[danny mckim]

Guys over the last week I've gone from the buzz of thinking I've picked up a superb contract, to actually having to pinch myself in case I was just having a nightmare

I received a call from a relative who used to work alongside me, he worked with me for 3 years but moved on around 10 years ago.
He has worked his way up to be general manager in the company he left me to join. I'm not surprised as he had great attitude towards work and was a grafter.
Anyway the job he was asking me to quote for would have taken at least 4 guys a full shift( his words). I know previously they were paying at least £800 per clean( I knew the guy they were using, but changed to national a few years ago) so though this was a decent earner.
I gave him my quote, he came back and showed me what they are paying a national company just now. It's not even £200 per clean.
He explained he couldn't justify to his bosses such a substantial increase if I were to be given the contract.

What I would like to know is how these national companies can possibly do these jobs for such low prices, and what are they hoping to achieve .

im just grateful that high percentage of my round is domestic.

Has anybody else had a similar experience

[Smurf]

Just think what the subbies get of of the job if you think that's bad.
Nationals don't give a toss as they earn a percentage from every clean that the subbies do 

[Clever Forum Name]

They do a crap job, that's how.

You're being generous with crap lol.

[SeanK]

Quantity without quality, I watched a guy the other day on a commercial job that would have taken me an hour,
he had it completed in 10mins, half the glass wasn't even touched.
Obviously his customers must be happy enough with what they are getting for the price and he's happy enough as he doesn't
have to worry about quality.
Nothing wrong with pricing cheap as long as you only offer cheap in return.

[cgh window cleaning]

some companies pay subbies well to maintain there work.
the lads that are employed by some could't care less.

watched one walk in to a shopping centre with out his tools or even a scrim take a photo and leave.

currys the electrical store has a national contract which are cleaned so bad they pay me direct to re clean them.

truth be told the nationals are killing the price and pushing it down so low its not worth cleaning or competing on a lot of stuff.

I got offered a some Prezzo restaurants this week if I was to clean them at the price offered I would lose money the price on offer was truly shocking.

[Smudger]

Very good post Sean.

As small companies we are usually quality biased, therefore we spend a lot more time on cleaning and getting a good result than national companies do, they also tend to wrap the window cleaning into a larger overall maintence/cleaning contract, so the windows are very low priority in the scheme of things.

There are plenty of companies who still actually like quality over price, but it's a fine balance even then

Darran

[windowswashed]

I seen some nationals in town today cleaning a shop front at 3pm and a bank at 4pm with wfp, no warning signs, no bollards, town hectic with people, just made me laugh. At least I do busy town centre early morning whilst it's quieter, followed by breakfast.

[NWH]

 A national bookmakers use a national company and the bloke cleaning it said they do it at a loss,the firm he works for do it for about a fiver and he does all of them in the south he does about 10 miles between each job.

[Jay Le Huray]

many years ago I used to do all the greggs in the south at £15 each, I lost them to a national who were doing them at £5 each, I have a friend who works in one of the shops and she tells me they were doing a really CR*P job, at £5 i'm not surprised

[Perfect Windows]

many years ago I used to do all the greggs in the south at £15 each, I lost them to a national who were doing them at £5 each, I have a friend who works in one of the shops and she tells me they were doing a really CR*P job, at £5 i'm not surprised

Someone's being robbed.  I was offered 7 of them in and around Southampton at a massive £6 each.  Nine mile round trip,  seven cleans and a three month wait for payment for £42.

Vin

[deeege]

many years ago I used to do all the greggs in the south at £15 each, I lost them to a national who were doing them at £5 each, I have a friend who works in one of the shops and she tells me they were doing a really CR*P job, at £5 i'm not surprised

Someone's being robbed.  I was offered 7 of them in and around Southampton at a massive £6 each.  Nine mile round trip,  seven cleans and a three month wait for payment for £42.

Vin

Doesn't approved window cleaning have Greggs?

I was offered a couple about 2 years ago, prices too low though. I actually called in for a sausage roll this morning as I always do on Fridays and it looks like it hasn't been cleaned in the last 2 years, properly filthy and its inside a Mall aswell.

[Tosh]

A national bookmakers use a national company and the bloke cleaning it said they do it at a loss,the firm he works for do it for about a fiver and he does all of them in the south he does about 10 miles between each job.

That's mental. I heard of a bloke who cleans conservatory roofs at a loss too. Mental.

[NWH]

Keep going one day you might be able to afford to do the odd freebie eh.

[Lakes and Pennine]

I was talking to a supermarket manger today and it will prob get a lot worse when the so called living wage comes in. They will have to make more cuts  to pay the wages...not going to take money off those high up now are they.

[Tosh]

Keep going one day you might be able to afford to do the odd freebie eh.

Thats the irony. Im still going because I don't do work on the cheap. 

[NWH]

Still going are you is that what you call doing well is it still going.