What would you do?

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It all comes down to how badly you need the work. We cave on our prices all the time to fill a hole in the schedule.

I really dont like when they try to hang the " I know a bunch of people that need there windows cleaned" Over your head… Its almost always BS.

Your on the east coast so Im assuming your schedule is pretty filled up now… It most likely wont be in December… Maybe do it for that price then? Set her up in the middle of December… And maybe tell her if you get a last minute cancellation you will fit her in sooner.

hey chris thanks for responding… heard a lot about you and your brother from linda and bill… hopefully ill see you at the show in reno.

i agree when someone says they have a bunch of people who want their windows cleaned too i always think to myself “cough cough b.s.”

i thought of booking her in dec… i have a few days here and there open but have another 7,000 postcards and a coupon mailing of 35,000 about to hit. i dont want to handcuff myself with someone like her taking up a good part of a crews day for $120 less that the job is worth… i absolutely hate dropping prices at the customers request, especially when ive already given her a fair price and taken $50 off… ill definitely give her the option for mid to late dec for $500 or pay the extra for prime time scheduling…

As if cash matters - I pay taxes on it all.

I would call – it’s the professional thing to do.

I’d go with Chris’s suggestion about December…

I get this every now and then too. I usually work a deal with them like "I’ll do them for 500 if you can get a neighbor to book a cleaning on the same day or if you’re cutting your prices a lot make what she has to do a lot harder maybe bring you 3 new customers since she knows so many people.

Hey Nick,

I have heard this story many times before. I wouldn’t call a customer a liar. I think it’s mostly wishfull thinking on their part. If the referrals materialize I would reward the customer after the fact not before. Sometimes they want a deal because they will be getting cleaned 4 time a year. That frequently doesn’t happen as well. Most of the big companies I have worked for do not cut this type of special deal. Volume discounts yes, like a condominium complex same day cleaning, special deals for individuals trying to work a deal, no.

Hey Nick,

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]$500 is a 20% discount. Sounds like a very big discount to me. How big is your profit margin after all your expenses are paid anyway? If you really want to clean for all her friends may I make a suggestion? Just lower your prices from $8 per DH window down to $6.50. Then … when word gets out …. you can clean everybody’s windows in town. Sounds like a plan! What da ya think? :smiley: Just kidding.[/FONT][/COLOR]

hey mike,
i definitely think customers lie about having all of these friends who want their windows cleaned to try to get a lower price… i think its a white lie but a lie none the less. i was thinking about it and for my 6 years in business everytime i dropped prices in the hopes of getting all of these referrals it never happened… in fact i never did those jobs again… those customers were all one hit wonders. probably found someone cheaper and who spoke less english than me to do them for $2 cheaper.
unfortunately these werent just 1/1 windows they were a mix of 6/6’s no storms and french doors. approximately 62 of them. $10/window= $620-$50=$570… she wants it done for $500 and add in exterior lights and a coopola… haha ridiculous
btw- there is barely any profit on that job… you want it? its in hingham :slight_smile:

Hey Nick, I have well over 30 years in the cleaning industry and you have got the picture. That’s how it is. I hold my price, and never budge. But I work alone so it’s kinda different. I would never call them liars, just dreamers and deal makers.

$500 is not bad money in my book, but I deal/negotiate when work is slow, if I’m fully booked or getting tons of estimates done, I tell them “this is your price, quote is good for 30 days, call me if you have any questions.”

Tell this lady 500 cash is fine but not extra job done for that money. Bottom line is you’re the only one who can make that call, you know your business and your overhead. I have more room for negotiations since I work with my wife, so everything goes to the same place, no employees to take a share.

I won’t buy into the promise of neighbors/friends using my service. I tell them to book them together upfront or no deal. I won’t budge on that type of pricing. If someone seems on the fence a little bit about our price, I close the deal with a free light fixture cleaning, chandelier, garage door windows, etc…Whatever floats their boat.

That sounds like a win win. They feel like they are at least getting something free and it only costs you a little time.

i agree $500 is good money… its prime season though and i did close to 40 estimates this week… i dont need to negotiate, my prices are middle of the road and fair plus we’re giving $50 off right now… i feel like if anything i should come down on prices to keep my regular clientele happy not a one hit wonder.
it also comes down to principal… these people live in a brand new million dollar house on the ocean with a cobblestone and seashell driveway… i dont charge more because they have a nice house… i charge by the window.
does anyone in this forum go to the gas station and say “ill fill up here but drop the price 10 cents on every gallon i get or else ill go to another gas station.”
its completely obnoxious…

You’re right…it is obnoxious. I used to run a retail type store and people would constantly bring an item to the counter and want to negotiate the price. I’d tell them that I’m not running a garage sale - take it or leave it.

Although there were times where people would buy in quantity, and I would discount them. Or I would give good deals to loyal, repeat customers - same in the WC business.

I had a joker call me today for gutter cleaning. He wanted it done ASAP. I took down his information and gave him my price and when I was available. Then this is when the fun starts happening. He tells me that his neighbor has might want theirs done as well so, he’ll call me right back. Not thinking he really would call but he did. He and his neighbor want the same service. He tells me both houses are the same design (that makes it easy) Sounded all great until he wanted me to cut my price by 1/3 of the combined estimate. I told him “no, I cant do that. This is how much it is.” I wasnt even going to negociate prices with this fool.
Then it gets better. He now trys to tell me just how long it will take me. “Im not spending x amont of dollars for one hour” he says. Needless to say, this [crack smoker] conversation didnt last much longer. I get these calls every now and then.

it seems like those calls are coming in more and more this season… the market in my area is going to the “s’er” because of the “bucket bum’s” (which is what mike defiel and i like to call them… i also have another inappropriate term for them, p.m. me if you want to know :))
im thinking of lowballing the low baller, making less money but running every bucket bum out of business, owning the market and then going up gradually on my prices…
i just remembered this… when i first started my business whenever people started trying to negotiate a price or get a deal i used to say “yeah i can do that… which gutter or window(s) dont you want cleaned” haha i was a cocky sarcastic 23 yr old… most people just laughed and got the point… looks like im going to have to bring that back :slight_smile:

I like that idea, try to make up the difference w/another job…I love the customers who say “I want a good job but I dont want to pay a lot”…
$500 not a bad day tho, id prob do it, but I wouldnt include all the extra stuff she wanted to add on.
I had a customer tell me the other day on the phone that i really shouldnt be using soap on the windows…it streaks…ive been using soap for the past 10 years… what was I thinking???:rolleyes:

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Hey Sharen,
Hows business doing in Ohio? Looks like you had some decent work weather lately.