Let us know how it works out for you. I’m also following Kevin’s advice about raising prices. I’m trying to carve out a profitable route of $100/hr+ in commercial route. It’s difficult, but hopefully it will turn out.
I have a friend who owns a small Toyota skid steer loader and removes rubbish with it from peoples yards & building sites he charges $120 an hour to take the garbage out LOL
What kind of job do you do to charge people $80 an hour? Do they stay crystal clear a year round? I’m not sure who would pay $80 an hour to get their windows cleaned but they better look good lol.
My wife and I average about $100/hr. If you don’t feel like you are worth it ask yourself how much money per hr your local landscape guy is making or other high end service providers make. We do a job that the customer doesn’t want to (or can’t) do. People pay alot of money to have their vehicles cleaned and detailed when they could do it themselves, why?
I’m sorry if I keep asking you so much specifically to you Tony, but as you know we both work with the wife and you have much more experience than me, so I can compare to you as a reference only.
Residential window cleaning you should be able to get this pretty easy, usually much higher. If your not making minimum 65.00 an hour you should look at your pricing or your speed and effeciency.
That’s for both of us. Of course since we work together I don’t have to think about employee issues so that increases my bottom line and adds value to my hourly. Others may see it different but we are very comfortable w/ our earnings. Some jobs we make up to $120/hr but the average is closer to $100/hr.
Always happy to answer any questions you have Carlos.
I just raised my residential prices for the coming year. It was not much, but maybe $10 on some to as much as $50 more on others. I put the biggest price increases on the larger homes. I feel that these customers will be the most likely to be able to take the larger increase without fussing.
I have also decided to put up my route prices. No more $8, $10, $12 jobs. My cheapest route job will now be $14. I plan on having the guys hand the customers a letter that explains our new prices and some new policies at the end of their next cleaning.
My thought is, “if they baulk at the new price and say, ’ I don’t want it anymore’ or ‘It’s too expensive now, I’ll do it myself’, then I just say ‘OK’ and walk away. No more cheapies. I can have my crew working other more profitable jobs.”
I average a $100 an hour and I know many who do. Who would pay that? 1000s.
You may operate in an area that may not take to that kinda pricing. Your current methods may not be optimal. Maybe you are priced to low. You may possibly not see the true value of your service. If you do not believe you are worth $80 an hour, who can argue that?
I am worth it. I lose very few customers and I rarley lose a bid. Those are facts. It also could be my market, but my competition is heavy.
try raising your prices- but do it like you are worth it
Thats good advice Paul, I am going to try it. I may put my self right of the route work business here. The competition is not too bad here, but I don’t see many customers that are gonna pay a super premium price for window cleaning. Store owners are just not going to spend that in my area. Business is not that good and they will cut where they can. Unfortunately for me, it sometimes starts with the window cleaner.
I do average $85-100/hr on residential and even more on low-mid rise commercial gigs. Just not on storefront.
Commercial is a different beast (store-front at least is)
It becomes a volume over margin situation. More work at less dollars can still equal more annual income than less work for more dollars (I just confused myself lol)
Pick your poison. I choose less work for more money, but that is my preference. I know some companies doing pretty well by getting a lot of low pay jobs.
I have it burned into my brain that I will never use cheapest price as my selling point.
If everyone else is cheaper than us, we need to raise the value of the service we deliver. We need to separate ourselves from them. Give them something that the cheapies are not. Know your customer and give them what they need/want and we can win.
