Tony
Welcome to the wonderful world of window cleaning.
At first when cleaners start up they have a habit of charging to low a price, after they have been in the trade a while and they start to build a round they find that they can charge more and their customers are quite happy to pay these higher prices because they understand that its costs a lot of money to be self-employed.
You are working on earning £15.00 per hour which at first glance seems a lot of money, but its not when you take some of these factors into consideration.
Buying and maintaining a vechicle
Road Tax
Mot
Breakdowns
Insurance
Petrol/diesel
Insurance
Equipment
Advertising
Clothes or uniform
You also have to factor in bad weather, sickness and customers who say next time please.
If your customers were to call in a trades person to fix their washing machine, tv, plumbing or any other services that we all need in life, then they would expect to pay a call out charge of at least £25 to £50 and that before they have started on any work which will be charged extra for.
Well window cleaners do a service too so why can't they charge something higher than the old rates which some cleaners are charging.
I now charge a minimum fee of £10.00 this would even apply if I only had 1 window to clean, many of my friends thought I was mad when I suggested this figure, but my customers don't object as I do a good job and that's what they are paying for.
Forget what the other cleaners are charging.
Remember its is easier to clean 5 houses a day at £10.00 than it is to clean 15 houses at £3.50.