[Mike Halliday]

What do you charge your mates or even worse the mates of your wife?

As I pay my son a percentage of the job value he gets a peeved off if we do jobs cheap, as he said last week after cleaning a living room with a lots of dog wee  " I only got £3.30 for cleaning up that stinking sh{thole"

Really I begrudge cleaning cheap even for my mates as it's like me taking money out of my pocket and giving it to them.  because we are booked all the time so they are taking the place of a fully paying customer

[JandS]

It's a hard call Mike....I try to do them at w/e and reluctantly drop the price a bit..it can come in handy when you need a trade.
I have a plasterer and a joiner friend on a mate rate to be returned as and when.
On another note I did M in Law's suite while she was on hols and got 12 cans of Stella....did her lounge and bedroom few weeks later and got....well you can guess the rest.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Hi Mike

We always try and keep things on a professional level even with mates so that if (in the unlikely event) it goes wrong you can still separate out business from friendship. It would appear from talking to them that most appreciate this view.

Also I would assume that most mates have a pretty good idea as to whether we (as in, the cc they have approached) are actually any good at carpet cleaning. They approach us because  firstly, we are mates and secondly because they know the job will be done right first time. Ok it may cost a little bit more but that is better than the lottery of finding any other cc who is not us and may not be as good (and could even work out more expensive.)

Our discount is usually to absorb the VAT so they save 20% and they know it's also costing us something as we will still have to pay the VAT on the job as all income is declared. Mutual Pain!?!

Rog

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

It's a hard call Mike....I try to do them at w/e and reluctantly drop the price a bit..it can come in handy when you need a trade.
I have a plasterer and a joiner friend on a mate rate to be returned as and when.
On another note I did M in Law's suite while she was on hols and got 12 cans of Stella....did her lounge and bedroom few weeks later and got....well you can guess the rest.

The mind boggles

Rog

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I don't do mates rates - I don't like anyone enough to work for less than I'm worth

[David Ware]

Offer them 10% if they are mates
David

[Darran Pryce]

I too don't do mates rates.  I pass work there way, and they pass work my way, so when they want carpets cleaned, they get the full rate.  Never had any issues with it.  They know how much a pump costs me or a vac!

[jasonl]

Cleaned a wax spillage on sat for free in Leeds , got a £400 job from a neighbour .

Mates are always free , thats why they are mates.

[Neil Worsnop]

Actual phone call last week

Cust:  Bloke from Murphys (a very grotty pub) said you clean lounges for £30.
Me:  My minimum fee is £65. You might get two rooms for that.
Cust:  No (sound argumentative), he said you do mates rates for Murphys cos you do the pub as well
Me: My minimum fee is £65, I've never been in Murphys and I'm not your mate
Cust:  @£w29s~S+£


Mates rates for, well, mates.  You do photography at my wedding for free, I'll clean your sofa for free.  Just so long as nobody takes the p.

[garyhumphreys]

Mates get it for free although I tell them they're helping.

If it bothers you that your losing money, they can't be real friends can they?

So charge them accordingly.

[Neil Jones]

I agree, mates are mates. Close and good mates get it for free, but on two conditions, they help me and it is done when it fits in with my schedule and if a paying customer comes along they take priority.

Friends or people I know through friends get a small discount but nothing else.

Family are free.

I understand we are running a business but if you can't give good friends and family things for free then you're doing something wrong.

Plenty of my friends have trades, I don't think I know someone who doesn't do a trade I need and it works both ways.

[David Ware]

I would say business cost are between 25% 35% including depreciation. So if you do it for free you are giving 25-35% of your business costs to your friends so it cost you money for helping out. You could end up with loads of friends and broke.
David

[Richard Cole]

I just try to discourage mate rates or neighbors thinking i will do it on the cheap, that being said i'm doing a free lounge clean next week as pay back to a local farmer who let me store my van on his farm whilst i was unable to access the rear of my house due to building work, he wouldn't accept payment i offered to clean his lounge in return, 6 months later he his taking me up on my offer .  

I don't even advertise in my village, partly as there is another carpet cleaner just down the road and partly as i on the couple of occasions i have done work it has been a nightmare trying to get paid, "oh i'll bring the cheque / cash round later" later has turned out to be up to 3 weeks later for one chap on a £250 job.

[Craigp]

What do you charge your mates or even worse the mates of your wife?

As I pay my son a percentage of the job value he gets a peeved off if we do jobs cheap, as he said last week after cleaning a living room with a lots of dog wee  " I only got £3.30 for cleaning up that stinking sh{thole"

Really I begrudge cleaning cheap even for my mates as it's like me taking money out of my pocket and giving it to them.  because we are booked all the time so they are taking the place of a fully paying customer

What do they do for you?

[Mike Halliday]

What do they do for you?

Nowt!!

 Plus what I really hate is the....."can you fit me in on Wednesday?" When Wednesday is 2 days away, like I don't have anything else booked in.


Got to say the worst for it are the ones who ring up from the BMI I  was a member of, like I was their best mate thinking I would give them a cheap deal.

[Craigp]

I feel exactly the same on the subject.

I wonder if you said, ok I'll clean your carpets free, if you paint my lounge free. I have a funny feeling their carpets would all of a sudden become "not that bad actually"


 

[davep]

Difference is the lounge will only take a hr vs a few days painting 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I tell them as it is, I'm booked up until.... And I'm not cheap..... If you would like it done I'll give you a discount and I'll do you a good job, if they are still listening then I arrange an appointment but I do push the 2 points I will not just turn up as I need to tell them my proposal I don't give a damn if they don't want me in fact if prefer them not to if they asking for discount, some friends will say they don't want a discount.

Shaun

[jim mca]

Mike

What percentage to you give your boy I am thinking of giving mine 20% he cant drive so can only work with me.

[Mike Halliday]

I pay him 15%, and pay him £8/hr for any time he does leafleting

[Craigp]

Difference is the lounge will only take a hr vs a few days painting 

Exactly, that will put them off the whole idea, LOL

[jim mca]

Cheers Mike

[bennymon]

Mike when I was a member of bni I got 1 decent job all the rest was my mum wants her bathroom carpet cleaned can you do a deal. Yes the deal is she pays me and I clean her carpet .  Del

[brencarpetman]

Mates get it for free although I tell them they're helping.

If it bothers you that your losing money, they can't be real friends can they?

So charge them accordingly.

Well said Lad.
Thats how I feel as well.

[Carpet Dawg]

Mates get it for free although I tell them they're helping.

If it bothers you that your losing money, they can't be real friends can they?

So charge them accordingly.

Well said Lad.
Thats how I feel as well.

Me too.

The times I have cleaned for friends they have always insisted to pay me and I always  end up charging a reduced price.

Its only ever been one or two carpets at a time never a full house. I would hate to say i'll do a full house for free! 

[Len Gribble]

I feel very sorry for some of my wife’s friends most have Coutts accounts not that mean anything to me!

As for mates I do a lot for them non cc related, it works out well free labour only have to pay for materials, then I get them at cost shop owner owes me too!

I know we should declare it as a business person! One look at the MP who resigned!

Yoda

[Barry Livingstone]

The one i hate is " i will pass you LOADS of work" yeah rite if i had a £1 for every time I heard that I wouldn't need to clean carpets.

On the other hand the Ones that Dont ask for mates rates are the ones that DO pass you lots of work as they No your work will be good enough for others not to MOAN back at them

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

The one i hate is " i will pass you LOADS of work" yeah rite if i had a £1 for every time I heard that I wouldn't need to clean carpets.

On the other hand the Ones that Dont ask for mates rates are the ones that DO pass you lots of work as they No your work will be good enough for others not to MOAN back at them

How true!

[swanson]

I don't work for mates or family 

[Mike Halliday]

That's cos your an orphan who has an odour problem