[Archy136]

I decreased one of my prices today. It was a big house in a rich area that was £40. It was taking me about 20 minutes and the guy would hand me £40 cash.

I have said I would never do that but I just couldn't look him in the eye. Even at £30 which I adjusted it too, it is still a cracking job.

When its commercial it doesn't matter but when its cash its abit different.

What do you think? Have anyone ever decreased there price on a job when it is obviously overpriced?

[windows_chepstow]

Archy,

I've never reduced a price because it was over-priced.  I wish!

However, how did you calculate the original price of 40 quid?

Was it, for example, when you used ladders, then after transferring to WFP found it far quicker?

[Spruce]

Hi Archy

I believe that it works both ways and in your heart of hearts if you feel that £40.00 was too expensive then you should alter it as you have done. You are the one that has to live with yourself at the end of the day.

However you could set a precedent and start to justify reducing other jobs prices.

If the customer is happy to pay the price for the service then I don’t think you should feel guilty – after all, he could have rejected your pricing in the first place.

Remember, he is not just paying your salary like it was at one time. You have a business to run and taxes to pay. Your salary is a small part of that.

What about some of the other jobs that we all do for some older pensioners who should pay more but can't afford it. This business is a balancing act where some of your customers 'subsidize' those others.

We all have days where we work or socks off and show a lower reward for it at the end of the day.

Why do plumbers and electricians charge a call out fee and then price per hour after that? Do they feel guilty about slapping on a £70.00 call out fee. I bet our WFP set up costs are more than that of a plumber or electrician.

A friend of mine has a nursing home to clean and he charged them by the hour when working 'traditionally'. The job took him a couple of hours. Now he has gone onto WFP the job takes half an hour. He hasn't changed his prices. The WFP unit cost more to set up initially than a new pair of ladders.

Spruce

[Archy136]

No it wasn't actually. I was already on WFP.

It was a referral from his daughter.

I went round there and asked him what happened to his old window cleaner. He had been an old boy who had just retired. So I asked him what he had charged and he said '£30 but you can put it up if you like'

You not going to say no are you with an offer like that so I said £40. It was all Geogian windows and the old boy was probably there for ages.

But it was all nicely painted and I could whip round it really quick. It just became embarrasing.

The customer is a really nice bloke but I think an ex car salesman so hes clued up about money.

[Spruce]

As an ex-car salesman he has done more than his fair share of profiteering!

You should ask him if he wants the next clean on finance as you can get a bit of finance commission as well

[macc]

No, would never drop a price, he said yes, so why drop.

You need to have good paying days to cover the bad days. A customer wont give you an extra fiver cause the privious day was a wash out.

Macc

[Paul Coleman]

Maybe it's a bit devious but I think I would have done it at normal speed when the customer was out and taken my time when he was in.  I felt a bit guilty when I was doing a £25 job in 20 minutes.  She cancelled after a few cleans.  I justified it to myself because I was expected to remember to send an email the day before to pre-arrange it.  I don't work that way but allowed myself to be prodded into it.  My price was the result of being nudged into a job I didn't really want in the first place.  Also, I was doing skylights and a couple of windows that most window cleaners wouldn't be able to get to.
Fair play to you Archy for doing what felt right.  I only ever reduced two jobs.  One was because she kept moaning and I got sick of it.  The other was when someone did a demolition job on their old house extension so there was less work to do.

[Archy136]

I ve been had by car salesman many a time but for some reason i still felt guilty. I have other jobs similarly priced by they generally pay by cheque and I dont feel as guilty.

Also I felt I might lose the job and reckoned that for £30 it was still a decent job.

[Trevor Knight]

I would only drop a price if it was unavoidable and that the job in question was one I wanted to keep. Otherwise I stick to my guns and crack on.

It is hard sometimes, when the dole dodgers come out and hit an area you work in quoting ridiculous prices, some customers will then ask you why your prices are higher or can you match their price etc......

[Clear Vision]

A customer wont give you an extra fiver cause the privious day was a wash out.

Macc

You want to bet macc? I got an extra fiver the other day as she felt sorry for me that I was off work for a while with a sore ankle!!

[Sir Squeaky]

If it keeps a good job, then I don't blame you.

Nice to see someone around here who isn't a money-obsessed ignoramus.

[Archy136]

Cant believe we actually agree on something squeaky

[AuRavelling79]

I ve been had by car salesman many a time but for some reason i still felt guilty. I have other jobs similarly priced by they generally pay by cheque and I dont feel as guilty.

Also I felt I might lose the job and reckoned that for £30 it was still a decent job.

Careful, with an attitude like that you'll get given all the rough jobs - accounts, literature, magazines, territory

I have dropped my prices once.

In my trad days I charged a lady with four georgian windows £6. When she had them replaced with upvc I dropped it to £5!

[Archy136]

Im too busy with the bell in the second school

[crystal]

Oh no not timed out surely     

[matt]

i dont care about money, i earn what i earn and im happy, more to life than counting money

BUT

i would never drop a price, a 40 quid house must be a fair size, so in my eyes, people who live in big house can afford to pay

i have a rich tax, bigger house, i put a few quid on the price,

a bit like robin hood

[simbo]

well done, i would and have done the same. I do not have to take the p**S out of anyone to make a good living.
well done money is not the be and end all
simbo

[marc]

i once priced over the phone small 2 bed house didnt want to under price so said £10 after a couple of cleans i put it down to £8 didnt feel right charging £10 far too much now its one of only a few that i go up a ladder for

[robbie14000]

Archie - well done there is nothing wrong with that it looks great to your customers and you will keep him till you move.
I had a 4 bed detacherd with a conserv charged £35.00 as I thought it was going to take ages.
Took 25 mins so reduced it to £30 soon got more work from him.
Regards Robbie - Harrogate

[Paul Coleman]

I ve been had by car salesman many a time but for some reason i still felt guilty. I have other jobs similarly priced by they generally pay by cheque and I dont feel as guilty.

Also I felt I might lose the job and reckoned that for £30 it was still a decent job.

Careful, with an attitude like that you'll get given all the rough jobs - accounts, literature, magazines, territory

I have dropped my prices once.

In my trad days I charged a lady with four georgian windows £6. When she had them replaced with upvc I dropped it to £5!

Watch it Archy.  This lot will save the local vicarage for you to call on