[james peters]

But there’s plenty of dunderhead shiners out there that would succumb to a custards attempts to better the price offered. It’s human nature.

You see it all the time on here - shiners earning the same as GP’s or surgeons but seeking the cheapest rate for 5 litres of Virosol.

this is a brilliant post lol.
I don't post much because of this … I am scared too.... I read posts about earnings etc … and I think omg ! these people have really got it sorted .
then they post looking for a cheap this that the other, or are moaning about being owed a fiver over 3 months pmfsl !!!

[Bungle]

So, after half an hour reading this thread I'm none the wiser. Did Marc Stock get the job or not? 

[Slacky]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

[John Mart]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

And he’s reassuringly slow.

[John Mart]

So, after half an hour reading this thread I'm none the wiser. Did Marc Stock get the job or not?

I wont know for a couple of weeks as 1) i haven't got anything available until mid/late September anyway and 2) they were going away for a couple of weeks.

TBH i know they will be messers; so i hope i dont get it anyway.

Are you only part time?

[John Mart]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

And he’s reassuringly slow.

On the subject of this, I've had a few examples of customers not being happy at the speed the work's done.

The one that sticks in my mind was a largish house in Inkpen. The woman phoned for a quote and revealed she's currently paying a guy from Basingstoke £160 and it took him a morning with WFP. I couldn't think of any that took that long in Inkpen and I said it sounds like "he's swinging the lead". Anyway, had a look and it's a 35 minute job max. I quoted £55 inc VAT. On the second clean she's complaining it's too fast. I asked her if there was a problem with the quality and she said no but she doesn't think she should be paying £55 for 1/2 hour's work. She complained again next clean. Still no quality issue. I did the next clean and it did take me 40 minutes but mainly because I struggled with the parking and faffed with the hose. Next clean 35 minutes and this time she complains that her conservatory hasn't been cleaned properly. I explain it's because her hedge needs trimming as we can't access it. She's dumped too with a suggestion she goes back to her "reassuringly slow and expensive" guy.

[Stoots]

But there’s plenty of dunderhead shiners out there that would succumb to a custards attempts to better the price offered. It’s human nature.

You see it all the time on here - shiners earning the same as GP’s or surgeons but seeking the cheapest rate for 5 litres of Virosol.

this is a brilliant post lol.
I don't post much because of this … I am scared too.... I read posts about earnings etc … and I think omg ! these people have really got it sorted .
then they post looking for a cheap this that the other, or are moaning about being owed a fiver over 3 months pmfsl !!!

Whys that funny?

Maximum turnover, minimum costs equals max profit.

So why would you pay more for virosol or anything else than you have to?

Throwing away a fiver here and there all add up.

[Shrek]

Since timing all my jobs , I realised that I am super fast but when you’ve got your pump on 75 you have to go fast otherwise I’d run out of water.

[Shrek]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

And he’s reassuringly slow.

On the subject of this, I've had a few examples of customers not being happy at the speed the work's done.

The one that sticks in my mind was a largish house in Inkpen. The woman phoned for a quote and revealed she's currently paying a guy from Basingstoke £160 and it took him a morning with WFP. I couldn't think of any that took that long in Inkpen and I said it sounds like "he's swinging the lead". Anyway, had a look and it's a 35 minute job max. I quoted £55 inc VAT. On the second clean she's complaining it's too fast. I asked her if there was a problem with the quality and she said no but she doesn't think she should be paying £55 for 1/2 hour's work. She complained again next clean. Still no quality issue. I did the next clean and it did take me 40 minutes but mainly because I struggled with the parking and faffed with the hose. Next clean 35 minutes and this time she complains that her conservatory hasn't been cleaned properly. I explain it's because her hedge needs trimming as we can't access it. She's dumped too with a suggestion she goes back to her "reassuringly slow and expensive" guy.

You just gotta explain that your equipment isn’t cheap and you use a lot of filtered water. If she’s moaning every clean then you probably are better off getting rid

[AuRavelling79]

8 weekly - did you really say to a lady customer ... ?

"I explain it's because her hedge needs trimming as we can't access it. "

Shakes head and walks away.

 

[chris turner]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

And he’s reassuringly slow.

On the subject of this, I've had a few examples of customers not being happy at the speed the work's done.

The one that sticks in my mind was a largish house in Inkpen. The woman phoned for a quote and revealed she's currently paying a guy from Basingstoke £160 and it took him a morning with WFP. I couldn't think of any that took that long in Inkpen and I said it sounds like "he's swinging the lead". Anyway, had a look and it's a 35 minute job max. I quoted £55 inc VAT. On the second clean she's complaining it's too fast. I asked her if there was a problem with the quality and she said no but she doesn't think she should be paying £55 for 1/2 hour's work. She complained again next clean. Still no quality issue. I did the next clean and it did take me 40 minutes but mainly because I struggled with the parking and faffed with the hose. Next clean 35 minutes and this time she complains that her conservatory hasn't been cleaned properly. I explain it's because her hedge needs trimming as we can't access it. She's dumped too with a suggestion she goes back to her "reassuringly slow and expensive" guy.

Oh dear.

So you are criticising the guy who charges £160 for a mornings work for being "slow"?
What's to say he didn't have another £160 job that afternoon?

2 jobs in a day for £320 or bashing out several to earn the same amount, I know which one id choose.

[Marc Stock]

Id say it's all about managing risk.

In my experience there is no difference between charging £160 for a half day on a large ish house. Or cleaning 4 houses that morning all at £40 each.

Now from a business point of view; a customer that wants a regular clean service from the outset and makes that clear to me right from the start, hell id probbably take a hit on the 1st clean and not charge extra as we all know its better business sense especally if the windows are sort of still ok ish.

But if they are umibg and ahhing; about weather to take you on a regular clean, the property is filthy; you know you are never going to get commitment from them, you have no choice but to charge the equivalent day rate if you were cleaning 4 regulars at 40 quid each.

Now if a customer says your working too quick; tell them straight. Im not your bus boy madam; i am running a business to make a profit. So what that means is not only does the job have to cover operational costs like insurances, fuel, water, and equipment use; it needs to cover my wages aswell, ans then also the businesss needs to be left with a profit after my labour time. So out of the £160 £53 goes towards costs; £53 goes into my pocket for my wages and the rest the business keeps as profit.

If they cant grasp that; they are plonkers tbh.

[chris turner]

Speed is such a subjective matter on these forums.
From 8 weeklys perspective speed is the be all and end all. It's the way he maximises profit. Bash his way through as many jobs as he (or staff) can do in a day.
Yet how is that way better then the guy who can earn the same amount only doing 2 jobs a day, with less driving, less reeling in and cleaning the windows to an immaculate condition?
If someone can get £160 for a £55 job then good for him. He's not "swinging the lead", he spends all morning doing a top job. Even going out of his way to get to those hard to reach windows, you know, the ones behind overgrown hedges.
He is providing a premium service for a premium price.

The truth is, we only go as fast as we need to.
8 weekly has big overheads, staff to pay etc, and feels the way to meet these overheads is to work as fast as possible.
You have the "premium" price guys that prefer the 1 or 2 jobs a day at an extremely high quality.
Then you have guys like me, who know what they are happy to earn and set themselves a reasonable, achievable worksheet each day that can be finished to a good standard whilst providing a better then average income.
Admittedly I have settled comfortably in this category due to the fact my other half brings in just as much as I do. I have no need or desire to grow, expand or work faster.
If things were different however,  I would definitely choose the "slow" but high quality, premium price way.

[John Mart]

No, Chris Turner popped up and undercut him. Ensuring the custard got clean frames as well as clean glass.

And he’s reassuringly slow.

On the subject of this, I've had a few examples of customers not being happy at the speed the work's done.

The one that sticks in my mind was a largish house in Inkpen. The woman phoned for a quote and revealed she's currently paying a guy from Basingstoke £160 and it took him a morning with WFP. I couldn't think of any that took that long in Inkpen and I said it sounds like "he's swinging the lead". Anyway, had a look and it's a 35 minute job max. I quoted £55 inc VAT. On the second clean she's complaining it's too fast. I asked her if there was a problem with the quality and she said no but she doesn't think she should be paying £55 for 1/2 hour's work. She complained again next clean. Still no quality issue. I did the next clean and it did take me 40 minutes but mainly because I struggled with the parking and faffed with the hose. Next clean 35 minutes and this time she complains that her conservatory hasn't been cleaned properly. I explain it's because her hedge needs trimming as we can't access it. She's dumped too with a suggestion she goes back to her "reassuringly slow and expensive" guy.

Oh dear.

So you are criticising the guy who charges £160 for a mornings work for being "slow"?
What's to say he didn't have another £160 job that afternoon?

2 jobs in a day for £320 or bashing out several to earn the same amount, I know which one id choose.

If you're happy to take 3 hours to do a job that takes 1/2 hour and charge for the 3 hours, that's fine. Our business model is different though. 

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Just as a point of interest.  I, and now my happy family of franchisees, are probably the slowest window cleaners in the UK, BUT, I have one of the fastest growing, compact, domestic window cleaning businesses in the UK. (I did say 'one of', I'm not trying to out trump anyone.)
Interesting.

[John Mart]

Speed is such a subjective matter on these forums.
From 8 weeklys perspective speed is the be all and end all. It's the way he maximises profit. Bash his way through as many jobs as he (or staff) can do in a day.
Yet how is that way better then the guy who can earn the same amount only doing 2 jobs a day, with less driving, less reeling in and cleaning the windows to an immaculate condition?
If someone can get £160 for a £55 job then good for him. He's not "swinging the lead", he spends all morning doing a top job. Even going out of his way to get to those hard to reach windows, you know, the ones behind overgrown hedges.
He is providing a premium service for a premium price.

The truth is, we only go as fast as we need to.
8 weekly has big overheads, staff to pay etc, and feels the way to meet these overheads is to work as fast as possible.
You have the "premium" price guys that prefer the 1 or 2 jobs a day at an extremely high quality.
Then you have guys like me, who know what they are happy to earn and set themselves a reasonable, achievable worksheet each day that can be finished to a good standard whilst providing a better then average income.
Admittedly I have settled comfortably in this category due to the fact my other half brings in just as much as I do. I have no need or desire to grow, expand or work faster.
If things were different however,  I would definitely choose the "slow" but high quality, premium price way.

He didn't. There were three upper level conservatory windows he bladed. The ledge was above eye level, but when I looked there were 1/2 inch soap marks where he hadn't wiped. We're all different but I couldn't be so dishonest to do what he did.

[Lee Pryor]

Just as a point of interest.  I, and now my happy family of franchisees, are probably the slowest window cleaners in the UK, BUT, I have one of the fastest growing, compact, domestic window cleaning businesses in the UK. (I did say 'one of', I'm not trying to out trump anyone.)
Interesting.

How do you measure your speed of growth?

For me its a combination of customer numbers and yearly turnover growth.

How many customers have you added this year so far? What is your turnover growth this year so far.

[chris turner]

Just as a point of interest.  I, and now my happy family of franchisees, are probably the slowest window cleaners in the UK, BUT, I have one of the fastest growing, compact, domestic window cleaning businesses in the UK. (I did say 'one of', I'm not trying to out trump anyone.)
Interesting.

You, I like sir...

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Hi Lee, I'm not looking to divulge my information on here and not trying to out trump you. We run 2 very different operations and are building them in very different ways.
 

[Lee Pryor]

Hi Lee, I'm not looking to divulge my information on here and not trying to out trump you. We run 2 very different operations and are building them in very different ways.

I just knew my post would be taken wrong.

I just want to know how you can state you have one of the fastest growing compaines in the uk thats all. How do you measure that? I wasnt saying anything about you trumping anyone.

Why would it be a problem to say how many new customers you have added this year? I havnt asked you to post a copy of your tax return.