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First clean excess charges...

Green Pro Clean Ltd

Well-known member
Messages
8,103
Location
Nottingham & Derbyshire
I have been giving this some thought of late, and I'm really starting to think it might have some legs.

I have never previously had a 'first clean surcharge' as I couldn't really be bothered but I think it could have some real benefits, not just to me but to the window cleaning industry as a whole.

For my example we shall use a simple £10 regular job to keep the numbers easy.

So lets say that you want to charge £10 per month to do the job on a regular basis, the first clean will take a bit longer as they haven't been done for a while so doubling up to £20 should be reasonable, if real mingers then perhaps even £30.

I reckon the benefits, apart from the few extra quid in your pocket are quite substantial.

1: You will sort out the time wasters quite early on, the wasters wont want to pay so will give you the 'i'll think about it' and you can move on.

2: Most customers would go for this I think as for loads of things in life these days on monthly contracts you pay more first month cause of this charge and that charge.

3: You will be more inclined to get stuck in and do a bang up job first time as you are earning a bit more dough for your effort.

4: Due to more diligence (see point 3) when you go next visit it will be a doddle as you did a perfect job the first time round.

I am myself spoilt as I have more customers than I need or can handle so I think for future inquires it could be a very good way of sorting the sincere customers from the having them done on a whim customers.

Food for thought

 
That is what I has been saying all along but for some the penny has just dropped so to speak.

 
I normally at 50% for a first clean. More if there really bad. I didn't do this for the first 3 months as I just wanted people onbored. But it's stupid not to. I have been thinking this week I should double it for a first as you say it sorts the time wasters.

 
yep me defo double first clean unless your talking about six months or less since the last clean

the biggest problem I face is remembering this I constantly forget its a first clean,and to add more but I am getting there..

I got a recent cracker which I did for 2x ten but she was slow to pay but I put another note in and she phoned but still no pay and then another note later and she paid plus another and hopefully has it set up for every month now...so I got there in the end.../emoticons/biggrin.png

its the best way to get rid of messers and there are plenty out there..

I was on a new build today and I think new builds are much more...It takes soooooo loooong....

and bloody stupid sticky stuff remover...in out in out and each time had to screw the cap back on and of course...I forgot to screw it back on and ended up with a pocket full of sticky stuff remover...grrr so now its going in a spray bottle..you live and learn

 
Double first clean is essential IMHO. Exceptions can be made if they have only just lost there windy.

I often ask just a bit less then double on bigger houses, for example if I price a house monthly at £30 then I would usually ask £50 as £60 is likely to sound a bit pricey.

Heres something I've noticed a few times.... I am often in amazement on here when I hear that people are going to put the price up on thier customers by a pound or so, and possibly loose some, but then say that they don't charge extra for first cleans. Imagine the extra revenue the first cleans will bring in, it might stop you from having to raise the prices each year with the risk of loosing your customer base.

 
Even as a non-window cleaner it seems to make perfect sense, and using the points you made @Green (except perhaps 4) I think the customer would completely understand and even welcome the extra charge knowing that you're committing to doing a good, long-term job!

Or maybe I've been listening to you chaps for too long and you've brainwashed me... :laugh:

 
Defo agree with 2x amount for first clean. We received that advice before we started doing any jobs, however there are times you just want the custom when initially starting up but generally we will and do explain why we would charge double on the first clean especially if the gaff is filthy

 
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