[Herve garrot]

Hi I heard from some of my customers ( who fortunately didn 't drop me) that a pensioner is cleaning front windows for a fiver!!! Full house for £ 8!!!  Now I have mixed feelings about it ! On one hand I can understand he has the right to top up his pension, keep himself busy or whatever... But on the other hand those guys are killing the business by undercharging customers!!! No wonder when canvassing ( in london) I occasionally come across people looking shocked when I quote £10 for the front ( on a monthly basis) . Well what do you think about it??

[PurefectWindowCleaning]

Happens all over the country.

Keep doing what your doing, be as professinal as you can, and concentrate on your empire 

[dave0123]

People like this have always been around! just think if everyone charged a good price how much you caould actully make cleaning windows in the real world 

[paul ette]

When you say he's cleaning front for a fiver, what sort of size property? How many windows?

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

I clean some fronts for a fiver! Pensioner around here charges 1.50! I kid you not

[Pro-Smart]

Happens all over the country.

Keep doing what your doing, be as professinal as you can, and concentrate on your empire  

I agree - the market is huge and there's room for everyone. According to the ONS in 2012 there were 26.4 million households in the UK. Undercutting on price has been going on since the year dot - it's actually a recognised form of marketing. Luckily, most windies are professional AND need to earn a good living and so will do a great job and charge well for it. AND luckily, most custies prefer it that way - IMHO anyway!

[PAUL ERITH]

Good for him i hope he earns enough to eat well and turn the heating up over winter 

Paul

[Herve garrot]

2 bay windows and 2 or 3 windows !

[Herve garrot]

Well the minimum I charge is : £9 for the front and I keep getting new customers every week!! £1.50 for the front Do those window cleaners live on the streets ? Lol

[Frankybadboy]

good on the old man,bet he take all your work now

[Herve garrot]

Well the thing is he would earn more by charging a bit more ! As long as he does a good job!

[paul ette]

I usually charge a min of 8 and would charge that for 2 bays and 2 small windows, there is a few round here that do a whole house for 7 quid, but then again on the other end of the scale there's people that charge ridiculous prices and get away with it

[Herve garrot]

£7 the whole house in london? That would be cheap! Unless maybe you've got lots of small houses on the same street and still??

[paul ette]

Not London, gloucestershire

[PoleKing]

fair play to him.
Wonder if he'll be thinking its a good idea when his pacemaker has one little blip half way up a ladder and comes crashing down on his shiny lil bounce. Brown bread.

then you can say to all the people in your area how good WFP is cause you can't fall off the pole.
'yes it is more expensive, but i guarantee not to die on your property by falling off a ladder'

[Herve garrot]

Well, as they say there is work for everyone and every time i see a windie I don t know I always introduce myself ( I m a newbie!) and of course I don t resent the old pensioner trying to make a bit of money . Good for them!  but I feel they re being taken advantage of by charging so little!!

[dazmond]

yeah but with wfp you could trip over a table and chairs while looking up and crack a rib or two!

on topic i know 2 window cleaners(100% trad)who are nearly 70 and still put a good shift in on the ladders even when its raining and windy!they are really cheap(£3-50 for 3 bed semis!)dont do frames or sills or doors.they both have state pensions and private pensions.

ive picked up over 100 accounts off one of em over the years at double and triple the prices he charges.he s been window cleaning for over 50 years!

these guys are no threat to your business mate.their just topping up their pensions.good luck to them i say!they wont be going for much longer and they make me look like the best window cleaner in the world!!

[Herve garrot]

you 're absolutely right. 6 weeks ago I picked up quite a lot of customers when I hit a road where the previous windie ( an old chap who had been around for quite a while  fell off his ladder ,broke his leg and could no longer work!)  following his accident maybe he should have sold his work and make a bit of money!!

[tompoole]

Why worry, it's too cheap yes but really how many windows can
An oap clean? Just keep doing what you do .

[dannymack]

Mmmmm I wonder if hes paying his tax ? Ask him !!!