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Original poster

Slight increase? 25%!

50 replies

MusicMenu · 05/05/2021 17:59

The window cleaner's been today. "I'm afraid there's a slight increase, it's now £15, not £12"

  • he's been doing my windows for nearly 20 years. I think it was £7 when he started so over the time the rise is not so extortionate.
  • I don't think the price has increased for the last 3/4 years.
  • He's an old fashioned bucket and shammy window cleaner and is a bit slap dash
  • windows are never perfect when he's been, but it's much better than me having to do them!
  • you don't get much for £15 these days
  • 4 bed detached, plenty of windows, but he's here no longer than 15 mins
  • he always wants cash, which has started to make me uncomfortable in a world where above board businesses seem to prefer electronic payment these days and is inconvenient. He's the only person I ever give cash to now, so I have to go to the bank specially.

So, quite a steep increase in isolation but still a fair price, let it go?

Use this as a catalyst to find someone who'll do a better job?

What do you pay? Is better going to cost me more?

OP posts:
accentdusoleil · 05/05/2021 18:04

I pay £10 in NW England.

TBH id pay the extra money as I'm too lazy to find another one. Some have Facebook pages or or local pages which might advertise their prices to compare.

Chatanooga1 · 05/05/2021 18:06

Maybe his insurance has gone up and he has no choice?

Chatanooga1 · 05/05/2021 18:07

Or he has fewer customers because people have lost their jobs and don’t have the money and it are doing their windows themselves?

DonLewis · 05/05/2021 18:08

Cash doesn't automatically equate to dodgy.

Mykittensmittens · 05/05/2021 18:09

I pay that for a once every 6 week clean in the midlands on a 5 bed. Doing a quick tally thats 13 windows and two doors.

Could you agree the increase if he would agree to a bank transfer?

Dinosauraddict · 05/05/2021 18:10

I would jump at that price. I paid £60 last month!!

lightand · 05/05/2021 18:13

@DonLewis

Cash doesn't automatically equate to dodgy.
I agree. I needed to google to check about 3 years ago, with sums a lot larger than that, and was surprised to learn that any onus was on the one asking and receiving cash, not the person paying it. But I would advise anyone to double check what I have just written, for themselves.
lightand · 05/05/2021 18:15

You dont mention op, how often you have him? Once a week?

ZenNudist · 05/05/2021 18:16

I pay £10 in Manchester. He only comes once a month. 4 bed semi.

Original poster
MusicMenu · 05/05/2021 18:18

What non dodgy reason might a window cleaner have for insisting on all transactions being cash? I agree it's perfectly possible cash transactions are put through his books, but why would that mean he never took payment any other way?

The onus may be on the recipient legally, but morally we have a duty to not deliberately assist tax evasion, surely?

OP posts:
Original poster
MusicMenu · 05/05/2021 18:19

It's monthly

OP posts:
goingtotown · 05/05/2021 18:21

The price seems ok to me but I wouldn’t expect a slap dash job.

Solongtoshort · 05/05/2021 18:31

I pay £8 once a month 4 bed detached with conservatory in the north l pay him £15 every 3 months to do the insides as well.

MummytoCSJH · 05/05/2021 18:33

I pay £5 once every 2 months, 2 bed house. I realise mine is ridiculously cheap and would pay more if necessary, but I wouldn't just be agreeing to pay a price increase without being told it would be more before the job was done. I also have to go to the cash point specifically for the window cleaner.

Lorw · 05/05/2021 18:38

Seems reasonable to me...

Also payment thing, how do you wish for him to take payment? Card? It costs a business each transaction for someone to pay them via card and it’s a pain when you’re mobile and connection issues and such. Just because he’s cash only doesn’t mean he’s dodgy he’s probs just old school 😁

Erictheavocado · 05/05/2021 18:41

Banks won't always allow small businesses to have the card machine facilities. Up to a few years ago, it used to cost the business owner to have the machine and a small business might feel they have to pass that cost on to their customers. Not having a machine isn't automatically dodgy.
Of course, if you are unhappy about the quality of the work and/or the cost, you might find someone else who will be better.

Susannahmoody · 05/05/2021 18:41

Do you actually need them cleaning?

Hazelnutlatteplease · 05/05/2021 18:45

I very rarely deal with a tradesman who is cash only if I can avoid it. Once you've dealt with the CMS/CSA, you dont fancy the risk of contributing to a feckless git.

trappedsincesundaymorn · 05/05/2021 18:46

What non dodgy reason might a window cleaner have for insisting on all transactions being cash

Where I am the main reason would be a dodgy signal rendering the card machine useless.

AlmostSummer21 · 05/05/2021 18:51

@Susannahmoody

Do you actually need them cleaning?
No she has these mew self cleaning smart windows, but keeps the old bloke & his shammy on anyway...
AlmostSummer21 · 05/05/2021 19:02

Card machines are expensive fir small businesses, but mine just shives them bill through the door & I pay using internet banking.

I pay to have cleaned -
4 windows (well each is a large frame with 2 side opening windows, a large panel in the middle and small opening one along the top - would you call that one window!) and a skylight.

Once a month £11.

He does next doors too. (So not coming out for just one job). I know from previous threads that's considered expensive, but the bloke owns his own business, employs a few guys and invests in new equipment & vans, pure water system and is a really decent bloke

£11 isn't breaking the bank & I'm happy to pay it.

25% sounds like a lot, but it's £3 and hasn't gone up in years, so I think it's reasonable.

How many times in 20 years have you asked him to do a more thorough job?

butterpuffed · 05/05/2021 19:04

I don't think I'd actually want you as a customer !

It may be a 25% rise but it's the first increase for 3 or 4 years [if he'd raised it £1 per year I'm sure you wouldn't be complaining and that comes to the same thing] It's also only just over double the starting price twenty years ago. Twenty !

All in all I'd say it's a bit of a bargain.

Babdoc · 05/05/2021 19:10

I’m in Scotland. My window cleaner charges £5.50 for my 4 bed detached house. He put it up from £5 about ten years ago. He does a good job and I consider him a bargain.

Councilworker · 05/05/2021 19:11

We pay £5 a fortnight. Northwest of England. Terrace with 3 beds which is 8 windows and 2 doors with glass. Our window cleaner only takes cash too and he's definitely very old school. My mum's is a bit more and the company is run by fire crew. They take cash or bank transfer

RealisticSketch · 05/05/2021 19:12

A percentage increase when the amount in question is so small anyway is pretty meaningless.
I think that increase is fine and I can imagine chasing multiple little electronic payments would be a lot of office work for a one man band who spends most of his working life or of the office. Pocket the cash it's all done, go to Bacs payments and his work checking payment against service is differently a lot more. I think most services which are physical and involve small amounts work well for cash.