[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

Hi all,
Does anyone have a minimum charge this high? I was told a while back from a friend that a marketing company recommended to have it this high.
Any thoughts or comments appreciated
John

[sherco]

I charge £55 call out charge, i think £95 is to high as you need to get into the customers house, then you can start adding per room.

[richy27]

I charge £55 call out charge, i think £95 is to high as you need to get into the customers house, then you can start adding per room.

agree with sherco i have min charge but £95 is too steep and encourages people into hiring the evil rug devil grr.

try my best to go round and quote each job depending on distance and when i get there explain about the min charge and reasons. normally situation arises when it is just one room they want cleaning can often then add a little sweetner eg do the hall for same price if a small area. i think when you harp on about minimum charge too much you can lose possible customers at the first call.

plus i am great believer in working whatever the job cause you can get refered more often than not. especially with incentives eg £10 m&s voucher. 
eg this last week.

one call small lounge did hall as well included for 65 min charge told 2 friends
got both jobs
1 job   lounge hall  carpets plus protector  3 seater sofa and armchair.
next job 38 sq m of carpet

love the power of referals.

[Mike Halliday]

I cleaned a Kitchen on Friday they had rang their regular carpet cleaner, they had just upped their min' charge to £90.  this customer had used them for 6yrs, twice a year (upstairs then later the down stairs)

they have lost them for ever.

I'm all for a high min charge but you need to be flexible otherwise you will lose customers.

[Ben Lugg]

Hi,
i,m all for a minimum charge but £95 is far too high, i think Mike said it all.

Ben.

[robert meldrum]

Fixed prices for anything can be costly, unless of course they are very competitive fixed prices. The little jobs give the important cash flow and without that you won't survive.
Sure, it can be a pain setting up / putting away for £45, but an extra £45 at the end of each day mounts up!

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I have a flexible min charge, like Mike I believe that a smaller min charge can gain a customers work or even trust, we are still a luxury product not like a plumber who are a must as you need then but 'want' a cleaner.

If you can get £95 good on you.

Shaun

[robert meldrum]

As mentioned the objective is to get customers who will get you more customers NOT because you're cheap ( which you don't want to be ) but because you are FANTASTIC and give excellent value for money.

[daysdeepclean]

My reply was a similar sounding phrase as "Clucking Bell!" However, if your in a position to demand that sort of minimum call out charge, you're doing bloody well and good luck to you!!!

[Ricky M]

oo min charge am reviewing this right now
anything is going to be better than £20
well thats what it was

[Joe H]

Wow! Never been as low as £20
Mine is £50 but if its local, like within 2 mile I will do £45

[clinton]

Same as joe round abouts as i think thats fair 

[M.Acorn]

Ouch that is high !
I have min £65. but if they are only a few miles away and only want 1 room doing then i lower it accordingly

[Karl Wildey]

I did a stain removal on my road last week, and charged the guy £20, my min is £46. But I was in and out in 20mins, and felt quilty at £20, as he was a neighbour-ish, but then again it was the first time he used me.

£95 for a single room is too high, cos you could replace/almost replce the carpet at that price, for bedrooms and rented stuff

[Tony Tadier]

My call out charge is £35.

Spot and stain removal from £20 (depending how long I'm there and what I use to remove)

Why should carpet cleaning be so expensive?

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

Well the way I see it to be going around for £20 here and there is just not worth it surely? Your time would surely be better spent searching for customers who are happy to pay more? £95 would probably be way too high for stain removal but I rarely get asked to go out just for one stain and unless its very local I decline. But two £95 jobs a day almost equates to £1000 per week. My min charge at the moment is £50 which I am now thinking is too low. John

[Shaun_Ashmore]

My min charge is based on where and who, so a very good customer may get a freebie but a new customer miles away will get charged £59 but there's no definate price as if I was working within a short distance of the new customer and providing they fit in with me then I will be flexible providing I can see a long term benefit.

Shaun

[boshravie]

My minimum charge is £65.00- £80.00 depending on the distance  and I am based in south east.

Regards,

Bosh

[John Kelly]

I think a lot of minimum charges are just plucked out of thin air. The idea is that it is the amount you need to turn out and do the job and make a profit. You therefore need to work out your break even point, how many jobs you can expect to do in a year (its not easy but a good guess is better than nothing) Then you can work out how much you need to charge to make the profit you require.
Having a minimum and then reducing it because they are near or it was a small job defeats the object.
Or am I wrong?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

To be consistant John I agree but if you can smell a bigger job out of it then that's when the rule book goes out of the window.

Shaun