[stevekennedy]

All the main firms in Aberdeen have been WFP since 97/98. We are seldom taking over from trad now. We are almost always competing against other WFP operators. They are working to margin. If we want the work we have to be competitive. We are not usually the cheapest, but we need to be in the same ball park. Maybe it's different in other cities.

After we have won the work, some companies have shown me the other quotes. (Some have shown them to me BEFORE I quote, but that's another story  )

[bluez]

I don't have much to add to the price discussion except that every area will be different and trad or wfp the end result is the same to the client, clean windows, so in this age where wfp is not new anymore and is pretty much the in dustry standard imo just price it at what you need to earn in the amount of time it will take you based on your earnings from your other work.

I do have a question relating to competition for commercial work, why is it acceptable to win commercial work based on price but unacceptable to win retail or domestic work on price (commonly refered to as undercutting) is this not a double standard?

by the way just to state where I stand on the issue I do not know what others charge In my area and I don't care too much. I base my prices on achieving a decent return on time invested either by myself or my staff and if that causes some people to lose work to me or me to lose work to others then thats just business.

[stevekennedy]

bluez

I agree with you. This is just business. But, personally, we prefer not to aggresively undercut.

What we have found is that companies have sacked or are about to sack the existing cleaners so they call about 3 new win cleaners.

Or the work comes up for tender so it's up for grabs to anyone. The existing cleaner has the advantage though, as he knows all the shortcuts