[Matthew JN]

Hi all

Had a prospect customer who has a sizable detached property with conservatory.   Last summer  i had quoted her £30 to do a regular clean every 7-8 weeks for outside excluding conservatory roof.  She dithered around so much making a decision i just thought she was a time waster.

Anyway got an email from her a week ago asking when i could come and do the windows, and at this present time my rounds are now all where i want them and am not taking on any more regular round work - only larger one-off jobs or quarterly contracts.

So i emailed her back and told her all i could offer her would be a one-off job for outsides and insides including conservatory roof (and inside of roof) for £180.00.

She replied saying she thought it was far to much and her husband reckoned i could complete 3 of the same jobs in a day - and that would put my earnings at £130K per annum JUST for cleaning windows.

How stupid and rude can you be

Don't need morons like that do we.

[peter1983]

lol so what if you are on 130k good luck to you m8

[Joe Lauzon]

The worst one I had was a woman leaving a message to the effect "you will be earning £20 p/h at that price, I don't even earn that much and I'm a legal secretary". 

Out of interest, how long would the £180 job have taken you?

[supernova77]

She replied saying she thought it was far to much and her husband reckoned i could complete 3 of the same jobs in a day - and that would put my earnings at £130K per annum JUST for cleaning windows.

You should reply and say that her husband has it all wrong, and that you do 3 of the same jobs by lunch time.

 

Andy

[Mike_G]

I would do something similar to what Andy says.......e-mail her back saying you actually earn 160k a year and thank her for pointing out you had underpriced her job and the price is now  ;£225.00 

[LQQK]

"you will be earning £20 p/h at that price, I don't even earn that much and I'm a legal secretary". 

Id reply to this with,

'I wouldnt even get out of bed for that, Ive got standards Im not a carpet cleaner you know!'

[Steven Shoreditch]

 

[Glen Bullivant]

you could reply that if her husband can find you 3 of those jobs every day you will give him the 30k to make it a round number 

[AuRavelling79]

"Perhaps your husband might like to get off his fat derriere and do it himself?"

 

Love the replies guys!

I had a long term pita custy last week (after me dropping her over her attitude and her writing to ask why) tell me in writing she was "stunned" at my price of £20 to do her conny roof! (Small lean-to type as a favour)

[Matthew JN]

For the record i priced the job at a full days labour (for me £180) and i reckoned seeing as the windows are old and some leaded that i would need pretty much a full day to complete, what with the conservatory and that.

If you wanna see the reply email i sent here it is>>>

Mihela,

I feel sorry for you and your husband that you feel the need to try and belittle me and the window cleaning industry. Just because I quoted you a professional price for what would have been a professional job. 

What a stupid assumption there !  Ah well all the better for me that I earn £130k per year which is clearly more than your husband earns as you have said he can only afford to pay peanuts.

I work very hard for what I earn and most of it goes to pay for treatment for my severely disabled son who has autism and cannot speak yet at the age of 5 years old.

Best you both go and find a monkey then – as they love peanuts all day long. After all it’s ONLY cleaning windows – and you seem to think that window cleaners do not deserve to be earning very much money. Maybe you see anyone who runs a window cleaning business as a bottom feeder ? or perhaps you feel you are both way above window cleaning in your chosen professions.

You are both pathetic and need to grow up. If you want your windows cleaned by any professional.  I suggest you both need to change your attitude towards how you do business with them and stop acting like a couple of snobby morons who think they know it all.

No need to reply – I think the buck stops with you.

[Steve Weatherley]

I agree that some customers have no idea regarding how much it actually costs us to run our buisinessess in the correct manner.

However I dont think your email to customer was very professional.

[alroy bennett]

Brilliant, I have copied and pasted into a similar email, would i like to see the face when they open it.... well done

[Steve Weatherley]

It won't help to enhance peoples perception of window cleaners by sending abusive emails and only serves to bring you down to their level. Personally I would have just ignored the letter. Move onwards and upwards.

[Jimmy1]

I agree that some customers have no idea regarding how much it actually costs us to run our buisinessess in the correct manner.

However I dont think your email to customer was very professional.

So glad that I'm not the only one. I totally agree with Steve. Although I understand the anger you must have felt, However, I would have let the matter drop, you gave your price, they refused end of - their loss. In this business word of mouth is everything and it only takes something like this to leak out and your reputation is ruined.

[Matthew JN]

Steve you may think the email was unprofessional and it was meant to be.  No need to get nervous about her ruining my reputation as a have a solid base of round customers who i treat in a professional and courteous manner,  most of whom i'm sure if i showed them the email they would have been in agreement with me.

I have swallowed peoples crap in the past and it doesn't feel good. After all that's one of the good aspects of working for ourselves, so we don't have to put up with peoples crap if we don't want to.

[Steve Weatherley]

It's good that you have a good solid base of customers. So whats the worry? I still say move on and forget about it. Also be careful as the lady in question may have friends / relatives who you also clean windows for - you don't want to lose these people as customers do you?
When I have a quote rejected I feel the satisfaction of knowing that this wasn't the right customer for me. Concentrate on quality custom only (like you seem to be doing already) as the ones who aren't willing to pay the price can find some mug who is willing to work for peanuts!

[Jimmy1]

Once again I agree with Steve. Also, I'm glad you explained that it was meant to be an unprofesional email otherwise some of the newbies reading might have thought it was acceptable and although I'm glad your reputation is solid, theirs might not be.

[Steve Weatherley]

goodnight   

[LWC]

A simple "no problem" email wouldve annoyed them more. I personally wouldnt of replied like you, as said before i understand how you feel, but no point getting in a tis about it all, just turns into a battle of words, i wouldnt be surprised if she replies with something to rattle you a little more then youll reply again...where does it end? Like i said, reply with "no problem, thanks" what can they say to that?

[Paul Coleman]

For the record i priced the job at a full days labour (for me £180) and i reckoned seeing as the windows are old and some leaded that i would need pretty much a full day to complete, what with the conservatory and that.

If you wanna see the reply email i sent here it is>>>

Mihela,

I feel sorry for you and your husband that you feel the need to try and belittle me and the window cleaning industry. Just because I quoted you a professional price for what would have been a professional job. 

What a stupid assumption there !  Ah well all the better for me that I earn £130k per year which is clearly more than your husband earns as you have said he can only afford to pay peanuts.

I work very hard for what I earn and most of it goes to pay for treatment for my severely disabled son who has autism and cannot speak yet at the age of 5 years old.

Best you both go and find a monkey then – as they love peanuts all day long. After all it’s ONLY cleaning windows – and you seem to think that window cleaners do not deserve to be earning very much money. Maybe you see anyone who runs a window cleaning business as a bottom feeder ? or perhaps you feel you are both way above window cleaning in your chosen professions.

You are both pathetic and need to grow up. If you want your windows cleaned by any professional.  I suggest you both need to change your attitude towards how you do business with them and stop acting like a couple of snobby morons who think they know it all.

No need to reply – I think the buck stops with you.

Bad move IMO - but understandable.