I get a lot of round up to the nearest round number tips, just got a $6 tip today because of that.
Last week I got quite the non-cash tip tho…
(Story time, much less tear jerking than previous posts)
This customer’s lady friend keeps stopping my work and complaining about her neighbors and just keeps ranting and raving. She’s afraid they might key my car for whatever reason (most likely diagnosable paranoia). On the opposite side of the spectrum however, she is very appreciative of my work and decides to give me water, coffee, and a sandwich despite my asking her not to. People this high strung and paranoid make me kinda paranoid so I only took the water. It’s a crazy world out there, and if this was a mellow non-obsessed person I might have eaten the food, but my gut said “get the heck out of here, I’m hungry but not THAT hungry”.
I was going to post the other day that I miss the tips from when I was out in the field window cleaning. Well I do the odd screen job a couple times a week for homeowners and today and I did a job for $265 (before taxes) and got a sweet $50 tip on top. Yup, tips are nice!
Today takes the cake for me. $683 job, $583 was due at the end of the job because they had already paid a $100 deposit. She writes the check for $700. Then the husband, who’s watching this, lays $50 in cash on top of the check. “This is for you”
So, [B]$167[/B] (in) [B]tip/B for one job. I’m still grinning
I clean mostly large commercial accounts and do miss the tips. My first large 6400sqft home took me two days to pressure was and clean the windows in and out. After I was finished, she paid me in cash and counted it out for me and I saw a few 20’s left over and said you must have not seen these. She said, oh no sweetie, that’s for you sweating for two days. I was so happy, tired, and grateful that when I got in the truck I counted $150 over her total and couldn’t stop smiling.
Ditto. I think yesterday’s job really drove this point home for me. $683 for 10 hours on a first time cleaning. I usually don’t make much more than $60/hr on first time cleans. I even had a little time to throw in an extra like a couple of interior stained glass windows they had.
Getting tips is a sign of not charging enough and prices should be raised. Unless you REALLY like getting tips, then you should lower your prices.
FWIW I give all tips to the employees even though I am working side by side with them. Why? Because they are the EMPLOYEES and I am the business owner.
Just because YOU perceive your pricing to be high, does not mean the customers do. This means you are presenting yourself (and your team) as professionals and providing a very high quality service after you get the job based on low prices. It also means you NEED to learn how to sell those things and charge more from everybody.
And no, I’m not saying raise your prices after every tip, thats not how it works. If you get tips on a regular basis you should consider raising them.
Not getting tips is also a message to you, but thats a longer conversation involving an deeper reflection into you, employees and your business and when viewed with an open mind, you will see good and bad habits that deserve your attention, for different reasons
I agree and disagree, if I had employees they would get the tips…
When I get a tip it’s always been accompanied with a compliment about the quality of the job and how happy the customer was with the service.
The pricing being too low, I’m gonna have to disagree because at least in my service area I’ve been at the top of the pricing even after lowering my prices from last season. It’s helped keep the schedule full, and I can take home a decent income at $75-$100/hour for window cleaning jobs.
Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
I’ve been over this in my head many times. The conclusion I’ve come up with is that if I was in a much larger market, I could probably afford to raise my prices quite a bit, and work on the basis of generating referrals and pre-qualifying web leads (more so than I already do). But in my current market, that approach would simply limit my market share too much. I need a certain size piece of the pie in order to run a sustainable business here, and raising prices would leave me with a smaller pie to cut from.
Going off on a tangent for a bit, I also think that the approach of getting only the ultra high paying customers wouldn’t work as well for a company that wants to employ. There are guys like [MENTION=362]buddyo[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6146]Provost Services[/MENTION] that have built stellar client lists, and they’re based on the owner operated model. I just don’t know if the same level of customer satisfaction and service can be accomplished with employees. You would need employees that literally treat your business as if it were their own. And it won’t be long before that type of employee has their own business.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m already 50% higher than the legitimate competition I’m aware of, and probably much, much higher than all of the random bucket joes I’m unaware of.
But yes, in general I’d say look at your pricing if you’re getting tips for nearly every job. For me, it’s really maybe one in every 4 or 5 that tip.
I go weeks at a time without a tip, I got less than 10 tips last year I think… My experience has been tips are few and far between, I don’t expect them. I would also have my full schedule at slightly above average pricing with or without tips than have one or two high paying jobs per week.
I just don’t have the man power, budget or time to raise my prices and only accept high end clientele.
Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
[COLOR=#ff0000]I’ve been over this in my head many times. The conclusion I’ve come up with is that if I was in a much larger market, I could probably afford to raise my prices quite a bit, and work on the basis of generating referrals and pre-qualifying web leads (more so than I already do). But in my current market, that approach would simply limit my market share too much. I need a certain size piece of the pie in order to run a sustainable business here, and raising prices would leave me with a smaller pie to cut from. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]Am I the only one who cant get the quote function to work, UGH!!??
If you average 100/hr, a 10% increase is only $10, who cant afford that? That will bring your daily earnings from $800/day ($4000/wk) up to $880/day ($4400/wk).
And IF you lose one customer a week will that one job cost you $400? Will you be happier making the same money per wk but working less and spending more time with family??
If you average 100/hr, a 10% increase is only $10, who cant afford that? That will bring your daily earnings from $800/day ($4000/wk) up to $880/day ($4400/wk).
Good point. But if I raise my prices 10%, I won’t be able to calculate stuff in my head so easily anymore… lol
And IF you lose one customer a week will that one job cost you $400? Will you be happier making the same money per wk but working less and spending more time with family??
Our average ticket is pretty close to that right now, actually. But chances are I wouldn’t lose out on that much. Good food for thought.
Something I should think about is raising prices overall, but be a little more liberal with offering discounts for when I think it could really count towards closing the deal. Maybe…
See, let me try to explain why I disagree with this.
Not every client tips. [COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000]So what?[/COLOR]
It isn’t normally a type of service where people do tip.[COLOR=#ff0000] again, so what?[/COLOR]
The people who do tip have the extra money to do so or they wouldn’t. [COLOR=#ff0000]or they pity you or in their mind they always tip everyone or 100 other reasons to tip[/COLOR]
By assuming that the reason a few folks tip is because everybody is paying too little for your services is just that - an assumption. [COLOR=#ff0000]wrong - I never said adjust your pricing when you get a few tips, only if you are getting them regularly [/COLOR]
Many people realize the importance of “home maintenance” and that is figured into their budget AND realize it is not “Bucket Bob” prices. [COLOR=#ff0000]most home owners have no idea what a bucket bob is[/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000]. Some of them are looking for the lowest price because they believe any monkey can sling a squeegee or they are looking for the highest quality service[/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000] provider to work for them.[/COLOR]
Prices are set to try and avoid Fish from taking your customers. [COLOR=#ff0000]If price is the only thing that sets you apart from your competition then I just wasted a lot of time typing this out and you will most likely never understand what I’m trying to say[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]
The pricing being too low, I’m gonna have to disagree because at least in my service area I’ve been at the top of the pricing even after [U][B]lowering my prices from last season[/B][/U]. It’s helped keep the schedule full, and I can take home a decent income at $75-$100/hour for window cleaning jobs. [/COLOR]
Are you trying to make my head explode??? WHY would you lower your prices from the previous season???
Tips are for kids!!! I always have someone with me , so Im Assuming there giving tips for the help. ( screw the help I keep them anyway ). I’m sure people who have help get more tips than solo guys. I don’t know , who knows , who cares some do some don’t so what. To look anymore into it is just plain silly.
I broke a window on a house the other week. I get the window fixed I go back to get paid the lady paid the bill, and gave me a $60 tip so go figure. Maybe she felt sorry for me. Either way you graciously except it , an say thank you very much. That’s one I did actually keep myself. Window cost me 250.00. The job was 270.00.
I actually feel bad now that I’m writing this hmmm ahhh what are ya going to do . I’ll give him a bigger Xmas bonus.
Today my guy got a 25.00 tip then the next house he was like "I swore I was going to get a tip here ". "why cause you two didn’t stop talking . " One story after another these two back an forth. Jeez !
[COLOR=#ff0000]If price is the only thing that sets you apart from your competition then I just wasted a lot of time typing this out and you will most likely never understand what I’m trying to say[/COLOR]
). I’m sure people who have help get more tips than solo guys. I don’t know , who knows , who cares some do some don’t so what. To look anymore into it is just plain silly.
