[nathankaye]

Picked this job just short of a yr ago by recommendation as i work in the area. Its an ex mining village but surviving ok.
Yep, up north!
Sadly its a classic pricing error to when i wasnt pricing with confidence. I clean it for £25 and takes about 20 mins, from unloading to finish cleaning, on wfp. Shes a good payer and pays via standing order which is good, going to put price up end of year, want it upto at least 35 but might have to settle for 30 on first price increase.

Just wanted to share in terms of all the pricing arguements on here about up north. Now certainaly this is not my best price nor my best area, its an ex mining community and probably saturated with shiners. Not fussed how much this would be in London or down south, so its not a thread starting price wars again, just wanted to say even in these areas can charge more than the next guy (even tho i have slightly undercharged)

[Tom White]

Is this the random house picture thread? 

[Arnold Palmer]

£8

[nathankaye]

Sorry chaps, pressed the post button slightly early. Check again

[AuRavelling79]

I'm "down south" (west-ish south) and on the basis that I'm only doing two sides of that conny and not its roof I think £25.00 is OK on an 8 weekly clean and with an online good payer.

I could do that in 20 mins if I was having a "brisk day" but to be honest it would probably be nearer 25 including reeling away and putting a slip through.  There are others down here who would laugh at me and say £40 plus all day long. And still others who might charge £20 or even less.

But if she had been a "walk up" or a "phone in" rather than me canvassing then I reckon I would charge £30.00.

[G Griffin]

Where's the picture of your van in the photo?

Pricing?
Leave it at £25 and do the conny roof if they stuck the strike out and charge £35- or refuse to clean- if they are scabs.

Coal not dole, comrade.

[nathankaye]

I'm "down south" (west-ish south) and on the basis that I'm only doing two sides of that conny and not its roof I think £25.00 is OK on an 8 weekly clean and with an online good payer.

I could do that in 20 mins if I was having a "brisk day" but to be honest it would probably be nearer 25 including reeling away and putting a slip through.  There are others down here who would laugh at me and say £40 plus all day long. And still others who might charge £20 or even less.

But if she had been a "walk up" or a "phone in" rather than me canvassing then I reckon I would charge £30.00.

Forgot to mention that i clean on a 4 wk rotation, so im pretty much cleaning clean windows every time.

[AuRavelling79]

I would be perfectly happy with £25 on a 4 weekly.

[SeanK]

I'm "down south" (west-ish south) and on the basis that I'm only doing two sides of that conny and not its roof I think £25.00 is OK on an 8 weekly clean and with an online good payer.

I could do that in 20 mins if I was having a "brisk day" but to be honest it would probably be nearer 25 including reeling away and putting a slip through.  There are others down here who would laugh at me and say £40 plus all day long. And still others who might charge £20 or even less.

But if she had been a "walk up" or a "phone in" rather than me canvassing then I reckon I would charge £30.00.

Totally agree with this, though I couldn't do it in 25mins never mind 20, would be lucky doing it under the hour if it was
the last property of the day.
Long hours and working nights in my yonger years have certainly taken their toll on me.

[Tom White]

I would be perfectly happy with £25 on a 4 weekly.

Why not give them the option of every-other-month (or eight weeks; whateva) and charge 'em £35.00, pointing out that it would work out cheaper.

Every-four-weeks is too regular, IMO; it's like 'Is it that time again already?'

[nathankaye]

I would be perfectly happy with £25 on a 4 weekly.

Why not give them the option of every-other-month (or eight weeks; whateva) and charge 'em £35.00, pointing out that it would work out cheaper.

Every-four-weeks is too regular, IMO; it's like 'Is it that time again already?'

I totally understand where your coming from, sometimes i have to get my book out and check dates before i start in an area.
However, since i officially begun in 2003, i have always cleaned every four weeks and this simply continued when i switched last yr. I sell it to new customers that apart from bird mess, there windows will remain clean for duration of four weeks till next visit.
If i change all my work over to 8 wks, im cutting my income by half so in short term this is no viable solution. So 35 every 8wks compared to 50,,,,,erm no thank you. Not till my customers start moaning at me being on time, then i might consider it.

[Small but perfectley formed]

if it's near other work I think £25 4 wkly is on the money

[NWH]

For 25 I'd have you do mine every 4 weeks,just shows you the difference in pricing structure among us that might take you 20 minutes but that don't make it a 25 house. I'm not going to give my price as I know it'll be here we go again as it'll all be down to I've got bigger balls than you talk,let's just say that's cheap. IMO.

[Shrek]

I'd be happy with that price and I'm up north

[Tosh]

If i change all my work over to 8 wks, im cutting my income by half so in short term this is no viable solution. So 35 every 8wks compared to 50,,,,,erm no thank you. Not till my customers start moaning at me being on time, then i might consider it.

No you won't, because you would half the frequency but increase the price by something you're happy with, possibly up to 50% and sell it as an opportunity for them to save money. So you'd be earning on an hourly basis 50% more. A 50% pay rise for nothing extra effectively.

Then you go out knocking and bring in the extra to make up the actual shortfall in income telling them it's 8 weekly from the go.

[8weekly]

If i change all my work over to 8 wks, im cutting my income by half so in short term this is no viable solution. So 35 every 8wks compared to 50,,,,,erm no thank you. Not till my customers start moaning at me being on time, then i might consider it.

No you won't, because you would half the frequency but increase the price by something you're happy with, possibly up to 50% and sell it as an opportunity for them to save money. So you'd be earning on an hourly basis 50% more. A 50% pay rise for nothing extra effectively.

Then you go out knocking and bring in the extra to make up the actual shortfall in income telling them it's 8 weekly from the go.

I'd charge £35 for that 8 weekly.

[nathankaye]

Doesnt anybody work 4 wk rotation anymore??
I have one wk where im working mon to fri and then the remaining 3 wks im finished by wednesday. So i do a round/2 rounds a week and mostly four day wknds. So plenty of scope for more work or to expand esp if went 8weekly, but i use those days for pressure washing jobs or time with family. So i cant see point to change 8wkly or why people offer that as an option. 15 yrs of doing 4wkly and in that time very little have moaned at frequency.

[8weekly]

Doesnt anybody work 4 wk rotation anymore??
I have one wk where im working mon to fri and then the remaining 3 wks im finished by wednesday. So i do a round/2 rounds a week and mostly four day wknds. So plenty of scope for more work or to expand esp if went 8weekly, but i use those days for pressure washing jobs or time with family. So i cant see point to change 8wkly or why people offer that as an option. 15 yrs of doing 4wkly and in that time very little have moaned at frequency.

I have some 4 weekly but most customers other prefer 8 weekly. I think a lot is down to cost. If I charged say £15 for that house, they may well prefer 4 weekly.  There are some window cleaners in my area that charge £5 or so for a semi and they are 4 weekly. It's finding a balance between an acceptable hourly rate for me and an acceptable cost to the customer. In general the cost is prohibitive at 4 weekly. If any of my 8 weekly customers ask for 4 weekly, I don't reduce the price.

I decided early on to go 8 weekly as customers weren't happy with the 4 weekly cycle at the prices I was charging (less than they are now). I bumped into BFG soon after I started and he advised the same. It seems to work around here.

I'm building work about 10 miles away and there I have offered 6 or 12 weekly with a cost difference. I figure that enough go 12 weekly the hourly rate will be so good that it will make up for the lost time spent travelling.

[8weekly]

Doesnt anybody work 4 wk rotation anymore??
I have one wk where im working mon to fri and then the remaining 3 wks im finished by wednesday. So i do a round/2 rounds a week and mostly four day wknds. So plenty of scope for more work or to expand esp if went 8weekly, but i use those days for pressure washing jobs or time with family. So i cant see point to change 8wkly or why people offer that as an option. 15 yrs of doing 4wkly and in that time very little have moaned at frequency.

You'd get more moaners if you upped your prices. 

[simonr]

I have some 4 weekly but most customers other prefer 8 weekly. I think a lot is down to cost. If I charged say £15 for that house, they may well prefer 4 weekly.  There are some window cleaners in my area that charge £5 or so for a semi and they are 4 weekly. It's finding a balance between an acceptable hourly rate for me and an acceptable cost to the customer. In general the cost is prohibitive at 4 weekly. If any of my 8 weekly customers ask for 4 weekly, I don't reduce the price.

I decided early on to go 8 weekly as customers weren't happy with the 4 weekly cycle at the prices I was charging (less than they are now). I bumped into BFG soon after I started and he advised the same. It seems to work around here.

I'm building work about 10 miles away and there I have offered 6 or 12 weekly with a cost difference. I figure that enough go 12 weekly the hourly rate will be so good that it will make up for the lost time spent travelling.
[/quote]
how do you work out the 8 wk price??     eg   for a £10,  £16 & 25 monthly price