FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I price my services based upon previous experience, profitability, but most of all common sense. I price Window Cleaning based upon size, style, and type of Window to be cleaned. Companies that charge by the hour, or square feet of the house, are over-charging some, since one house may have 24 windows, and another house of the same size may only have 18 windows. A company that has been around for a while will base their prices upon the size and specifications of the job, not the type of car you have in the driveway. Always get at least 3 estimates. If you get 3 vastly different prices, get 2 more. then throw away the high priced and low priced estimates, these will usually tell you they do not know the industry that well.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I subscribe to industry journals, and continually surf the web for the latest news and updates in my industry, there are a few associations and organizations on the internet and in print that will conduct webinars, trade shows, and industry updates. I also like to track suppliers, since they know about new products that are about to hit the market that will change the way things are done. My inbox has over 200 messages a day with industry news and updates, and it is a full-time job keeping up.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
My first job was window cleaning. I started when I was 15 during the summer to make money to buy a car and clothe myself. I was naturally very good at it, and had fun. I worked in retail management for a few years after that, and after working 90 hour weeks, with no days off, for $30,000 a year. I decided to sell my company stock and start a business that I liked to do.