WindowBossPro Blog — Recurring Cleanings

Pricing Plan Visits vs One-Time Window Cleaning Jobs

Every window cleaner who sells plans has to answer the same question: should a plan visit cost the same as a one-time job, or less? There is no single right answer, and nothing here is a rule. But there are good reasons most window cleaning companies charge plan customers a little less per visit, and good ways to decide how much.

Why Plan Visits Are Different Work

The offer itself is covered in Offering a Window Cleaning Plan at the First Job. This article is about the number you put next to it.

A one-time job and a plan visit at the same house are not the same work. The first cleaning in years often means heavy grime, cobwebs, built-up hard water and screens that have not been touched since the house was built. A quarterly visit three months later is lighter. The glass is not as dirty, the tech knows the house, and the access notes are already on the phone.

On top of the time saved, a plan customer is worth more over a year. You did not have to market to find the second, third and fourth visit. That steady work is worth something, and a lower plan price is how you pay for it.

Ways Window Cleaners Price Plans

Here are a few common approaches. Pick the one that fits how you already quote:

• A percentage off each plan visit. The one-time price, minus a set discount for plan customers. Simple to explain.
• A full first visit, then a lower maintenance rate. The first cleaning is priced like a one-time job because it is the heavy one. Every visit after is lighter and priced lower.
• Same price, more included. The visit price stays the same, but plan customers get screens or tracks every other visit, or hard-water touch-ups.
• A per-window rate by frequency. For example, a lower per-window rate for quarterly than for twice-a-year, and both lower than one-time. These are example structures; the numbers are yours.

Building Both Prices on One Estimate

Whatever approach you choose, put the one-time price and the plan price on the same estimate so the customer sees the difference. In WindowBossPro, estimates are built from your service list: per window, per screen, story add-ons and hard-water removal. Add a line for the one-time cleaning and a line for the plan visit, and let the customer pick.

For example, a 2-story home with 28 windows inside and outside might show a one-time cleaning at your full rate and a quarterly visit at a lower per-visit price. The customer approves online and the approved estimate becomes scheduled services. Seeing the lower number in black and white sells the plan better than any speech.

Do Not Discount Too Deep

A plan discount is a tool, not a giveaway. A few things to keep in mind:

• Count your real time. A 3+ story home with skylights and screens is still a long job every visit. Do not let the plan price fall below what the work is worth.
• Watch drive time. A quarterly home way out past the edge of your route costs more to reach. It is fine to price it accordingly.
• Keep extras as extras. Hard-water removal and screen repair are often better priced on their own, so the plan price stays clean.
• Price storefronts for speed. Every-two-weeks storefronts are quick visits. A modest price per visit adds up because of how often you go.

Raising Plan Prices Over Time

Plans last for years, and your costs will not stay still. Review plan pricing once a year. When you raise prices, text plan customers ahead of time through two-way texting, explain it plainly, and give a date. Customers who have had clean windows on schedule for two years rarely leave over a modest increase. Customers who hear about it on an invoice sometimes do.

Reports on your recurring customers make this easier, since you can see who is on which plan and what each group brings in. More on that in Reports on Recurring Window Cleaning Customers: Knowing What Your Plans Are Worth.

Let the Price Do the Selling

The right plan price makes the plan the easy choice. The customer sees a fair number for clean windows on a schedule, with no calls to make and the card charged on completion. You get work that comes back on the Waiting List without marketing. Set a gap you are comfortable with, show both prices every time, and adjust once a year.

For how plan pricing fits with reminders, auto-charge and monthly statements, head back to the recurring window cleaning software page.