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1st clean pricing? and procedure?

Scottie

Active member
Messages
475
Hi all,

I little bit uneasy on pricing my 1st cleans, I feel I am smurfing it lol and charging too much, or will put them off. But then I now no how much more work it is doing a first clean, you have to make it look good and also you set yourself up for an easier ride next time etc.

EXAMPLE: Customer has just FB me and asked "how much for a 3 bedroom" I respond typically £10 for a three bedroom, I dotn want to go any lower really, is that acceptable? Then I stated the first clean is £15 and explained why, but said I doing a 20% off 1st clean offer at present so £12.

Anything I can do better, or is that all ok, I thought I would pick away at your experienced wndy brains.

Now, Procedure, I clean the frames and then sills and then sill cloth dry and then window clean, that a decent way to do it? I use a sponge to clean frames and sill cloth it dry.

THANK YOU!

 
You need to find out the current condition of the windows to be cleaned; 1st cleans can take anywhere from double the maintenance clean time, to 6 times the regular clean time.

Explain what could be involved to the potential customer, this would help them understand the big price difference between the two prices. Your £10 maintenance clean price could be accurate, but your 1st clean price of £15 is probably way of the true figure it should be.

 
Hi, just found out it is medium dirty, no green she says, just normal dirt form not being cleaned. I no thats hearsay, so £15 is too ow would you say? say if the windows were just in need a of a good clean and not over bad, would £15 be a fair price? need to charge more or charge less?

Thanks Richard.

 
Hi all,
I little bit uneasy on pricing my 1st cleans, I feel I am smurfing it lol and charging too much, or will put them off. But then I now no how much more work it is doing a first clean, you have to make it look good and also you set yourself up for an easier ride next time etc.

EXAMPLE: Customer has just FB me and asked "how much for a 3 bedroom" I respond typically £10 for a three bedroom, I dotn want to go any lower really, is that acceptable? Then I stated the first clean is £15 and explained why, but said I doing a 20% off 1st clean offer at present so £12.

Anything I can do better, or is that all ok, I thought I would pick away at your experienced wndy brains.

Now, Procedure, I clean the frames and then sills and then sill cloth dry and then window clean, that a decent way to do it? I use a sponge to clean frames and sill cloth it dry.

THANK YOU!
I'd leave the sill till last. Let the window water soften the crud on it, then wipe the sill last.

 
yep i was on the same rates as you there scottie but....it still takes too long faffing on a new job...i am in a better position than you as i have a fair bit of work but now...its double first clean...or they can do em themselves...i may reduce but....only if ...they have had a recentish clean...:Dhope you keep going no one is trying harder than you....!!!!!

 
when a new customer makes contact , i find they are very wary, many have experienced bad service in the past.

i Dont say anything that might make them back out ,such as " its double for a 1st clean" -

i usually simply say "most houses are £x " and long as its average sized and averagely dirty , i stick to that £x

 
one big mistake i made this year was doing too many first cleans that didnt get back to me.....and no....its not because i did a bad job...they either lose my contact or just plain forget and may phone up next year but....

i left all my regular custy round far too long....so now....i am a lot more choosy....i will not let my loyal regulars down again...

 
Hi, just found out it is medium dirty, no green she says, just normal dirt form not being cleaned. I no thats hearsay, so £15 is too ow would you say? say if the windows were just in need a of a good clean and not over bad, would £15 be a fair price? need to charge more or charge less?
Thanks Richard.


I’m guessing after you do it Scottie, you might think she got herself a bargain at £15 pounds. But still, you gain the experience from this and as long as you learn from any mistakes with pricing your efforts will be rewarded for any similar work onwards.

Time yourself; you will get quicker and more efficient with cleaning and pricing.

 
one big mistake i made this year was doing too many first cleans that didnt get back to me.....and no....its not because i did a bad job...they either lose my contact or just plain forget and may phone up next year but....
i left all my regular custy round far too long....so now....i am a lot more choosy....i will not let my loyal regulars down again...
Do you wait for customers to phone you when their windows are due Dave?

 
good point richard.....thats what i have done so far....used it as experience and to gain the confidence to know i can do it....

got enough experience now..../emoticons/biggrin.png

well....some are done monthly whatever as thats what they ask for and thats next week so it doesnt mean i get too busy near xmas...

they usually have to ask me twice to come monthly and then...i know thats what they want...er...rain or shine...

then i deal with who ever emails texts or phones me first and then....i will do what ever i feel is due and this is all down to my feeling...its about time i did so and so etc...but...its not crucial so if some one phones...off i go...

i like this system as i never know where i will end up....it can change just as i go out of the door...makes it more interesting..

however....i am getting old now and ....nice easy clean monthly work does look appealing....especially with wfp...:rolleyes:

 
You must be going here there and everywhere every day. Why not set out some routes and stick to them? Make as compact as possible Dave :thumbsup:

 
Your after their business, so be careful not to put them off (as Boarcity says). When it comes to first cleans myself, I just charge the normal rate and give it a good going over first time, bring it up to speed, so to speak. I would never give a quote over the phone, or Facebook. Go to the job, look it over and state your price. I've done one this week; fourth in a row of terraced houses, told him £6:50 (same as next door), when I came to do them, they were absolutely filthy with green on the glass as well as the frame, took me ages. I left a note to say that it will take a few times to come up to scratch (as I always do). A windy I knew used to do his first cleans free.

 
I charge same price as a 4 weekly. As a Special offer.

But I let them know it is on the basis that its every 4 weeks.

I also give a slightly higher price for 8 weekly.

Procedure:

If Trad, then i have a small sweeping brush/ broom thing in the van, which i use to sweep each frame down first, to get rid of all the cobwebs etc.

Then clean as normal.

Uses more sill cloths as i chuck water all over it, frames and stuff.

Next i clean in 4 weeks there pretty good still, so easy.

If WFP then different. Just brush it all with a flocked or sill brush first.

Dunno if all this is correct, but its what i do.

 
I used to do first cleans for normal price but now i have work i can afford to ask for a bit more to make it more worthwhile

I would charge normal price while you're still quiet and learning

I soap up the windows and frames with applicator on a new job

Wipe frames down then quickly go over glass again

That way most stuck on dirt had had a soak for a bit and comes off easier

That and my porcupine means i don't usually have to scrape hardly anything

Then do sill when finished

 
I very rarely ask for more on a first clean, like others have said, it could put them off. I c0cked up on one today. A neighbour came out and asked if I could price hers, 'yeah, no problem.' It was 3 storeys and what I thought was one window per storey and the same at the back. We agree a price and I crack on, I then realise that it's 3 storeys and two windows wide front and back :eek:. What a numpty! Sills were green 30' up :confused:. It was a nightmare, but all ready for a maintenance clean next time, just a bit underpriced though :thumbsdown:

 
Oh really, it seems you all charge the same price, I reading too much on here, I hope I aint put them off. I think from now I will charge the normal rate. I think I spend to much times getting the frames and sills spotless, Its like a deep clean, I am not there really to do that but I think from now I will charge normal rate and put normal rate at a decent price, I think £10 for a three bedroom is ok, I feel it maybe high as I see some peeps round me doing it for £6.

 
So if you get a house thats quiet dirty, you dont price first clean anymore than the normal one. Seems like a split on this on here, I just get nervous quoting more, I been lucky to now, I quoted 3x £10 houses and all 1st clean £12 and one £12 house £16. I gonna just quote price I have time and need the custom, think thats best. Cheers guys.

 
I think what you're doing is fine.

Don't worry so much.

You've got time to spend to do a great job. Speed will come naturally with practice. It ok to be slow but good for now.

 
It don't take much to clean sill and frames

Even really dirty ones

Wet em and wipe em good with an old cloth

Same as the glass they will come up good with a decent scrub with applicator

 
Just crack on scottie, and you'll soon learn what's right and wrong, for you. I almost always charge double for the first clean and it has saved me being ripped off countless times. Its a pretty demoralising thing to work your ******** off for a tenner and not get a regular customer out of it. The common trick is; "We might go monthly, but we'll see how this clean goes". They are always the ones that then turn round and say "monthly is to frequent for us, how about every 6 months?" They basically are offering you false hope to make you work hard, and then fking you off. I have dealt with this on so many occasions but it never bothers me since I'm being paid double anyway. In this job you will see the best, and the worst in people. But your stress levels will be greatly reduced when you walk away with a 20pound note for a 10 pound job. A good customer will forget that extra 10quid very quickly if you do a good job. For what its worth I think you should drop the wanky 20% off ploy. This only works if you have a written price structure, otherwise it just sounds like the sort of stuff a used car salesman comes out with. Just my 2pence worth.

 
You must be going here there and everywhere every day. Why not set out some routes and stick to them? Make as compact as possible Dave :thumbsup:
yep your right my worst was five different areas in one day annoying but.......a challenge....me likes a challenge....I think I made it but....I made foo k all money still....It was fun rushing around no time to eat...go go go...........theres some sort of money out there awaiting to be got....but...I am not really sure its worth the effort...

that was the worst....but its good in another way...as I never know who will want me and where I will end up and at the end of the day but tomoz is looking good ....he is supposed to be away for two days but I not really bothered if hes in as its only a gutter clearout...and the other guy...well hes in Cyprus til the 28th nov so I am okay or am I ...oh shi t I must pay more attention to the calendar....oh I foo kin don't care tomoz is another day....I got tonight to sleep first...snore snore..and that's the wife....:rolleyes:

 
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