I had a lady call me for window washing on a two story house inside and out. I went out there and gave her a bid which was about 25 minutes from our shop. When i got there i talked to her it seemed to be going well i did a walk around counted the windows. So all together she had 36 panes of glass so in and out i told her it would be 240$ that is 6 dollars per pane for in and out and 25 dollar fuel charge. her exact words where are you f***ing crazy you rip off then went on to tell me i am double then the two others that bid it and she cussed me out in tell i just walked away.
So i tried not to let it get to me then i started to realize maybe my prices are high cause i am only getting about 25% of my bids. i do window washing and gutter cleaning i was getting 100% of my gutter bids so i raised my prices. And i am still getting 100% of my bids. gutter cleaning was just gonna be a add on to help my window washing business but now its the other way around.
Someone who goes off like that and takes your pricing personally is clearly not balanced. Don’t take them seriously. And they’re definitely not the type of customer you wanted, anyway.
25% close rate could be an issue with your sales technique, quality of your leads, or the pricing. But it’s usually not about the pricing itself.
And $6 per pane or $12 for a double hung in & out is perfectly reasonable if you’re delivering quality work and customer service. I wouldn’t mention a trip charge, though. Just work it into the total price.
Yeah i didnt say anything to her about the fuel charge i just added it on. and it has to be pricing the problem i have is everytime i give a bid for window washing almost every costumer thinks its a damn negotiation battle and try to counter offer.
Markets can be very different, but if you are talking about 18 double hung windows in/out for $240 (and no storms/screens), then in my market you would be high, but not “are you effing crazy” high. If she already had two prices for $120, why the hell was she wasting your time? That woman was a horrible person and you should consider yourself lucky to be done with her.
It sounds like your pricing might be okay. But if those other 2 estimates were from legitimate companies then you should consider lowering prices to be more in line with your area.
This is also the slowest time of the year. They might bid lower just to get the work.
Everyone has different ways of counting windows. Was it 36 panes (separate pieces of glass) or 36 windows? Most customers do not know how to count windows vs. window openings. I had one home that had four windows in one opening. The customer called that one window wayyyy back when I used to quote “window pricing.” Now I quote for the job of getting the windows cleaned.
Double hung or single casement - both get the same pricing. French panes (individual cut ups) get a separate pricing. Larger more difficult windows get yet another price.
So, just for figuring purposing lets throw it as $5 per window.
36 windows x $5 = $180 outside only
$360 inside/outside
$1 to $1.50 per track
$2 to $3 per screen
Add that all up and you get pretty much an idea of the going rate. You can decide before approaching the customer how much less you might be willing to negotiate if you run into a Drama Queen like this one, but only you know what you can or can’t do it for.
By having a set price per window ($4, $5, or $6 per window) you will have consistency in your pricing. Explaining to the customer not too quickly and not too salesmanny what all is included will help to focus those who are picturing just a wet-n-wipe of the glass. You are a professional window cleaner earning a living, not some bucket bob with a hobby, so you deserve real world pricing.
Every great once in a while (year or two) I run into someone who freaks at the pricing. I usually end up with someone else from their neighborhood who simply replies - “When can you do it.” Hang in there.
Where I’m located …5-6 per pane is top dollar. Certainly doesn’t make you a con man. I seem to constantly get most bids at 4.00 per pane depending variables I charge a bit more.
Hopefully you will be able to look back at this and have a good laugh. No need to get too annoyed about an overly emotional person.
Prices are regional but my prices start at $3 per pane, more if a big window and less for panes smaller than I normally encounter. Screens are $3 and tracks are $2.
ignoring her over the top reaction you could say something like, gee do you mind telling me who else quoted i’m usually pretty competitive, dig a little to find out who and what was quoted.
we gave an estimate yesterday, 75 panes, we’re at $5 per pane for inside and out so it was $375, when i told him that he said “well okay then, i can get it done for half that” i said “well i’m sorry we couldn’t work something out for you, have a great day”
he’ll either
1 get someone to do it for half and they will do a great job (unlikely)
2 get someone to do it for half and they will not do a good job but he has low standards
3 get someone to do it for half and they will not do a good job and he’ll have to call us or someone else in our area who does our quality of work
try $5 per pane and see if that makes a big difference in your close rate, if it does it was likely the price, if not it’s likely your sales skills or something else (image?)
Prices seem perfectly reasonable if not low considering you were doing the screens. I honestly would lose the fuel charge all together though. Part of your hard cost as a service provider is your fuel. I’m not sure of your market but 25 minutes seems like a normal amount of driving. If we’re talking an hour plus, I can see a trip charge coming into play.
Yeah your per pane price with screens is not at all unreasonable.
However, I wouldn’t tell people I’m charging for the trip unless it’s over about 45 minutes to the job.
My policy is anything from 30 to 45 minutes of travel I just add 25 dollars to their final price and don’t say a word about it. Anything less than 30 minutes is normal travel time and it is my problem to make that work within my normal pricing structure.
