Just been undercut

Had a job that I was doing every couple of months. House with bay windows top and bottom, porch, access over the garage to the back which had quite a lot to it too. It was taking nearly an hour to do it and so I was charging £20 which I think was fair.

Somebody has offered to do it for her for £7!!! I know competition is part of the job but he could’ve asked for double that and still got the job!

Pit Creature said:

Had a job that I was doing every couple of months. House with bay windows top and bottom, porch, access over the garage to the back which had quite a lot to it too. It was taking nearly an hour to do it and so I was charging £20 which I think was fair.

Somebody has offered to do it for her for £7!!! I know competition is part of the job but he could’ve asked for double that and still got the job!

Click to expand...

£7!! much better off gettin a job as a labourer. Unless he's on dole and doing it as a bit on the side. Ive said this to potential customers when they've told me of ridiculous prices. Some wont be bothered but some will. 

ks789 said:

£7!! much better off gettin a job as a labourer. Unless he's on dole and doing it as a bit on the side. Ive said this to potential customers when they've told me of ridiculous prices. Some wont be bothered but some will. 

Click to expand...

Must be. But still he could be making a lot more on the side if he doubled his prices. He’d still be cheap!

Pit Creature said:

Must be. But still he could be making a lot more on the side if he doubled his prices. He’d still be cheap!

Click to expand...

Yes, must be annoying. Like people say, usually these ones dont stick at it. Its just not worth it. Be nice if there was some kind of minimum pricing law to protect the genuine tradesman.

Someone’s desperate for a bit of cash and doesn’t realise the job in hand. He won’t be around for long!

Pit Creature said:

Had a job that I was doing every couple of months. House with bay windows top and bottom, porch, access over the garage to the back which had quite a lot to it too. It was taking nearly an hour to do it and so I was charging £20 which I think was fair.

Somebody has offered to do it for her for £7!!! I know competition is part of the job but he could’ve asked for double that and still got the job!

Click to expand...

£7!! Flipin heck, I won't get out the car for that let alone start cleaning.  It's their loss because one day he won't bother turning up and they've lost you.  

I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m one of the most expensive window cleaners in my area. 

I quite happy with that though.

Pit Creature said:

I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m one of the most expensive window cleaners in my area. 

I quite happy with that though.

Click to expand...

Work smarter, not harder!

Thats a joke price at £7.  if it happens again, just say to customer to keep your details,as you dont think the person is above board. Tell them to ask new guy if he has any criminal convictions, as he has just commited the worst one in the world of window cleaning.

That's was ridiculous money, he won't last long. I would have said that to the customers too and agree with above tell them to hang onto your details as you get what you pay for. He'll do it a few times and that £7 will start to burn. He'll either do a sh*t job, walk away soon or try and up his price. Won't sustain at £7.

He'll be finished by September, October at the latest. 

Don't worry about it, the amount of times I have lost work to window cleaners charging some ridiculous low price; only to find them back on my books again 3 years later. Just be consistent with your pricing.  

Just quoted a bloke £40 for a trad clean on 2 joining properties, he scoffed at the price

Him "my old cleaner charged me £24"

Me "what happened to him?"

Him "he didnt turn up again"

Me "thats because he under priced it and doesnt want the job now"

Him "ok £40 does seem fair, when can you start?"

Me "12th July"

Another one added to the client base 

HWCS said:

Just quoted a bloke £40 for a trad clean on 2 joining properties, he scoffed at the price

Him "my old cleaner charged me £24"

Me "what happened to him?"

Him "he didnt turn up again"

Me "thats because he under priced it and doesnt want the job now"

Him "ok £40 does seem fair, when can you start?"

Me "12th July"

Another one added to the client base 

Click to expand...

I can’t remember how many times i’ve had exactly the same conversation.

Trad cleaning naturally takes longer anyway. 

When using wfp it may take 1/3 of the time to clean but its way more than 3 x the expense of a trad set up. Lets say you charge an hourly rate of say £40

to look at a job that would take an hour trad might only take 20 mins wfp, but the price should really be the same, to cover the expense thats been invested. 

Another thing to think about is how long is it going to take the customer to do themselves assuming they are inexperienced, and have they got the equipment.

No point under valuing ourselves whether its window cleaning, gutter cleaning or pressure washing etc 

HWCS said:

Just quoted a bloke £40 for a trad clean on 2 joining properties, he scoffed at the price

Him "my old cleaner charged me £24"

Me "what happened to him?"

Him "he didnt turn up again"

Me "thats because he under priced it and doesnt want the job now"

Him "ok £40 does seem fair, when can you start?"

Me "12th July"

Another one added to the client base 

Click to expand...

I had a very similar experience like that the other day. I quoted for a house exterior trad clean but to include a bay window with a front door interior too - £35. She said that it was very expensive as her previous window cleaner only charged her £17. Her windows were quite grubby and I asked her when he had last cleaned for her. She hadn't seen him for at least 6 months! She then asked me I could reduce the price - of course I said but I'll have to leave out the interior clean of the bay window and door. Then I got the 'I'll think about it' .......not desperate for the work I just gave her my business card and left. Sure enough 2 days later...... when can you clean for me please.

Don't you just love this business!

You begin to know your worth in this job. The £7 will be gone next month when they realise the task in hand. There is nothing worse than pricing a job far to low, it makes you sick even thinking about it. I got a call today regarding gutter clearing in a posh estate. I usually take £80 but it was 30 minutes drive away so I stuck with the ton. Guy was very happy with price so I do it next week. Once the confidence kicks in its hard to be knocked down because all you say is try someone else. They know at this time of year it can be a merry go round trying to find someone reliable at a lower price. 

So important to hold the line with customers trying it on. Can be a challenge at times, especially in the early stages of business but it's so important to build a thriving, lasting business rather than to be busy fools. 

scottish cleaning service said:

You begin to know your worth in this job. The £7 will be gone next month when they realise the task in hand. There is nothing worse than pricing a job far to low, it makes you sick even thinking about it. I got a call today regarding gutter clearing in a posh estate. I usually take £80 but it was 30 minutes drive away so I stuck with the ton. Guy was very happy with price so I do it next week. Once the confidence kicks in its hard to be knocked down because all you say is try someone else. They know at this time of year it can be a merry go round trying to find someone reliable at a lower price. 

Click to expand...

Must admit i royally screwed up today..

Canvassing and asking for mega money isn't my strong point but i quoted £15 for a place that had 5 units at the front, 3 at the rear plus the conservatory. Cheap yeah.. but it was a slow day and i wanted my name on the board as they say. So.. got the deal, got the car moved closer for the barrels, then up the side path noticed another 4 units on the side of the house. Sugar. Anyway I always honour my word so cracked on.. then got to the front to find another little window that I hadn't seen.. and it was a bugger to get at too requiring the step ladders to come out of the car as even with the clx fully extended to all 6 sections i stood no hope in hell. Got it all done, took twice as long as i'd hoped (first clean so kinda not surprised) and they came to the door and gave me an extra fiver. Fair plays to them, they did say I'd really grafted and i've now got them as a 6 weekly as their old windy vanished (not the first house in the area to tell me that today either with another telling me that he has become erratic about his visits even ringing up half hour before demanding access..).

Next quote I did I upped it for the conny roof and fascias. £55 might not sound much for both but it's a small house and i should get it done a lot quicker than others. Ironically it was a house where i had a rather arrogant "no" previously too.. the look on her face when i turned up after meeting her hubby elsewhere and being asked to pop over for a quote LOL

If its not your strong point pricing and quoting on the spot. Walk away, think about it and text them the quote once you have decided what's a fair price. 

Your price should not be a reflection of what your hourly rate is working for an employer.

THL4KEL said:

If its not your strong point pricing and quoting on the spot. Walk away, think about it and text them the quote once you have decided what's a fair price. 

Your price should not be a reflection of what your hourly rate is working for an employer.

Click to expand...

Agreed, I sometimes take a few photos on my phone to allow me time to consider the job propproperly. 

Just visited three jobs now, have not given any any a price, took some photos.

They can have a price tonight/ tomorrow morning when I have had a good think about access,  safety - electrical overhead cable location/ general public as I would be standing in a back alley on one job, the state condition of the gutter which in places looks weak in certain spots, also another consideration is do I need to purchase some new equipment i.e. two 90 degree silicone hoses to be able to gutter vac over a flat roof without walking on it.