[Perfect Windows]

Better not hog this post but why do the "experts" hide their details, no name, no website no nothing in their profile? Hmmmm I wonder? It can't be lack of funds for a website what with the prices and the amount they make an hour what with their extra on first cleans and not leaving money on the table

Gordon

My website's not hard to find - look at my signature.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

Anyway first clean and maintenance clean does it take longer no the first clean doesn't take longer the subsequent cleans take less time and that's where the gain is

You're the guy saying that a longer period between cleans doesn't mean the windows are harder to clean, then you come up with this.  Pure sophistry.

If it's impossible to get customers to pay the extra without hacking them off, why do almost exactly one in three of my customers pay it?  Has it occurred to you that you may not have a monopoly on what works?  Clearly, this works for me, amongst others. 

Vin

[mci services]

Ewan that was funny in the bath earning money=plumber well done

perfect windows why do you always get upset when someone doesn't agree with you? you locked another topic when it was going wrong and now you are quoting Latin, again I will ask if you are so right why bother what everyone else thinks, just do what you think is right and either everyone else will go bust or struggle and you will do great, but ask this maybe just maybe somebody else may be getting it right?

by the way I don't have the answer I just try to do my best and make a few quid

[AuRavelling79]

I don't think gordonswindows is a plumber just because he earns while he is in the bath - he might be a tiler or a cleaner. He certainly cleans everything he can get his hands on!

>stu-mac

I think sophistry is greek, not latin but I do see your point - anyone with more than half a brain can see the way to go with this.

[G Griffin]

 I don`t know what gordonswindows does in there; but I wish he`d hurry up.   
 I`m dying to use the bog  .

[mci services]

I don't think gordonswindows is a plumber just because he earns while he is in the bath - he might be a tiler or a cleaner.

>stu-mac

I think sophistry is greek, not latin but I do see your point - anyone with more than half a brain can see the way to go with this.

no idea malc I just googled it to see what it meant : but Gordon must being doing something right as he has been voted the best small business in Scotland and he regularly offers up offers of 1k to new starts of small businesses.

Anyway I am not saying you are right or he is right just find what is best for you and go with it.

[Perfect Windows]

perfect windows why do you always get upset when someone doesn't agree with you? you locked another topic when it was going wrong and now you are quoting Latin, again I will ask if you are so right why bother what everyone else thinks, just do what you think is right and either everyone else will go bust or struggle and you will do great, but ask this maybe just maybe somebody else may be getting it right?

"Sophistry" isn't Latin.  It's a word in pretty common english usage whose meaning is "a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning. "  That definition's from dictionary.com. 

As to why I talk about things where I believe I'm right, can you tell me the point of this forum?  Taking your suggestion to its logical conclusion our mental patterns on reading a thread should be "Oh, I disagree with what he thinks; I'd better keep my mouth shut". 

Calm down and welcome the differences of opinion.  It's how we progress.

Vin

[AuRavelling79]

> Stu-mac

Well done gordonswindows for being voted the best small business in Scotland (unfortunately I'm not eligible!  ) and I admire his philanthropy. Seriously.

But size and diversity of business isn't always relevant to a one man band operator as we don't have lower paid staff from whom we can make a profit. We just have our own time and time is money and of course a bigger interval between window cleaning will take longer.

But hats off to gordons windows (especially when he is in the bath) for expansion and if he has advice on employing then I'm all ears.

[Sean Dyer]

true that gold

a sole trader has different demands on time and that small difference in time taken to clean a 12 weekly than  a 4 weekly adds up if you have a whole day of 12 weeklies you will do less houses so need more money to make same day rate

simples

[Smudger]

WOW! - took the daughter to Alton Towers for 2 days and look at this thread!

Sunshine has it in a nutshell - basically the price for a house is the longer period option ie £15 but the custy would like
4 wky so in fact they get a discount rate for having a more frequent service and that is £10 
therefore those with a sliding price scale give better service and value for money than those charging X regardless of length as they must be overcharging all their 4 wky custy's 

As Gold pointed out the car wash thing is automatic - sorry every house is given personal attention and i see a big difference in 4 to 8 weekly cleans. and have you seen how cr@p a car wash is on a really dirty car.

It appears that some w/c's are not confident with their business/work as to worry about the 'next' flyer taking their business,
my experience so far has been that the majority of customer moves are due to bad work or being unreliable - otherwise custy's tend to stick with you through thick and thin.

Darran

[gary999]

true that gold

a sole trader has different demands on time and that small difference in time taken to clean a 12 weekly than  a 4 weekly adds up if you have a whole day of 12 weeklies you will do less houses so need more money to make same day rate

simples

i thought the topic was for 4-8 weekly not 12

[Perfect Windows]

I think some are looking at this the wrong way.

Dont charge EXTRA for longer intervals, simply have a standard rate (one off) and charge LESS for increased frequency.

So if you are to price up a £15 house that would be done every 4 weeks, start off with the one off price of £30. Then if cleaned within the next 2 months £20, if cleaned every 4 weeks £15.

Did I already say this?

Some of you are desperate to leave money on the table!!

Sunshine,

I like this idea.  Do you currently do this?  And do you take into account the overpayment if they do become a regular customer?  What I mean is, if they pay £30 for visit one then become regular, do you give them anything back of the "extra" £15 they have paid? 

Vin

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I think some are looking at this the wrong way.

Dont charge EXTRA for longer intervals, simply have a standard rate (one off) and charge LESS for increased frequency.

So if you are to price up a £15 house that would be done every 4 weeks, start off with the one off price of £30. Then if cleaned within the next 2 months £20, if cleaned every 4 weeks £15.

Did I already say this?

Some of you are desperate to leave money on the table!!

Yes, works well so far, bear in mind I dont need the work and my website pre-qualifies customers.
They dont get anything back for being regular simply works out less per visit if they are regular.

Sunshine,

I like this idea.  Do you currently do this?  And do you take into account the overpayment if they do become a regular customer?  What I mean is, if they pay £30 for visit one then become regular, do you give them anything back of the "extra" £15 they have paid? 

Vin

[Nigel Lee]

Better not hog this post but why do the "experts" hide their details, no name, no website no nothing in their profile? Hmmmm I wonder? It can't be lack of funds for a website what with the prices and the amount they make an hour what with their extra on first cleans and not leaving money on the table

Gordon

My website's not hard to find - look at my signature.

Vin

Nice website.  Interesting decision to put prices up without seeing the property.  Pretty solid prices though, I guess you don't get caught out often.

[Perfect Windows]

It’s all Hebrew to me

Anyway, you didn’t welcome my difference of not even an opinion, just a different element to economics, so you didn’t progress that time, better luck next time “Perfect Windows”!

I don't feed trolls, Ewan.

[gordonswindows]

Ewan I usually understand and agree with your many posts but this time you have lost me

How do you think we managed to build a small business? It was by being a sole trader learning the ropes and then taking the fearful step to employing, to suggest that a sole trader is different to a small business means nothing to the client who gets their windows cleaned.

Someone else, I forget their name mentioned the lower paid staff well that's a laugh, our window cleaners are on basic £12 an hour with bonus add to that the costs of employing another 20% and all the other costs of equipment etc and they are anything but lower paid. You sole traders are the lowest cost employees ever and you keep all the money to yourself. Some of you tell us you earn £30 an hour well for our lot to make me £240 a day they have to work very very hard

Sole trader window cleaner small business national business there are no difference when it comes to the client they want clean windows......I love it when I go on the tools because I get paid like you guys and I remember what it feels like to go home with pockets stuffed full of cash

Gordon

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I think some are looking at this the wrong way.

Dont charge EXTRA for longer intervals, simply have a standard rate (one off) and charge LESS for increased frequency.

So if you are to price up a £15 house that would be done every 4 weeks, start off with the one off price of £30. Then if cleaned within the next 2 months £20, if cleaned every 4 weeks £15.

Did I already say this?

Some of you are desperate to leave money on the table!!

Sunshine,

I like this idea.  Do you currently do this?  And do you take into account the overpayment if they do become a regular customer?  What I mean is, if they pay £30 for visit one then become regular, do you give them anything back of the "extra" £15 they have paid? 

Vin

Yes it works well. There is no 'overpayment' rather a discount for regular customers.

[Sean Dyer]

this thread is getting ridiculous,

if you are happy to clean at longer frequencies at the same price then fine i wish you all the best

but for gordon or anyone else to suggest its wrong to add a few quid for a longer frequency is mad , it is simple logic and is practiced by nearly all the window cleaners i know, in fact all of them only since this thread did i realize some dont . I have never had a customer complain about it yet and dont think they ever will even they understand the logic behind it

so thats me finished, no point arguing anymore about it