So I was referred by someone who says I do quality work, and bid the home for $4 a pane. I quoted $175 for the home, thinking it would be easy. I really need to work on my pricing, especially in a high-end residential market like Boulder. The problem is that the competition is so intense, you nearly have to underbid the red van. Even those guys hire veterans around here. Anyway, these windows have advertising stickers all over them and silicone hand prints everywhere. I’m not excited about this job, but being new, I don’t plan on dropping the job. It may be easier than I originally thought. I’ve done a construction clean on a 3 story with silicone all over it, and it was a 12 hour job. We’ll see how it goes.
well you have 3 options…
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Say sorry I cant do the job anymore.
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Say sorry i presented you with an incorrect quote, because of CCU issues it should have been more.
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Suck it up, put it down to experience and learn from the job, even though you may take rubbish money from it.
Personally i’d do the 3rd option… if it was my mistake.
We all have made bidding mistakes
( ok maybe not the PERFECT WINDOW washers. You know who you think you are)
@ 12 hours your still looking at $15 per hour witch is well over the minimum wage others get.
Get out do it with a smile
Collect the check
If they comment how good work you do for so cheap tell em they got the July 4 th soecial.
Collect the $175 ( that will take other folks 3 days to make)
And enjoy a hot meal!!!
After your meal look at your bidding system and nake the changes to minimize the chance this will happen again
Pax
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Yeah, Pax has some good advice.
Just look at it as a learning lump (experience you pay for). You’ll make money, just not what you should have. This should be motivation to correct any bidding short falls your business has.
if you think $15/hr gross is good money as a business owner, you have a LOT to learn.
I’ll offer option #4 - Explain to the people that the quote is incorrect and the actual price is “X” BUT, since the mistake is yours to own, you will do the job for the price quoted.
This will show your professionalism and let them know what you are going to charge when you return
But if your business plan is to underbid your competitors, ignore my advice
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Been there, done that. Ended up eating $800 worth of work. And yes, I felt sick for a day or two after. But I quickly learned to do things different. If you choose to stay in this business you absolutely cannot think about or worry about wh at others are charging for their services. Sell the value of what you have to offer. I charge considerably more than my so-called competition and I’m staying busy. Target the customers you want to work for. I suggest doing more research, the WCRA has the most useful information anywhere. I spent all of my free time in my first year researching everything I could find about the industry. Everyone makes mistakes starting out, that goes for any business.
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So you made a mistake your human there human it happens . Go back, an explain why you made your mistake , an why it has to be more money . Let them know you will not leave until they are happy with all work completed , but you need to get paid like a professional . Hope there not like one if those unreasonable kind 
Either Way I would present my case .
I have done it with pella windows at least 2 times , an each time went to the customer an explained I made a mistake didn’t realize you hade pella storms an they were ok with the price increase
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Option # 2 for me .
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If we are talking about a client and not a construction company this could be a negative moment of truth. At least if you go back asking for more.
If you have a cheerleader they will probably tell 10 people. If you have a POed lead they will tell EVERYONE. My rep is more valuable than a few hundred bucks.
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Why do you believe this wiil give him a bad reputation he made a mistake . It happens if you explain to them exactly why you made it an why it is a difference in price this shouldnt lead to a bad reputation . Jmo
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Because some will see it as shifty or bait and switch.
If your mechanic said 500 to fix it then said a grand it would leave a bad taste in your mouth. We give estimates for a reason. When you preprice your service and then shortly layer double the prices it gives bad impressions.
All we have is our reputation. If people think it’s bad then we are on our way out of business.
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Well if its a mechanic I trust, an know to be honest, ( which is hard to find :rolleyes:why did you have to use a mechanic anolagy) an he explains why the price needs to be more, if it makes sense why would it leave a bad taste in my mouth. All he is doing is telling her the truth I made a mistake my price for this type of job, which is a construction clean requires more work than a regular window cleaning,because I have to remove all this silicone,an stickers which takes much longer. Lets not forget he is not forcing her to go with his new price, she has the option of getting other prices still as a matter of fact I would encourage her to go get other estimates . Doing this to me is not something that should leave a bad taste in anybody’s mouth . Lets not forget this is not bait an switch he isn’t lying.
I have a quick question, did you quote the job in person or over the phone?
If it was an over the phone quote I would simply explain that it had not been bought to my attention that the work to be done was a post construction clean and would have to re-quote it accordingly.
However this is a little easier for me since in all my quotes I clearly state its for general window cleaning and no construction debris will be removed. unless otherwise specified.
Ok. Here is a reason why the new client won’t automatically trust him. They are a NEW client.
There is SOME trust, since this is a referral from another client. But that trust is not in full swing yet.
You trust your mechanic, and you have already worked with him several times. What if he told you that the very FIRST time he did any work for you? He may have been referred to you from a trusted source, but your own skepticism would likely have made you suspicious in your first time experience.
At this point there is no relationship. Better to swallow your pride and make this client a cheerleader. Show them you are a man/business of your word. Learn from this experience and implement new policies/systems that avoid this mess in the future.
As the OP’er pointed out, there are plenty of competitors in his area. Better to keep this customer to yourself, then upset them and lose the client and get bad mouthed.
Thank you all for your helpful advice. You guys are my window cleaning family!
I ran into a client who flips homes for a living, and loves me (did 3 of her homes). I did her most recent home today as well as I could, and will be doing the next door neighbors in the morning (construction clean), and bid it low because I didn’t think he’d bite due to his “windows are the last thing I’m thinking about” comment during our conversation, but this lady who’s helping me out is a pusher, and got me the gig. I’m going to knock this house out. Blade, wool, and clean. Called her back, and she said I should charge $375. I just spoke with the guy, and negotiated $275d, which is $100 more than originally quoted. Should be a good compromise. Not someone I’d be looking to work for again, unless things turn out for the better. What a strange situation.
Why would you let other people dictate YOUR prices? The sooner you stop negotiating the better, you might not close as many jobs. But the time you save not doing those jobs for anything under $75/hour is time you can spend marketing, working on a website, or just out having a good time. I would rather close less than take on garbage work to fill my schedule.
It’s tough when you get turned down for being the most expensive, but the jobs you want are the ones you can get on the schedule every year. Why try and get new clients every season that just look for the cheapest guy?
Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts
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Well if he is going to honor his mistake . He best let her know that he made a mistake, an that what he is about to do is not his normal pricing, but I will honor my mistake . Last thing he wants is recommendations from her if he goes there with out letting her know .
" Hey I got this guy that cleaned my windows he charge me 175.00 worked all day he did a great job you should use him" .
I agree with you.
I also agree with the Mike above you, to some extent.
We are in business to make money, but sometimes we just don’t.
I’m four months into this business, and honestly, trying to make rent and live an honest life where decent studio apartments cost $1200/mo on average. When I underbid, I do the service an injustice as well as myself. I made that mistake, and admitted it to the contractor. He agreed on the updated price.
If you knew it was a construction cleaning job to begin w I would say eat it $15 an hour sucks. If you didn’t know re quote it. Maybe offer it a couple hundred under what you normally would charge just for the confusion and the hopes you come in any other quotes he may get
