Why Getting Quotes for Window Cleaning Can be Good
/On most of our calls for estimates the homeowner tells us they are planning on getting other estimates. Giving customers an estimate has been a normal course of business for the service industry for decades. And how will the homeowner know if they are getting a good value unless they compare your estimate for window cleaning to another window cleaning company?
We agree with this philosophy and think the benefits to getting multiple estimates far out-weighs the potential hazards when only getting one estimate. Over the years we have formed our opinion on what benefits we feel exist in talking to more than one window cleaning company and we wanted to share them with you here.
Information Puts You in Control
Simply put, it is really hard to make a decision without all the facts. Looking at one company's offerings, as great as they may seem, doesn't give you any real perspective on who you should hire. Each window cleaning company is different. Some are vastly different. This may not seem so obvious since the idea of window cleaning seems to lack complexity. Some companies approach window cleaning with a high level of professionalism and others can't spell professionalism. But how will you know this if you don't meet them both? Meeting with the first company, you get to ask them a lot of questions and probe into their operations, employee hiring and credentials. After the meeting you will be able to start to form an opinion but new questions and ideas will be raised. Then when you meet with the second company you'll probably see something very different and be able to put all the pieces together.
You'll have a better understanding of how each window cleaning company works and a better baseline for comparison.
Ask For Credentials
Let's face it, there are a lot of fly by night companies out there. You don't want to end up with a criminal inside your home. Ask your window cleaning company about their selection process when hiring new employees. If they don't have a good answer, you may need to move on.
Also, look at the price. If you are surprised at how low the price is, it may be too good to be true. If a company is operating above board, paying their employees proper wages and building morale into their work culture, it should be reflected in the price. This doesn't mean the price will be inflated, but will be more in line with what the work more realistically entails. The price shouldn't surprise you. A business can't stay in business with paper thin margins. They can't hire quality people with paper thin margins. They can't deliver quality with slim to none margins. This is a big deal when hiring a company to provide any kind of service. Consider how the price will affect quality of your window cleaning but think about safety and be smart about who you select.
Another way a window cleaning company should be able to serve you is through having actual credentials. A good place to start is making sure they carry a liability policy that will protect you. They may have had it at one time, but is it current? If other signs, like not being able to get them to return your call or showing up without a company uniform point to inconsistency, it might be a good idea to ask them for a copy of the document.
What is the Company's Total Value
Hopefully you can see that by getting multiple estimates you are able to see the difference in total value that each company brings to the table. One may have a low price but be missing some of the critical elements necessary in safety and quality. The other may have a high price but meet all your criteria. This gives you the chance to take your concerns to each company and ask them to meet you where you want to be. If the company lacking in quality can assure you they will spend additional time letting you inspect the details of their work, this may be a good fit. Maybe the company who has a higher price will help you on price by putting together a maintenance package or giving you a new customer discount for electing more than one service. However you approach getting multiple estimates, let it put you in the driver seat and select a window cleaning company who brings the most to the table.
