[herbiefatboy]

HI ALL I HAVE NOW STARTED TO GET A BIT TO MUCH WORK AND STILL GETTING PHONE CALLS DURING THE WEEK MY QUESTION IS DO YOU TAKE A PERSON ON OR DO YOU JUST STICK TO WHAT WORK YOU HAVE I AM A BIT GREEDY BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE TO TURN DOWN ANY .REPLIES WOULD BE GRATEFUL THANKS

[Thecleanerservice]

You are a bit greedy.

Pj

PS  Take on someone else, pay them, you tight fisted so and so.
But don't pay 'em too much.  They'll leave you and go on their own as soon as they know what they can earn, or they'll get bored.

[dai]

Take them on at a good price and drop the dross.
Just imagine your a big worm, continually feeding, in one end and out the other. I think it's the only way to move forward. DAI

[davidsabishop]

Thats what I do.
New work is always priced higher so take on everthing but drop off the same amount. You then end up earning more for the same amount of work.
I bet all your oldest customers are underpriced!

[Paul Coleman]

Thats what I do.
New work is always priced higher so take on everthing but drop off the same amount. You then end up earning more for the same amount of work.
I bet all your oldest customers are underpriced!

Yes, I said something like that to someone recently.  Whereas most companies save their best and cheapest deals for new customers ONLY, window cleaning seems to work in exactly the opposite way.

[herbiefatboy]

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLIES SO FAR.HAVING NEVER EMPLOYED SOMEONE I FIND THIS QUITE A SCARY THOUGHT I.E HOW MUCH TO PAY ,WHAT ABOUT WHEN IT RAINS AND HOLIDAY HAS ANY BODY GOT ANY ADVICE ON THIS THANKS AGAIN

[Moderator David@stives]

I am paying £6.50 hour

You will need emoloyers liability £500???
employers ni contibutions
extra on car insurance
money set aside for holidays and sickness

and they wont earn as much as you maybe 2/3 they wont be as motivated

Dave
 

[windows_chepstow]

Thats what I do.
New work is always priced higher so take on everthing but drop off the same amount. You then end up earning more for the same amount of work.
I bet all your oldest customers are underpriced!

Yes, I said something like that to someone recently.  Whereas most companies save their best and cheapest deals for new customers ONLY, window cleaning seems to work in exactly the opposite way.

I took someone on today for £8.50.  I only hope she doesn't speak to her neighbor, same type of house, but I charge her £6.50!

It's going to take a while to get them all the same price!

[Moderator David@stives]

Tell the new customer that you charge the old ones so much because you have had them so long and they will eventually have to put them up.And let the old ones know what you charge for new customers .that way it is in the open and they will think you are a kind soul,and as sometimes that happens is that the old ones put there own prices up.

Dave

[Sarah Sarill]

Hi everyone.

This question is linked to this thread so will ask it here.

When you take on new more profitable jobs and are in a position to drop some of the lessser ones - do you tell them you are no longer servicing them and how.

Thanks,

Sarill

[Moderator David@stives]

Tell them you can only do them for 50% more and leave it with them if they want it or not .i normally tell them i cant afford to keep cleaning there windows so all future cleans will be (make up a figure and double it) going up ,if they want to keep you .

Therefor bad jobs turn into good jobs if they accept

Dave

[Londoner]

Not all bad jobs are bad because of price. There are the never ins, the no moneys, the quibblers and the never good enoughs, then there's poor access, no parking and dog poo to take into consideration. Some you just want to get rid of because you don't like them.
However, its hard to drop one house if you  do a half a dozen others in the same street.
Its a wonderful pont to get to when you have more work than you need.

[Moderator David@stives]

Not all bad jobs are bad because of price. There are the never ins, the no moneys, the quibblers and the never good enoughs, then there's poor access, no parking and dog poo to take into consideration. Some you just want to get rid of because you don't like them

Vince i got rid of all them in the first 2 years of buying my round.I dont mind the never in and no moneys ,because i always get it eventually .As most of my round is pensioners on big pensions and mortgage paid and
in an affluent area.
I still have to drop the odd one on the odd occasion but that is normally a customer i have recently picked up.

[thewindowcleaner1]

I

took someone on today for £8.50.  I only hope she doesn't speak to her neighbor, same type of house, but I charge her £6.50!

I do the same if any questions are asked I tell them that Existing customer have the benifit of a loyalty discount, works every time.

[windows_chepstow]

When you take on new more profitable jobs and are in a position to drop some of the lessser ones - do you tell them you are no longer servicing them and how.

I think it would be best to drop a letter off explaining why you no longer wish to clean their windows.

I now hate shopping at 'rush hour' on a Saturday in our local Tescos because I'm often accosted by 'ex-customers' asking me why I haven't been round to clean their windows.

I do have a standard reply though.

I look all shocked and say, 'Hasn't Simon been round?  I passed you onto Simon.  He said he would call.'

Then if pushed, I take their home number and promise I'll get back to them.

Am I a cowboy?

[Moderator David@stives]

No just chicken   :

[windows_chepstow]

No just chicken   :

Agreed.  Poor Simon.

[thewindowcleaner1]

is that simple Simon?

[Moderator David@stives]

would'nt it be easier to take someone on a casual basis and pay them cash in the hand?
that way you can use them as, and when needed.

Dodgy ground Dodgy

health and safety
liability
black ecomomy  !!!!!!

tut tut tut. very dodgy

[craig jwc]

I've made w/c my fulltime job now and realised i had underpriced on one house in this street so i told her i will be looking at putting the price up in the next few months or so. She told me if i did that she wouldn't want me anymore.
I can't really afford to loose customers right now but i told her that once i decide to increase the price i will let her know and stop calling.
Now i have this wfp i told her that i could do this bedroom window at the back if she was interested. She said yes and i gave a 75% increase of what she was paying and she was really happy with it.
I can't understand this but i am happy i got my price up