Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

A new way to quote

Jake

Well-known member
Messages
3,438
Hi everyone,

Recently I've been getting a bit fed up of driving round the whole of Colchester quoting houses (time, diesel and traffic Etc)

So for the last few weeks I've been trialling 'customer photos'

Basically I've been asking all new customers who want a quote to send me a picture of the front and back of the house, via text or email, so I can quote form my sofa at home!

It's been working brilliantly, and only one customer hasn't done it (because it was a massive house)

The key is to tell them that the price is subject to change slightly depending on any windows they have 'missed' but all has been well when turning up to clean them so far.

It's saved me a load of time and effort, it's now going to be the first option for quoting for me.

Everyone has pretty much got a camera phone so it's not going to be a problem (unless there old people, sorry smurf and cheap:zipit:)

so far it's been working like a dream,

Thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone wants to trial it.

If you've got a work email, then the customer can email them over if your phone doesn't have a camera...

'Job done' as wagga would say!

 
Jake I do the same from my Facebook quotes it works really well and goes down well when I ask them to do it.

 
yep I tell them that too but not got so many that do it...lazy bar stewards around here..

however I will no longer go out of my way to quote so they will have to wait..

unless of course..

they look like a big job:D

yeh okay...my smart phone is smarter than me..

 
Cool sounds like a lot of us do it one way or the other!

Yeah google maps is always a winner as well, always quite exciting when you load the address in and then the suspense builds as you hope it's a nice biggen'!

 
Nice idea

For the type of work I do I tend to use Google maps alot and ask loads of questions on simple looking jobs. If they are wanting multiple services and/or the job looks awkward on Google I then prefer to go and have a look myself.

When I'm out on a quote some jobs I can do there and then after quoting and let them know beforehand if this is the case on the phone especially if it's overflowing guttering etc.

If I'm quoting on the phone after looking at the property on Google I will give an estimate not a fixed price. I've found some are just after the cheapest price when they just want you to give them a price over the phone. Also I've found if they have not been recommended by one of my customers the sales conversion rate from enquiries can be lower as is harder to sell yourself offering a premium rate quality service over the phone.

Speaking of turning premium priced quotes into actual sales I find you can't bet talking face to face with potential new customers to find out and see exactly what they want doing. In doing so also gives you the opportunity to up sell services whilst there. Not only that there are also passive visual sales tactics & tools I can implement being on-site to help clinch the sale.

Hi everyone,
Recently I've been getting a bit fed up of driving round the whole of Colchester quoting houses (time, diesel and traffic Etc)

So for the last few weeks I've been trialling 'customer photos'

Basically I've been asking all new customers who want a quote to send me a picture of the front and back of the house, via text or email, so I can quote form my sofa at home!

It's been working brilliantly, and only one customer hasn't done it (because it was a massive house)

The key is to tell them that the price is subject to change slightly depending on any windows they have 'missed' but all has been well when turning up to clean them so far.

It's saved me a load of time and effort, it's now going to be the first option for quoting for me.

Everyone has pretty much got a camera phone so it's not going to be a problem (unless there old people, sorry smurf and cheap:zipit:)

so far it's been working like a dream,

Thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone wants to trial it.

If you've got a work email, then the customer can email them over if your phone doesn't have a camera...

'Job done' as wagga would say!
 
Great idea, i used to ask people to do this and they would just say well i just told you what i have can you not just give me quote on that! Some people are so lazy, can't even be bothered to pop out take a few pics and send.

 
I had one yesterday looking for a quote for a few jobs

Asked for a reliable monthly cleaner and what are my prices for 3 beds in a certain area and do i give discount for oaps

I said cheapest i can do is a tenner as i did it cheap for a few jobs at once and he replied with £8 is my limit

I said good luck finding someone reliable for that much then

 
I went out to do a couple of quotes yesterday.

Quote 1. was for a small gutter clearing job to start with. By the time I walked away I was asked to give an all in price to clear & clean the guttering & fascias, clean the windows, clean the front paved area and the front garden wall.

Quote 2. was for just a gutter clearing quote on a large detached property again to start with. You guess it by the time I walked away was an all in price to to clear & clean the guttering & fascias, clean the house windows, clean the outside of the conservatory including roof & sides an clear the guttering and box guttering. Then the customer was after a regular window cleaning service.

That's not all as the customer made the point to warn me of the large area of slippery decking on my arrival so on my way out I mentioned I clean decking too.

I upsold both and won both quotes so just goes to show meeting customers face to face works far better for me than over the phone.

I also made the point after finding on the onset of my arrival that they both had other quote from normal window cleaners that I specialise in exterior property cleaning and use specalist kit for the job.

After giving my all in price I found out that both of my quotes were alot more than they had been quoted already but I still won the work.

Must be my charm or something /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I went out to do a couple of quotes yesterday.
Quote 1. was for a small gutter clearing job to start with. By the time I walked away I was asked to give an all in price to clear & clean the guttering & fascias, clean the windows, clean the front paved area and the front garden wall.

Quote 2. was for just a gutter clearing quote on a large detached property again to start with. You guess it by the time I walked away was an all in price to to clear & clean the guttering & fascias, clean the house windows, clean the outside of the conservatory including roof & sides an clear the guttering and box guttering. Then the customer was after a regular window cleaning service.

That's not all as the customer made the point to warn me of the large area of slippery decking on my arrival so on my way out I mentioned I clean decking too.

I upsold both and won both quotes so just goes to show meeting customers face to face works far better for me than over the phone.

I also made the point after finding on the onset of my arrival that they both had other quote from normal window cleaners that I specialise in exterior property cleaning and use specalist kit for the job.

After giving my all in price I found out that both of my quotes were alot more than they had been quoted already but I still won the work.

Must be my charm or something /emoticons/biggrin.png
Its the beard, I have grown a nice long beard in the last few months and find I can now bump all my prices up by 20% and still get the work fine!

 
Funny you should say that but at the weekend I actualy shaved my grey beard off for the first time in donkey years. Well the truth be known frank fooked up trimming it so it had to come off /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
You will have to start lowering your prices, people trust a man with a beard more. Looks like you know what you're doing.

 
I reckon people.with beards have a chequered past and are trying to disguise their true identity

Are you really gargamell smurf??

 
I will be able to quote more now

Just got the go ahead as remortgage has been accepted

New van and wfp trolley mount on way next week then

Gonna do a diy jobbie but secure it in the van with a small tank so can use as both

 
I will be able to quote more nowJust got the go ahead as remortgage has been accepted

New van and wfp trolley mount on way next week then

Gonna do a diy jobbie but secure it in the van with a small tank so can use as both
Nice one, be sure to post pics

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have no idea about wfp

Have seen some stuff on fleabay but don't know what is good and what isn't

Gonna do a harris pole conversion for a pole and can sort some brushes but i don't know jack about any of the other bits

 
I do the same I've got a quotation picture form on my website works wonders[emoji106]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 
The dark side gets most in the end /emoticons/biggrin.png

I will be able to quote more nowJust got the go ahead as remortgage has been accepted

New van and wfp trolley mount on way next week then

Gonna do a diy jobbie but secure it in the van with a small tank so can use as both
 
Back
Top