First paying gig today

Everybody wants a good deal and there’s nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t mean that you can’t give them a better value for their money. And if they don’t see the value in your services then just refer to the .gif I posted above.

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Ya i always post treat.

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New here and reading a lot but I have a quick question. I see surface cleaners for inexpensive($50) and some for $600. I can only assume the parts and durability are better on the more expensive ones but what else are you paying for? Do they clean better too? Are they more quiet (hence whisper in the name)? What all are you getting for the additional $500 you’d be spending?

15 years or so worth of use for the extra $500

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Sounds about right. Thanks

I went from using a 15 inch surface cleaner from lowes that just quick connected to my wand to a 20 inch general pump surface cleaner. Let me tell you, even with the 5 inch difference, thats 2 1/2 inches more all around, I clean almost 3x faster, I don’t break my back bending down to clean, I have much better control, and I look way more professional. 100% buy a quality surface cleaner and you will thank everyone who told you so later. Also, my minimum price on concrete work is $150. Idc if you only have a 10 ft sidewalk or a 10 x 10 patio, $150. Don’t undercut yourself. Dont offer $50 patio jobs or whatever. Be a pro, have set prices, don’t budge. You pay not only for your time, but for insurance, advertisement, licences, wear and tear, and so on!

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You’re going to have to show me an invoice to believe you get $150 for a 10*10 patio

@Racer

All day! I explain to the customer my minimum to come out is $150. They really wanted it done, so, I got $150!

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Nice. On the flipside I had a customer today first ask, rather insist on a 33% discount due to “hard economic” times. He lives in the nicest neighborhood in our parish(county).

It was for a $235 driveway and sidewalk wash. After being discounted $25 for coupons for my flyers, postcards, etc.

I said I wasn’t interested in discounting to that extent. He came back demanding at least 10 more percent off or he “wasn’t interested.”

Now $23 surely wouldn’t be any skin off my back but I wasn’t about to let this would be customer completely dictate my prices. I kept it cordial and promptly replied that there are weekender guys (no-offense) that do not have the expenses I do who would gladly take on those rates.

Tldr: red flags from customer “expecting” 33% discount, when refused, he demanded 10% or else not interested. No beuno. Dont let individual customers dictate job pricing, where applicable.

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I had a customer the other day on thumbtack say that it was morally wrong for looking up the address online (so I could view the house in 3D and get sq/ft for an online estimate). She said it’s private information and I shouldn’t be seeing her houses market value. She said that maybe I wasn’t the right person to clean her home. I informed her In a nicer and more professional way, that it was public information, I use some of that information so I know what and where I’m servicing, to provide a quote. Then I kindly told her that basically she can have a nice day, we will not be servicing her home, and good luck finding another professional. It was a 1.6 million dollar home, not that I cared, but about a $550 house wash. I’d rather give that up, then work with a crappy customer who could potentially say I damaged something, complain about service, potentially give me a bad review or even try an insurance claim. There’s plenty of work to go around. Some people ain’t worth it

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She just wasn’t your customer, not everyone is. That’s part of dealing with the public. Some you want and some you run away from no matter how much the ticket is.

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In a way, I can see from her perspective that ‘profiling’ her neighborhood to adjust pricing would be morally wrong. I certainly don’t do that with my WC customers.

I think she got confused and assumed by looking at her house online that you were going to charge extra just because it was an affluent neighborhood. :man_shrugging:t3:

We are cleaning 85

patios, 6x8, for $7 each along with the townhomes this week. I’m happy with 7 bucks for three minutes of work. Not bad for 3 days work

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Totally valid for what you’re doing IBS. It’s like the difference between @dperez and @Hotshot washing trucks. You’re mostly commercial and volume vs the average washer who is a more catered service. I imagine pricing like that gets you all the business you can handle along with always doing the customer right.

I see a typo grump, 85 psi is way to low. But whata I know, I scrubber rubber my friend lol

@TexasPressureWashing you calling @Hotshot an average washer??

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LOL, I agree if it’s a minimum. I’m doing one today, and mine is $175 but what I do is suggest other services they may need to bring it up to a fair price… She called me about a 10 by 10 patio that’s really nasty, but then I suggested a couple of sections of white fence that had a little mildew on them and that I would do her drive too to bring it up to that. She doesn’t know it yet, but going to discount the total down to $150 or maybe less since she’s drawing unemployment. Total job will take me less than an hour and it’s 3 min from my house.

I always figure out a way to make it a fair deal for the customer too. But that’s just me. I always put myself into my customers shoes, how I would want this job if it were me on the other side.

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That’s exactly what she thought. I let her know it wasn’t for those reasons.

I do throw in freebies sometimes so my minimum is worth it to some people. Usually it’s like a short section of vinyl fence just DS’d with HW or another section of concrete to surface clean. Customer is always happy though; that’s the end goal for me!

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@MuscleMyHustle I think we all know there’s nothing average about @Hotshot Hahahaha :joy: he’s the boutique of boutique truck washers.

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