Facebook cheapo's

Does anyone else get bloody sick of these guys popping up on Facebook and undercutting every job out there?

Got a message the other night to go price a job. Pressure washing around a country house patio, driveway, kerbs all cleaned, gutters cleared and sun lounge pvc cleaned. Went to take a look this evening and the place is stinking. There's around 45 metres of guttering completely filled to the brim, downpipes blocked,Tarmac covered in algae, patio in a bad way, gullys blocked etc so I look at it all and to me I'd say it would take a good day n a half at least if it was to be brought up to a good standard as the house is up for sale so I knock on the door and get talking to the lady,explaining what needs doing and how I would go about it. I said it would take two days to get sorted and all in would be 450.she looked kind of shocked and said she had a guy out she messaged on Facebook. He said he'd do the lot for £250.jesus christ!!! There's no way I could do it for that price. These people seem to be everywhere at the moment. Like these guys with their 'power Washing from £20' adds.

God, it makes me sick 

It wouldn't be so bad but it's near every job now. I aim for a £240 day rate which I don't think is too expensive to get a proper job done 

Even if you offered to do it all for £240 there is no guarantee she would go for it.. For all you know, your're the first one to quote and shes just trying it on with you.

I get a guy ever year wanting his massive filthy drive pressure washing. Its a £600 quid job. I just send him the same quote every time he asks for one just change the date.

If he can find a £20 quid guy to do it with his Karcher or old petrol clapped out p/w good luck to him. Just hope the operator doesn't leave the old banger p/w too close to his house in case it goes up in flames.

There are so many things that could have happened with this one mate. She may be quoting you prices she paid ten years ago. The price may have been given without seeing the job or as @THL4KEL says she may just be blindly calling your bluff and you might be the first one to quote.

£30k breaks down to just £115 per day over 5 days (Not factoring in holidays) so someone starting out without finding resources like this might be thinking they're doing well over 2 days to earn an average of £125 per day. Then there's the old saying ''many hands make light work''. There's a local trad company round here that have 2 vans, I watched them turn up and clear gutters and windows on a massive house in 20 minutes. By the look of the house I would have been £50 a clean and maybe £100 for the gutters, they're usually a little more expensive than I am but even at those prices they can do 2 in an hour and take £300 between 4 of them... £75 per man per hour. That same job would have taken me a morning to do.

I would have just sniggered at her £250 and maybe said I can't talk about other peoples prices but I offer a professional service that includes X, Y & Z. You might find something in there they aren't including. You might also find they book a cheaper company and they don't turn up. Either way good luck to them.

Clarkus84 said:

the house is up for sale

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However... these types of people will cut corners wherever they can. What you're seeing on the outside is likely a snippet of what actually needs to be done including the insides.

About 2 month ago I turned up to clean one, booked in 8 weekly. He had the gutters and windows booked. When I arrived there was a for sale sign at the end of the drive which wasn't there when I quoted. I considered walking but money is money and i'd priced it well so I cracked on. He said he wanted to keep the window cleaning going until he moved which I didn't believe for a second. Text him Wednesday of last week and he replied ''Just agreed a sale so I don't want them done anymore''. Didn't even have the decency to keep me on incase the sale falls through.

Think I've relaxed a wee bit now lads, needed a wee rant, haha!! Yeah, I explained the difference between a job done half arsed and a professional job.i also pointed out wee bits around the place that also needed doing which I would also complete within the the two days which I don't mind doing as two days is two days and if I can do an extra bit which benefits the customer I will. 

Regarding the 250 quote, she had said that the guy had apparently come out when she wasn't there so I'm just not too sure about that. It's too easy to type an address into Google, get a quick idea and think you're onto a winner only to turn up and realise you're up to your neck in ? 

??

Amazing that people are working for such low amounts.... I mean it's physical hard labor.... I can now see why some jack the PW in and concentrate on window cleaning i.e regular repeat work and not having to keep chasing work each week....it's certainly making me think long and hard about adding PW to my offerings.. Time will tell?

They dont do it for long....

Clarkus84 said:

Does anyone else get bloody sick of these guys popping up on Facebook and undercutting every job out there?

Got a message the other night to go price a job. Pressure washing around a country house patio, driveway, kerbs all cleaned, gutters cleared and sun lounge pvc cleaned. Went to take a look this evening and the place is stinking. There's around 45 metres of guttering completely filled to the brim, downpipes blocked,Tarmac covered in algae, patio in a bad way, gullys blocked etc so I look at it all and to me I'd say it would take a good day n a half at least if it was to be brought up to a good standard as the house is up for sale so I knock on the door and get talking to the lady,explaining what needs doing and how I would go about it. I said it would take two days to get sorted and all in would be 450.she looked kind of shocked and said she had a guy out she messaged on Facebook. He said he'd do the lot for £250.jesus christ!!! There's no way I could do it for that price. These people seem to be everywhere at the moment. Like these guys with their 'power Washing from £20' adds.

God, it makes me sick 

It wouldn't be so bad but it's near every job now. I aim for a £240 day rate which I don't think is too expensive to get a proper job done 

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Totaly agree there are so many people out there that quote cheap prices and Do very poor work we get a lot of calls each year saying that they had so an so do a job for them and they arnt happy and now want it doing properly, so it ends up costing them far more in the long run using theses idiots in the first place , I don’t go on Facebook it’s all back stabbing and people wanting cheap one off jobs doing so Ime told from friends , we like dealing with quality customers and I doubt that you will get many from Facebook. Most offering cheap jobs are dolies doing cash in hand , Evan the pickeys around hear won’t work for that type of money !!!! The best jobs come from recommendation from existing customers , just keep plodding on doing a good job build up a good reputation and work will come in my friend 

That's how I don't do social media. Folk don't need to spend any money on it, so you get everyone on it bar the professionals. Great when one gets to a position that work just rolls in through word of mouth. I am very busy all month now. I do small jobs for folk and it seems to snowball. Its good when you set a minimum day rate and stick to it, cheap is a waste of time. Took me decades to work this out.

Nowt wrong with FB, just keep off the pages were people are asking for services and prices up front on a public page, I will always pm people who have commented on one of my page's posts for a price otherwise you are leaving yourself wide open to anyone to knock down prices, you simply don't reveal certain things to the competition.  

Iron Giant said:

Nowt wrong with FB, just keep off the pages were people are asking for services and prices up front on a public page, I will always pm people who have commented on one of my page's posts for a price otherwise you are leaving yourself wide open to anyone to knock down prices, you simply don't reveal certain things to the competition.  

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Yes got to be fair we’ve had some good paying residential jobs off facebook. Mainly, FSG’s, gutters and pressure washing. Make your window cleaning look expensive and top of the rate and as a result you shouldn't attract messers. If you broadcast as a typical wfp or tradder then you will get messers, especially if you go on those buy and sell pages. They are full of £6 £8 a house guys who get so many phone calls and messages that they dont reply or show up to at least 1/3 of them.

if you show clear pictures of restoration work e.g. half grey sill half white, or a sill that is thick with algae growths and a nice deep coating of green slime and then the after picture, then i guess people assume you’re the type that charges it’s worth. Every time i spend £10-£20 i may get 3-5 messages, but they are generally from people who can clearly see im not mucking about and are prepared to spend a bit of money for a job well done. Last few jobs of facebook have been £500, £350, £360, as well as some gutters and windows. Look expensive is the key. 

We spent a couple of hours this afternoon restoring the frames and windows on a tiny little house probably 10 small window units

that was after we had finished a small round of 13 houses. Then a gutter job at the end. 

So it is out there ?