[Stoots]

Traditional round 

Massively underpriced (of course it is  )

He has around 60 houses on one street all next to each other. All done trad some of them up to 30 years.

He's retiring and needs rid but doesn't want to just dump them

Prices 6.50 to £8 average.

Now it all sounds horrific but he only wants £300 for them and says he will introduce me to all of them.

Im thinking if they are terraced I would be able to spank down the entire row pretty quick but I don't know till I see It.

[zesty]

Put the price up, even if you lost 50% of them, it’d be worth it for £300!

[Splash & dash]

As above convert them to WFP after the first clean it’s an easy job , obviously put up prices a bit as you are cleaning the frames etc that he’s not then just put them up as you feel you can ti get better prices but compact work like that should give you a reasonable hourly rate

[Stoots]

Put the price up, even if you lost 50% of them, it’d be worth it for £300!

Some of them are fortnightly as well so might be able to put them 4 weekly raise the price and give them the spiel about wfp  staying cleaner longer.

[zesty]

Put the price up, even if you lost 50% of them, it’d be worth it for £300!

Some of them are fortnightly as well so might be able to put them 4 weekly raise the price and give them the spiel about wfp  staying cleaner longer.

Yeah that’s a shout.

[Spruce]

Put the price up, even if you lost 50% of them, it’d be worth it for £300!

Some of them are fortnightly as well so might be able to put them 4 weekly raise the price and give them the spiel about wfp  staying cleaner longer.

My suggestion would be to do this sooner rather than later.  We bought a trad round many years ago and immediately converted it to wfp. Most were on 2 weeks. With in a few cleans we started to get the " leave it this time as the windows are still clean" response. Then it went to 4 weeks and then it went to 6 weeks but they threatened to cancel if we put prices up. We were rather naive in these early wfp days.

If we had to buy the round again, I would set my stall out asap. "We will leave the price the same for every 2 weeks, but if you change the clean frequency then this is the price for 4 weeks and this is the price for 8 weeks." Then kick a price increase in later when they have got comfortable with you and your service.

We also found that the previous cleaners were blackmailed into keeping prices low with cancellations. As it was a very compact round on one estate, it didn't take long for nearly everyone to join in. Mutiny on board was the order of the day.

I lost a lot of customers when I eventually had a price increase, but most did ask me back within the year when they realised blackmail wasn't going to work with me.

[Smudger]

Put the price up, even if you lost 50% of them, it’d be worth it for £300!

Some of them are fortnightly as well so might be able to put them 4 weekly raise the price and give them the spiel about wfp  staying cleaner longer.

My suggestion would be to do this sooner rather than later.  We bought a trad round many years ago. Most were on 2 weeks. With in a few cleans we started to get the " leave it this time as the windows are still clean" response. Then it went to 6 weeks but they threatened to cancel if we put prices up. We were rather naive in this early days.

If we had to buy the round again, I would set my stall out asap. "We will leave the price the same for every 2 weeks, but if you change the clean frequency then this is the price for 4 weeks and this is the price for 8 weeks." Then kick a price increase in later when they have got comfortable with you and your service.

We also found that the previous cleaners were blackmailed into keeping prices low with cancellations. As it was a very compact round on one estate, it didn't take long for nearly everyone to join in. Mutiny on board.

I lost a lot of customers when I eventually had a price increase, but most did ask me back within the year when they realised blackmail wasn't going to work with me.

Perfect!

[james peters]

apart from  putting the price up and changing the frequency, i would also want to make sure they could pay by bank transfer if they are not home.
these customers have probably been molly coddled for years.
but at £300 its worth a go

[JandS]

Many years ago I eventually sold 3 rows of terraced houses......still regret it to this day......2 up 1 down front and back....even at his prices after the first clean you'll make a killing with wfp.....I did well and I was trad then.....backs will be your biggest problem, fronts you'll fly through.

[dazmond]

Traditional round 

Massively underpriced (of course it is  )

He has around 60 houses on one street all next to each other. All done trad some of them up to 30 years.

He's retiring and needs rid but doesn't want to just dump them

Prices 6.50 to £8 average.

Now it all sounds horrific but he only wants £300 for them and says he will introduce me to all of them.

Im thinking if they are terraced I would be able to spank down the entire row pretty quick but I don't know till I see It.

Put them all up to £10 straight away and clean them 4 weekly not fortnightly.they ll be saving a few quid.also I bet he never cleaned the frames or any windows above little extensions.also push electronic payments where possible and emphasise you don't collect....

If your pleasant,polite and conduct yourself in a professional manner you won't lose many.

Saying that 2 different window cleaners could have very different retention rates depending on your general demeanour and approachability

[KS Cleaning]

At £300 it’s a no brainer. Even if you lose some you will still be quids in.
The only problem I can see is that in the past you’ve said you don’t like talking to customers. I think if you explain the cleaning method to them and that you’re changing them to a 4 weekly schedule you will be fine. You can also justify  a price increase  by telling them that your equipment is way more expensive than traditional equipment and that because you run a legitimate business around 30% of what you charge is swallowed up in tax and NI. If not done face to face print out an explanation letter to put through their letterbox.
 I reckon an explanation along these lines will see you keep a larger majority of the customers.

[Shrek]

No 

No - you are already behind with what you’ve got AND already have higher priced work .

No - you already can’t be arsed doing any more hours even at £13 semis , how are you gonna feel when you lose some of this work and you’ve got £6.50 jobs left?

No - instead of spending £300 on a trad round , converting it to wfp AND extending the frequency, just do some price increases on your work you’ve got already. Lose some crap work (dog poo/muddy  gardens etc) and make it more profitable

Bottom line is No  , sort out what you’ve got on your books first

[deeege]

Don’t take this the wrong way Stoots, and I’m certainly not being a dick, but…..

You chop and change between ideas so frequently that your business and round is never going to get to be where you want it.

If I were you, I’d take a couple of days off, get away on your own with a notepad and figure out exactly where you want to be in 5/10/20 years time and come up with a workable plan of how to get there……and stick to it.

Taking on trad rounds, FB advertising, price increases that don’t happen, employing/not employing….. its all chaos and you’re just going to go round in circles and continue hating work until you sort it out.

Again, not wanting to be a dick, just saying as I see it from reading your posts.

[Smudger]

You put that very nicely mate

[Jay Le Huray]

At that price it's worth taking a chance, just offer 4/8 weekly cleans and put the priced up a bit and if you lose a couple so be it but in the long run it would be  a good investment for your business

[Stoots]

Don’t take this the wrong way Stoots, and I’m certainly not being a dick, but…..

You chop and change between ideas so frequently that your business and round is never going to get to be where you want it.

If I were you, I’d take a couple of days off, get away on your own with a notepad and figure out exactly where you want to be in 5/10/20 years time and come up with a workable plan of how to get there……and stick to it.

Taking on trad rounds, FB advertising, price increases that don’t happen, employing/not employing….. its all chaos and you’re just going to go round in circles and continue hating work until you sort it out.

Again, not wanting to be a dick, just saying as I see it from reading your posts.

No that's spot on.

I've been  going round in circles for years.

Don't worry I see it myself, I genuinely think I have bipolar or something I'm like this with everything starting new hobbies and changing my mind etc.

[Ascjim]

£300! I would just go for it at that price.

Explain to them wfp and let them get used to it and you, after a good amount of time,  start putting prices up.

[Stoots]

turns out hes got quite bit more wants 1300 quid for the lot

[Missing Link]

Traditional round 

Massively underpriced (of course it is  )

He has around 60 houses on one street all next to each other. All done trad some of them up to 30 years.

He's retiring and needs rid but doesn't want to just dump them

Prices 6.50 to £8 average.

Now it all sounds horrific but he only wants £300 for them and says he will introduce me to all of them.

Im thinking if they are terraced I would be able to spank down the entire row pretty quick but I don't know till I see It.

I've had a situation, with similarities, a few weeks back.

A trad cleaner retired - after years of cleaning this street of large detached houses.

I didn't know how much he charged, so quoted £20 each.  One neighbor asked me to knock on another, who asked me to knock on another and I picked up six houses at £20 each.   They all accepted.

But along the way I asked a customer how much the old one charged; he was a tenner each.

They knew he was cheap.

[Smudger]

turns out hes got quite bit more wants 1300 quid for the lot

great deal - but can you cope?