Discount rather than first clean extra?

Hi all. 

I started up around 4 months ago and really enjoying it. 

One thing I would say to others thinking about starting up is spend the extra money on a lighter longer pole! I got the SLX 47 and it gets heavy and very wobbly.  My SLX 27 is perfect however. 

Around where I am people are not used to regular window cleaning and I was wondering whether to change my marketing so that I give them a price for a one off clean, but then put on the offer that it will be X amount for regular cleaning (applying a discount equal to a normal clean without the first clean extra). At the moment I am doing the opposite i.e. the offer has a 25% (going to increase that next year) frist clean extra applied. 

I've had a cheeky bugger tell me he only wants to pay the regular cleaning amount before, clearly he wanted a one off clean. 

I just wonder if psychologically it might attract people to regular cleaning as it's a "discount" and stop people being put off by the first clean "extra". Then again I might be over thinking it! Business is going OK and I am getting some repeat business now who are booking back in to avoid the first clean extra charge. 

If the "regular" cleans are going to be quarterly I wouldn't offer them a discount at all. Only discount I would offer would be on 1 or 2 monthly cleans, and the 2 monthly cleans wouldn't have any more than a 25% discount. 

I wouldn’t use the word “discount” i did initially and struggled financially. Now i never use the word discounting or apply discounts. So many businesses do it & it sounds cheap - not an impression you want to give, and its a general sign that business must be struggling, you see it all the time on high streets, “10% off” 3 months later it’s 30% off. Next thing you know its closing down sale all stock must go and within a year the shops closed ?

Its a dog eat dog world unfortunately if you're using expensive equipment and putting the labour time in on jobs, you need to be making money ?‍ 

You're not going to do this off the population paying low amounts for a one off clean here and there. 

If a regular customer is paying £15 a month thats a £165 over the year assuming you have a month off (holidays, bad weather etc etc). Sometimes they have builders in or go on holiday themselves and you can’t gain access, your 11 cleans a year suddenly reduces to 9 or 8.

then you've got someone paying 25% extra for a one off clean (£18.75) and having it done once or twice a year, or every two or 3 years. they aren't pumping any money in to the industry ?‍ You just end up cleaning stinking windows and gaining sweet F.A. 

If they haven’t been done for a year or more it would be logical to charge something hefty and that might then encourage people to start getting their windows cleaned regularly again, as they wouldnt have to pay out a wallet buster every time. and the security of the industry might just revive. It works for me, sometimes. 

Ive been looking for ad ons more and more to tell you the truth as window cleaning often drives me mental with all the bargain budgeting going on.

DrGonzoSnr said:

Hi all. 

I started up around 4 months ago and really enjoying it. 

One thing I would say to others thinking about starting up is spend the extra money on a lighter longer pole! I got the SLX 47 and it gets heavy and very wobbly.  My SLX 27 is perfect however. 

Around where I am people are not used to regular window cleaning and I was wondering whether to change my marketing so that I give them a price for a one off clean, but then put on the offer that it will be X amount for regular cleaning (applying a discount equal to a normal clean without the first clean extra). At the moment I am doing the opposite i.e. the offer has a 25% (going to increase that next year) frist clean extra applied. 

I've had a cheeky bugger tell me he only wants to pay the regular cleaning amount before, clearly he wanted a one off clean. 

I just wonder if psychologically it might attract people to regular cleaning as it's a "discount" and stop people being put off by the first clean "extra". Then again I might be over thinking it! Business is going OK and I am getting some repeat business now who are booking back in to avoid the first clean extra charge. 

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I get where you are.coming from but in all honesty it's your job, it's your price and if they deem it necessary to have there windows cleaned regularly they will pay it.. May be price your work higher and if they ooh and ahh over it you can you can offer them a discount but you still will be happy with the amount.. example you'd be happy with £25 pm/ quater.. but says it's £28.. then drop it to 25 they feel.like they've got a deal.

I charge up to X2 for a 1st clean, but if they are pretty clean anyway I sometimes reduce it (like if they were to have been previously cleaning their windows themselves).

If you are working towards achieving a constant hourly rate then dirty 1st cleans must be charged extra IMHO.

I can understand why some would waive a 1st clean fee to try to boost new customer uptake.  But, in my limited experience, good customers will not be scared off by an extra 1st clean charge.

I don’t charge first clean price, good idea doing that as it will sort the messers out but that can be done in different way,

 Example Phone call wanting one off clean , told her price would be higher then regular clean price , so she says how much for down stairs flat regular told her £10 each month , at this point I knew she was 50/50 going to be a messer, she says could I have them done, fortnightly she obviously expecting it to be £5 so I told her only do monthly , she says okay then could you do mine and I will make sure I will be in each time you come , I knew she would just pay first time and never hear from her again , so I told her yeah please sign up to direct debit (GoCardless)

her response ohhh just leave it thanks anyways,

I used to charge 50% more for first cleans and had done for a few years, but I now typically charge 100% more on first cleans, but I am fortunate that my rounds are now full. 

For a while I canvassed with flyers that advertised a free first clean. This was helpful while I had time on my hands building my round as it brought customers in. Now my round is full I charge double for the first clean and get far fewer quotes accepted. Which is ok as I'm just skimming the cream of the work at the moment. 

If you have time on your hands and you want to build fast though, I wouldn't charge extra for a first clean- view it as an investment of your time.

Skxawng said:

For a while I canvassed with flyers that advertised a free first clean. This was helpful while I had time on my hands building my round as it brought customers in. Now my round is full I charge double for the first clean and get far fewer quotes accepted. Which is ok as I'm just skimming the cream of the work at the moment. 

If you have time on your hands and you want to build fast though, I wouldn't charge extra for a first clean- view it as an investment of your time.

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A lad who I know has built up a good solid round locally by doing this, he drops flyers then knocks doors within 2-3 days, he has gone from working on his own with a small round locally 2 years ago to needing someone to help him out 2 days a week I think he said , he said he can make it up on future regular cleans as he gets through them fairly quick. 

DrGonzoSnr said:

One thing I would say to others thinking about starting up is spend the extra money on a lighter longer pole! I got the SLX 47 and it gets heavy and very wobbly.  My SLX 27 is perfect however.

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I would go even further & say get an SLX-18 or Extreme-18 (my daily pole). You'll be surprised what you can actually reach with an 18ft pole.

I don't charge extra for 1st cleans unless the windows are really dirty. When you do quote for window cleaning state your price and then add that you will clean not only the glass but frames, sills & doors as well - in this way people will think they are getting a better deal.

The only time I quote / charge a premium is for people that ask me for a price on the street. I don't need any content details for follow it and in my experience they're after a one off 

We only offer 4 or 8 weekly on domestic anything else is classed as a one off and will incur a two or three times the normal clean price if we have time to fit it I. No discounts at all for anyone , I run a buisness not a charity 

Pjj said:

No discounts at all for anyone , I run a buisness not a charity 

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Same as me then. It's all marketing. Offering a "discount" on the regular cleaning which is the price I would have charged them anyway but I have to dress it up like a discount so that they go for the regular cleaning. The domestic market where I am does not do regular window cleaning. Well they do if you call annual regular.

Thanks for all the ideas!

After I knocked my pipe out doing 5 first cleans for maintenance price on minging windows to get a "we are ok this month thanks" was the day I always charged extra. 

I call a first clean my "insurance" (dont tell custy that mind you) if they wanna mess me about and pull a fast one I've not lost anything and will bin em. The only times I havnt charged extra was today actually lol, I was desperate to get my foot in the door down a long condensed road of town houses. Theres a windy there that has alot of it but his work isn't good atall, so I just did it to be seen by the neibours. 

As few others have said your running a business, dont let someone devalue what you do. I walked from a bloke the other week because he wanted to argue the toss of his old one doing it £2 cheaper. Last one as I dint wanna waffle on, they do all talk (residents) dont be the "i know a guy that's cheap" I'm expensive for my area considering how new I am but I'm thorough and charge for that ??

One of the locals near me is doing recommend a friend and both get 50% off a clean. Also states no first clean charge and this is discounted and that’s discounted. If on face book someone  says I’m looking for a window cleaner he gets loads of recommendations but I always snoop these customers out and not to appear judgemental but they never look like the customers I want. It’s seems that he is buying these recommendations by offering discounts and the kind of people who love bargains and are always trying to get one are the people who you do not want on your round. 

It doesn’t bother me, I’m expensive I know I am but I’m worth the price I’m asking. I’m not struggling to get work so it does make me wonder why they are offering discounts because I physically can’t fit all the work in and have a list of first cleans to get through so surely they are either working their bits off every day of the week and every evening or there customer turnover rate is so high they constantly having to replace lost business. 

I agree with the saying I run a biz not a charity   I been at the game 40yrs I am good and I do a first rate job so I charge first rate price no discounts at all     in fact I have been told I am pricey   sod em  I got a full book so I must be doing  something right  lol

The same problem with price competition can be found in the gardening sector & many other sectors. I can understand with semi retired or retired blokes going in low on price, a lot of them just want to work for a bit on the side of their pension or earn a bit off the radar for their grandkids. Fair enough ? i think you can earn up to 10,000 or 12000 without declaring anyway? A lot of the time these guys have worked for a company in a good job previously, done 20-40 years service, have a sizeable company pension and have paid the mortgage off “paid their way” in life, so to speak. If your kids are grown up and established, moved out and now earning for themselves then your outgoings will reduce. Trouble is a lot of these guys aren’t “official” so to speak, no insurances etc etc as they just work as and when suits them if they feel like it and probably dont have to be “totally comitted” in their mind anyway.

Trouble is, everybody wants dear old bob because they know his gardening rates are “reasonable” and this is then naturally assumed to be market price.

young guys my age just cant compete with him ?

somebody half of bobs age with a Mrs and rent/mortgage, maybe kids etc cant work for the same rates bob does, not unless your mrs is the main breadwinner anyway. 

lets not assume everybody is the same, some people never marry, they never have a partner working. Maybe go through a divorce in life? For a single person it can be bloomin hard going financially in this day & age. The best off are probably couples with no kids.

Many of us with partners can only imagine how stretched wed be financially without them working or providing a second income. I know all too well as my partner only started working reasonable hours again recently and the weight its pulled off my shoulders stress wise is relieving. Not constantly worrying about where the next lots coming from because shes earning a bit as well bless her.

so what sounds like a high wage to some really is just day to day money for others. People are waking up to the future as well now, they know their kids are probably going to be looking for university fees, the cost of caring for the elderly can be high if your parents fall on hard times. I dont think its ever easy for some at any stage of life. We have to understand that the customer is going through their own financial struggles in life so to customers quotes often sound like a lot of money but really in this day and age its just “day to day money” what people used to earn in a week now needs to be earnt in an hour or less as the value of money has dropped so rapidly ?‍

ive never offered any sort of "discount" in 26 years of window cleaning......i usually charge more for a first clean esp if their really dirty but not always,just depends......

as for offering a discount to try and make a customer have their windows cleaned regularly is just stupid IMO.....IF THEY DONT WANT THEM CLEANING THEY WONT!

fortunately most customers do want a regular service....some have been with me since day one!(1993!)...

its a good job they do or i would be spending a lot more time canvassing,leafleting to gain more customers!

This discount thing is intresting , I got a phone call of woman  with a 4 bed end of terraced house wanted a price for a washed down , I went and priced it at £500 she had already accepted a quote off someone else at  £180 , the house is krend and covered in red , green and black mould and algy , she said would I do the job for £250 as she wanted us to do the job as I showed her my portfolio of similar jobs , and she was impressed with the pictures and I explained how we would do the job . I said the price isn’t negotiable that’s what I charge and we are booked up solid with work like this , she said that it was too much , I said that’s fine Ime not looking to take work away from the other company that you have agreed with to do the work anyway ,and left it at that . Today I get a phone call from her saying that she has cancelled the other company and can we do the job ASAP at the price I said £500 . So it just goes to show stick to your guns , I give a price and it’s take it or leave it as far as Ime concerned. I don’t need the work as we are always busy , but if I had agreed to do it fir that price we would be £250 out of pocket