Price suggestion

Hello everybody:

I just quoted a job for a restaurant. 14 panes outside only. The window were tinted and really dirty. I quoted $4.28 per window. Makes $60.00 total. He said he let me know. Im new at this. Was that price rasonable?

Take my suggestions with a grain of salt because I’m fairly new at this too. If it’s an easily located pane and it’s “average” sized I charge $1 per side, per pane. If it’s just slightly out of reach, but not much of a problem I still charge $1 per pane, per side. If it’s way out of reach I increase by either $0.50 or $1 per pane, per side and if it’s very large the price goes up accordingly. If it needs work, depending on how much, I will typically charge more, but don’t right now because I’m trying to reach customers. I would typically charge $2 per pane, per side, though, for an initial clean if they’re all easily accessible and all about average sized.

With all of that being said I’ll tell you two things that I do religiously. First off, and most important by far, is to to call him. Call him until he answers or until you get a hold of. You really just want an answer, but make it seem like you’re trying to support the decision making process. Say, “Hey boss, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have any other question or anything and there were no concerns.” If he says he’s still thinking it over tell him thank you, hang up, then call back the next day or the day after or stop by. Don’t give him enough time to call someone else to get a second price.

The first thing you’ve GOT to realize about this is that when you’re cleaning windows, you clean about 5-percent of the time, you market your business and service about 80-percent of the time and you handle other business about 15-percent of the time. You’ve got to market a ton. I’ve got a friend who keeps going into debt to try to push his business and it’s killing me. Just get out there and walk and talk to people. I did that and it was seriously successful. Say, “Hi, I own a local window cleaning company and I saw your windows were dirty. Would you like to get them clean?” I walk and go into each and every business with dirty windows and bypass the businesses with clean windows. The second major source of leads for me is cold calling. Don’t try to sell yourself or your business on the cold call, just get them to agree to a free estimate. Make it simple. “Yeah, can I talk to a manager? {manager gets on phone} Hi, my name’s So-and-So, I own XYZ Window Cleaning. We’re window cleaning contractors in {whatever city you’re in}. We’re expanding our customer base and would like to know if you would like an estimate?” I’ve started calling myself a window cleaning contractor as opposed to just a window cleaner and my number of agreements has increase by about 25-percent.

Second off, I’ve got twenty accounts right now and I got them by pricing myself low. Everyone says not to do this, but they’re me and I’ve seen this work. You price them low to get them to commit to a deal with you. Clean their windows for a few months, then tell them, “Hey, I’ve got to raise my rates. I can keep you at $x.xx, but I would have to increase your frequency on the schedule or I can increase your rate to $x.xx and keep you at your frequency right now. Which would you like?” (Thanks, @TheWindowCleanse).

I can tell you more if you’re interested. That may have been more than what you bargained for, but it’s what I’ve learned so far. My name is Rowdy Harris. I’m holding a dog on Facebook if you want to talk.

Sup @Manny1214!

…Hard to say without pics.

Mental checklist:
What is your minimum? Work from there, adding to price based on:

  • Size of panes/number of panes
  • How much polework?
  • Level of filth?
  • How many obstacles?
  • Direct sunlight?

Just curious, you mentioned outside only and tinted windows. Is the tint on the outside of the glass?

Tint is usually on the inside. For restaurants and storefront you’re looking at $1-2 per side. If they’re just standard windows then $1-1.50.

But you need to weigh that against your minimum. My minimum is $20.

14 windows outside only is about a 10 minute job.

You need to average $60-75 per hour doing storefront.

Well yeah that’s what I was thinking, I’ve never seen tint on the outside before so if outside only was being quoted then it shouldn’t be anything to consider.

That’s all I was wondering about. If I ever have any doubts of what to charge, I consider what I would like to make per hour, then figure out how long the job will take.

Of course, this might already be an obvious thing but I would never come out and tell a customer what I am shooting for as an hourly rate. If you do it sounds like you’re charging a ton. Give total price only. Just my opinion

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I agree. I never break down my price just give them a total for outside only or inside and out and a recommended schedule of two or four weeks (never monthly)

Why never monthly?

Monthly throws your scheduling out and it also equals 1 less clean/year.

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What @Lewsqueegee said.

There are 26 - 2 week periods every year.
There are 13 - 4 week periods every year.
There are 12 months.

So if you have a storefront route that goes every 2 weeks and then you get a monthly account in that route, your schedule will be all over the place chasing the “month”. It sucks. And you end up cleaning that stop on “off weeks” and driving out special to do that one job when it should be with the other work.

When selling I always always always tell them that we don’t do monthly we schedule it every 4 weeks because it’s more consistent. Some months are long, others short, but every 4 weeks is consistent.

The only thing I’ll schedule monthly or quarterly are large commercial jobs. If you’re willing to drive out special for that one job and make money, then sure, schedule it monthly (first friday of the month or second whatever of the month).

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I thought I replied earlier, sorry about that. I’ve shifted my business to go by the weeks from now on due to these comments. Never thought of that before.

Thanks

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Great post! I’m not sure you can make a living at a dollar per side once you factor in travel time,insurance,gas,vehicle maintenance,cleaning supplies,phone,marketing and website costs.

$1 per side per pane isn’t bad for route. But you need to develop the route and when you have them lined up at $1 per you can clock 65-75 / hr. My rate was 2 bucks inside out and I consistently had $75 routes. It’s about tight routes and a good technique.

However, you must set up a minimum. Mine was $20 but I raised it to 25. A window and a door? $25 sorry that’s the company’s minimum. Because of you try and cut a “deal” you’ll invariably cut your own throat because the big job next door skips or cancels service and that deal next door will hurt.

Oh! Number one rule for route: never check in before you clean. Never ever. Just show up and start cleaning or you will get a bunch of skips. Explain when you bid that you don’t want to interrupt their business so you’ll just show up and start cleaning. If they need to skip please call a day or two in advance. If they try to stop you just explain that you’ve got them reserved for this time slot and you’ll already spent the time and gas to get there and clean.

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