Just caught up , great content , I’m guilty of not checking above me for cables , definately going to be more aware , my trainers have been leaking for weeks , I’ve ended up wrapping my feet in sandwich bags till I can afford some new footwear!!! what a Nightmare time for an MOT 😵‍💫 thanks Rob 👍🏻

When meeting the customer for the very first time and agreeing price for whole house and also discussing that you will text night before (remember customer could be on holiday and their phone could be switched off ) I always state and agree with them that I will charge a price for the front only if no chance of getting over back of property with a ladder( if possible to get over with ladders and customer agrees this method) then just carry on. If impossible to get over back because it’s not accessible, revert to initial agreement of front only, but a front only price must be a worthwhile price because you have used fuel etc to get to job in first place, for instance if a job is worth £20 for whole property and I have been bothered to text the night before but received no response back, my price for front only would be £15 which I would have already agreed with customer when I first meet them. Hopefully they will remember initial conversation, if not just remind them and then should be smooth sailing so to speak. Just remember your time and costs are valuable, no point in charging £10 for frontage as you don’t really gain because of overheads. Hope this helps. Always have the initial conversation with client.

What’s the rule on texting the customer you’re going to be there the day before and the gate is locked when you turn up. Charge full price ? Charge for the front ? Or a price that is cheaper than all round but dearer than just the front ? Nice one Rob

I’ve missed the live again on Sunday so yet to catch up! Those decorative frames are a real Headache , same With the plastic vents which push into the trim above which come out. Grey damp And gloomy in Warwickshire this week but just pushing on planning to break up on 20th, keep up the good work Rob

Seeing you cleaning in this too makes me feel better about the weather, as I'm doing exactly the same with soggy gloves!

Those decorative Georgian bars are a right pain. I have 1 house that has lost a few and the others are very loose - they are supposed to be bonded on! Also have a few others with them that seem to be just held at the frame ends, which worries me - a flocked brush and very gentle plus crossed fingers. Nice to see the four legged team member :-) No gloves must have been painful - always have a spare pair or 3 in the van - can't stand being cold.

I love the way you point at the camera 😂

Love these videos 👍 gives me inspiration in this gloomy weather 🌧️🌪️!!

Windy day with some rain after the storm with low temps feels like -3 for the morning, so all set for a cold miserable but busy day.

Are you interested in a members only live where you can appear as guests?

Found you on Facebook, but can’t find The Window Cleaning Hub?

Nice! Subbed.

I’ve been agonising over prices as well, some I’m going to just stick up a £1 but some Are going to be up £2 , not sure I’ve got the bottle to increase anymore , I hope the back improves soon Rob , top effort by Matthew and Sophie , all the best mate

This sounds like you're replacing a motor, not upgrading?? Interesting though.

You explain to your customers about price rises as and when you want mate. At least if you give them plenty of notice it isn't too much of a surprise. I hate discussing price rises but most people are pretty understanding. I sometimes emphasise "I've held off since ...., but costs keep going up so I need to put my prices up a bit" etc. Thanks for the great videos, insights and advice Rob, it is always appreciated mate.

I’m in the same position where adjusting prices is challenging. Raising prices to meet the baseline is one thing, but bringing underpriced jobs in line is a completely different task. That said, it’s better to start sooner rather than later. You often hear people say there’s never a good time to raise prices-and they’re right. But waiting until April can make things harder because, by then, new customers and inquiries will already be coming in naturally. Based on my plan, I’ll begin the first price increases on January 1 for customers whose prices haven’t been adjusted in years, focusing on the largest hikes for jobs that aren’t worth keeping. If those customers cancel, it’s no major loss. To manage this, I’m categorizing customers into three groups: Red, Amber, and Green. Red: These will be adjusted first, starting in January, as they require the biggest changes. I’m also breaking this group into three tiers: Red 1: Jobs that need immediate adjustments in the new year Red 2: Jobs that can follow shortly after although you might think about giving them up. Red 3: Jobs I really don’t want to keep, which should be priced 1st also you really need to be questioning actually whether or not you actually want the job so maybe these are the ones that you just let go. Amber: These will be adjusted in April. Green: These customers are generally fine, but I’ll review them for minor adjustments later, such as before summer. New customers replacing any lost ones will always start as Green, with correct pricing from day one. This ensures I’m consistently eroding the bottom of my customer base (low-paying or undesirable jobs) and strengthening the top with better-paying, reliable customers. There’s no need to do all the price adjustments at once. I’ll work in batches of 10 or 20 customers at a time. If cancellations seem high in one batch, I can slow things down. Starting with Red in January, I’ll gradually move to Amber by April and, if necessary, review Green customers later. Looking at the bigger picture, my goal for the new year is to potentially filter out 25% of my lower-paying customers and replace them with better ones. This way, for every customer that leaves, a new one comes in at the right price, keeping the business sustainable and profitable over time.

Tricky problem with the pricing! But appreciate your openness about it 👍

I bet Sophie had fun with the hose getting snagged on everything it could find :-) I think Sophie's hat might be more fashionable than yours :-) I would be too scared to put all prices up at the same time. Maybe just put up the worst under priced ones up first. Not sure if I would tell them in Jan that prices are going up in April.

Yeah it’s always difficult putting up the price a lot. I have a few that knew a major price hike. Sophie must have loved it using the hose reel instead of the trolley. Love her hat too.

Looking like the kids are taking over the business. 😉

Always put your prices up in stages. Not all customers at once. Gives you time to test the water. If you do get lots if cancellations, it's easier to replace.

It’s a bit different if you’re a sole operator self employed because everything after your expenses is your wage but you need to have some saved as a backup. What I do is in my bank I have two pots set up. When I get paid from the customer 10% goes into the tax pot to pay my self assessment bill and 5% goes into another pot for emergency’s. Anything left in the wage I pay myself. Some moths are good some aren’t so good.

Hi Rob. I totally agree on price increases. I don't really increase mine enough and some are a little bit low now. I have held off offering other services too much (gsf, conservatory roofs) but I'm getting a bit low on window customers and quite a few unexpected cancellations recently (a few of the usual p*sstakers who say they want a regular window cleaner and then cancel after 1 or 2, but also some due to cost of living), so am going to have to start offering them to boost my income. What happened to your wife mate? I slipped getting out the bath about 6 weeks ago and landed across my chest on the edge of the bath and broke my ribs. They're quite a bit better now but were very sore and painful when they were healing, so that hasn't helped with what work gets done.

Be bold with rises but don't do them all at once - too big a risk. Maybe do a week at a time and see how it goes down. Your prices might be ok but your attention to detail and work ethic is worth more. Remember you worked out a minute was about 80p so getting your ladder off and back on takes more a minute plus the extra risk! I aim to win 70 to 80% of quotes. Don't say no to quotes, price them higher than your new April prices, if they accept all well and good. Won't the squeegee update % make prices not whole pounds? That will be a pain for the odd cash payments. Plus some low priced jobs need bigger rises. Don't right off Lee's pricing, just because he has more overheads, it goes to show the sort of prices people accept although he is down south. You are running a business to make money. One offs aka Christmas cleans - quote double as they probably wont want them done again till next year.

Is that the Xline system and electric hose reel?

Very difficult for three window cleaners in one van to all earn good money. More efficient having one or two per van.

You said if the the calculator gave you the percentage increase, you would just use that. But you put in £1 and it gave you £1.11 so that's just an 11% increase. Time 1hr15.

Sorry I missed this one as I was looking forward to it, unfortunately something time sensitive came up. I will try and catch up over the next few days.

There is a lot to think about really when working out your pricing system or hourly rate when on the glass.

Conny roof prices for me start at £100.00 For a large one about £180.00 but wouldn't go any lower now.

I’d love to re price all my work tbh. This is why price increases every couple of years is a must. Banging some of my older work up in April as well. I’m full so if I lose a few it won’t matter really

I use cleaner planner mate and it has a reports section so i add any expenses as i go and upload to cleaner planner and that way it breaks it all down turnover total each individual expenses category amount per month and a yearly total its brilliant when it come to doing my self assessment 👍as it will say 40k turnover for example 10k expenses so profit 30k ect.

Every job should meet a minimum charge really got to be £20 this day and age?

I generally wont increase prices for repeat customers. But new quotes will get a bump up.

Jeez its 38-40 ppm here in llandudno North wales mate so i just have a resin vessel rigged up in my van and purify it on demand this way if i run low i can top up the tank every now and then on jobs im on mate 👍

Hi mate do you ever go to any cleaning expo? I've always wanted to go and would be cool to bump into you as ive watched you /Chris addis ae mackentosh and all them lot for years and im thinking if starting my own channel now always a good watch keep up the good work

Hiya Rob. Fantastic video as always mate. I have had exactly the same on a window with a new pane a few weeks ago. It's the protective adhesive sheet that they peel off on install. They use all sorts of tools when lifting, moving and installing the pane (not just their hands). This leaves extra adhesive still on the window pane. My customer has just had it installed and could only see it when it's cold. In normal temperature the glass looks perfectly clean. I tried with an applicator and squeegee, went over a few times and it was still the same. Hope Matt wasn't too upset as it was definitely nothing to do with him 👍

I think most have us have got pricing on the brain this week👍🏻have a good rest of the week

I’m also looking at all my prices. I’m working out if it’s under priced by my current price list and also how long it’s taking as I want a certain amount per hour. Definitely had some today that were underpriced.

Great video! Didn’t realise you aren’t too far from me, I’m in a village near Peterborough 😊