[Steve Mac]

 My round's due a price increase, but like many of you out there, i'm **** scared of hiking a street up a little too much and having them all ditch me for some wc doing them at 4 quid a pop.

Alot of the threads on this forum have motivated me enough to do put all my jobs up. Mainly cos it seems i'm slightly under-priced compared to alot of you. Now i realize this is to do with the north / south divide. I wouldn't DREAAAM of charging a tenner for a normal 3 bed semi, as i know that at least a few are charging 4 quid.

My question is to anyone roughly from my area (scottish borders) What are the going rates round where you are? I'd love nothing more than to be getting 6 quid a pop. 

[callum macleod]

hi i would increase them by £1 some will moan some won't even notice if they ask you why you can always say your expenses have gone up fuel etc.

[Steve Mac]

 Yeah, that seems fair to me. I know i'll lose a few customers here and there, I just want to keep the number down to a minimum. Where about are you Callum?

[callum macleod]

Yeah, that seems fair to me. I know i'll lose a few customers here and there, I just want to keep the number down to a minimum. Where about are you Callum?

hi somewhat south of the border newark-on-trent near nottingham from edinburgh originally! go home fairly often so i don't get too english!!

So not really local but i know what they charge around edinburgh.

[callum macleod]

Its funny actually i was talking to my mum who lives in edinburgh said she paid her window cleaner about £4 i said to her i would charge £6 for this size of house she thought that too expensive!! so i suppose you'll have to tread carefully how you introduce the increase!!

There not Tight there just carefull!!

I think window cleaner do seem to charge more down here !

 

Yeah, that seems fair to me. I know i'll lose a few customers here and there, I just want to keep the number down to a minimum. Where about are you Callum?

hi somewhat south of the border newark-on-trent near nottingham from edinburgh originally! go home fairly often so i don't get too english!!

[Steve Mac]

 I suppose the standard of living must be more expensive down there too, no?

[Steve Mac]

 I live outside Kelso, on the river tweed. Most of my work hasn't been put up for 4 years at least, but like you say, there's always the poss that they'll find some cowboy who can do it a little cheaper.

I personally wouldn't miss an extra quid a month, would you? Sometimes it's as if you're emptying their wallet!

 I currently have most of my semi's at 4 quid, some at 5. Looking tp put them all up by a pound soon. That's not too cheeky, surely? 

[bumper]

I put my houses up from £3.80 to £4.30 so 50p most moaned about it ,a few customers were on about inflation you put them up 13% inflation rates only 3%  how you justified that,my pensions only gone up 3%.One or  two finnished yet again what i lost i picked up.Mostly are fornight.bumper stockport

[callum macleod]

hope you don't mind me asking ! why do you have your prices at £3.80?? i always price work at £1 increments never less. it makes a change nightmare when you price less than a £1?

I put my houses up from £3.80 to £4.30 so 50p most moaned about it ,a few customers were on about inflation you put them up 13% inflation rates only 3%  how you justified that,my pensions only gone up 3%.One or  two finnished yet again what i lost i picked up.Mostly are fornight.bumper stockport

[bumper]

Ive been puting them up 30p a year, last year put them up 50p, try and put the prices  up 25% and you have a load of moaners, can you do them every 2 months or can you leave them this time,my sons doing them now,my husbands bought a ladder and doing them himself,ive got someone else now,can you leave them till spring love,the list is endless you are left with houses dotted about the street which is no good.

[spotless2000]

i'm **** scared of hiking a street up a little too much and having them all ditch me for some wc doing them at 4 quid a pop.

I would suggest you give all your customers a letter explaining the price increase but also confirming the benefits of your service e.g. you’re regular and clean all year; you clean the frames and the corners; your friendly etc.  Will they want to take on someone new who they don’t know just to save a pound? 

Some will, but hopefully not many!

Good luck!

[DASERVICES]

  Steve,

  Put them up, min I charge is £5. If your customers are willing to pay for it
  they will.

  Don't forget you have to pay your bills, not showing loyalty to your customers.

  Doug

[Steve Mac]

i'm **** scared of hiking a street up a little too much and having them all ditch me for some wc doing them at 4 quid a pop.

I would suggest you give all your customers a letter explaining the price increase but also confirming the benefits of your service e.g. you’re regular and clean all year; you clean the frames and the corners; your friendly etc. Will they want to take on someone new who they don’t know just to save a pound?

Some will, but hopefully not many!

Good luck!

I've seen a few examples of letters in the archives. Sounds like the best way of going about it. Then they have a chance to cool down b4 i go back! 

I do admit that i'm too much of a soft touch mind. I'm on such a friendly basis with some customers that i'll find it awkward when their's go up. All my new customers get the mandatory weather small talk now. No more!

[spotless2000]

If you get on that well with them, then I'm sure they'll stick with you!

With a friendly, professional, polite and confident approach - you’ve got everything to go for!

Let us know how you get on.

Steve

[jon adams]

 Blimey, i know its a different country but it sounds like another planet, i consider myself cheap charging £10 for a new 3 bed terrace 3 windows an a door at front same at back and no quibbles, but also have some moaners not too many who live in 4 bed detached and pay £12 for twice the amount of windows. Us soft southerners have it cushy.

[Steve Mac]

Will do, spotless! Now i just need to figure out how to work down south and live up here. Best of both worlds then. 

[bumper]

Is there no window cleaners on this forum who clean near me, like moss side,levenshulme,rushulme,salford,bolton, dean road area,sounds like they are all from down south, not many in the hard areas  and working classes.

[bumper]

I take it nobody on the forum cleans round these areas,prices are very tight,and you wornt get £10 a house

[geoffreyspecht]

i live in n wales prices r tight round here but i still get £10 for a three bedroom house

[ducky]

i live in kirkcaldy.fife.work in glenrothes.2 bed and 3 bed.4.50  for a council house.