[Jake]

Been doing this house for 5 years, and today, got our 1st complaint! Youv'e guessed it, they are not happy with the pole thingy. Could we go back to the 'chamois'?

This lady has never complained before, and our work has always been good. We said we'd have a look to see what the problem might be, she was in a hurry and asked us to speak to her 'quality controller' lol..i.e her odd job man and sometimes 'debt collector'. Well after a few minutes of him waffling, we found out that it was just 2 windows with spots on !! That was from water dripping down from thick foliage from above, that's ok, we can sort that....... but this chap had to chip in  'with the money she is paying, she is entitled to a good job!'

Now I was a bit gobsmacked at that, and what I am asking is, what do you think she is paying, or what would you charge. After cleaning 2 blocks of her flats in Exmouth, we then drive about 5/6 miles to reach her house. All done WFP.

The pics were taken this winter, and dont show the sides.




 

[dudek]

Hello mate im from bristol and about to go wfp but from what i can see on those pics including travel time that jobs gotta be worth £60 plus.

[Alex Wingrove]

front and back only £50?

if the side follow suit, antoher £20

around £70 for the total

[john tomkins]

Obviously can't see the sides but I'll go with £50

[Jake]

We charge £40, which I think is cheap, thing is, I turned to this guy and said (politely) 'You wouldn't get a another window cleaner to do this for less than £80!'

A bit of b******t I know, I just hope he ain't reading this 

[jeff1]

We charge £40, which I think is cheap, thing is, I turned to this guy and said (politely) 'You wouldn't get a another window cleaner to do this for less than £80!'

A bit of b******t I know, I just hope he ain't reading this 

For exeter Jake thats cheap, I hope that does not include the conservatory roof?
I hope he does read this then he will know he has a bargain.

I wouldn't touch it for under £65-£70 and then the roof would be a seperate price.

[shammy davis jnr]

ask her to clean them her self see how long it takes her and to the same standard ring two days later and say you still at it i dont think you value your time much miss
think your over priced now at forty quid  for two days labour see what she says to that
fur coat springs to mind lol

[Jake]

Jeff

That doesn't include the con' roof.

It is a job I 'inherited' when I bought the round, so I am slowly pushing prices up. It is cheap though, especially when you know this family are multi-millionaires!

[NWH]

We have quiet a few like this and i charge £90 without the roof,if you go in at £60 and she says lovely can you do it now you`ll be sick.Go in high if she likes you it dosen`t matter about the other quotes you`ll get the job,i find these kind of people go on first impressions not price.

[Jake]

I haven't got a problem with the lady of the house, I don't think it was her words anyway. It was her new 'right hand man' sticking his oar in, talking as if she had said it.

Never know, he might be after doing the windows himself  :

[Alistair@AWC]

Jake,

I'm in the North West and I wouldnt touch it for less than £50 - 4 weekly, £75 - 8 weekly.

Tell her to get rid of that stupid propeller in the garden as well - she might have money but certainly has no taste 

[Jake]

Lol 

That prop' was left behind after a spell of Devon rain 

[jeff1]

Jeff

That doesn't include the con' roof.

It is a job I 'inherited' when I bought the round, so I am slowly pushing prices up. It is cheap though, especially when you know this family are multi-millionaires!

Glad to hear it Jake, you often find the millionaire's who were born into it, are as tight as a**e holes, but the ones who made it for them selves, respect the people less fortunate than them selves and don't mind a price increase.
I was one of the lucky ones who was given my business but like yours the prices had to be worked on for many years, the ones who didn't like the price increase were binned.
If you can affored to bin or be binned on this account, next time you do it, tell them its going up by £10-£15, then do the same next year.

[bluesteve]

£90 or £100 for a proffessional job from a proffessional firm,£40 she s taking the p, don t be afraid to go high on propertys like this, i ll seconed what jeff 1 and NWH.

[Clive McDonald]

This is an £80 job. The handyman working trad wouldn't finish it in a day.
At least put it up to £60, and while your at tell her that the prices you charge are between you and her and not really anyone else's business. It's quite clear that she has delegated this task, and doesn't really want to deal directly with you, and for your part you don't want to fall out or upset her. However she has overstepped the mark, explain what the issue hinges on - the foliage and the two windows- but to attempt it trad would give a worse result and be three times the price.

[Clive McDonald]

You could also point out that the if the handyman fell off the ladder she would be liable for a lot of money since the new working at heights directive came in.

[NWH]

Don`t put it up to £60 go up to what you should be charging £90-£100,if you up it by 20quid she`s more likley to think your taking the p***.Let her know politely that she`s mugging you on the price at the moment and it`s not viable for you to do it for that price anymore,if the truth be known she knows she`s getting a cheap job and the handymans just trying to get in her good books and probobly her knickers,it`s not the 1950`s she either pays what you want or she gets someone else you have bills to pay aswell as her,what does she think you live on.

[Jake]

We have always had a good (working ) relationship with the lady of the house. It is just someone else stirring it.

I have no problem with a few spots being pointed out, we gladly put that right. What I had a problem with was the inference that we charged a 'premium' for the job.

The trouble with inheriting work is how you gradually put the price up to an acceptable rate.

Been doing this house for nearly 5 years, and at first it was £28, 2 rises later it is now £40, time for another one ?

[NWH]

You need to do what i did when i took over from my dad,after a couple of years doing them for the same price as him i just had to do something about it.First it`s best to try and get some better paying work for back up in case these kind of jobs drop you,then when she`s in a better mood have a quiet chat with her.Don`t do what i`ve done in the past on a couple of jobs,a while back i would shy away from this kind of confrontation with customers and usually i would just pass the job on to another wc only to later find out that the guy i gave the job to went in doubled the price and they said lovely carry on.When i next saw him i asked how did you get on with that job,yeah lovley he said she was quiet happy to pay you more money you only had to ask,when you sent me round she just took it that you didn`t like doing her particular house.What i`m saying is on the whole if you do a good job people in general no a fair price,never sell yourself short on price if you carry on doing jobs like that for that kind of price your constantly giving a 50% discount,it`ll be like the january sales all year round LOL.

[Clive McDonald]

NWH is probably right, I quoted one today not as big as that(but some Georgian windows), he told me he wanted me to to do it every month before i even gave him a price. I worked it out on a pound a window , tenner for the small cons, and then added a bit on for good luck £35. You can't possibly do it for that price he said you'll go skint. This is a fifty pound job. I had to agree.

Insides every three months £100.

The posters others, Jeff etc are right.

If your lady wants you to alter your working practice this will cost more money. This might be a better way than a simple price rise that looks like tit for tat because she has moaned.