Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Petersullivan on February 25, 2004, 09:08:38 pm
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Evening guys , what form of advertising do you find works best for you, ???
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Word of mouth.. is the best. My van 2nd. then a toss up between YP and the local rag. Have to be in both to get the peeps who haven't had any cleaning done before. Hopefully they ring you first ::) ::)
Regards
Steve
P.S.
Done the supermarket thing >:( The diary thing >:( The estate agent thing >:( Im phoning on behalf of the police/firebrigade thing >:( The on your doorstep thing and they dont work.. Give me your money ;D ;D
Just thought of something else but dont know wether it would work. Fridge Magnets, has anybody used them and do they work.
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peter i would like to know also i'm a struggling carpe cleaner just moved to cornwall thanks paul
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What is the on the doorstep thing?
When I need more work we get on the phone.
Costs £5 a week.
Regards
Ian
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Steve.
Fridge magnets do work along with a sticker on the home owners vac. This way they can not forget your name. Its all to easy to do a good job and then expect the customer to find you again.
Cheers
George
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Ian , the on your doorstep is a A4 piece of card, tri folded, shoved through letter boxes with loads of telephone numbers on i.e. garages, pizza delivery, taxis etc.... I think i might try the fridge magnet thing. I see you can by the stuff on a roll and do your own , anybody tried doing there own..
Cheers
Steve
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I don't really know how I would go about getting new customers.
I rely on word of mouth referrals and repeat business for over 90% of my work. And keeping in touch with my friends in business, via my data base.
My only form of advertising, is a business card size ad; in the YP.
I refuse to pay the exhorbitant prices asked by YP, just so that I can have a larger ad, and get all the price shoppers that go with it.
Getting back to your problem though, I presume you are an excellent carpet cleaner, and have completed and passed, several courses.
If that is the case, I would be approaching real estate offices and offering to do a clean in one of their offices for free.
This is only one room, not the entire office.
Preferably the front counter area, this will be the dirtiest.
Advise them that a higher price comes with quality work, which will ensure their properties are let quicker.
ie; which would you rather move into, a clean carpeted unit, or a not so good one??
Also approach furniture retailers for fabric protection, as well as spot cleaning of 'shop soiled' items.
If you are prepared to work after hours, or week-ends, why not concentrate on commercial work & upholstery?
This is one segment sadly neglected.
Your work van should be clean, neat and tidy at all times, with good advertising on it.
Neat, clean uniforms are essential, along with your own personal appearance.
Always treat your friends that you will be doing work for, with the utmost courtesy and professionalism.
Forget the, "g'day luv, 'ow's it goin'"
You want to impress these people and retain them for future cleans.
Get some corner guards, so your hoses don't scuff the walls.
I don't know how many times I have heard, 'No-one else has ever used those, aren't they a good idea'??
Hope this helps in some way for you, good luck & hang in there.
Cheers,
Shorty.
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Shorty
Sound advice but commercial work they want it for free or a minimum price, I believe it was Ken W who said you work all day then do commercial totally nank next day, one day loss no money!
Regarding estate agents look for the privately owned, and prepared for freebees, also wait for money.
Take extreme care on the building industry probably the biggest knocker going.
Len
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Advertising cheap rates usually brings in more enquires and can give initial consumer confidence to actually pick up the hand set and give you a call prices such as £12 living room, £5 Bedroom etc.
When new calls are recieved you have to then "come in to your own" discretely obtain contact numbers and addresses, this can be done by braking buisness conversation down to a genaral chit chat and could go somthing like the following "Oh you have two dogs do you, I have got one but it can be difficult finding places to walk it when living in Hull, where abouts do you walk yours? I have a relative that lives there what street do you live in? Oh my god thats the street where he lives whats your number etc......
On entering the home you now have full control of what you say,how you say it and how long to have to say it.
"Obtaining full control"
Explain all the pro benifits of having your carpets hand scrubbed and foamed, throw in a deodriser, protector and make up prices with these items "Essential Products", just out of interest what type of protector do you guys use? our company tends to go for ducks wine (Water).
Elderly customers dont usally mind a lift to the bank once the job is completed.
Kind
Regards to all
Mr Hull
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Rod,
Extremely cynical and quite funny in a scary way.
I'm sure you're a decent human being really!
Cheers,
Doug
Rod ,
How come you've now become Peter with no apparent edit?
Oh ,I see now !.It's possible to edit on this board with no record of such.
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Evening Fella's,
Is it me or is rods sales advice awful?sounds like something from rogue traders on tv!! I prefer to be 100% above board and explain to my customers what i'm doing step by step, showing them the benefits of the chosen cleaning method. i.e pre spraying with micro-splitters,minimal resoiling, etc, etc. If i have given a quote over the phone and the work is completed in less time than i expected i charge less, at NO stage do i spin any bull s##t to get more money, Rods approach really winds me up, i meet some really nice people in my job and take alot of pride in leaving there house knowing i've done as good a job as possible at a fair price and this along with a YP add gets me plenty of work and a good living. :)
Paul
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DAMN!!!
I was quite hoping to cause a stir with that.
Im sure the Hand scrub and foam bit gave it away, we all know we shouldnt add foam after we have scrubbed ;D
Will try harder next time.
Regards
Peter
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No sorry I retract, looks like Pauls fallen for it.
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We all knew it was a wind up as there was no Emu and Rod said nothing about trying to sell self installation ariels safe in thunder storms.
Shaun
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Yeah whatever you say Rod or is it Peter?