I received a call yesterday about basically being a preferred vendor for a commercial maintenance co. servicing a lot of franchises… They call me when a spot opens up, I get an opportunity to bid amongst other companies…
Has anyone had success with this kind of situation?
I know it won’t hurt to be on their list, but it seems like there’s a high turn over rate. I.E. cheap work.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks
Josh
I used to clean a Lenscrafters for American Seaboard. Super slow in paying! This one Lenscrafters is a $115 a month deal. They currently owe me $345.00. The other week I got an email from them saying that want me to “be creative” and drop my price to $30.00 and cut service to an “as-needed basis”.
I sent an email in reply. I told them I need payment in full in order to continue a business relationship with them. I stated there’s no way I’d drop my price $85.00, but I’m sure we could negotiate a more reasonable amount if they gave me every store in my area.
Needless to say I haven’t gotten a reply.
Keep these national service companies on a short leash. If they don’t pay, I only clean the location when I feel like it, and have the free time. I’m not putting them in front of a paying customer! And don’t feel bad if you loose the account, in many cases it’s not a long term deal… so price it high.
That’s the answer I was expecting.
I’m still going to do it, but not expect much…
I have people balk at my price every day.
Getting used to it.
Thanks for the advice!
I hope that I am not entering into the same situation. I just started a deal for a company called Nationwide Cleaners. I am do the window cleaning and the power washing for a couple of their stores (Burlington Coat Factory). There are 14 stores in this area, but they only wanted me to do two of them. I assume that they were already contracted with other WC’ers to do the others. I also am still waiting for their first payment. But, it was less than 30 days ago.
There was another company that wanted me to clean some windows for them. They’re called Super Clean. They wanted me to clean the windows for this small Alltel store. It only had 4 panes, so I said I would clean them for $25 every two weeks. They agreed to the price and sent out a work order.
I really didn’t inspect the work order until I got to the job. After looking at it, they expected me to basically clock in using the Alltel phone and then clock out in addition to having the managers signature. lol. I explained to Super Clean that I could have the windows cleaned before they even answered the phone - and asked if there was a work around. They told me that’s the way it has to be done, so I told them they would have to find somebody else. lol.
Like Micah, I also find these kinds of clients to be useless, generally speaking.
Corporate chains are always price shopping, and have zero loyalty, money is king.
Never lowball.
Yeah. I too found the clock in, clock out thing to be a bit bothersome. THey wanted me to call a number they gave me, from the store phone, enter a PIN when I started. THen I had to repeat the process when I was done.
The first time I showed up, which was before hours, no one was there to let me in to call. We started anyway. After an hour and a half, the manager showed up and I used the store phone to call.
I did ask about a way around the phone call thing. The lady I dealt with just told me to have the store manager stamp and sign the WO each time I did a job. So the next times I didn’t bother finding the manager til we were done. Fax back the WO, my invoice, and wait for the check.
I bid these jobs at a premium for me. I am getting $70/hr for all the jobs. I wouldn’t have done it for less.
I’ve dealt with two companies, both out of Long Island, when I first started WC’ing a few years ago. They basically named the price for the stores.
With one retail chain they gave me $30 per store. For 90% of the stores I would have charged at least $60. The other 10% I would have charged $100 because of the size of the stores! I still only got $30 per store. At some point they dropped me because they actually found someone cheaper to do it anyway.
I don’t turn these types of companies down when they call, but I name the price I want. If I get the accounts (which in some cases I have), good. If not, Joe “The Homeless Bum look-a-like” Windowcleaner can have them.
I have also dealt with American Seaboard with Pearle Vision. They paid late for a year and haven’t paid in 6 mo. they owe me $500. Also one of the companies that contracts out Target and Talbots keeps calling me and trying to get me to clean it at a third of the cost. I’d advise you to at least not complete the next service until you receive payment for the last. If you take the job on at all.
That’s your advice and they owe you $500 ? I don’t get it.
I was contacted by on of those companies to clean a jewelry 10 mins away from my house, in/out monthly, net30 didn’t ask price - charged $85 for it.
1st payment LATE and after several calls, did second service and still waiting payment, but didn’t waste any more time on that deal, just move on.
Personally I thing there’s nothing to gain in that deal. But I really don’t care about small commercial work, give me residential and residential-priced commercial jobs 
BTW, I was contacted by a Window Cleaning company from KY (left a message for me) about quoting a store inside a mall 2 blocks from my house, is a Forever XXI (21) store, any of you clean those and want to share your numbers ?
The next time you go and wash the windows, soap up all the glass then leave. Wonder how long it will take to get paid your back wages and help Pearle Vision see not so clearly. 
