Paul, will you quote to the client's prices or do you insist on your own prices. To be concrete, for a modern 3 bed semi new build - so 4 upstairs windows, 2 downstairs, front door and patio doors I would charge £16 on an 8 weekly. So would you agree the criteria for prices? Wizz biz was adamant that canvassing was essentially begging so it had to be "realistic".
Pricing is subjective depending on the area, but to answer your question we do agree on pricing, I generally spend an hour or so with the window cleaner driving to areas he wants canvassed and we make sure we are singing from the same hymn sheet price wise. I generally get a feel on the phone, some window cleaners who have little experience in pricing can be too high, on the other hand some guys I have worked for price their jobs too low. It's in my interest to price the job for as much as I can get, but there is a fine line between getting as much as you can without pricing yourself out on the door. If I felt someone was unrealistic with their pricing I would say so. With reference to your own pricing, I don't target 8 weekly, but rather 4 or 6, if someone insists on 8 weekly then I'd have to charge 2x if that was what i was targeting, whereas at the moment I only charge 1x for any 8 weeklys that i pick up.
As for the begging comment you refer to, I have never viewed canvassing as begging, but I don't know what context or in reply Whizz said it, nor to what he was referring so can't really expand.
How do you guys deal with the situation when you turn up to clean, do the customers not find it a bit strange that the person who knocks isn't actually the person going to be cleaning them? Do you tend to knock before the first clean to introduce yourself? I ask not in a sceptical way but because I am very interested in using Pauls services as well.
Also have you guys who have gone down this route found it harder to make and keep a good relationship with the customer as I find alot of the time me pricing the job is the main opportunity to give a good impression and build trust/raport with them which I feel helps alot long term.
Tom
Hi Tom, I tell the customer your name and describe you. I have never had anyone find it strange so long as it's set up on the door correctly it shouldn't be a problem. For instance Mr B Shine who commented, I tell them a big ginger Scot called ***** will be cleaning their windows
I used P aul to build nearly a whole round, I would recomend him as I am happy with the job he did and continues to do.
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