Hector

« **on:** October 10, 2011, 08:32:54 pm »

I met Mr & Mrs Hector today and got to see a groupon LM job done. Very interesting and a good result. Thanks Hector, I'll get you onto a cruise ship so you can see the other end of the septrum in action.
Simon

« **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2011, 08:44:44 pm »

Quote from: Major Clean Up on October 10, 2011, 08:32:54 pm

...... and got to see a groupon LM job done. Very interesting and a good result.....
Simon

Is a groupon LM job different from a normal LM job?
Now be honest Simon - 'interesting & good' - not superlative words!
Should the rest of us just stick to HWE via T/M?

« **Reply #2 on:** October 10, 2011, 08:50:41 pm »

A groupon job done with LM, so two in one. Never seen LM on domestic carpet before so it was very interesting to see it done with that method. Nice to meet up with Hector too, the guy knows what he's doing.
Simon

« **Reply #3 on:** October 10, 2011, 08:53:25 pm »

Thanks - Tactful reply, Simon

« **Reply #4 on:** October 10, 2011, 08:56:18 pm »

Nice to meet you too Simon...

And thank you for showing me your big beast...

look forward to seeing it in action

« **Reply #5 on:** October 10, 2011, 09:07:23 pm »

And thank you for showing me your big beast...
I didn't realise you'd met my wife

Simon

« **Reply #6 on:** October 10, 2011, 09:09:18 pm »

Speak to him nicely and he might even show you his truckmount next time

« **Reply #7 on:** October 10, 2011, 09:11:04 pm »

ooooeerrrrrr

« **Reply #8 on:** October 10, 2011, 09:14:29 pm »

Hector would you like to see my wifes puzzi

« **Reply #9 on:** October 10, 2011, 09:27:42 pm »

talk about a leading question

« **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2011, 08:02:25 am »

A puzzi is a low powered cleaner with a short hose...........

So your wife's puzzi would be ............................

you...

when we gonna meet

?

« **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2011, 08:09:03 am »

Quote from: elliott cleaning on October 10, 2011, 08:44:44 pm

Quote from: Major Clean Up on October 10, 2011, 08:32:54 pm
...... and got to see a groupon LM job done. Very interesting and a good result.....
Simon

Is a groupon LM job different from a normal LM job?
Now be honest Simon - 'interesting & good' - not superlative words!
Should the rest of us just stick to HWE via T/M?

I will answer that one.

yes a groupon LM is different from a normal LM

and here is why..

Groupon ~~customers~~ chancers pay £29 for 2 rooms and a hall... we get £11.60 of that.

groupon ~~customers~~ cheapskates from our experience are the "top end" customers with lots of money, and no need for the low price.

I tell the groupon people to empty as much as possible and to vacuum before hand as I don't have time.

Then the carpet gets pre spray
agitate with either shampoo brush or scrub pad.
then pad extraction.

~~customer~~ chancer has a nice clean carpet which is almost dry, we have spent 45 mins there, and are on the way to the next one. We do max of 6 in a day.

real LM customers get a lot more care and attention than these chancers.

« **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2011, 09:23:51 am »

Hi Hector, I'm still curious as to why you did this. As you have said in your post these are chancers and cheapskates so personally I wouldn't want these people as my customers in future. You say you do 6 a day which equates to £69.60 per day. I need to earn that an hour to give me a decent return on my business although it is not always attained it regularly is. I have just refused a major flood restoration contract because they wanted to pay me £25 an hour. After overheads I can earn more than that in a low paid job.
I am not having a go just can't get my head round the principle behind it.

« **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2011, 09:42:58 am »

Hector would be good to meet up, drop us an email would be good to put a face to a name

« **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2011, 12:07:57 pm »

Ive watched this Groupon thing with interest, But I still cant make the numbers add up! £66 quid a day that can be 3 days fuel for me!

Am all for new marketing ways as I only advertise on the internet now, done 10k leaflets in august, with a 3 for 2 offer and 10% discount offer and got a crap return.

Am not as busy as I was the first half of the year, but like Draggons Den............Hector Am out!!!

« **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2011, 01:55:07 pm »

Quote from: Hector M on October 12, 2011, 08:09:03 am

Quote from: elliott cleaning on October 10, 2011, 08:44:44 pm
Quote from: Major Clean Up on October 10, 2011, 08:32:54 pm
...... and got to see a groupon LM job done. Very interesting and a good result.....
Simon

Is a groupon LM job different from a normal LM job?
Now be honest Simon - 'interesting & good' - not superlative words!
Should the rest of us just stick to HWE via T/M?

I will answer that one.

yes a groupon LM is different from a normal LM

and here is why..

Groupon ~~customers~~ chancers pay £29 for 2 rooms and a hall... we get £11.60 of that.

groupon ~~customers~~ cheapskates from our experience are the "top end" customers with lots of money, and no need for the low price.

I tell the groupon people to empty as much as possible and to vacuum before hand as I don't have time.

Then the carpet gets pre spray
agitate with either shampoo brush or scrub pad.
then pad extraction.

~~customer~~ chancer has a nice clean carpet which is almost dry, we have spent 45 mins there, and are on the way to the next one. We do max of 6 in a day.

real LM customers get a lot more care and attention than these chancers.

were you able to upsell at all to any of these cheapskates?
do you think you will get repeat business at full prices from them?

Probably can answer that myself

« **Reply #16 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:06:21 pm »

Can you call me Hector I have a contract for you to start ASAP.

« **Reply #17 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:09:39 pm »

Quote

Hi Hector, I'm still curious as to why you did this.

John we had just moved, and were in the shyte financially for a short while, and going stir crazy sat at home.

this was a short term cash injection (in theory) that was grossly over subscribed by groupon. We are endeavouring to complete as much as we can (we are ethical like that) and I agree, we used to work for £250 - £300 days, and only doing 2 - 3 jobs, however at the end of summer things were not good so we did it.

Helen
we have upsold to about 25% of the people but not always a lot, we had £170 of extras today, but only £25 tomorrow.

I think that the percentage of those who will rebook at a proper price is about 2% judging by the way they are.

I would never recommend this way of working to anyone in this industry.....

But had to try it rather than sit at home and fester.....

« **Reply #18 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:12:57 pm »

Fair play to both yourselves and Jason. at least you have tried it (admittedly with differing results).

« **Reply #19 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:54:20 pm »

Least you have been honest hector with your results and wouldnt do it again..

« **Reply #20 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:04:26 pm »

Quote from: Hector M on October 12, 2011, 05:09:39 pm

Helen
we have upsold to about 25% of the people but not always a lot, we had £170 of extras today, but only £25 tomorrow.

I think that the percentage of those who will rebook at a proper price is about 2% judging by the way they are.

I would never recommend this way of working to anyone in this industry.....

But had to try it rather than sit at home and fester.....

Thanks for that Hector
At least you tried it and although not ideal by far for you it has kept your business going.
was it about 400 hundred that you sold? Then at least you have 400 to market to in the future.
Hope "normal" business is going better for you now.

I believe Jason got Groupon to limit his deal, so this probably is the best way when doing such a "generous" (to the customer) offer

« **Reply #21 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:17:22 pm »

I must admit it's refreshing to hear a bit of honesty I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm rubbing it in I can assure I am not, you've taken some getting used to Hector but I think we're getting there

Shaun

« **Reply #22 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:19:28 pm »

I made my latest deal more expensive , a negotiated a better percentage with Groupon , So far I have upsold to most jobs , as I excluded stairs , so they are an extra £28 in most properties.

« **Reply #23 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:20:05 pm »

Thank you Shaun.

Being Yorkshire I do say as I find.....

but I try to be helpful as well as controversial (well sometimes)

« **Reply #24 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:21:09 pm »

"going stir crazy sat at home."
Not trying to be nippy, but surely you should be getting yourself out there and asking for the work.

« **Reply #25 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:25:53 pm »

being a sufferer of severe depression things are easier said than done.

« **Reply #26 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:26:49 pm »

Quote from: Robert Watson on October 12, 2011, 06:21:09 pm

"going stir crazy sat at home."
Not trying to be nippy, but surely you should be getting yourself out there and asking for the work.

Would normally agree with this, but sometimes, just nothing works and if you have just moved and your name is not yet known, then we would all probably do something we may just regret, although it seemed a good idea at the time

Hector, have been there, seen it, done it, to my own destruction. There is always a positive to a negative (or so my therapist used to say)

« **Reply #27 on:** October 12, 2011, 06:53:08 pm »

yep
we are now out and about, and our name is known all over Southampton and Salisbury.

No one has yet said that we do a cr@p job because we don't, we do good work and it will pay off.

I used to think the same way as Robert too, until I actually suffered from depression, what a shock it was to find out that it was not just a shirkers figment of imagination, and was real.

Mine came I believe from a conflict zone and sneaking around a "home Country" under cover, lots of stress involved. Hits you in later years, sure Neil knows what I mean...

« **Reply #28 on:** October 12, 2011, 07:09:00 pm »

Get you. I used to get the "Blues".
Still do, but the busier I am, the less frequent, intense and shorter they become.
Certainly a big motivation killer that's for sure.
At least the G thing kept you busy.
Good Luck.

« **Reply #29 on:** October 13, 2011, 07:17:21 pm »

Hi Hector

We are meeting with groupon next week - not definately doing it but might be a possibility - would be really interested to hear how you have found it and details etc. If you wouldnt mind emailing us that would be great. Email is c_norris2007@yahoo.co.uk

Cheers, Craig

« **Reply #30 on:** October 13, 2011, 10:10:30 pm »

Rab

I think Hector's a minute or too older than yourself so buzzing around might not be an option.

« **Reply #31 on:** October 14, 2011, 06:34:51 am »

« **Reply #32 on:** October 14, 2011, 08:45:28 am »

Quote from: Hector M on October 12, 2011, 06:25:53 pm

being a sufferer of severe depression things are easier said than done.

I am sorry to read that. My wife has same problem and I find it hard to get her to move on. Shr has to take loads of different tablets a day.

« **Reply #33 on:** October 14, 2011, 08:21:16 pm »

Quote from: Ian Gourlay on October 14, 2011, 08:45:28 am

Quote from: Hector M on October 12, 2011, 06:25:53 pm
being a sufferer of severe depression things are easier said than done.

I am sorry to read that. My wife has same problem and I find it hard to get her to move on. Shr has to take loads of different tablets a day.

She needs therapy aswell from a totally non involved person. Severe or manic depression (as I had) never quite leaves you, but with patience, medication and good therapy it can be managed and the person can live a normal life again. At times it can feel like it is easier just to slip back into it, but with proper support and a lot of hard work, these "times" will get less and less.
Just makes me mad when some people refer to it as the "blues"........believe me I wish it were just that

« **Reply #34 on:** October 14, 2011, 09:24:45 pm »

Wasn't being flippant Helen
It comes on many levels.
My wife's a CPN I hear about it all the time whether I like it or not.
Good luck to you.

« **Reply #35 on:** October 14, 2011, 09:52:36 pm »

I think your right Rab, I heard a professional talking about Depression on the radio recently, he said;

"A busy mind is a healthy mind"

« **Reply #36 on:** October 14, 2011, 11:11:43 pm »

Helen

Which I could find a good Therapist for her. . Her Aunt < Brother and Sister all committed Suicide her Dad tried,

Yes she did have a complete breakdown Got help for six months but the demand is so high Mental Health Workers just move on.

She has Been through Seven Councillors , none trained in Mental Health and all want an outcome in 6 to 8 weeks.

So i also find myself a care worker

« **Reply #37 on:** October 15, 2011, 12:30:35 am »

Ian

We ran a Care in the Community business for the past 12 years and changed a number of lives for the better. Unfortunately the Local Authority resented the fact that we spent 60 minutes of each contracted hour giving the support each individual needed while they could make 6-10 visits in that time.

Many suffered from depression and had their lives turned around by our small dedicated team but local authority placed as many barriers as they could find or invent in attempts to discredit our service.

The Care Commission was also unhelpful as they - like the Local Authority - are paper tigers and only concerned about " visual evidence " which includes lying about visits / tasks / training of staff, etc, etc.

« **Reply #38 on:** October 15, 2011, 09:33:41 am »

Robert

Do0 not want to high jack this but in my opinion The Care and Treatment of the Mentally ill is a a scandal .

Relitives receive no training.
Doctors no little aprt from handing out pills etc.

I have seen the effects twice now first with my wifes Dad , and now my Wife. Unfortuanley her Brother and Sister were in Canada and just had to go over and clean the blood out of the properties they lived in.

I just hope my kids do not have that Gene