The post below is actually based on a comment left here. I thought just in case you didn’t see it, I’d make it into an individual post along with my reply.  Pricing seems to be a hot topic lately so here we go…

Hello,

I run my operation in the Chicagoland area and competition is fierce. There are dozens if not hundreds of window washing companies. Plenty of good, well established ones and numerous small ones. In this market it would be very difficult to charge more than $6 per window. My pricing is anywhere from $3-$5 per window and there isn’t really any more room for an increase. Just something to think about; Depends what market you are operating in.

Luke

My response:

Hi Luke:

You are certainly correct. I mean you can’t just walk into any market, pull a price out of thin air, and just go with it. When I was brand new, I started with pricing of $7 a window. But when I wasn’t closing that many prospects, I had to drop to $5 per window. It still put me in the higher end pricing market, so backed up with an impressive presentation, prospects now closed fairly easily even though  I was still higher than some of my low-ball competitors out there.

Anyway…you do have to do your research and find out what per window pricing will fit in your area. Call 2 or 3 window cleaners, invite ‘em over to your home/friend’s home and ask them to give you an estimate.  I wouldn’t take what they say as gospel though. Because most window cleaners do focus on price. And you really don’t want to do that.

I think the focus of the post here and subsequent comments from people is about "presentation". If we focus on a rock solid presentation,  will prospects pick our pricing over some average window cleaner who has little or no presentation? Absolutely. Not all prospects obviously. Especially the yellow page callers since the majority are price shopping. But the beauty of it is we don’t  need all prospects to say "yes".

The bottom line is that we should never make the focal point of our window cleaning businesses all about price. If we do, we are just like most other window cleaners out there that are cut from the same cloth. Sure you have to adjust to your market. But don’t match up your pricing to your low ball competitors. You’ll get plenty of business if you stay above the fray.

Look at the mariott hotel chain. And now look at super 8. There will always be the people who are cheap and looking to save money so they’ll stay at the super 8′s of the world. But do the mariott hotels suffer because of this? Absolutely not. They thrive because they’re providing a better "experience".  At a higher per room price I might add.

So carry this philosophy over to your window cleaning business. Don’t be a super 8. Be a mariott. People will pay for a quality experience.

Take care luke.

Steve 

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