[Mike Halliday]

I'd be interested in what % of your work is suite cleaning.

Especially anyone who charges over £120. I've recently put up my suite prices and am losing quite a few where before I got every one I quoted.

Mike

[John_Flynn]

75% carpets and 25% suites.

As you know Mike I charge for my suite work and am not cheap on carpets either, I find that I loose quotes on carpets but never on suites.

Ouch, there goes my back again, wish it was the other way round.

[lee_gundry]

same as john.

Lee G

[Shaun_Ashmore]

at xmas I did about 5% suites, didn't want to know about them far too much money to be made on carpets but to answer your question I would say about same as John and Lee but on a slide.

Shaun

[Mike Halliday]

Thanks for answering lads, its nice to know that out of 53 people that have read this post 3 could be bothered to post an answer

mike

[Dynafoam]

Mike,

December 40% Upholstery, this month 30% but taking the last few years as a whole, just over 20%.

For a 10 cushion, fixed back pads I charged from £110,
which has gone to £120 minimum. The most expensive suite last year was £320 and I have not lost an upholstery job on price for several years. Mind you, about 20% of customers do not ask the price untill I have finished and since I have not advertised for about 38 years, all costomers are repeats or referals.

Whilst looking up the stats I noted that 11 customers 1999-2002 have not yet rebooked - I must be slipping !

John.

[Dave Parry]

20% upholstery compared to Carpet. Charge £ 20 per seat, so typical 3 seater + 2 armchairs £ 100. maybe time to put the price up.

[Cloverleaf]

Mike,
I hate doing suites, but u hve to do them.
Existing customers will pay £60 to £100 because they know u are good. January is here so do them.
But I find that that casual calls dont want to pay the money.
I dont like doing them full stop, so I charge above the local average, £40 to £50.
Carpet cleaning is much more lucrative and much more easier as I'm sure u'll know.
I tend now to push carpet cleanining adverts more than upholstey.
John

[Nigel_W]

Mike,

16.4% this financial year to date (Sept to Jan)

£205 + vat for a suite

Nigel

[Derek]

Hi Guys and Gals

For a five seating unit suite my price is minimum £130.00.

I agree with a previous post that it can be more lucrative to clean carpets certainly if you are charging less than £100. 00.

My percentage of furniture cleaning to carpet cleaning is higher than some of you who have already posted... somewhere in the region of 35%

Regards
Derek

[Mike Halliday]

I should answer the question myself, I clean about 3 a week so I would say thats less 10% of my work

before Xmas i was charging £95 and I got every job i quoted but now i'm asking £120 not everyones going for it.

to hit the same hourly rate i make on carpets I should charge £145ish

as a sideline I'd like to add, I used to quote a lot of jobs over the phone, if you charge over £80 to clean a suite you won't get the job if you tell them your price over the phone, you have to give an in-house quote.

Mike

[stevegunn]

I have cleaned five suites since starting back after christmas two leather- three fabric someone advertising suite cleaned from £15 in local paper no wonder i'm not doing many

[Alan_Kennedy]

I've recently started in the business so can't guage percentege just yet. Like Steve, I'm getting local adverts doing the work cheap e.g. 3 piece suite and 1 carpet - £45.   I find if I quote more than £50 I don't get the work.   When I get the business built up, hopefully over the summer,  I will certainly raise my charges as I much prefer carpet cleaning. However, at the moment, needs must!

Regards  Alan

[mark_roberts]

I say about 10% is suite cleaning and like most of you I hate cleaning them more so because I'm 6'2" and its sore on the back.

I remember when I used to work for the local low baller (thats how I got started in cleaning) he charged £40 for a suite and we we're expected to do it in no more than 1 hour 30 mins.  Most of the suites were 'stinking' with dirt usually in housing estate type areas.  Don't ask how we did it in that time.  Lets just say it wasen't thorough.

At the moment I charge starting at £85.  I prefere to quote in house and have walked away manys a time.

Alan, could I urge you to look closer at your business and future estimates and charge accordingly.  In two years time the customers your serving now will unlikely want to pay £80 or more ( a jump of almost 100% in 2 years) and so your almost starting from scratch.  This is kind of what is happening to me with suite cleaning.

thanks
Mark Roberts

PS. why do customers perceive suite cleaning to be less expensive than carpet cleaning?

[John_Flynn]

I always quote in house and explain to the client that if they took all the material off the suite and laid it on the floor they would completly cover the carpet, I then go on to say that the suite has to be cleaned using a 3" handtool bending over it to do so and it takes about 3 times as long as it would to clean the same area of carpet!!

Hope this helps you to raise your suite prices.

My best local paper ad is suite and any 2 carpets for £49.00, people laugh at it and say what a terible job they must make, remember the customer wants a good job and if sold correctly WILL pay for it.

[Phil Marlor]

I do nothing like 3 suites a week, I guess 10% of my work is suites, although I would hate to do too many, it makes a change somtimes to do a suite.

Dont know about you but I hate cleaning clean suites, I find it boring and dont get the satisfaction as I do with a badly soiled one. Dose that sound strange.

Phil.

ps.

Mick if you do 3 suites a week at £100 each and thats 10% of your work, then I make that you turnover about £3000.00 per week, WOW, I think I will move to Hull.

[Mike Halliday]

Phil your right, I've got my maths a bit wrong.

I do 3 suites, so say thats 3 mornings so I have 3 mornings and 5 afternoons left which equals 8 so suites are 27% of my work

but this could be wrong also because I've consumed half a bottle of southern Comfort this evening

mike

[Lee]

I know I am new to this board but I think charging £230 for a 3 pce is a bit on the unrealistic side. On my turnover I would think I would do less than all of you afor mentioned but I do a lot more commercial work, maybe only 5 % is upholstery, and I only charge £85. I find the local cowboys will undercut me , but let them have it I say. I clean upwards of 1500 sq mtrs a week and know where my market lies, apart time job really but it pays well and we are still gaining .

[Derek]

Hi Lee

I think you meant to say £130.00 for a suite?

Speaking to many professional cleaners throughout the UK on a regular basis, as I do, a charge of £130.00 for five seating units is NOT unreasonable...in fact there are many charging much more. Mike has said that 'a more realistic price is £145.00' and I would 'agree' with him (steady on Derek )

Prices have been mentioned from £15.00 to £45.00 for five units....personally I wouldn't put a key into the vehicle ignition for that sort of money.

Take into consideration your costs...Insurance, Accountancy, Administration, travelling, chemical and machines costs, repair and maintenance, this all before you pay yourself. Take also into consideration the hourly rate you would be obtaining for your own salary... I bet your customer is earning more without the bother of running a business

There are not many fabrics that I haven't cleaned over the years ...I can't remember the last one I walked away from.
There are many ways to clean fabrics it is up to the professional to select the method that will do the job SAFELY.....same goes for carpet cleaning.

Regards
Derek

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think as John says it's how you sell it!

If I look at my local professional carpet cleaners that have been around for over 100 years W.E.Franklin they charge £97 for a 10 cushion 3pc and £85 for a 5 cushion.

Shaun