[Craig 72]

Had my first two cleans this morning after quoting both £20 on saturday.One was a smallish bungalow which the customer wanted me to do all round including the insides.I honestly thought it would take me 90 minutes tops coming down to an hour or so after my speed got up a bit.£20 for an hours work sounded decent to me considering I'm new to the game.I got there at 9 sharp and didn't leave til gone half 11!The inside cleaning really slows things down.Then I bounced on to a place a couple of miles away and although things went smoother it's much harder work than I anticipated.Gonna persevere of course but I have a new found appreciation of just how hard this work can be!

[LWC]

Go get a real job

[gerard mcmanus]

I was the same with my first customer too mate, its gets easier. As much as you practice on your own windows, its also about getting use to all the different types of windows.

A few tips:-

wear shoe covers inside, especially on cream carpets
if the window turns in, put ur bucket under the window, or take a towel with you.
Internal ladders are needed some times, I had to use my external ladders inside a converted church.
I like to be very curtious inside people's homes and always ask to do things first like, go in a room with a closed door, I think it puts people at ease, especial old dears in on there own, so be a gentle man basically.

Common sense, but none the less hopefully useful tips.

[chrismroberts]

Feel for you mate... I tell ya... my first day, was a blistering Saturday afternoon back in 2006, took me 5 hours to make £19.........!!

[ftp]

All been there - it's a classic newbie mistake underestimating time taken and so underpricing too.
One of my first jobs was a four bed detatched with conservatory including the roof, first clean too - i charged £15 and it took me all Saturday morning.  : : :

[Tosh]

Go get a real job

I vote this the most unhelpful post of the year (so far)!

LWC, you sound like a proper 'self abuser'!

[Craig 72]

Go get a real job

Yeah,fantastic advice,cheers.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

It doesn't sound like you underpriced (depends on size of the bungalow, it's just every one is slow to begin with.  Give it a year and you'll be able to do the same job in a quarter of the time tops.

Simon.

[ZaNo]

i did 10 first cleans today about 6 of them never cleaned in 20years lol, hard days graft but still the sun was out 

[Tosh]

A tiny percentage of my accounts from when I first started are extremely well priced.

But that was because I really didn't want to do them; they looked such a challenge; but with experience, time, and practice they're actually not bad at all.

WFP made most of the difference mind.

[batterbee]

Hi Craig,

We've all been there mate.

I remember my first day and thinking "what have i done"  i started on a close of 8 houses thinking that would take 3 or 4 hours tops, in fact i done only 5 all day earning a lousy £20. i can know do the whole close in 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.

You'll soon be up to speed.

John

[Tosh]

You'll soon be up to speed.

John

It may take a few years though.

[simon knight]

I was the same with my first customer too mate, its gets easier. As much as you practice on your own windows, its also about getting use to all the different types of windows.

A few tips:-

wear shoe covers inside, especially on cream carpets

I just kick my shoes off. Mind you if you've got smelly old plates of meat I suppose that could be a no-no

Don't worry Craig you'll defo get that bungalow down to 45mns in time.

[LWC]

Go get a real job

I vote this the most unhelpful post of the year (so far)!

LWC, you sound like a proper 'self abuser'!

Dear me only avin a larf...oh yeh i forgot, not allowed to do that here

[Window Cleaning Services]

Go get a real job

I vote this the most unhelpful post of the year (so far)!

LWC, you sound like a proper 'self abuser'!

Always good to put a smiley on the end to differentiate you from the really strange bods.

Dear me only avin a larf...oh yeh i forgot, not allowed to do that here

[Tosh]

Dear me only avin a larf...oh yeh i forgot, not allowed to do that here

Dear me, yes; course you can use humour; but make it funny; unless you really do want to sound dry and sarcastic; which is sometimes fair enough!

But remember, communication on an internet forum doesn't have the nuances that face-to-face communication has, so 'Get a real job' without any smile can insinuate that the poster you're referring to isn't 'man enough' to clean windows; he can't hack it', or 'isn't tough enough'.

So he should go back to being 'an employed monkey'.

That's what I read your post to mean.

Sorry; but the original poster though the same; so I don't think it's me being a 'Geordie' (stoopid (apologies to those Geordies who aren't stoopid)).

[LWC]

Must be my dry sene of humour.

Bit like saying to trad people go WFP...just a joke

[DaveG]

Whats wrong with self abusing anyway??? :

[martinsadie]

Must be my dry sene of humour.

Bit like saying to trad people go WFP...just a joke

thats not funny 

[Tosh]

Must be my dry sene of humour.

Bit like saying to trad people go WFP...just a joke

thats not funny 

No, that's good advice!