Undercut (not the issue) but how's the other guy doing it?

[Tango]

They aren’t comparing you against competitors so just quote what you think it’s worth. No one else will be quoting.

That is a fair point.. although I have had several people tell me they can find a cheaper window cleaner (although they apparently have forgotten to do so).

When I started took the view that three hours spent leafleting was better than a poorly paid one off. If instead of doing that job you delivered flyers, one customer at £10 a clean would be worth £120 against the £30 earned. If you need the £30 to feed the family I accept that’s different but didn’t I read you have a job?

Yes I do have a weekend job. The reason i prefer to work the same day i canvass is that i prefer to have the money ASAP. Leaflets haven't been overly successful for me. I do get the odd call here and there and even get the odd one from leaflets put out months back but I've found they don't work quickly enough or on a large enough scale to justify my time. Canvassing has got me more customers than leafleting. The only time i really go en masse with the leaflets is if i've had no after no and got a vibe the rest of the doors i knock will be the same. Then i give up and just start dropping the flyers instead. Even then i don't get many calls - if any so I prefer to stick with canvassing, drag the trolley round with me and pick up jobs as i go. I do need to get some advertising sorted though..

 

[Pjj]

To be fair i did kinda want the windows but not the fascias / gutters so i wasn't overly fussed about that job anyway - she's not a regular, just a one time abuser who seems to know several other windys and has a list of those she doesn't like - needless to say i wasn't too bothered.

The conny was going to be a pain in the butt. I didn't even want to quote it - not even for mega money. If you saw it, you'd know why!

Point taken about the money but she gave the distinct impression that he was charging less than me for everything. I was just curious how someone could do it all for less than forty quid!

To prevent this we offer a total external cleaning service cleaning gfs: conservatory in and out : pressure washing softwashing etc we pick up a fair bit of work from other cleaners that won’t do certain jobs and generally get the regular window   clean as well as they want one company to do all there work for them 

@THL4KELwas talking to a window cleaner a few weeks ago and he had a new van or fairly new with a new fully kitted out hot water system and was charging £3.50 a house I think he said, now work that one out. 

Lol he won’t be in buisness long ???? I could do with another van and hot system I might buy it when he goes bust ????

 

[scottish cleaning service]

To prevent this we offer a total external cleaning service cleaning gfs: conservatory in and out : pressure washing softwashing etc we pick up a fair bit of work from other cleaners that won’t do certain jobs and generally get the regular window   clean as well as they want one company to do all there work for them 

Lol he won’t be in buisness long ???? I could do with another van and hot system I might buy it when he goes bust ????

Its not just towels he is laundering! :1f609:

 

[Pjj]

£9 for a semi ? £12.50-£15 a pop that’s without any extras here at Newcastle, 

Ime very surprised at that price a friend of mine lives in Blythe and pays £5 every fortnight , to a trad guy and to  be fair he does a very good job . I live in what is regarded as an affluent area but I cannot charge £12-15 for a 3 bed semi estate house a straight semi is £10 , £15 with a conservatory but we do do 6-7 per hour each so it’s good money .

 

[chelmsclean]

Wrong really, I do have some custys that i charge more money on but when i'm not with them, i'd rather have a few peanuts than the empty packet. Money is money, I'll take whatever i can get.

Today i did fascias, gutters and windows on a small terraced house. Probably took me 3 hours and i got £30 for it. Not a great rate but i had nothing else on and so £30 is £30 more than i might not of had if i'd gone canvassing.

Bang on! I live in a mixed area which doesn't help. Some people are wealthy and others are not. I have one custy who's house was minging yet he's a business manager who travels around every week keeping things running. Others are struggling to get through the week. In affluent areas you can charge more, in poor ones you charge less. In mine it's a total mash up lol. Even those with nice big houses can nearly cry at paying £20 for 18 windows, 2 french doors, a side door and a front door (and that's peanuts for that lot isn't it). Like you said PT, I am at least earning - maybe not as well as others but I AM earning - And I am thankful to everyone here who has supported me.

That latter part is my way of thinking too. Oh and thanks to you mate, i realised i need a retractable air hose for my trolley as coiling it up by hand takes an age. Finding one at a good price is a challenge but I keep watching ebay daily (top idea that - you're a legend for sharing it).

Good advice although in my area there's tons of windys - literally every other road has one LIVING in it. I went to a client today and literally said "you've got one round the corner in this road in that left hand branch and another in the road behind the back garden". I'm not trying a price war or a rat race to the bottom however there is a lot of competition and other windys may well go cheaper than me. Charging higher while knocking on doors isn't a great method in my view as not many will keep £30 or £40 spare in the house. The max i'll quote on the doorstep is £20 but it's often £15 or just £10 and as long as i get that money on that day I don't care. As my customer base builds I can get choosy, until then I'll take whatever money comes my way.

They can always pay you with Bacs or card?

Don't make presumptions that limit your pricing.

Don't charge £20 an hour, that's ridiculous.

It's not worth building a low priced customer base as at some point you'll have to start again and all those viable customers you've underquoted won't be willing to pay you twice as much.

 

[THL4KEL]

Just because you're on a street on which you deem to be a poor area dont be so quick to judge them and class them all as skint. They might of bought their house and be mortgage free and been like that for many years. They might have a lot higher disposable income than someone in an affluent new build who's paying a mortgage, paying finance for the german motors on the drive, credit cards ect.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I priced one today when I was doing the softwashing. Nice area full of fancy cars but the windy has disappeared like the last one. Should take 30mins if one is trading it, so I priced £15. If I get it, then I will price the other one which asked me and go round the whole street. Don't really want the job but there is plenty of new builds in the area.

 

[Mx19]

Talking of being undercut I’d be interested to see what people would quote for this. I quoted what I’d be happy doing it for but someone came in at half price, I’m happy for them to do it until he stops turning up though haha(as have the last 2).

6 weekly, in Surrey and they want the sign cleaning and behind in between the letters etc.

 

[Part Timer]

Fairly certain someone up here would do it for £30. Hard to see what a PITA the signage is but would've thought applying a degreaser with a nozzle and blasting off should keep that clean, if so I'd be happy at £60. If you have to get ladders out to clean behind signage I wouldn't quote.

 

[Chris34]

I'd be quoting 2 hours, that sign looks a pita.  £70.

 

[Mx19]

I quoted £90 trying my luck, but they came back saying someone’s offered £45! I countered with £75 (my minimum) with the expectation the new guy may well go the same way as the other 3 who charged similar!! 

Itd be a ladder job for the sign I think, at least on the first clean.

 

[Shammy Davis Senior]

Will a brush go behind the letters? If so I’d say around £60 - £80 plus VAT assuming parking is ok. Perhaps 30-40 minutes? 

I quoted £90 trying my luck, but they came back saying someone’s offered £45! I countered with £75 (my minimum) with the expectation the new guy may well go the same way as the other 3 who charged similar!! 

Itd be a ladder job for the sign I think, at least on the first clean.

If it’s a ladder job I’d pass. Looks doable with WFP though.

 

[Pjj]

Lol good job Ime not quoting for that I would want £120 difficult access with parked  cars , narrow pavement so I assume you have to stand in the road ,people trying to access  the place whilst doing the entrance ,I think you could get a brush behind the sign if not I would use a half brush , certainly wouldn’t do it off a ladder . It’s not that bad a job but there is easier work out there where I am ???