Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: sean mcc on December 09, 2012, 07:43:45 pm
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Do many of you do inside cleans for people,what is the best way to get them and what are the pros and cons or do people just not want you in their house :-\
Thanks
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On request from good customers.
PRO's
bit of extra cash esp if priced well
ok on rainy days if you have no other work
a good gesture for a top customer
nice change if custy is nice
CON's
Usually tied to a pre-arranged time and day
Take longer if outside is done wfp
pain if custy is fussy/pain
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Thanks Gold,so do you not approach them??
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Thanks Gold,so do you not approach them??
Sean, if you need the work, then offer it along with any other services, ie gutter and fascia cleans. As you get a full customer base, we found that they become a bit of a pain. They take longer than we think, customers never remove ornaments etc when asked and initially you will always have to contend with their window cleaner stuff that they have used.
We know we are honest and would never steal anything, but what happens if the old dear mislays her ring? Unfortunately, you will be the culprit. Whilst its never happened to us, we worry there is always a first time.
Apart from last week where I did 2 internal cleans when the weather was too cold to work outside (snow), most internals have to be booked in advance when the customer is there. You can always guarantee that the weather will be brilliant the day of your clean, and you are stuck inside when you could be outside earning more money.
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Must sure you charge double for insides
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Just tell you customers What I often do is say I saw you internal window need attention, \but I know in todays times we all so busy and its always looks so easy. If you want to spoil your self ,here is my card just give me a call and I will sort it out for you. No problem. ( The no pressure sale) Works most time not always at once but when they are in they will call. :D :D :D :D :D
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Yeh thanks guys,have not got a full book yet and what with the frost,rain etc,was going to ask a few custys if they wanted their insides doing,especially the dirty ones (Windows not custys) ;D,few points there for me to weigh up,should i really be asking for double?
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I hate doing insides, as i do have a full round, & rarely do them.
They do take longer, i would charge atleast 50% extra.
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I hate doing insides, as i do have a full round, & rarely do them.
They do take longer, i would charge atleast 50% extra.
Yep,time and a half for insides
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I hate doing insides for the following reasons:
Always things to move from window sills
Customers cleaning products can cause smearing and this makes it harder to get the right result (more time)
Have to bend my aching creaky back to remove my boots in winter ;D
That said if customer is willing to pay twice the price of outside I am willing to oblige
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Gold and Spruce top advice as always guys.
We only do internal cleans by appointment and insist they remove all the items before we start.
we also charge 50 to 100% of what the outside is ( esp if it's a 1 off )
and i usually regret doing the inside after the second window ::)
I do have several OAP's that ask for the kitchen window to be done and i do these FOC as a good customer service thing.
Darran
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i do a fair bit of insides , but you have to be a regular on my list , not some chancer. id never do insides on the first clean , i have to first weigh up if theyre a nut or not. this takes 3 cleans as a general rule. i also wont do insides if the place is a proper tip either with bird droppings or similar on the furniture
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i only do them as one offs if i fancy it which is rare and i will quote
up to four times the price of a normal clean,hpefully to avoid getting the job
i probably get around 30% of the inside cleaning jobs i quote which is far too much
i find peoples fixtures and fittings a real pain and my elbows always manage to hit everything
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Smokers houses are the worst , I do inside commercial every 4 wks and its a easy , hardly anything to move . Mike
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Why does it take longer if outsides are done wfp?
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Do one and find out . Time consuming job.
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I used to offer this to my customers soon found this to be a mistake.
if they ask, I will offer it at double the outside price but apart from that i dont.
on commercial have no problem doing it within reason.
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Why does it take longer if outsides are done wfp?
they are a pain dg...ive got one on the 22nd im charging £25 for outside
3 storey building and £75 for insides.
a lot of the windows are proper old leaded..doddle on the outside wfp
different story on the inside..have to trad pole some because of height,some of the coloured glass
is so small cant get a small squeegee channel in.so will be polishing them with microfibres
old fashioned window locks that get in the way.
even though i ask them to move everything, im still going to end up with nets
and beds in the way fecking pain
in fact im not going to go on as im starting to realise ive underquoted and
im starting to get depressed ;D
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I suppose i should try it and see,thanks for some of the tips,it wont do any arm especially as i do not have a full book yet,think i will ask for time and a half and see how it goes.Thanks Everone
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I suppose i should try it and see,thanks for some of the tips,it wont do any arm especially as i do not have a full book yet,think i will ask for time and a half and see how it goes.Thanks Everone
I think if you are only going to quote an extra 50% you will find you are working for a much lower hourly rate than you do for your outsides. That may be ok if you don't have any outside work that you should be doing, but when you get nearer your regular outside target you should think more about charging a rate for insides that doesn't penalise you........or just don't do any more insides ;D
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Hi Ian
Yes i know what you mean,i am changing over to wfp at the moment and am trying to make sure i am getting £30 per hour,insides would be going back to Trad and slowing everything down i suppose,should probably get out and do more canvasing for outside work,are people too busy this time of year to be bothered with people knocking on their doors?
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Why does it take longer if outsides are done wfp?
they are a pain dg...ive got one on the 22nd im charging £25 for outside
3 storey building and £75 for insides.
a lot of the windows are proper old leaded..doddle on the outside wfp
different story on the inside..have to trad pole some because of height,some of the coloured glass
is so small cant get a small squeegee channel in.so will be polishing them with microfibres
old fashioned window locks that get in the way.
even though i ask them to move everything, im still going to end up with nets
and beds in the way fecking pain
in fact im not going to go on as im starting to realise ive underquoted and
im starting to get depressed ;D
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
I know insides take longer
Gold said insides take longer if outsides are done wfp why?
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i would guess he was just comparing against the speed of wfping windows
i just find them a pain :)
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i would guess he was just comparing against the speed of wfping windows
i just find them a pain :)
That's what I meant.
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i have to first weigh up if theyre a nut or not. this takes 3 cleans as a general rule.
Love it! :)
I have 1 old lady that persuaded me to do her inside windows when I first started and i'm still doing them monthly, at her insistence. Mind you I put my foot down 'cos when I started doing them and I was very green she got me to do the inside glass doors too; there are about 8 of them, all with those wavy Georgian panes - a nighmare. I only do the insides now because she's such a laugh.
Apart from this I have the odd custard who gets me to do a pane here and there and i'm happy to do that . I tell people now that I don't do insides. I guess it's partly because i'm wfp and slow at trad skills and that kills my hourly rate, but mainly because of the slopping water around / knocking over ornaments / taking you boots on and off issues.
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Hi Ian
Yes i know what you mean,i am changing over to wfp at the moment and am trying to make sure i am getting £30 per hour,insides would be going back to Trad and slowing everything down i suppose,should probably get out and do more canvasing for outside work,are people too busy this time of year to be bothered with people knocking on their doors?
Any time is good for canvassing. If you don't knock, you don't get! I never used to canvass in the dark (although lots of people do) - I always felt people were intimidated by having unexpected knocks on the door at night. In winter months I did my knocking at weekends in the early afternoons. Beware though: you might get a lot of response from people wanting one-offs for Christmas. Ask them first:
"Would you like a one-off for Christmas or are you looking for a regular service?"
If they say one-off, price it a lot higher, if after that they change their mind and say regular, tell them the next clean will be at the regular price because they'll only go and cancel after you do them if you drop the price!