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Hey I got this HOA, a couple, managed by same prop manager.

 

We been doing their properties for 3 years, never went up on price.

I lowballed the job to get it. Easy G in half a day anyway.

One of the persons on the HOA board watched us, last year. We did 5 rows in about 2-2 n half hours. We didnt take breaks, we rocked it like a machine!

 Downspouts were easy to clean because we been doing the work. Going behind that guy that broke his leg almost every downspout had issues.

 

 I found out how to bid commercial gutter cleaning by being a sub, many years ago. A guy fell and broke his leg and subed it to us. The price I'm charging is less than what I got paid, as a sub.

 Lowbaler right?

 I bought a 50 foot ladder, 1000 dollars to do a 100 dollar job, aint used it since. For these jokers.

 

 What can I say to keep my price, and keep them as customers?

 Also they need a twice a year gutter cleaning, sprind debris.

This what I emailed back:

Re: Cleaning



TO: 1 recipient




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Well this the gist of it.



I been doing the gutters and downspouts at the properties managed by you in XXX for 2 or 3 years now.

I have not gone up on price.



The fact that we can get them done so fast now is that Gutterdogs has been the company doing them.



Many years ago. We were subbed out to do the sheduled comercial gutter cleans for a guy that fell off the roof and broke his leg.

He payed us xxx a row. We got our butt kicked on those. We Had to take whole sections of downspout apart to clean.



You are priced at xxx a row.



He had been cleaning the gutters and not the downspouts.



The first time I clean any xxx HOA association, we had the same problem. Downspouts. Well now we dont have a serious issue with downspouts at these properties. They clean real quick. Gutterdogs made it that way.



xxx asked me to come out and see if the gutters were pitched toward the downspouts. We didnt see any issues with the gutters making me think this was a valid question. Or something to charge you.

You look for water in the gutters. No water, so water is pitched to go in the downspout.

Water in gutters mean 2 things. Clogged downspouts, or wrong pitched gutters.

We didnt see any of that cleaning the gutters and downspouts.

What some of the properties need is a twice a year gutter cleaning. Which I mentioned to Michelle.

Search spring debris in gutters or something. Some trees shed twice a year. Remember the lil helicopters, whirly birds. These are seeds that some trees drop durring the spring. They are terrible for downspouts. And these properties have these issues.



These helicopters fall into the gutters. Because they are so small, rain picks them up and carried to a clean downspout. They build up like plaque in a vein between the first 2 elbows. Eventually clogging that DS.



I'm holding my price and suggesting again a twice a year gutter cleaning for some of the propertys.



Here are some things to consider.

For 1 TH townhouse, 2 story, my price is $xx. I think there are 5 TH in each row. What is xx x 5? and what am I charging you.



Also I bought a 50 ft ladder for you guys! For a $100 job. It cost me $1000. Only used it that one time. My 40 ft ladder couldnt get high enough.





My price stays at xxx a row. Find somebody else, or stay with us. Were not robbing you.



Best wishes,

Mike

Mike do whuch ya gotta do brother. I believe your the best guy for the job. If they dont want the best guy for the job, move on. Thats business. If someone elsr can produce the same results for cheaper, then he's the best guy for that particular job.
What would be sweet is they get someone cheaper who doesnt produce, or doesnt even show up. Let them pay someone less who takes twice as long, then gets a resentment, then screws em and stops showing up. Its not always what your doing and the time it takes, but the service. Just being a viable business year after year has value.

I wouldn't send either of those. Try sending a letter asking what their concerns are and why they would want to lower the price. Once you find that out then you can reply professionally telling them that the price is adjusted to the economy and that you have a lot of experience and that is why you are able to complete the job in a quick manner.

If they still want to go cheaper than you have to make a decision if you can afford to do it and If not then then respectfully decline the work.

I would lose the video! Looking at it as a customer I would say "wow thats really quick and easy" "There is really nothing in my gutters up top or coming out the down spout " ""There is so little I could do it every two or three years " You did that really fast and you want how much? They wont care what your expense is, how you have it down pat or anything. They will see it looks real easy, nothing is even there and it takes you two minutes. Have a video of you up there with a bag taking it out by hand, running water down it or moving ladders around, then when you get the job bang it out your way.

I think I learned something today?

At Knights of Columbus last night I asked about this.

Should I drop my price?

Sue the bartender said that that is still more money than she makes and should drop the price and only make 8-900.

Sell the job.

I chose the higher ground and held my price.

Me and the PM had a great conversation today on the phone this eve. Kept the dude in stiches! A great conversation. He totally understood bottom line, overhead, all that chit.

He wants a bid on washing 3 condos now too!

I think I learned this from Rob Huffman! He dont put up with no BS!

Wait till you meet him at the NOVA!

I'm trying to build something like what Eric and Chris Gunther got. And that money got to come from somewhere! lol!!!

Dude sent me an email! The PM.

Power washing:

Condo 4

5 buildings


Condo 3

3 buildings

condo 1

5 buildings


Gutter cleaning:

condo 4

5 buildings

condo 3

3 buildings

condo 1

5 buildings


Shutter replacement (the 50 ft ladder chit):

One in condo 1 and one in condo 2


The PM is a transplant from NY!!!

He used to this kinda talk I guessing? lol!!!

Your roof cleaning prices should be based off of your business model and what your business needs to operate.

up here we should be 2 -3 times higher that the guys down south.