[dai]

I have a 7 days work on one estate alone. I have been doing these houses since they were built 10 to 11 years ago. They are small very compact 2 and 3 bed semi's and terraced. All open plan fronts. I charge £5 per house if they don't have conservatories. cheap? yes well, you have to take into consideration economy of scale, and local competition. When you do house after house in the same close, your not travelling. In fact most days don't even have to move the van.
These customers have been serviced regular as clockwork, they have never had an unreliable window cleaner.
A young guy has just started up using ladders. He's been canvassing the estate, undercutting my prices. Now we are all vulnerable when we make the switch to WFP. Some customers are not sure about it no matter how many explanatory letters you give them.
 One gobby disgruntled customer can do you a lot of damage. I am still getting repercussions from the first Newsnight interview with the man from the fed.
So far I have lost 3 customers. One said that WFP had left a bloom on her windows, she's a heavy smoker and the bloom was on the inside. Her daughter also went with the new guy. One long ex customer that I had dumped for bad paying also took him on, she recruited her mate who was a good customer.
It's OK bumping up your prices, but you have to deal with the competition too.
I see the sense in what Ian Say's, but can't agree with all of it. Sure I'm too cheap, but the take for the last 4 days is £557. That's 4 days of hard graft I know, and my Mrs helped me for 2 of them.
Guess I will have to go out and look for more big houses at the right price. Dai

[mark dew]

This forum has helped me increase my turnover.
It has helped me have the confidence to go for wfp.
It has helped me work more safely.
And to up my prices.

Yes, me too. The quality of information on the forums is superb.

[window wonder]

£5 is better in my pocket than £5 in another window cleaners pocket if it means charging £5 rather than £10 to get the job !

Mind you im short of work . it makes sence if you have plenty work to charge well .

Ive started cleaning windows in a small village nr me . Another window cleaner  that lives in the village and has cleaned windows for years  in the village.

 I met him the other day and its the first time i spoke to him  . He went to some buisness seminar ,  and they put it to him , if he doubled his prices and accounted for loosing half of his customers . he would be working half the time for the same money .

Makes sense .  And says most folk are ok with it . he now works 2 1/2 weeks a month making the same money !!
 
wish i had enough work to justify doing it and not bothering about loosing work !

[Londoner]

There is a lot of very good sense being spoken here. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to a wonderful discussion. Its nice to see these things being brought out in the open and given a good airing.