[david mark]

 This past 5 years ive payed staff a set wage which incudes Holiday pay and days off sick they still get payed when rained off but the
agreement is they come in on Saturday to complete there round ,however this system does not work all the time they don't always finish there work so spills over to next weeks work due to problems with there personal lives wind rain ect its coming to the point where im concedering paying a % ie 50/50 split. I have 3 employees  and run 1 man to each van. This way may be fair to both of us

Has any small window cleaning companies moved over to % from paying a set wage and how did you find the transition was it a better system to both parties
Any replies would be appreciated

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

we run the same as you , we did try going to go the % thing but found all they did was rush round , causeing poor workmen ship and beating the vans to death so we went back to the old way

[david mark]

Thanks for your reply.  It does concern me that the quality of the work will become poor and possible cancellations due to rushing to complete there round using a % basis.

[Tosh]

Maybe if they're told if enough work is lost due to complaints/ cancellations one of them will be down the road and that it'll also affect the likelihood of any pay rise.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

thing is I find its easyer to keep a customer then find a new one , and once the workman ship starts going down hill it goes fast

 you never just lose one here or there its loads at once and can last for a while , as most customers wont sack you until they find someone else once they have it in there head you find someone else they will doesn't matter if you send someone else and the work goes back up to late damage is done

[Tony dunmall]

It's a good idea to build into there a contract with you
a completeion of work to a reasonable and satisfactory standard and within a reasonable time frame protects you and them

Ie that you should not expect them to do to much but they need to understand and realise there income depends upon them working To a satisfactory standard and copleting the schedules

I sometime feel we need to find a good balance with what we can earn from employing people

I think someone on here spoke about holidays and length of them slightly different subject but similar principle and said happy staff work well

It's the same with standard of work completion of work, pay well create an ethos in them of quality with reasonable speed and efficiency

I always think if they had the same drive as we have for business they would be running there own

I firmly believe in a fair wage for a fair days work,which may mean I earn less of each employee but there happier in the long run

[Spruce]

thing is I find its easyer to keep a customer then find a new one , and once the workman ship starts going down hill it goes fast

 you never just lose one here or there its loads at once and can last for a while , as most customers wont sack you until they find someone else once they have it in there head you find someone else they will doesn't matter if you send someone else and the work goes back up to late damage is done

You make some good points here Susan. I hadn't thought of the 'delayed' response to loosing customers, but it makes sense.

[jk999]

So this fifty fifty split do they pay for equipment, fuel and van repairs if not they are better off than you are  at the end off the day

[david mark]

That's a good point I pay an average of £75.00 per day and they complete between £150 to £160 per day But some days in the week are harder than others or owners don't open locked gates so only charge for the front that can loose alot of money over a year.
 Had guys work for me in the past that would do £180 to £200  per day but not consistent would reach burn out point and  get more cancellations possibly for cleaning windows to quick leaving streaks ect . I feel what I pay now is a good wage for what they do each day but profits are way down but its still a profit.
Its trying to get that balance. Of paying a wage  to keep your guys happy and make a profit plus what the market we are all in are willing to pay.

[Tosh]

Where are you based?

[SeanK]

I'm I reading this right ? you have one man per van who completes £160 worth of work per day, from that you pay out
£75 in wages leaving you £85 a day for everything else including holiday and sick pay.
Surely it cant be worth your while financially to employ never mind the extra hassle.

[jk999]

+1 to what Sean says

[david mark]

Based in Blackpool yes I agree starting to think of selling up fed up with the hassle of empoying just keep and just. keep a round for myself. I tryed putting up prices most not willing  to pay increase of 50p average price of semi £8.50 round this erea some windys still charge £6 for semis

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

there on good wages if you live there ! they would be on min wage if I was there boss when your getting such low money for cleaning windows they having you over

[8weekly]

I'm I reading this right ? you have one man per van who completes £160 worth of work per day, from that you pay out
£75 in wages leaving you £85 a day for everything else including holiday and sick pay.
Surely it cant be worth your while financially to employ never mind the extra hassle.

You are either paying too much, your prices are too low or they aren't working hard enough. Which ever it is, I can't see it's worth it.

[david mark]

I feel having 1 person per van on paper works but in reality its not the case ive tryed 2 in one van it only worked when the work was compact but some days the addresses are in different streets and not many together if I give them say £180 a day its seems ok till it rains they can't catch back up but if I lower the amount to £160  its more achievable thats if they come in on Saturday after a bad week with weather or sickness
If I pay minimum wage no one would be interested to work for that in this game round this area I had 2 staff quit in the last 4 months and found better paying jobs .

[8weekly]

I feel having 1 person per van on paper works but in reality its not the case ive tryed 2 in one van it only worked when the work was compact but some days the addresses are in different streets and not many together if I give them say £180 a day its seems ok till it rains they can't catch back up but if I lower the amount to £160  its more achievable thats if they come in on Saturday after a bad week with weather or sickness
If I pay minimum wage no one would be interested to work for that in this game round this area I had 2 staff quit in the last 4 months and found better paying jobs .

How many jobs on average are they expected to do?

[david mark]

Around  18

[Tony dunmall]

Susan question if I may

What do you pay? What do you expect, turnover or number properties
 or is there a balance you expect a staff to achieve in profit margin

As David pays well but turn over is low so profit is hard to achieve I imagine  that's location in country and prices that can be charged

I would aim at 85-100 a day per staff depantdant on age experience and time in employment which would included statuary  benefits and upcoming statuary pension scheme
But a turnover between 285-300 which down south can be moderate amount of houses, between 8-12  at a top end of 15 on compact estates
Hopefully not creating burnout in staff

Just interested

[8weekly]

Around  18

One guy does 18 jobs and it totals about £160?  I'd say 18 jobs is a good full day, but your prices are too low on what you're paying. You either need to be paying £50-£55 a day or up your prices so that they are achieving £225 a day.