[SB Cleaning]

Its getting ridiculous

I work in Worcester and i have counted 15 different companys driving about this week, it must be hard for new start ups!! im glad im in my 3rd year and have built up a nearly full round of decent customers...

Worcester just aint big enough for all the cleaners!!  how are you guys finding it in your areas?

[Ben wood]

Its a bloody knightmare in christchurch dorset. I have door knocked for free days now for a 7 customers or I am crap at canvassing lol

[SunShineCleaning]

There was a spate of new starters a few years ago but it seems to have tailed off.

We are not a high population area though.

[dave f]

its the same here in the small town where i live one guy travels 35 miles to our town, the thing is the more windys you have in a small place you will start to have a price war each trying to under cut the other so there will only be one winner, the custy. and any body says they dont under cut are full of it, that includes me ive had guys under cut me by rediculas amounts  so i return the complement every body as a wright to make a living but to what cost, it will end up like the ice cream wars in glasgow .soon as people stop boasting about how much they earn the better imo then it may find an even playing field or adopt the licensing like in scotland or some thing along those lines but how they would police it god only knows.some thing needs to be done get rid of a lot of benifit cheats

[Deangsi]

woods cleaning i think you may be hitting the wrong areas

[Klean07]

I wouldn't worry mate. Theres over half a million people that live in the county of Worcestershire!! I'm sure you would be happy with just 400 of them!

[SunShineCleaning]

its the same here in the small town where i live one guy travels 35 miles to our town, the thing is the more windys you have in a small place you will start to have a price war each trying to under cut the other so there will only be one winner, the custy. and any body says they dont under cut are full of it, that includes me ive had guys under cut me by rediculas amounts  so i return the complement every body as a wright to make a living but to what cost, it will end up like the ice cream wars in glasgow .soon as people stop boasting about how much they earn the better imo then it may find an even playing field or adopt the licensing like in scotland or some thing along those lines but how they would police it god only knows.some thing needs to be done get rid of a lot of benifit cheats

I disagree. I've never undercut and loose very little work from undercutters. If I ever see genuine newbies I speak to them and help them out. They rarely take your work then.

[Ben wood]

I knew this area was going to be hard to get some work but not this hard lol

[dave f]

dont be nieve its dog  eat dog imo if your family where starving you would not let them starve for a principle get a grip

[SunShineCleaning]

dont be nieve its dog  eat dog imo if your family where starving you would not let them starve for a principle get a grip

My family aren't staving BECAUSE of my principles and business plan.

If I ever got to the point where my family were starving, I hope I would have done something about it well before that point.

You can only have a price war if both parties play along. Anyone who undercutts an undercutter is really nieve.

[Halfadaylee]

dont be nieve its dog  eat dog imo if your family where starving you would not let them starve for a principle get a grip

My family aren't staving BECAUSE of my principles and business plan.

If I ever got to the point where my family were starving, I hope I would have done something about it well before that point.

You can only have a price war if both parties play along. Anyone who undercutts an undercutter is really nieve.

100% agree

[bobplum]

you should have all got the email of concept20,you would never worry again

[SB Cleaning]

I wouldn't worry mate. Theres over half a million people that live in the county of Worcestershire!! I'm sure you would be happy with just 400 of them!

When you put it like it don't seem so bad

[Pro-Poler]

its the same here in the small town where i live one guy travels 35 miles to our town, the thing is the more windys you have in a small place you will start to have a price war each trying to under cut the other so there will only be one winner, the custy. and any body says they dont under cut are full of it, that includes me ive had guys under cut me by rediculas amounts  so i return the complement every body as a wright to make a living but to what cost, it will end up like the ice cream wars in glasgow .soon as people stop boasting about how much they earn the better imo then it may find an even playing field or adopt the licensing like in scotland or some thing along those lines but how they would police it god only knows.some thing needs to be done get rid of a lot of benifit cheats

I have mentioned all these points  in a post I put up on another forum, and how window cleaning pricing will fall because customers are struggling with everyday bills and saving money on window cleaning which to many is a luxury would definately be something customers would be looking at, my opinion similar to the ones set out in this post was laughed off infact some window cleaners were saying there phone hadn't stoped ringing since the recession, one poster even said there wasn't a recession and the economy was booming.

[robertphil]

use a bit of cunning and dont canvass the obvious areas.  i personally hardly  saw a windie in the bad weather spell , they were hibernating,no guts, no threat  

having said that im working in biggish towns only so it is easier than if you are in a village trying to build a round

[johnny bravo]

its like fishing,    in october i decided to get off my a...   and get out canvassing,   usually id say to myself    next weekend    for weeks,  so i did it and got £280 worth of work.  if i kept putting it off      i would have missed out,   as my new customers have told me other windy canvassing,    i dont overcharge so i have not lost any new customers.     i charge what i would pay.
 i have another area to do soon,  got a lead    and im not going to say ill do it next week.   everyone who needs more work are getting ready to canvass now,          light nights coming back.    people wont answer door in darkness.         too many boogie men.

[Smudgeoff Cleaning Services]

Its getting ridiculous

I work in Worcester and i have counted 15 different companys driving about this week, it must be hard for new start ups!! im glad im in my 3rd year and have built up a nearly full round of decent customers...

Worcester just aint big enough for all the cleaners!!  how are you guys finding it in your areas?

were they all professional.. I.E.  sign written van or escort estate with ladder....I am only 7 miles from yourself and there is a mixed bag here.
Darren

[roundbuilder]

Use it too your advantage. I try to talk to window cleaners( not the ones who give the look), i like to find out where they work, how long they have been going etc and i always ask if they have anywork the wish to sell as a lot dont realise the value of there customers. I have bought work for half the value and 1xthe value last year from wc's i spoke too.
Many of them just do window cleaning as a side line as an addon to there regular job so they dont have full rounds. It realy isnt an issue for me that there are loads about, im friendly with 5 guys who work from dartford to blackheath who have massive rounds bigger than me  which is what what kicks me up the backside to keep up with them.
As long as you have it in you to canvass to replace any drop outs and always be bettering yourself month by month i wouldnt let it bother you how many other window cleaners are out there. I see it as a payrise each and every month.

[Steve Sed]

dont be nieve its dog  eat dog imo if your family where starving you would not let them starve for a principle get a grip

What art of Biafra are you in mate?

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Round my way Basildon in Essex you can see 15 different window cleaners a day most with pro looking set ups. The new ones do undercut and don't necessarily last long, but although annoying it does a favour as its normally low paying work that you need to drop or up the price on that switch, the newbies help sort out your round. Most will give up on the inside of a year.

Simon