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sunshine windows

  • Posts: 2361
I am officially an undercutter!
« on: January 05, 2015, 08:30:58 pm »
I think I'm fairly expensive as far as monthly window cleaning goes, but I quoted a job today at £20 and the last fella was charging him £35  :o

I reckon the last fella kept upping his prices as the guys a bit strange (has a trad windy every 2 weeks as well).

 
To climb mount fuji you must first find a path
(Swindon, Wiltshire)

www.sunshinewindowcleaning.co.uk
www.sunshinesoftwashing.co.uk

duncan h

  • Posts: 1875
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2015, 08:36:20 pm »
What traditional every 2 weeks was £35 or he also had a traditional? was it a big house. I still cant figure pricing out. Some say they don't want to pay £8 for a semi then others say, "O" is that all to £10. I now stick to my guns and never lower price. Keep them higher than traditional and do less work. If I get a bad vibe, I quote higher  :o

sunshine windows

  • Posts: 2361
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2015, 08:42:46 pm »
He has a trad guy every 2 weeks, no idea what he's paying him.

He got rid of a wfp cleaner as he was getting too expensive. I'm the replacement wfp guy.
To climb mount fuji you must first find a path
(Swindon, Wiltshire)

www.sunshinewindowcleaning.co.uk
www.sunshinesoftwashing.co.uk

Tom-01

  • Posts: 1348
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2015, 09:32:46 pm »
Its great when you're an over-cutter! Price a job and they say you are more expensive than our current window cleaner but would prefer to use you. Doesn't happen often mind but good when it does  ;D

sunshine windows

  • Posts: 2361
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2015, 10:04:00 pm »
This is the reaction I'm used to Tom, it was only a 3 bed end terrace. Very easy windows.

I tried getting the name of the old cleaner out of him but he wouldn't tell me.
To climb mount fuji you must first find a path
(Swindon, Wiltshire)

www.sunshinewindowcleaning.co.uk
www.sunshinesoftwashing.co.uk

Arnold Palmer

  • Posts: 20800
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2015, 06:10:23 am »
I have refused to clean a house because the woman insisted on keeping her regular trad guy on.

Problem was soap. It was like a first clean every time, perhaps that's why it was £35
#aliens

johnny bravo

  • Posts: 2699
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2015, 10:40:05 am »
sunshine,  you would get a shock at pricing up here in the north east,(north yorkshire)
for a 3 bed you are looking at around £8


SeanK

Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2015, 11:31:15 am »
sunshine,  you would get a shock at pricing up here in the north east,(north yorkshire)
for a 3 bed you are looking at around £8



Same here about £8 for a 3 bed semi, have been getting a lot of inquires lately and as I'm fairly full I have tried to
see how far I could push the price have quoted a few for £12 and not got a single call back as of yet.
But at the end of the day I'm splash and dash for the simple reason I don't get paid enough not to be, so if I could get the
higher prices then I would have to slow down a little to justify it, so maybe I wouldn't be much better off.

Mick Kent

  • Posts: 1380
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2015, 11:54:58 am »
Mad how some areas window cleaners are still Doing houses for under a tenner! Its 2015 for god sake!!.
Even areas i work there are guys charging £7/8 for a full house having to access it by going through to get to the backs where others and myself get away with £15 or in my case £10 fronts.
I know area plays a big part but come on sell yourself for what you think your worth.
Turning up to a customers house being regular monthly to keep there windows clean is defo worth more than £8 a pop.

Tom-01

  • Posts: 1348
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2015, 01:36:10 pm »
I agree with you Mick but like anything something is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

Had a small flat we did, minimum price was £15. She was happy at first then we turned up she was really nasty and said a friend of hers has a 3 bed house and only pays £8. I said fine, I'd rather not work for those silly prices. It is crazy but I suppose if there are people willing to work for that money people will pay it.

Mick Kent

  • Posts: 1380
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2015, 02:17:03 pm »
Yep, your on my wave lengh there... I never take a job on if they want it done for peanuts! Its the window cleaners who do the job for these silly prices that let the team down.

SeanK

Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2015, 03:12:57 pm »
That's exactly it Tom, Mick seems to be under the impression that guys who only get £8 do it because
they don't have the confidence to ask or try for more.
Like I have said I am trying a higher price on any new work that comes my way but I'm not getting it even though
its only a few quid more.
I would love to work in an area where money doesn't count for nothing but unfortunately that's not the case in my
area and people want value for money in everything including window cleaning.
But don't get me wrong I am not crying poverty here, there's still a very good living to be made in my area
cleaning windows.

johnny bravo

  • Posts: 2699
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2015, 04:22:43 pm »
how much would you expect to pay to have your windows cleaned.
if someone knocked at my door and said,   £15 please , im your window cleaner.

id think WHAT,   HOW MUCH.     I would pack my job in and start canvassing for new customers.    £££££££££

i am very happy with my income,    if i could charge more i would.

i guess im just a people freindly guy.   there has been some jobs where i thought why am i doing it for so cheap just to have as a customer.
the more customers you get   you can THEN up prices or dump the lower priced ones.   i just class these jobs as my weekly fuel bill.

Tom-01

  • Posts: 1348
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2015, 05:34:16 pm »
how much would you expect to pay to have your windows cleaned.
if someone knocked at my door and said,   £15 please , im your window cleaner.

id think WHAT,   HOW MUCH.     I would pack my job in and start canvassing for new customers.    £££££££££

i am very happy with my income,    if i could charge more i would.

i guess im just a people freindly guy.   there has been some jobs where i thought why am i doing it for so cheap just to have as a customer.
the more customers you get   you can THEN up prices or dump the lower priced ones.   i just class these jobs as my weekly fuel bill.


To be honest I'll put my hands up and say I'll try to get a deal on things if I think I can.

However if I was looking to have someone at my property regularly offering their service and they turned up to quote and were well turned out, polite, uniformed, could actually have a conversation I would pay the price they quoted no questions asked.

I'm in this game to pay all my costs and live a comfortable lifestyle and for the business to make profit. Yes its only 'cleaning windows' but running a business involves more than that. Got to get in front of the prospective customer in the first place. Then you have to quote. Answer any questions and sell yourself. Book in the first clean within your schedule. Do the job. Leave an invoice. Wait to get paid. Maybe have to chase payment once or twice. Be regular. Do a good job every time. Pay all insurances. Fuel. Tax - the list goes on. Do I want more than £8 per clean? Hell yeah!



KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3955
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2015, 05:52:15 pm »
Mad how some areas window cleaners are still Doing houses for under a tenner! Its 2015 for god sake!!.
Even areas i work there are guys charging £7/8 for a full house having to access it by going through to get to the backs where others and myself get away with £15 or in my case £10 fronts.
I know area plays a big part but come on sell yourself for what you think your worth.
Turning up to a customers house being regular monthly to keep there windows clean is defo worth more than £8 a pop.

Aye yer right it's 2015, I charge £7/8 for modern 3 / 4 bed detached houses because I know my market. I also know I can do 7 of these houses per hour, yes I have to work hard to achieve this but that isn't a problem to me, in my previous job I used to work hard for £7 an hour.
The customer is happy and I am happy that's all that matters.

Mick Kent

  • Posts: 1380
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #15 on: January 06, 2015, 07:20:47 pm »
7 detatched houses an hour..fair play that is good going. Im slow as can only do 3 detatched houses an hour.

Blackadder

  • Posts: 274
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #16 on: January 06, 2015, 10:49:08 pm »
I'm more on your kind of timescale Mick. 7/8 detached in an hour? is this with frames and sills every time?

KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3955
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #17 on: January 06, 2015, 11:25:14 pm »
I'm more on your kind of timescale Mick. 7/8 detached in an hour? is this with frames and sills every time?
Yes, frames and sills every time. As stated this is on modern detached houses, e.g  Persimmons, Taylor Wimpey, Barratt.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6213
Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #18 on: January 06, 2015, 11:44:30 pm »
Theres some poope posted on here

SeanK

Re: I am officially an undercutter!
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2015, 09:06:02 am »
Adam watching this video on here turned me from one of the slowest window cleaners on here to one of
the quickest. Time him. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXV1zhmVao