DIY CC Season ?

« **on:** May 09, 2009, 06:52:55 pm »

Hi Folks

On a lighter note.

I visited Morrisons in Folkestone this afternoon. On the way out I witnessed a custy loading a popular DIY carpet cleaning hire-machine into his wagon. 5 minutes later when I arrived at Homebase I saw the same thing again. I've never seen this happen so frequently.

Regards

Pete (JS2)

« **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2009, 06:56:14 pm »

i give them a card and say, give us a call in a couple of weeks when its dirty again and i'll do it properly for you.

derek

« **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2009, 08:02:10 pm »

even on lightly soiled carpets it doesn't rinse properly.
what happens then eh?
derek

« **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2009, 08:08:54 pm »

How about giving them a card and saying once they have 'cleaned' it you will do a lttle demo for them and see whether any more dirt comes out.

« **Reply #4 on:** May 09, 2009, 09:07:44 pm »

mike
you have mail.
well u will have in about 2 mins
derek

« **Reply #5 on:** May 09, 2009, 10:17:23 pm »

Spot on Derek

« **Reply #6 on:** May 09, 2009, 10:31:03 pm »

I cleaned a carpet for someone who had cleaned their carpets with a Rug Dr and I didn't need any pre spray or anything, it just cleaned itself with me rinsing with just hot water.

Shaun

« **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2009, 06:38:43 am »

Hi

For some customers is doesn't matter if it re-soils quickly, at say £24 they can do the whole house as often as they like, for them in these times it still is a better option than a professional clean.

Some people couldn't care less about all the training, equipment and time and effort put in. They have an option for doing it as cheap as chips and some people will take that option.

Regards

Martin

« **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2009, 07:42:22 am »

Think your right on that martin.

Like most things now its all focusing on how much things are and not quality.

From holidays,restraunts,shops,hotels its all the ones that offer value for money that are busy..

« **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:28:42 am »

Quote from: martin_606 on May 10, 2009, 06:38:43 am

Hi

For some customers is doesn't matter if it re-soils quickly, at say £24 they can do the whole house as often as they like, for them in these times it still is a better option than a professional clean.

Regards

Martin

they'd soon get fed up of soaking wet carpets and have you tried cleaning with a rug doctor, its bloody hard work, do you really think some people wouldn't care about doing that every couple of months.
think ya wrong martin. well i think, the some people your talking about are probably 1 in a million.
derek

« **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:07:44 am »

I agree with Derek and actually think that if they are cleaning their carpets every 2 months, it wouldn't work out too much more expensive to have a professional clean, as it would only need doing once every 12-18 months!

It also has to be pointed out that the chemicals work out to be quite expensive too, a box of Daz would be cheaper

« **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:34:00 am »

at the end of the day if people want to hire an rd they will becuse its cheap. but how many dont hire one again thats what i would like to know.

« **Reply #12 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:36:05 am »

I once hired one out years ago Rich.... "Once!"

« **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:49:02 am »

i hired one and thats how i got started, (long story)

took it back cos it was filthy.

got a professional in, well i thought he was a professional

the rest is history

derek

« **Reply #14 on:** May 10, 2009, 05:34:10 pm »

I tell it as it is, so listen.

At £24 its quite good value and I believe you can have the machine for the day. I'm certainly not one of the rug doctor haters as it suits some people to nip and hire one if they have a quiet day.

Carpet and upholstery cleaning deals in wonderful raw cash and should be only really be used as a wallet top.

Get training in something serious, go to Business Link and see an adviser and draw up a realistic plan with projections and slowly build a proper respected business that is VAT registered and sustainable.
£800-£1500 per week in a very small business (window cleaning, ice cream, carpets) is fine if the cash is used for holidays, cars and bric a brac ect. Use your paid salary from a serious business source to fund your mortgage, pension, savings and all the things that matter.

And before you say "I'm happy on my 40k Turnover with £25-30K nett", you sit back and think how much effort and marketing has gone into achieving this low result. If you were to put just half of this time and attention into a serious venture you could multiply that turnover of 40k, twenty fold at least.

Matt

« **Reply #15 on:** May 10, 2009, 05:38:32 pm »

its not just £24 there is the cost of the cleaning solution as well

« **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2009, 05:53:51 pm »

To bring this back into focus, the aim of my posting was to enquire if others have noticed an increase in DIY carpet cleaning (a seasonal thing perhaps ?) and to exchange thoughts on the impact of this on the professional business.

Regards

Pete (JS2)

« **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2009, 06:59:42 pm »

Quote from: Derek West on May 10, 2009, 08:28:42 am

Quote from: martin_606 on May 10, 2009, 06:38:43 am
Hi

For some customers is doesn't matter if it re-soils quickly, at say £24 they can do the whole house as often as they like, for them in these times it still is a better option than a professional clean.

Regards

Martin

they'd soon get fed up of soaking wet carpets and have you tried cleaning with a rug doctor, its bloody hard work, do you really think some people wouldn't care about doing that every couple of months.
think ya wrong martin. well i think, the some people your talking about are probably 1 in a million.
derek

Hi I feel it's far more than one in a million. Although we care about quality, training equipment etc, most customers don't care, they just want it done. some will go for the pro, others will want or feel it's cheaper to do it themselves.

yes it's a false economy, so are landlords who replace every 6 months with cheapest polyprop instead of a quality 80/20 that will last them years, they don't want to listen either.

Regards

Martin

« **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2009, 07:07:31 pm »

Matt

What a load of rubbish, about the rug doctor.

But the other stuff you talk about makes total sense.

Carpet cleaning is great to go from 0-£70k but the effort to make it scalable seems to be very tough compared to many other business models.

Maybe take your cash out the business and put it into something associated that scalable, partly so then it's pretax money and secondly because you at least have some idea what it's about without starting over.

« **Reply #19 on:** May 10, 2009, 07:14:37 pm »

I use spare money for business opps recently I put some money into a fireplace showroom and got a good return also I have used money to buy 2 houses I rent out but they are the good ones I want to tell you about I'm not going to tell you about the wedding car hire business although I did drive around in a RR.

Keep on moving or you'll stop (or even go backwards!!)

Shaun

« **Reply #20 on:** May 10, 2009, 07:21:02 pm »

LOL

I got a training course once that was advertised in the back of a car magazine. 'Drive a Porsche for free in X months'

It was all about becoming a car trader. I thought it might be a con, but actually it was spot on.

Anyway one of the things was setting up a Wedding Car business. On paper the figures looked great if you didn't mind playing Parker at the weekend.

Yus meladee

« **Reply #21 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:10:17 pm »

Had a couple of business partners but when the time came to replace exhausts and tyres they disappeared 1 by 1 and also they also decided that when they got paid that they didn't need to work on the next wedding as they were loaded!!

Nicest car I have ever owned though, 12 mpg just about got from petrol station to petrol station.

Shaun

« **Reply #22 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:23:21 pm »

Was it a Phantom V

Watch James May on top gear with one, makes me laugh.

Quite fancy a Bentley Turbo but people might think I'm Paul Daniels. LOL

« **Reply #23 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:28:52 pm »

Corniche, my mate new someone who was selling it as the sellers father had just gone into a home so 4 of us put shares into it I had the biggest share but the agreement was that I would take the bookings but wouldn't drive it for work and also it had to stay at my house as I had a big garage at that house.

Shaun

« **Reply #24 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:50:27 pm »

Partnerships :

I love that old world gentleman's club thing, the waft of leather, walnut dash and chrome. Nearly bought and an old P5B to waft along in, but it needed new girders.

« **Reply #25 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:04:36 pm »

Mike

Partnerships the only ships not to set sail

« **Reply #26 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:08:53 pm »

Clinton, they can work... if you're the lazy ass one who didn't put any money in, but has a cheque book and a friend who runs a bar in Ibeza. :

« **Reply #27 on:** May 11, 2009, 07:45:07 am »

Partnerships

The easiest legal entity to get into ........and the hardest to get out of.

« **Reply #28 on:** May 11, 2009, 08:25:39 am »

Dont forget that a lot of people go and buy a new or fairly new car and take it to the local main agent for service and repairs because they know it will get done properly and in a nice workshop and with a reception area.

Coffee while you wait madam? That'll be £400 for the full service.

Or there are those who take it to 'Kerbside Motors' have to make there way back because thats what you get and pay for. 'Done your car mate that will be £120.00' .

Oh and by the way my van desperatly needs a service, oil and filters only this time, and there is some welding on my TM that needs doing, as I am quiet this week guess where its going. And its not the Ford Main Agent, its the local bloke down the road.

Simple matter of economics really.

Murky

« **Reply #29 on:** May 11, 2009, 11:46:14 am »

Absolutely correct Murky so why do so many in the c/c industry think the same rules don't apply to them when it comes to " value for money "

My Citreon dealership bill for servicing is usually around £300 but my local garage ( using Citreon parts ) is around £90 and he lives in a very nice house, drives expensive cars, goes on cruises and has lived this lifestyle for the past 15 years. So no point in suggesting he's just " getting by "or won't be around for long.

He trades on being efficient, reliable and giving excellent value for money and retaining customers once they've used his services.

« **Reply #30 on:** May 11, 2009, 04:20:02 pm »

Robert

I agree with you on that point.

I to used to go to main dealers but have not done for many years as like you do i get my vehicles serviced at a local garage much cheaper and in my opinion better service ie he picks the cars or the van up and drops it back when done

Also i would rather see him with the money than the once great and greedy main dealer

« **Reply #31 on:** May 11, 2009, 05:16:33 pm »

The reason many go to big names or dealers is that they persieve it to be the best service or the safest, a little back street garage looks up to no good.

Perception is everything.

Shaun

« **Reply #32 on:** May 11, 2009, 05:29:26 pm »

Very true Shaun.
They always look at you as if their saying " what the feck are you wanting?"
Saying that. I use them.
Much Cheapness.

« **Reply #33 on:** May 11, 2009, 05:51:09 pm »

So the trick is to get our clients to think that our top prices are value for money.

The hard part is working out what goes into the equation of "vfm".

Because price isn't everything.

VFM could be as simple as turning up on time; doing what you said you were going to do; at the price you said it would be; and leaving on time.

Or possibly put another way

doing it right first time.

Sounds easy but if it was there would be even more competition than there is now. Then with all other things being equal price would possibly become the distinguishing feature.

« **Reply #34 on:** May 11, 2009, 06:09:06 pm »

I think turning up on time with a uniform and a nice van is seen as minimum standard or should I say expected the customer is looking mainly at the clean and what they get for their money and also the price.

Shaun

« **Reply #35 on:** May 11, 2009, 06:54:28 pm »

knowing what your doing and being able to put this across in plain english to the customer, Educating them.

working hard, and being seen to be working hard.

producing excellent results beyond what you promised

that to me is VFM

derek

« **Reply #36 on:** May 11, 2009, 08:00:32 pm »

The real key is asking them questions that tell you what they value. If that matches what you can and want to do then give them that. If it doesn't find someone who does.

« **Reply #37 on:** May 11, 2009, 09:10:30 pm »

The car main dealership and a back street garage are 2 completely different business models. Overheads and stock levels are huge in a main dealership, a lot of which are franchises. That servicing charge has to pay for the swish offices, forecourts, receptionists, salesmen etc etc.
The back street guy has his garage and maybe a few staff. They usually need to do little advertising. I take my van to local garage and car to main dealer.
Do you think for one minute the main dealer worries about the back street guy taking his work, not on your nelly.
Likewise with carpet cleaning the guys making the good money don't worry about the competition they just get on and run their business.

« **Reply #38 on:** May 11, 2009, 11:19:09 pm »

John

Words of wisdom. you summed it up in a nutshell.

« **Reply #39 on:** May 11, 2009, 11:31:03 pm »

bloody big nutshell

derek

« **Reply #40 on:** May 11, 2009, 11:44:50 pm »

I have found that the majority of people that hire the Rug Doctor type machines from the local DIY stores are people in rented accomadation who are having a six monthly inspection or are moving out of rented property. And are cleaning carpets in the hope of getting their deposits back!

And they don't give a monkies how long they stay clean so long as its clean for when the landlord comes round to inspect.