This is very well said. It’s one thing become another fish in the ocean. It’s another thing to dig your own pond.
Are these prices for a one- or two-person crew? You’ve posted in the past that you charge $96 per hour for two workers.
We are writing about many different kinds of window cleaning. We live in differen areas. Some areas are rich; some are not so rich. Some are using waterfed poles and some are not. Some are
doing commercial and some residential…yet every recommendation is to charge a high price and the customer will go for it.
Why is that?
When you are competing for a job, are you charging a high price? If so, there are not many window cleaners in your area.
If you charge a certain price for 2 men and one is faster than the other, how will that work? One will want more money.
And yet that has nothing to do with what a customer is charged (the subject of this most-recent discussion.) That is a commission-pay subject. A company commission policy covers that, and we have read many times about how a commission is split differently for different situations.
Yes. Employees can be problems.
OK. Charge $600 per hour. The customers will love you for it. You must be the king. The price proves it.
So true. It’s amazing how you create reality through your thought processes. If you believe something long enough and with enough conviction you will do the things and seek out the people to make it come true.
I have lived in different areas at different times, and have seen things happen.
In one situation, at one point in time, a bunch of window cleaners moved into the area from back east. The competition was serious.
You can seek out whatever you want, but you would get what you get.
Jobs were being done one, two, or three months for free in order to get them.
The bigger companies were doing that. They wanted to take over.
Your high price philosophy would have gotten you very little work as a result.
Your choice would have been to move somewhere else or find another business.
Are you discussing commercial pricing? This is a residential thread.
“High price” is subjective. Have you tested and analyzed results in quoting higher prices than your “standard” residential rate?
I don’t emphasize price when I discuss service with potential clients.
Wow! That “employees can be problems” sure came out of left field. Not even close to my point or what I was discussing.
In addition, I never said I charge $600 per hour. It is, however, a business philosophy you obviously aren’t comprehending. Others have, though. Perhaps you could take a risk as an experiment and strech your pricing upward. If you double your price and lose half your customers, you’re still even (with the benefit of more time to find those higher-paying customers.)
Brian,
Am I correct in assuming that Newport has a good number of affluent citizens and some beautiful settings and homes?
Are many people used to luxury living?
How much about would you charge to do the windows at this roughly medium-sized house in the link?
I would give a rough estimate from what I could see of $350-$375. Some would go for more, without a doubt. Is that really too much to charge someone who wants a luxury service?
Bellevue Realtors, Real Estate Sales & Rentals, Newport, Rhode Island
If you double your price and lose half of your customers, the other half will be next with commercial.
You don’t seem to get the picture. Price means something.
I do think raising prices needs to be done so thanks for the suggestion. However losing work is not a good thing if your workers need work.
I have done homes, but not a lot. My impression was that price matters. It may be that I don’t like spending a huge amount of time on a job…I don’t.
I don’t like a lot of detail work. I note that some of you do. I guess I would need more patience for that. Nit picking the sills or frames
does not appeal to me.
A few customers may be willing to pay for it. I don’t think most will.
I personally would not want to spend a ton of money on my windows.
If there are a lot of customers that are willing to pay a high price for being pampered and seriously catered to, I am not aware of it. It has
not been what I have been doing and for some reason, I don’t really like it, so there is more to it than just price.
Also, I don’t think a business built with very high prices is going to last. Sooner or later, a lower priced man will take over.
The question is where the line is.
2009 (recession year) sales figures for Lamborghini: $346,500,000
Giorgio Armani’s annual revenue, according to an April 2010 Reuters report: $2.4 billion
Less than 10 days ago, A WCR member posted right here that he earned $7000+ in one day.
This stuff about high prices being a death knell is in your head, Merv.
There is a market for every price point, including ‘expensive’ ones.
Have you tried experimenting with higher prices, Merv? Do it for the next 10 days and see what happens.
I get more and better referrals from my $150-$200 and hour customers than I do the cheap ones.
And yes, if I could double my prices and keep half my customers I would do it all day every day and twice on Sunday.
Why is it so hard for contractors to understand why this is golden? I mean serious rainbows and unicorns territory.
Remember, you can’t spend your gross- only your NET.
Wow didnt mean to start such a heated debate. I actually do both commercial and residential windows. I appreciate all the feedback from both sides of the issue. You all make valid points that will be taken into consideration. thank you for your suggestions and feedback .
Well said, Thad.
That’s clear thinking.
One thing to note - it is important to understand “who” you are marketing to. I actually prefer middle class folks. Smaller homes, less glass, BUT I actually gain a higher per hour or per pane price because these jobs are easier to come by. I have found that jobs in the $150 - $200 range are my money makers. They lead to more referrals, higher prices, and the people are awesome to work for. Anytime I try to break into the larger, upscale homes…I hate the gigs. If I’m on one job site for more than 4 hours - I want to strangle myself. And rich, rich folks are asses tow ork for in my mind.
Some guys might like the luxury gigs, but I’ll stick with my bread and butter.
charge by the job not by the hour. By the job i make between $75 to $100 per hour. Why would someone pay you a $100 per hour when they dont make that much in hour. They know how long it takes them to clean the windows ALL DAY. and they look like crap. They dont realize how quick a professional can clean windows. I have only had about 2 people in 15 years break down my cost by the hour and then complain. If you want someone for 10 bucks an hour find an uninsured, homless, rapist Im sure he will be happy to do it for $10 bucks an hour. Who knows maybe he grab your rolex too.
Someone should tell Starbucks! Although they closed a few locations (mostly due to their over saturating the market in those areas) they still get 3-4 times what some people pay for a cup of coffee.
After reading all these posts / threads on pricing and what is appropriate I am left with a couple questions I would like to ask everyone, How did you react when congress brought Halliburton, Big Oil and other major corporations up to defend their “exuberant” profits? Did you cheer the congressional action of attempting to place a windfall tax on Oil company profits several years ago, or did you call up your congressional representatives and defend the rights to [I]their [/I]profits (the corporations) as much as many are defending the rights to [I]our [/I]profits here.
I am not saying the great profits we make are wrong, unethical or anything like that, I am only asking is it right for us only, or do we defend the same rights of others also, because I don’t remember anyone standing up for the rights of those companies to make and enjoy their profits.
Anyone care to answer?
