Window cleaning customer price increase

[JDH]

I’m sure this has been discussed many times, but I just wanted to ask it anyways!
So I’m looking to put my prices up in January for my regular window cleaning customers as they’ve been on the same price for a long time now and with costs going up etc
so I want to get any advice on how much price increase is respectable for my customers and isn’t taking the mick.
And also what/how do you say it to your customers that you’ll be putting up the prices. Any template message or help/advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

Just put it in a letter or on a slip in December stating

From January 1st 2023 your price will increase from £xxx to £xxx
Thank you for your continued custom.



As for how much to put them up by that’s down to you to decide only you know your busines.

 

[Dabber]

I’ve just put mine up and just added to the invoice “Further cleans will increase by £X due to increased costs, Many Thanks”
Ive put them up by varying amounts 5%,10% and some of those jobs that were previously well underpriced by £20%. Keep everything in full pounds. Fortunately I haven’t lost any customers yet so crack on with it. Your costs will have increased so many will expect prices to rise.

 

[Deleted member 12462]

I put mine up just before the fuel rise and gas and electric rise I still have around 20 I would want to push up abit more but all compact work next to each other but its far to cheaply priced. Are your customers accepting of the rise?

 

[Pjj]

I put mine up just before the fuel rise and gas and electric rise I still have around 20 I would want to push up abit more but all compact work next to each other but its far to cheaply priced. Are your customers accepting of the rise?

Yes no problems at all many have asked if we were going to put up prices ,all are expecting a price rise

 

[Jaygti]

I’ve got to put mine up next year , as I do it every 2 years.
I’ll wait till April though as everybody is skint in January, and the weather is getting better by then.

 

[Yogi1872]

I put mine up in at the start of the year, luckily the bills weren't rocketing then. If you make enough I'd be inclined to ride it out at the same prices for the time being. If your not making enough and they need to go up then put them up. I'd probably hold off until December before letting them all know though. Most people are looking forward to the holidays etc and there a bit more cheery than they usually are. With so much going on there probably more likely not to bother to much about it. Right now alot of people will be worrying about money and itl be on there mind. My idea is probably a bit sneaky but if it stops cancellations then so be it.

 

[JohnDoeWindows]

I'm riding it out until Spring/early summer next year unless things drastically change over the next couple of months, will be much more scope to pick up new customers to replace those that drop off during that time

 

[Iron Giant]

I’m sure this has been discussed many times, but I just wanted to ask it anyways!
So I’m looking to put my prices up in January for my regular window cleaning customers as they’ve been on the same price for a long time now and with costs going up etc
so I want to get any advice on how much price increase is respectable for my customers and isn’t taking the mick.
And also what/how do you say it to your customers that you’ll be putting up the prices. Any template message or help/advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

Depends on what you define as a long time if you mean 2-3 years then with the way costs have gone a £2 minimum increase isn't taking the mick, if they live in nice houses and have bought new cars VW, Mercs Tesla's etc then they aren't short of money despite the cost of living all depends on what your pricing is like and what extra percentage you want, but don't be shy

In almost 23 years I have never raised prices in January April to May time Easter holidays or a least a bank holiday weekend off the Sun is shining and people's outlook is more favourable and those expensive energy bills will be behind them for another 6 months, people who have nowt or even those that do are always wanting to save money after xmas so no way would I tell them in December the prices are going up in January

 

[Pjj]

I'm riding it out until Spring/early summer next year unless things drastically change over the next couple of months, will be much more scope to pick up new customers to replace those that drop off during that time

The only problem with waiting is if prices rise even higher you will need to raise them by a lot more in the spring , I decided to go ahead and increase everything just finished a couple of weeks ago , glad I did it when I did , I agree now isn’t a good time to be put up prices but if you have a good rapport with them I dont think it should be a problem as they will understand, I am finding we are getting much less enquiries at the moment compared to normal but the ones we are quoting we are getting , priced up a softwashing job today at £575 front and one end wall , and a gutter vac job at £475 didn’t want either but both accepted , I was quite surprised.

 

[JohnDoeWindows]

The only problem with waiting is if prices rise even higher you will need to raise them by a lot more in the spring , I decided to go ahead and increase everything just finished a couple of weeks ago , glad I did it when I did , I agree now isn’t a good time to be put up prices but if you have a good rapport with them I dont think it should be a problem as they will understand, I am finding we are getting much less enquiries at the moment compared to normal but the ones we are quoting we are getting , priced up a softwashing job today at £575 front and one end wall , and a gutter vac job at £475 didn’t want either but both accepted , I was quite surprised.

I agree with you, but at the moment I'm still making more than enough and can put my prices up whenever I see fit, if people jump the gun and put their prices up prematurely and the cost of living continues to rise to where they originally estimated it to be, they're going to have to put their prices up again which I can't imagine going down too well with most customers.

 

[Pjj]

I agree with you, but at the moment I'm still making more than enough and can put my prices up whenever I see fit, if people jump the gun and put their prices up prematurely and the cost of living continues to rise to where they originally estimated it to be, they're going to have to put their prices up again which I can't imagine going down too well with most customers.

Yes I agree , I dont want to put them up again next year , but if prices continue to rise for us it has to be passed on or we are in effect taking a pay cut , will play it by ear , all new jobs ime pricing much higher so won’t need to put them up for a while hopefully ??, I think two price rises 2 years running is possibly better than one large rise from the customers point view .

 

[Damo]

We’ve done 3 vans worth so far and lost less than 10 customers.

I’d say the average increase is about £3.

Done a lot of £4-£10 as well.

I know guys who are losing work daily and darent increase prices.

I think it’s just pot luck what sort of customers you have and their financial situation.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't intend any rises now and just work a bit faster. Folk even give me tips by rounding up £8 or £9 to a tenner. Getting asked to do many small jobs which I like to do when I finish cleaning an area. Got asked to clip on lights along the gutter today but managed to change it to next month as I don't think the neighbours will be to enamoured. What I have noticed is the housing market has fallen off a cliff. Houses that should sell in less than a week are still up for sale after a week now. ?

 

[Skxawng]

Use this calculator:
Inflation calculator
It will give you an idea of how much prices have risen.

 

[Iron Giant]

The only problem with waiting is if prices rise even higher you will need to raise them by a lot more in the spring

If he raised prices now and prices went higher next year then a £2 increase now would still have the same effect on his business he would be losing out, come next Spring, waiting it out till the Spring will give us all a better view of how things are going and whether Rishi will manage to curb inflation and interest rates, if he does peoples outlook will be far more cherrier

I raised some of my jobs this year and some will be going up again next year and those that didn't get raised will all be going up, as quite a lot of my customers have bought new flashy cars and had home improvements and I consider the vast majority to be doing well

 

[dazmond]

I’m sure this has been discussed many times, but I just wanted to ask it anyways!
So I’m looking to put my prices up in January for my regular window cleaning customers as they’ve been on the same price for a long time now and with costs going up etc
so I want to get any advice on how much price increase is respectable for my customers and isn’t taking the mick.
And also what/how do you say it to your customers that you’ll be putting up the prices. Any template message or help/advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

£1 or £2 is reasonable and £5 on larger jobs is my rule of thumb.i put mine up roughly every 3 years and I do mine in April.

I have price increase letters already printed out.hundreds of them and post them a month or two in advance of the increase.

 

[Chris34]

If he raised prices now and prices went higher next year then a £2 increase now would still have the same effect on his business he would be losing out, come next Spring, waiting it out till the Spring will give us all a better view of how things are going and whether Rishi will manage to curb inflation and interest rates, if he does peoples outlook will be far more cherrier

I raised some of my jobs this year and some will be going up again next year and those that didn't get raised will all be going up, as quite a lot of my customers have bought new flashy cars and had home improvements and I consider the vast majority to be doing well

It's really up and down for me at the moment, I'm losing quite a few of the big jobs due to house moves but I'm also getting new smaller houses at increased rates. So overall I'm about level but everyday other day I seem to be losing one and then getting a random call for a larger one off job. But some of the jobs have cancelled due to what they say is the cost of living.

I think some people are running for the hills and expecting everything to go to pot so they're battening down the hatches and cancelling everything... others have more money now and are spending it like there is no tomorrow.

It's very up and down for me, I've got lots of one off jobs booked in december which as long as they don't back out should see me ok through January and February even if the worst happened after Christmas.

If I hadn't put up my prices I'd be struggling come January, it's the price increases that are at the moment keeping me going, less work but more money.

 

[Iron Giant]

It's really up and down for me at the moment, I'm losing quite a few of the big jobs due to house moves but I'm also getting new smaller houses at increased rates. So overall I'm about level but everyday other day I seem to be losing one and then getting a random call for a larger one off job. But some of the jobs have cancelled due to what they say is the cost of living.

I think some people are running for the hills and expecting everything to go to pot so they're battening down the hatches and cancelling everything... others have more money now and are spending it like there is no tomorrow.

It's very up and down for me, I've got lots of one off jobs booked in december which as long as they don't back out should see me ok through January and February even if the worst happened after Christmas.

If I hadn't put up my prices I'd be struggling come January, it's the price increases that are at the moment keeping me going, less work but more money.

Hopefully, it's not your price increases that have some running for the hills and things improve for you in the New Year and you get through those one-off jobs
Enquiries for me haven't dropped off but nearly everyone is either in a street, estate or town I don't or won't cover, I priced a 1970's 2 bed semi last week at £15 they were as keen as mustard to get signed up but I'll be amazed if they are with me long term as it's 50% over what I'd usually charge

 

[Chris34]

Hopefully, it's not your price increases that have some running for the hills and things improve for you in the New Year and you get through those one-off jobs
Enquiries for me haven't dropped off but nearly everyone is either in a street, estate or town I don't or won't cover, I priced a 1970's 2 bed semi last week at £15 they were as keen as mustard to get signed up but I'll be amazed if they are with me long term as it's 50% over what I'd usually charge

A few were due to the increase, but the rest were before the increase. I'm going to do a breakdown in a bit but I had a quick check earlier and I counted 20 customers lost this year, it could be more. I was shocked at it being so high. How many do you normally lose over a year?

 

[Iron Giant]

A few were due to the increase, but the rest were before the increase. I'm going to do a breakdown in a bit but I had a quick check earlier and I counted 20 customers lost this year, it could be more. I was shocked at it being so high. How many do you normally lose over a year?

Honestly, I don't keep count but lost quite a few around 2 months ago I was down about 10 jobs within about 8 weeks due to house moves and people cancelling I am now only down 5 jobs from my max of 454 jobs.

the number of jobs I have can be challenging to get through and will be as we head further into Autumn and then winter as at almost 48 years of age I can't be smashing out the amount jobs I am as I have long days because of home commitments and will be looking to switch schedules possibly next year