[Scrimmer73]

Having been in the game , long enough to know , the risk involved in, being on top of a treble, in the wind , risking my ability to walk again , I find it very difficult to understand , MUGS , canvassing my commercial base , offering WFP, with a trolley .., and plenty of BS .. and forcing my prices down .

Do we negotiate a new deal, or let it go?

 I think the time has come for WC`s , like in Scotland , Where we need a Licence , mentioned it to Managers , I deal with and they agree , but it appears, its all about the budget sheet, and no longer a standard of your work .

Obviously I am on the Pole  , and have been for 5 years now , but the Johnny come lately`s are spoiling things with their Trolleys , and leased  Vans ...

What does anybody else out there do to protect their work and families welfare.

[mark dew]

spread the work base so the loss of any 1 job or several don't get you down. 

[Perfect Windows]

... we need a Licence ...

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

I can't believe you want MORE bureaucracy.

It'll either be so cumbersome you'll be on here complaining about the trouble it takes to get a licence or it'll be so simple that your competitors will all have one anyway and you'll just have to spend money and time to no benefit every year.

No.

Vin

[Mike #1]

The way i see if i company drops you based on a lower  price and cant see through someone who is Bu**s***ing them they aint worth having .

What matters is quality of service provided along with good customer service , Some of the lads popping up now dont have a clue how to portray and maintain a high quality service and professional image .

They can tell them what they want but if they cant deliver the goods they will lose the contract just as fast as they gained it

I will not be driven down by price no way no how, I  expect a company to want me to do their windows because of the person i am along with the top quality service i provide .

Going to a meeting for a big commercial contract next week and i will be selling myself as the person i am  not some fake put on act and giving them loads of flannel . Mike

[dave f]

why do people get so flusterd about people offering a lower price its healthy compation get used to it. it is not only window cleaning that have price wars how many times have you seen asda,tesco etc on the telly boasting about their prices. imo people dont see window cleaning as a be all and end all.just get on and do the same. i have had a price review of my work .i have not had a price rise in 4 years i work for what im happy with.i set my prices low to try and keep custys, if any one wants to do it for less so be it. example ive had a part of my work canvassed buy a company quoting £14 i charge £8 i did not loose a single custy.there are a lot of greedy windies out there ive grown my round simpley because i do a good job at a fair price ive had a few comments like how much thats cheap my last window cleaner charged ex amount .

[bobplum]

echoing what dave said, i do find somewhat strange that we complain about undercutters to our selves but would buy petrol from a petrol station because it has dropped a few pence lower than our regular station

.............its called business

If i wanted a contract i would undercut the competition, providing the price quoted still made me a profit

[andyM]

If you price a job on what you feel is the right price for you, and someone offers to do it cheaper then they are welcome to have the job.
That's my philosophy anyway.

[Smudger]

Yes it's pretty pointless complaining about some one doing a job cheaper than yourself either match it or move on that's what business is all about, many commercial customers aren't interested in quality of the job just the cost.

Just remember if its all about the money these customers are constantly roaming for cheaper prices so no one will keep the work for long and if some one wants to be busy working all day for peanuts that's great! it ties them up working the cr@p work while I go out getting higher paid quality work

Darran

[daniel worgan]

Negotiating new deals when others are offering a different approach to a business that saves their owners/shareholders money is what business is about.
We have a flood of wfp boys around here now,all fancy new stuff and all cleaning windows at what many customers call high prices,so in steps a bloke  with an alternative but mainly lower prices and guess what his business is flourishing,he is nicking loads of customers who like good old traditional methods and value for money.Business is business you see....

[roundbuilder]

Price wars are everywhere, everyone thinks they have a great round with great prices but if there was next to no competition then the £10 terrace house we do would be able to be £30 instead!! but where there is lots of competition its the opposite  someone would always do them cheaper to get in there and offer to do it for £6/7 and still make a good living with the prices, also then the customer is even happier paying much less saving £36 a year we want the highest price available where as the customer wants to spend as little as possible so price wars will always be about. Undercutting is just the nature of business!. Who cant accept that hasnt a clue in the fundimentals in basic business stratagy.
To get in this game nowdays the easiest way is to simply undercut the competition, give the customer what they want. Sadly for us established guys its a pain but i have learnt to live with the fact that i will be undercut from time to time.
Everone of us on here shop about for the cheapest gas/electric supplier. Its the way of life.

[simonr]

i have jobs in about a 10mile radius from home ok   if all counties wanted a licence i'd need 3 cumbria ,yorkshire & lancashire   yup great idea

undercutting happens in all trades, why are we so different???

[home6442]

If the customer is happy with your work and price then you wont
lose them through undercutting.
I have had window cleaners offer my customers cleans at half off what I charge.
Never lost a good customer yet.
Don't get greedy look after your quality and let others worry about undercutting.

[windiewasher]

I always find the best way to get rid of undercutters is to threaten them with hospital food.
 they soon crawl under a rock.

[p1w1]

I always find the best way to get rid of undercutters is to threaten them with hospital food.
 they soon crawl under a rock.

Do you really 

[daniel worgan]

I always find the best way to get rid of undercutters is to threaten them with hospital food.
 they soon crawl under a rock.

Tough guy...

[Michael Peterson]

Thats the commercial game im afraid, i never rely on commercial and only ever have about 20% commercial

[redstarwindowcleaners]

I clean a number of mobile home units on a small park home site  £7 each

Someone leafleted the site this week quoting  £3

[Scrimble]

I got taught a lesson recently, i got asked to quote a local estate agents, i wasnt actually going to turn up because i thought that they prob want it to be done for peanuts,

i went and quoted it, £10 as thats my minimum charge, its only a small shop they asked for the windows (1 pane and a door) in side and out done, 2 upstairs windows and the sign cleaning, they asked me the frequency (i said i am in the area every 2 weeks as i do a few other commercials so i will fit you in) the shop manager accepted,

i goes and does it and the manager was pleased with the results he told me the price is now £15 per clean as thats what his head office has authorised for window cleaning and he wants his shop to be maintained, he goes on to tell me about previous window cleaners none he was happy with along with there even lower prices, he even showed me a leaflet saying all shops £3 per clean which he didnt call.

my image reflects my professionalism, I dont do cheap or undercutting, there are customers out there who want to pay good money and want a proper job doing.

[dazmond]

first and foremost DO A GOOD JOB,frames sills and doors as well as glass,price fair for you and the customer,be reliable.always ring customers back if theres a problem and fix it.

LOOK THE PART!nice clean tidy van,clean logo d polo shirts,decent business cards,slips and leaflets,offer different ways to pay(eg cheque SAE,BACS,cash)etc.

be flexible on frequency if they think monthly is too frequent.

offer add ons like cleaning their solar panels,conny roofs and full UPVC cleans.

be friendly and stay calm even if the customer(soon to be ex customer)is a pain/messer etc.

if you do all of the above you ll get a very good professional reputation and work will come to you throughout the year and you wont lose jobs to undercutters on domestics anyway.

commercial?i have some very good priced accounts and i do all of the above on these as well.never lost a customer yet.

if you do lose the odd account DONT TAKE IT PERSONALLY!there will always be another customer just around the corner.i have to reiterate IF YOU DO ALL OF THE ABOVE!!

never rest on your laurels,continue to work hard and offer the best service you can.

by the way i stay away from shops,chains etc as their always chopping and changing.most of my work is good solid reliable domestic work with mid size offices,childrens homes,nurseries etc on the commercial side.


best wishes to you all



dazmond

[Scrimmer73]

Thank You , all for your response I have learnt a lot .
Regards