This is a reply to a bid from a customer this week. Normally people hit the decline button on our proposals and we move on. This guy has 116 windows ( 63 regular windows, 34 french windows, a dozen french windows covered by steel cages, 2 Aluminum storm windows, and 19 removable storms that have the screw tabs)
My bid was $1395.00 and I feel like I undershot it. I knew I was going up against a low ball company that is an hour and a half away. This company uses a state program and hires convicted felons. They only pay them minimum wage and provides housing for them. The state reimburses 50% of the wages and they also get paid back money for providing housing. They are known in the KC market for charging a fraction of what the industry pricing is at for window cleaning and powerwashing. It is A Lot A Crap if you ask meâŚ
Try and forget about them and move on. I Donât mind if they turn me down for price or donât understand how I decide to charge.
But a customer that is going to tell me how to do the job or what equipment I chose to use? Not my crowd. She wants to micromanage and do it on the cheap. Sorry, but canât have both.
Goes in the âNo can doâ pile; next.
âconstructive criticismâ âgesture of goodwillâ⌠
That message should have stopped at âI decline this offer. Good day and best wishes.â
Controlling, presumptuous, cheap, condescending⌠Just my two cents, but youâre better off; sounds like a pain in the rear waiting to happen.
Bullet. Dodged. 
While we donât like those type of replies there is a reason that individual is probably in the place/status they are in.
Letâs all be honest, most of us sell to people who like to waste money. How many have read âThe Millionaire Next Door.â
I love when they praise you but get to the part they donât like: price. Then they try to make it look like theyâre doing you a service by telling you how expensive you are. Had something similar happen in March for a customer who used us 3 years ago. I did it for $90 when we had no minimum and hardly any work. Now we have a min and it isnât $90. Guy says we need to reconsider our pricing and wouldnât use us now.
At $1400, and not knowing your market of course, for all the work youâd have to do count your blessings they didnât hire you.
All. The. Time.
Good for you for walking.
Iâve had similar experiences with similar types. Many times Iâve gotten called a couple years later as theyâd gone through the bucket Bobâs and circulated back around after having been actually serviced by damaging service providers.
Thatâs when you ad on your 20+% increase.
Being frugal is certainly to be commended and I try hard to be that way myself. I have a budget system (I use YNAB and love it) and it certainly helps me to be financially responsible.
That being said, I always thought my customers are willing to pay a little extra because we come insured with great reviews and customer service, not because they like to waste money. If I can afford to buy a service such as window cleaning, Iâd certainly want someone that I can trust to do a great job at a competitive price.
Also, how I treat professionals in other industries has changed after being in this industry. I used to always look for the cheapest quote on things. Weâve all heard that you get what you pay for. Iâve learned that the cheapest service provider is often not the best choice, so within my budget I look for the best service I can receive, not the cheapest. If someone is considerably cheaper than the rest, then they better have great reviews or recommendations to vouch for them. There are exceptions out there, but the market demand and cost of running a reputable business dictate that the prices shouldnât vary wildly in many cases. And, thatâs the type of service provider I strive to be. Not the cheapest but certainly one of the best.
Seeing the number of windows and especially the storm windows, I think @Kyle s price is well within the average price range in the Midwest market. Even if he was on the higher side of his market, if someone was promising to clean them for 1/3 the cost, then Iâd say theyâll likely not do the same quality job. While what we do is not rocket science, it still requires care and know-how, especially on big homes and storm windows. And real insurance with CCC doesnât come cheap.
And the condescending tone of the message tells me this was not just a frugal person but someone that simply doesnât appreciate service providers in our industry. So again, I say, bullet dodged. Whew-
That guy should hire someone fresh out of college to clean his windows and buy all the tools needed to do the job. Graduates are hungry for work, and he can retain the tools so that next year he can hire someone else who is hungry for something/anything. I can just imagine his response to an estimate from a plumber, electrician, or roofer.
Chemicals , and pressure ?
misunderstood our pure water process. We have several larger companies to the south of us that are anti pure water cleaning⌠so they probably told him my evil pure water system will burn his house down or something like that
I donât think Iâd ever reply with this, but Iâd be very tempted to say something like:
âThank you, sir, for taking the time to provide some âconstructive criticismâ; itâs duly noted. Iâd just like to say, this is my 14th year in business, and each year has been better than the last. Weâre the highest rated company in our region, despite our somewhat higher pricing. So I must be doing something right. But I understand completely that weâre not the right fit for every customer or budget.â
The way he starts it off ⌠I decline this offer is like he canât wait to tell you the bad news. Definitely a condescending letter. What a dick !!!
An how dare it be so easy with a price like that.
Heâs so infatuated with process 
. It was the price period. Yes he admits it , but then he had to go an this tangent about process. . So weâre 3 times over your intended budget. Where did you come up with that ? The deli you use to own ? My price is the same no matter what method we use. Clean windows are clean windows, I have a van load of tools , an when they come out of the van they need to keep me profitable, an yes we have squeegees an towels too.
But hey thanks for your constructive criticism.
Ya man just move on to the next project. No need to explain. Keep it moving forward.
