What is thorough work to you . How long does it take you to clean 4 plates of glass “thouroghly”
I’m not knocking your pricing. Hell if you can get $5 per side that’s great .
I’m not advocating $1 per side all I’m saying at $1 per side it’s still around $60 pmh.
So for you it’s $ 3 per side no matter how many times a month . If one of your customers says I need to move to 4x month it’s still $3
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If your storefront pricing is struggling then a good thing to do is talk with the owner. Tell them that in order to keep providing them with the best possible service that you need to raise the price a little. 90% of the time they will be more than willing. If they are not then you don’t need them anyway. Because if they aren’t making you money then why are you cleaning their glass.
Some other tips to help seperate yourself from the competition
DO:
Look professional
Act professional
Be clean.
Be friendly
Smile.
Great work.
DONT:
Smoke
Swear
Dress sloppy
Talk about negative or inappropriate subjects.
You would be surprised how following these simple guides can separate you from the local competition.
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@Lsmain?
gotta stir the pot on this one, lol…
FWIW, I won’t clean for $1/pane. $2.50/pane is my starting price. $15 minimum for stores within an established route, typically $35 minimum if it involves any windshield time. But storefront is a very, very small slice of my pie
Here’s why I’ve been stuck at a buck per pane:
1: the guys who helped me get started (six figure earners who I absolutely trust) told me what they charge, it’s 1 per pane, per side (average size), and a LOT of folks turn them down!
2: I gave a bid of $20 to do 12 floor to ceiling windows two weeks ago and the lady said the last guy drove here from a town an hour away and charged her $8!!! I know she’s telling the truth because several other stores had the same guy…funny, all of a sudden he stopped showing up. (Gee, I wonder why!?)
I do have a minimum, so, on the rare occasion that I enter an established business, I look for ones where my minimum will get me 2 or 3 per pane, but that doesn’t happen too often.
I AM at the point that I am no longer going store to store, as it’s a waste of time and gas. I have now started ONLY going into new businesses, and I’m pricing much higher than anyone else, but they don’t know it! (Seems to be working pretty well)
I’m not trying to be disagreeable, a jerk, etc, but I’d rather be busy at $60/hour than have no work at $100/ hour.
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
Thorough means done right. And if you are a professional window cleaner then you should be able to do it right. No streaks no drips. Fast.
And $60 pmh is low
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$60 PMH may be low for a veteran, but this time last year I was making 14.50, so I’ll take it!
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
If u are washing 60 storefront plates in one hour you are a beast. And in my opinion working to hard, my theory is work smarter not harder. How long will your body take it? Things to think about.
$60 pmh is fine as long as that includes driving between jobs as well. If not then it’s to low imo.
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That’s good man.
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If you can’t do 60 plates I’m an hour you need to work on technique
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It’s not that I can’t! But you are doing 60 plates for $60. I’ll do 30 and make $90. Who would you rather be? BRO!
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Storefront is s small piece for me, too. That’s why I am starting to price new businesses higher…just gotta learn to let it roll off my back if they’re cheapskates. THAT’S the hard part!!
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
Also I’m trying to give info to help others who may be struggling with pricing route. If you want to do $1 a pane then by all means be my guest. But in ten years what will you do? I’m just saying that it’s possible to get more per pane even with lowballers working right next to you.
If you can’t then obviously the value you are offering your customers needs some consideration.
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It’s not that I can’t! But you are doing 60 plates for $60. I’ll do 30 and make $90. Who would you rather be? BRO!
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The “30 for $90” place is the place to be, it just isn’t doable everywhere…i tried to get a job two weeks ago from a NICE storefront, who said they already had someone. I drive by the next week and it’s a guy with totally unbrushed hair wearing, no joke, a tuxedo tee shirt, AND smoking a cigarette!! How do you get $90/hour when you’re competing with $10/hour people? It drives me INSANE!!!
Not trying to argue, I REALLY want to know how you do it.
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
Hmmmm. I do get more never said I didn’t. Bro !!! I’m using a $1 as point for [MENTION=37356]Atlas[/MENTION]. Man oh man we have to get off our high horses here . I have many of accounts that average way over 60 pmh. An they are cleaned thouroghly I’m speaking in general if he is only getting $1 per side it’s still 60 pmh. I also said that price should only be for weekly cleans. So if he has a guy that wants 1x per month it needs to be more per side. Follow !!!
Bro !!!
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Atlas1 you are doing good man. If you want anymore advice just pm me. Don’t let what everyone says fool you. Only you can figure out your market. But also keep in mind that as imperfect humans we tend to limit ourselves. And many times that reflects on how we price things. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
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[MENTION=13761]ThruGlass[/MENTION] and [MENTION=7269]Majestic66[/MENTION] Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to get an argument started! You are both two of the top info sources for a lot of folks in here, myself included! I guess I was just venting about the cheapskates that we all deal with.
I do plan on getting my prices up, and the helpful input from you guys goes a long way toward doing that!
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
[MENTION=37356]Atlas[/MENTION] let me explain one thing to you just because you start out at $1 per side doesn’t mean you have to stay there .
Part of picking up storefronts is about salesmanship. You know the price you want weather it be $3 or $2 whatever that’s where you start if they balk at that price than if you really want it an it’s close to other stuff work with him after a while he will see the " value " you bring to the table hit with a raise
Around by me weekly cleans are the norm for mom an pops why I don’t know . Personally I don’t offer weekly anymore unless it’s near other stuff I do weekly . Obvious if something is getting done weekly it’s going to be cheaper than 1x or 2x per month that’s the way it is Just like if you have a resi that switches to quartley it’s going to be at a discounted rate for the most part
That is why I said @ $1 per side weekly wash it’s still profitable not great but doable that price don’t have to stay there
Everyone has different markets I have been in This business along time The deal is this you can get $3 per side for a Monthly clean that is just goig to take you longer to pick up a descent size route
Jmo
For weekly cleans I don’t see $3 per side if you can get that for weekly that’s great then never happen by me
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Good points [MENTION=7269]Majestic66[/MENTION] Thank you!
Jesse
Atlas Window Cleaning
North Carolina
Your doing good Jesse. Keep pumping !!! Remmeber that’s storefront. Resi is a whole other ball game
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The only weekly’s that I’ve had are restaurants and high end clothing stores. I price them the same as the 2week and 4week customers. Especially the restaurants because they’re going to get nasty.
I like weekly, but you also need the freedom to be able to skip them every now and then. The weekly Denny’s I had would sometimes be packed with people and we couldn’t do it that day. I’d try the next day after it was scheduled, but they were fine with being skipped every now and then.
That is why I said @ $1 per side weekly wash it’s still profitable not great but doable that price don’t have to stay there
Everyone has different markets I have been in This business along time The deal is this you can get $3 per side for a Monthly clean that is just goig to take you longer to pick up a descent size route
I guess my advice for newbies would be: take what you can get within reason.
Set a minimum. It doesn’t matter if it’s 15, 20, 25, or 30. Set it and don’t budge. If people want it cleaned for $10, then just hand them a card and let them know you’ll be happy to clean them if their guy doesn’t show up. If it’s in a strip mall, you could use a lower minimum because you’ll be counting on capturing the neighboring stores. If it’s a drive out to their location, charge a higher minimum.
If you underbid but get the job, do it faithfully for a year. Then raise your prices. Within a few years, you can raise them up to be where you need them to be. If they drop you, then you should have enough work that it won’t hurt. If you bid it at 15 and find it’s a pain, then next year tell them you need to charge 20 (or whatever).
My thought is, get as much as you can and then start charging premiums when you’re established. If your vehicle is logo’d, people will see you and it’s great advertising.
And always leave room for houses. The storefront/commercial is meat and potatoes, residential is cake and ice cream.
I like the differentiation between storefront and commercial. Storefront is kick your teeth in competitive, but commercial allows you to make as much or more than residential. Case is point: that 3 story commercial building? 4 hours and $1000 with a waterfed pole. You can’t touch that with residential.
