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!

Frequency

Cristian

Active member
Messages
912
Location
Scotland
Hi lads, been looking at all the different Frequencies and I'm wondering if just offering a 6 weekly Clean would work, what's yer thoughts on this lads? 

Cheers

Cristian 

 
My opinion is advantage of  4 weekly, less customers needed for the desired income after filtering out the messers should have easier life. Advantage of 6 weekly more customers for desired income and a greater spread of risk due to the extra customers. Best of luck with what you decide.

 
Hi lads, been looking at all the different Frequencies and I'm wondering if just offering a 6 weekly Clean would work, what's yer thoughts on this lads? 

Cheers

Cristian 


We found that a 6 weekly round works for us. A customer can either have 6 or 12 weekly.

We do have a couple of residential who insist on a 4 weekly clean so they are linked in with commercial 4 weekly cleans. But we have had to explain to neighbours that these guys are on a different cleaning cycle.

We bought a compact trad round in our early days and converted it to wfp. The round was 2 weekly. Once we got wfp settled in we got too many 'not this time' on the 2 weekly so just turned the whole round into 4 weekly. We had complaints from a few who wanted to remain 2 weekly but we explained that we weren't coming back into the Estate to clean a couple of houses. 

Later we started to get leave it this time as the windows are still clean after 4 weeks. (This Yorkshire community is very close knit and tight). So we settled on 6 weeks. We also insisted on a price increase a year later which the community boycotted us over.

Of course you need more customers if you go from 4 weekly to 6 weekly. If you go 6 weekly then you have to price them right and set your stall out right from the word go. Our 'purchased' round held us to ransom and expected the 6 weekly cleans to be the same price as the 2 weekly cleans. But that's another story.

.

.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Excellent info thanks , Spruce , I was thinking about the 12 weekly also but adding 50% on for this. I live in Scotland so pricing up here is difficult at times but I'm rethinking things and thinking I will set a minimum of £10 for 6 weekly and build from there!

Ok ,,, If I offered a 6 weekly and possibly a 12 weekly clean It might cut down on cancellations etc and price well for the frequency so everyone would be happy! This would be be done with WFP 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Excellent info thanks , Spruce , I was thinking about the 12 weekly also but adding 50% on for this. I live in Scotland so pricing up here is difficult at times but I'm rethinking things and thinking I will set a minimum of £10 for 6 weekly and build from there!

Ok ,,, 

I'm thinking offering a 6 weekly and possibly a 12 weekly Clean if they wish would cut down on cancellations etc and price well for the frequency. This would be be done with WFP 


The downside with 12 weekly is that the windows will be dirty. You will get some who will decide that the gap of 12 weekly is too long and will want 8 weekly. So you need to decide ahead of time how you will accommodate those requests. My suggestion would be 6 weeks and stay away from 8 weekly.

Inland we don't have a problem with 12 weekly but we don't even offer it to customers who live on the coast or effected by the coast winds. Its 6 weeks.

I offer 4-8-12 weekly , any other kind would mess up my life ... 




If @Cristianhas lots of gaps to fill in his schedule then this is a good way to start. Again, just as @BigFoothas posted, longer cleaning cycles need a bigger customer base.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I do live on the coast Spruce, do you think I could just offer a 6 week frequency and that's it or be more flexible with offering a 12 weekly too? I have tried 2 weekly and 4 weekly in the past and was a nightmare to say the least. I'm just building my plan just now as last time I was part time and packed it in, this time around I'm going full bore into it but want to get things sorted out from the get go and not make the same mistakes from the past!!! 

 
I do live on the coast Spruce, do you think I could just offer a 6 week frequency and that's it or be more flexible with offering a 12 weekly too? I have tried 2 weekly and 4 weekly in the past and was a nightmare to say the least. I'm just building my plan just now as last time I was part time and packed it in, this time around I'm going full bore into it but want to get things sorted out from the get go and not make the same mistakes from the past!!! 


I would be interested to hear the opinions of others, but starting out I would offer 4 weekly and 8 weekly. 12 weekly is too long on the coast. In fact where we are, the windows don't look like they have been cleaned the following day sometimes.

 
If I was starting from scratch again I would go 6 weekly only, and then a 12 weekly/by request price of 25-50% more.

 
I would be interested to hear the opinions of others, but starting out I would offer 4 weekly and 8 weekly. 12 weekly is too long on the coast. In fact where we are, the windows don't look like they have been cleaned the following day sometimes.
I agree with you Spruce, but then generally I always do!

Talk to them and ask what they think they require frequency wise. I sell my service on monthly they will generally alway be clean. Bimonthly, you will notice  that I'm due towards the end of the cycle. I always say they can switch to monthly should they wish. I charge 50% more for bimonthly.

 
I would be interested to hear the opinions of others, but starting out I would offer 4 weekly and 8 weekly. 12 weekly is too long on the coast. In fact where we are, the windows don't look like they have been cleaned the following day sometimes.
Where I live if we have a strong easterly you could wash them daily and they would still be dirty the following day. 

 
I am in Scotland and there is or was a tradition of 2 weekly where I am *east.  I found it hard to get prices high so regular and so was 4 weekly to start and as the round grew this went to 5 weekly..

I done a cull, and am now back to monthly as I find this a decent frequency for pricing and regular enough to not lose work to cheaper and more frequant guys. That is a risk I see with 6 weekly at a min, losing work (especially in sunnier months).

I wont step outside montly now for any resi work, gives me a few days grace if doing add ons that month anyway as they were used to 5 weekly. 

 
A lot of people only see the price and not the frequency.  So If quoting more for 6 weekly they would still only see it as more money

I always offer 4 or 8 weekly with the 8 weekly being a few quid more.  Surprising still how many go for the 4. 

 
Thanks lads for all the feedback on this, I've got allot to think about what's the best approach to this!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Six weekly here, originally I was eight weekly but like others have said you need more work.

I tell customers six is the sweet spot. four is too regular and eight is too far away.

I remember when I changed, only a handful even noticed!


Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

 
Ok, I'm going to offer a 6 weekly service and if anyone asks for another frequency I will be flexible to an extent and adjust the price! To all the members in Scotland how does my price list look like for a 6 weekly Clean? 

2 bed semi £8 

3 bed semi £10

3 bed detached £12

4 bed detached £14

5 bed detached £16

Terraced £8

Town house £16

Bungalow £10 

Flat £10

connys, extensions and anything out the ordinary will be priced separately 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
6 weekly is the perfect service . It's taken me years to get to this . We started out 35 years ago offering 2 weekly . Started to get the miss mine this time . So we banged the price up ,put em all on 4 weekly . Had to pick a bit more work up but that was easy . Had the entire round on 4 weekly for years . Then about 10 years back started to get the miss mine this time . Now I don't put up with that . So it was a straight choice 4 weekly , 8 weekly slight pay rise , or not at all . Now I never pushed the 8 weekly but I didn't mind as plenty of work was coming in . About 3 years back 90% was 8 weekly and 10 % 4  weekly . Now about 2 years back my son came to work with me . So I needed more work . I canvassed a bit , but we were flying through the work . Now about this time we started to get quite a few of the 8 weeklys saying it was too long a gap . So I thought sod it bang every one on 6 weekly , that way we get more work as well . So all the 4 weeklys were told with a small price rise . No complaints there . Now I was a bit sneaky with the 8 weeklys . I only told the ones that were requesting a shorter frequency . No one else was told unless they noticed . And guess what , 2 years down the line not one query regarding the frequency . All new customers are fine too . Sorry for the boring life story . But just thought I would put down how after 35 years it's changed so much . :1f603:

Also in the 2 years I've not had any asking to skips clean . If I did it would be a straight no . I think 12 weeks would be a bit like a first clean . 

 
6 weekly is the perfect service . It's taken me years to get to this . We started out 35 years ago offering 2 weekly . Started to get the miss mine this time . So we banged the price up ,put em all on 4 weekly . Had to pick a bit more work up but that was easy . Had the entire round on 4 weekly for years . Then about 10 years back started to get the miss mine this time . Now I don't put up with that . So it was a straight choice 4 weekly , 8 weekly slight pay rise , or not at all . Now I never pushed the 8 weekly but I didn't mind as plenty of work was coming in . About 3 years back 90% was 8 weekly and 10 % 4  weekly . Now about 2 years back my son came to work with me . So I needed more work . I canvassed a bit , but we were flying through the work . Now about this time we started to get quite a few of the 8 weeklys saying it was too long a gap . So I thought sod it bang every one on 6 weekly , that way we get more work as well . So all the 4 weeklys were told with a small price rise . No complaints there . Now I was a bit sneaky with the 8 weeklys . I only told the ones that were requesting a shorter frequency . No one else was told unless they noticed . And guess what , 2 years down the line not one query regarding the frequency . All new customers are fine too . Sorry for the boring life story . But just thought I would put down how after 35 years it's changed so much . :1f603:

Also in the 2 years I've not had any asking to skips clean . If I did it would be a straight no . I think 12 weeks would be a bit like a first clean . 


sounds like you got it all working perfectly Elliot.

Im in a similar position. I currently have about 90%on 4 weekly and 10 % on 8 weekly.

I never have any of the 4 weekly say 'miss this time' or anything like that but i do sometimes feels that the windows aren't that dirty to be honest (although i do live in London which is a dirty area)

The 8 weekly are very dirty when i do them  and so maybe the 6 weekly would be the way to go as it would also free some time up....

I would need to get new work as it would mean a small wage drop....

 
Back
Top