[Cookie]

I've nearly been going for a year now (part-time) and have been doing a bit of analysis on how I have gained and kept customers.

I am finding that about 25% of canvassed customers are dropping out - either because they just wanted a one-off clean, (although they agreed to a regular clean), or because I dropped them due to non-payment, too many 'not this times' etc...  I think I may have to consider charging more for first cleans ...

In contrast of those customers gained by referrals, walk-ups, website and leaflets only about 7% have dropped out.

[8weekly]

I think 25% is pretty good. What do you charge for a 3 bed semi and where are you?

[dazmond]

i very rarely canvass or leaflet now.new work is virtually all word of mouth and recommendation.most stick until they move or die(or occasionally i get dumped for a cheaper cleaner)

[Cookie]

I think 25% is pretty good. What do you charge for a 3 bed semi and where are you?

Thanks, it's good to know that I'm in the right ballpark.

For a 3 bed semi with easy access I charge £12. I'm based in South West Wales (Pembrokeshire).

[Plankton]

Wtf £12.00 3 bed semi?
If I bought a round of semi's at £7.00 each I would expect a 20% drop out for a £0.50 increase.

[Small but perfectley formed]

i had some work canvasssed for me last january got about 20 % left would never use a canvasser again ,got some good customers  but a lot of poor one s, non payers ,real mingers that took a lot of effort to get to standard then they cancelled.

[Cookie]

Wtf £12.00 3 bed semi?
If I bought a round of semi's at £7.00 each I would expect a 20% drop out for a £0.50 increase.

What part of the country are you from Alan? I based my prices on a BWCA booklet 'A Brief Guide to Starting in Window Cleaning' where £12 is the average price for a 3 bed semi. This book was published in 2008 (so I was of the impression that my prices were actually quite low).

[Cookie]

i had some work canvasssed for me last january got about 20 % left would never use a canvasser again ,got some good customers  but a lot of poor one s, non payers ,real mingers that took a lot of effort to get to standard then they cancelled.

That's a poor retention rate - I hope you managed to get at least a partial refund from the canvasser. I've always done the canvassing myself so the customer knows who is coming to do the clean.

[Mike55]

Cookie

1. Defo charge more for first cleans....there's so many benefits in doing so as opposed to not (not least covering the extra time it takes and those that 'conveniently' decide a regular clean is not for them afterall ;-)

2. £12+ for a 3 bed semi is not too at all too high for down South.  I know many shiners charging way more than that ;-)

Mike

[slap bash]

There many customers who quickly forget how bad their window were when you started to clean them. When you reach a high standard they leave thing they will remain  that way.

[dave f]

your lucky up here if you get 8 quid  here .ive picked up count less 3 bed semis from  a competitor charging tenner a lot of the prices up here are far lower than they should be imo .the place is swamped with shiners.having spoken to a few legitimate cleaners most agree that if you put price up you will start to lose a few I haven't put up my prices up for a few years. I think it also depends on what the area is like for employment

[Shane sharples]

your lucky up here if you get 8 quid  here .ive picked up count less 3 bed semis from  a competitor charging tenner a lot of the prices up here are far lower than they should be imo .the place is swamped with shiners.having spoken to a few legitimate cleaners most agree that if you put price up you will start to lose a few I haven't put up my prices up for a few years. I think it also depends on what the area is like for employment

U up north Dave? whereabouts?

[Shane sharples]

Ah, West Yorkshire.. I think a lot of windys keep buying crap rounds with cheap prices and then get fed up Coz they're too scared to put the price up and the cycle continues. I live in Lancashire and all the other windys in my area seem to charge that much aswell ...except me. I'm banging them out at a tenner easily because of how I sell it to the customer. I just picked a £7.50 job up because the customer wanted someone like me who uses the wfp system and cleans the frames etc ....u know how much I said too her? £15 - her answer, that'll be great , I don't mind paying extra to get a better service.
Too many splash and dash springs to mind

[Matt.]

All from walk ups, and arrange a further scheduled visit. Or recommended from existing customers.

I don't advertise, and never have, that's not to say I won't one day.  Well I have work tops with company name and number, but that's it.

[AuRavelling79]

Don't have a website.

Referrals are generally best.
 
Walk-ups and those answering ads in  a local free newspaper are almost as good at "sticking" and being good customers.

On the rare occasion I have canvassed they are hit and miss. Some excellent, some not.

[Rich Wilts]

I get 15 new customers a day by walking up to strangers and saying the magic word. 

[Cookie]

I get 15 new customers a day by walking up to strangers and saying the magic word.

  My Mum told me never to speak to strangers.

[SB Cleaning]

I find the best quality customers come from my website and parish magazines.

[Johnny B]

I canvasssed for the first 2 years here in Ireland, as I found that the retention rate was quite low. This I put down to the fact that we were in the middle of the recession, so quite a few proved to be one-offs. Added to that was that I was a stranger in town.

Since then I have picked up enough good, regular customers from walkups, but, mostly by way of word of mouth recommendations.

In answer to the original question, all my regular customers are all equally valuable to me irrespective of how I got them.

John

[Stoots]

Canvassed work is a lower retention rate than other methods.

BUT i found when i do it myself the retention rate is a lot higher than canvassed work,  20-50% retention after a few cleans from canvassed work is all ive had, when done myself its probably 80%

WEST YORKSHIRE PRICES.. im in wakefield and try to charge 10-12 for a 3 bed semi, i do have a few lower and theres loads of windows working from £4 for a semi.

BUT if you want £12 for aa semi then stop moaning about prices and go out and canvass them, sure it will be harder than 6-8 quidders but its not impossible by any means