a good living without having to charge those prices as it all depends on your business model.
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- Cornwall
His prices aren’t expensive is what ime saying he was charging similar when on his own , but had the courage to charge a reasonable price so not undervaluing his services
There are of course pros and cons but there is much to be said for including pricing information on your website. Not least because if you do any kind of keyword research r.e. window cleaning you will consistently find amongst the most commonly used and most popular search terms phrases relating directly to the price / cost of professional w/c services. This happens time and time again and is the same with all keyword research tools.
If you don't believe me just Google a relevant term like ' window cleaning services' and I'll lay money that on page 1 (desktop) you'll find a 'People also ask' section and within it will be a question relating to cost / price.
Not only does this demonstrate that it is something people want to know about, but it also shows that including this info on your site , especially if it's optimised well, could lead to a significant jump up the search results rankings for certain search terms.
This leads to more website traffic = more enqiories = more work.
Yes a has been said there are many variables and you might take a hit now and then but the extra work should more than compensate.
Besides, it can also be made clear that prices listed are not set in stone and are a guide only and can occaskionally be reviewed depending on individual circimstances. This leaves some wriggle room if and when required.
I think the example @spruce gives in his post shows how it can be done well and clearly on a website. Yes there are cons too but it's something worth considering and if you are going to do it, take the time and effort to do it well in a way that benefits your website, i.e. making sure it's clear and easily understood by customers and well written and optimised for search engines and higher search rankings .
(anyone interested in how they might do that is welcome to PM me and I'll offer my opinion on the subject with some examples of how you can do this for the best SEO benefits).
If you don't believe me just Google a relevant term like ' window cleaning services' and I'll lay money that on page 1 (desktop) you'll find a 'People also ask' section and within it will be a question relating to cost / price.
Not only does this demonstrate that it is something people want to know about, but it also shows that including this info on your site , especially if it's optimised well, could lead to a significant jump up the search results rankings for certain search terms.
This leads to more website traffic = more enqiories = more work.
Yes a has been said there are many variables and you might take a hit now and then but the extra work should more than compensate.
Besides, it can also be made clear that prices listed are not set in stone and are a guide only and can occaskionally be reviewed depending on individual circimstances. This leaves some wriggle room if and when required.
I think the example @spruce gives in his post shows how it can be done well and clearly on a website. Yes there are cons too but it's something worth considering and if you are going to do it, take the time and effort to do it well in a way that benefits your website, i.e. making sure it's clear and easily understood by customers and well written and optimised for search engines and higher search rankings .
(anyone interested in how they might do that is welcome to PM me and I'll offer my opinion on the subject with some examples of how you can do this for the best SEO benefits).
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- Durham
I don't think it's a lack of self-confidence or marketing at all, I couldn't charge £21.95 for a 3-bed semi in my neck of the woods it would be great if I could, I don't lack self-confidence or marketing unfortunately what's seeing me not gain as much work or even inquiries these days is I assume the FB residents pages were it all gets shared and the cheap window cleaners that are charging prices that are outdated by 10 years,
When lads are saying they'll do a 3 storey double fronted 4-bed detached house and include the garage door for £15 every 4 weeks, these are 300k+ houses, and the homeowners are more bothered about how little they can pay for their window cleaner than quality of service, I had someone sack me months ago after 2 years of good service to save £1 a month then weeks later had a brand new VW on the drive
it's getting worse in my neck of the woods with cheap cleaners who should have gone to the wall a long time ago
You may be able to but if you can get those prices why wouldn’t you?
More money less work = comfortable life
I don’t understand why you would want to charge less than you could get?
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I hear what you are saying but when vin started out ones openly ridiculed him saying people wouldn’t pay those prices , but time has proved them wrong as he is getting jobs and has several franchisees and they are all doing very well so it can be done .I don't think it's a lack of self-confidence or marketing at all, I couldn't charge £21.95 for a 3-bed semi in my neck of the woods it would be great if I could, I don't lack self-confidence or marketing unfortunately what's seeing me not gain as much work or even inquiries these days is I assume the FB residents pages were it all gets shared and the cheap window cleaners that are charging prices that are outdated by 10 years,
When lads are saying they'll do a 3 storey double fronted 4-bed detached house and include the garage door for £15 every 4 weeks, these are 300k+ houses, and the homeowners are more bothered about how little they can pay for their window cleaner than quality of service, I had someone sack me months ago after 2 years of good service to save £1 a month then weeks later had a brand new VW on the drive
I firmly believe that people who live down south have a different mentality to those in the north.
Those in the north tend to squeeze a 5p piece so hard that even Queen Elizabeth's eyes water. Our local Facebook page often has threads regarding the prices charged and paid for window cleaning. "You are being ripped off paying £12 for a 3 bedroom semi. I'm paying £8 and I think that's rather high."
As I've said before, there are still cleaners charging £5 for a 3 bed semi in Loftus.
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I get it as well, lads have openly said in the past they think I'm ripping people off with my prices, but I couldn't get what vin is charging £21 for a 2 bed semi.
Round here I wouldn’t do this front and back for any less than £15 minimum
South is higher prices definitely
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Vin worked for an alarms supply company. He was sick one day at home in the bath when his window cleaner arrived. His window cleaner missed the bathroom window. Vin opened the window and wiped his finger over the glass. It was filthy. So he challenged the window cleaner, who firmly stated that he didn't miss that window. Vin paid him and cancelled future cleans. It got him thinking about offering people a quality service and not a slap dash one his cleaner did.
He then built his reputation on providing a first class service, which, obviously, wasn't the norm in his area. He believed that people would pay a premium for top quality service.
As @Iron Giant says, there is a perception of pricing in this part of the world. A while ago, I got accused of ripping someone's mother off with my prices and was cancelled. "I'm sorry you feel that way." My customer was a pensioner and I always price lower, unless I can visibly see they are financially well off.
I can't see us getting £15 for that house in most of our areas.
JohnDoeWindows
Well-known member
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- Grimsby
Likewise @spruce it would probably fall around the £13 mark here, maybe £14 if you're lucky
Business owners in our area tend to employ staff at basic minimum wage, so translate that into window cleaning prices as well as other services they need. Gardeners are another example of 'unskilled' labour.
But they spend vast amounts on their own living expenses. We have one as a customer.
But they spend vast amounts on their own living expenses. We have one as a customer.
We always used to say that your pricing is about right if you get between 40 and 60% of the quotes you make. However, if you are new to window cleaning, then you need every customer you can get, even if they are a little underpriced. £10 is better than nothing to begin with.
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I'd price one of those at £12 and be lucky to get it, but that style of house up here ex council lads are doing them for £8 so I won't even entertain quoting a job like that I avoid those estates like the plague
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