[clinton]

Top of the pops in the 1980s legs and co

[derek west]

top of the pops in the 70's and maybe the 60's, pans people.
derek

[clinton]

Derek

Was going to ask you if you are going to put an add on service ie drive washing etc

[derek west]

no clinton.
too many carpets out there to be cleaned first.
one step at a time for me.
get well known in my area for high quality affordable carpet cleaning first then i can branch out with driveways and hard floors, and i'll have a lovely database to market too so it won't cost any where near as much.
thats the plan anyhoo.
derek

[clinton]

Just thought id ask

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Derek you only need a small database when you have a load of different services, that's why utility companies want to sell you Gas, electric and water to one provider.

I think the statistic for getting a new customer is 7 times more expensive than selling to your original.

If you walk through a good customers home and she says to you I'm having my Amtico floor cleaned and sealed next week by Competent cleaners would you be pleased?they may steal your customer!

The Yanks call it leaving money on the table.

Shaun

[sherco]

Derek you only need a small database when you have a load of different services, that's why utility companies want to sell you Gas, electric and water to one provider.

I think the statistic for getting a new customer is 7 times more expensive than selling to your original.

If you walk through a good customers home and she says to you I'm having my Amtico floor cleaned and sealed next week by Competent cleaners would you be pleased?they may steal your customer!

The Yanks call it leaving money on the table.

Shaun

Thats spot on, im a tiler by trade and the amount of times people asked me do you clean tiles, stone floors etc when i was already working in there house and gained there trust...so thats why i decided to get into carpet and hardfloor cleaning....the amount of work i have turned away over the years i cant believe but now i want it all 

[JandS]

Mike

Periodically = occurring at regular intervals
Almost like frequently really when the occurrence is when I clean carpets somewhere.

John     

[daysdeepclean]

You really do have to take the bull by the horns sometimes and look outside of the box! I was always asked if I cleaned ovens as well, that's when I decided to set up that side of business on top of C/Cing.

If I get any more calls about patio cleaning, I'll probably start doing that too in the summer...

I won't go too silly though and try and bite off more than I can chew... I get quite a lot of phone calls asking if I valet cars, I refer them to a local firm and I have no intentions of adding that to my list of services!

I'm used to variety when it comes to work due to my past emloyment, so it suits me, and if I get inundated, I'll employ someone!!!!

[JandS]

Going to add leather car upholstery to my repetoire, on a we come to you basis i.e. at your place of work, golf club etc..
March am going to add patio cleaning, just bought a decent pressure washer.
Thinking around the £2 mark a sq m plus sand.
Thoughts!!!!!!!!!

John

[Mike Halliday]

John a few tips about pressure washing;
 
buy a turbo-lance, don't bother with a FSC.

work on an hourly rate rather than a price per metre.

wear safety glasses that look like Oakley sunglasses (but clear) a lot better than the cheap once that have a bit of elastic round your head.

adapt your machine to accept direct feed if the flow is high enough ( rather than suck out of the container.)

use a 3500psi 13hp machine

[Ian Gourlay]

This week I cleaned a housefull of Carpets and Jims Cleaners had been in


Look at Jim Mowers Web  Site see how many diffrent services they do.

My advise to anyone who has a job is to work as hard as you can in that job and advance yourself within the company. Make that your goal  do not be diverted

When Economy is straight think about Self employment.

In the last down turn  succesfl people ended up having t sleep in Friends Sheds  until they could find some where.

 

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

As the years have gone by I have discontinued a lot of my services. I've dropped:

general cleaning
pressure hose cleaning
curtains
hard floors

Now I just do carpets and upholstery with a bit of leather cleaning thrown in as and when.
When I get old enough I'll probably drop the upholstery and just do carpets.

[JandS]

Thanks for the tips Mike.
Why the hourly rate?
Thought it would be easier, to start with, to go on area rather than guessing how long it might take.

Ian.

Presume you are saying Jim's made a crap job of it and the owners called you in to rectify this.
I presume Jim's offers a lot of unrelated services and your implying that because he diversifys so much he tends to do mediocre work all round.
If that is what you are saying I think your wrong there, Jim's made a crap job of it because Jim's crap.
Unless of course Jim employs others to do the work, in that case it's his training programme that's at fault.

Offering a wide range of services doesn't always equate to poor standards and I, personally, find it enjoyable doing something different every day.

My friend's seen a fully qualified plumber and electrician for 25 years now and he loves going from one to the other.
To a certain extent, as well, he can cherry pick his work as he always has plenty on.
Oh and he's good at both.

Just my thoughts.

John



 

[Mike Halliday]

John I suggest an hourly rate because with P/W the size isn't the thing that decides the price of the job

I'd say the drainage is just as important, if the water just sits there you'll spend as much time getting rid of it as it took to do the actual cleaning.

a low flow rate coming out of the tap can add 40% more time to the job, you constantly stop & start to allow the water to catch up.

I now look at the job work out how long it will take, then get my price that way.

[daysdeepclean]

I couldn't agree more John....

Variety is the spice of life....

[JandS]

Done 7 all for friends or family plus my own and I measured them up as if I was going to charge them £2 per sq m which I wasn't.
Didn't have any problems at all with the drainage at any of them nor with the water flow.
Live in a heavily built area so maybe water flow isn't a problem round here.
I averaged out at 14 sq m an hour which is where I plucked the £2 per hour figure from.

Many thanks for your time and input by the way.

You tried doing leather vehicle upholstery? I'm still trying to find a mate whose got it to practice on to get a time scale worked out for pricing the job up.

Thank you.

John

[derek west]

to clean leather in a car, 2 front seats and a back. 1 to 2 hours for a standard clean depending on heavy soil or not, so i'd charge between £50 and £80 quid.
unless it was a lamboghini then i'd clean it for free, "yes sir, i'll need the keys leaving in it so i can turn it round to do the other side"
derek

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Mike you are so right.

Apart from getting bored doing it flow rate and drainage are the key problems to achieving a quick result-that and cleaning down paintwork/windows etc if any of the off-dirt bounces up and dirties the house and its environment.

[JandS]

Derek cheers for that.
 
I was thinking that maybe an hour at the most.
Figure I had in mind was £45.

John