Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Bob Robertson on December 14, 2011, 05:09:52 pm
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Tried today to pass another carpet cleaner a job in his area for insurance work with the potential of getting all work in that area from the company. Ive had 3 jobs from them in the last couple of days.
They pay a call-out inspection fee, carpet cleaning £2.20 per m2 , .65pm2 deodorisation and a successful stain removal fee.
Guess what........... he said........ Noooooo.. :o ???
Bob
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Hi
To be fair a lot of CC are busy this time of year, the same offer in Jan/Feb might get a different responce.
Dave
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Some carpet cleaners prefer cleaning windows :( :(
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Some prefer painting and decorating ;D
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agree with david there Bob, try again in january and they'll snatch your hand off.
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Disagree completely....the point is he could get a lot of work from it in the future and worth doing even when you are busy at this time of year. He could have covered the whole of Argyll and Bute, his loss was someone else's gain...... No second chances I'm afraid you only get the offer once ;)
Bob
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Some prefer painting and decorating ;D
;D ;D beat me to it ;D ;D
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Bob,what did the usual cleaning work entail ?
If it was all on-site,I assume it was soot fall,
Drink,food spillage,or whatever.If it was for
The possible up and coming floods from sub
Zero temperatures leading to burst pipes,he may
Not have premises and drying facilities.
I also assume he did`nt give you any reason
Otherwise you would have said in your original
Post.
Lewis Doubtfire
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No offense Bob but I'd turn it down too, that's 20 pence per sq.ft.
It sounds like the insurance company that contacted me a year or so ago, you had to call there customer within 24 hrs and call out to them with 2 days for inspection, I think just the inspection was £35 or something, prices for c/cing where what you say above, I told them no I set my prices and why should I work less than I normally get.
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Lewis
The work is from workmen making a mess, mostly residential straightforward carpet cleaning from dirty foot marks ,oil marks from tools or leaks from radiators etc. There is a possibility for flood work also but that is optional after you qualify as a (WRT).
His reason was he just preferred dealing with his own residential customers.
Bob
Craig
Ive done 2 spotting jobs for them this week that I fitted in and with all the add ons it was over £200 worth of work on top of my normal jobs. If you knock that kind of work back them you must be doing something right.
I just don't get people who knock back good business opportunities. You get people on here saying they are quiet at times and they wonder why and I offer someone something on a plate and its knocked back.
I offered the same thing to another operator who is his competitor and he snapped it up as he seen the bigger picture.
Bob
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Well I'd have taken it!
I'm a "never look a gift horse in the mouth"-probably should also be a "beware of greeks bearing gifts" ;)
Ok probably awkward to fit work in now but nice and easy come January. You can always stop it at a later date if it's not the kind of work you want.
A word of warning-if there was too much work so that it became too big a percentage of your overall t/o then that may well be a very good reason to turn it down.
Rog
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I'm with you on this one Bob, a source of regular, irregular jobs which you can swing round to fit into your schedule as an extra is worth it's weight in gold.
At the same time, and I am not being a 'Negative Ned' the job isn't finished till the customer has paid. Make sure you have agreed payment terms and refuse to do more work if you have outstanding 'bills'.
I would check out their (the company who pays you) creditworthiness. It's easy and simple to do and only costs a couple of quid to make an educated guess before relying on someone financially. (It's a moving target at the moment even with the most up-to-date credit check but... also a great time to build relationships)
Most of the banks give you credit checking software these days but if you get stuck give me a shout. We use Creditsafe and I check out suppliers, customers, anyone - often the info is cr*p as you don't have to file audited accounts if your t/o is less than £5m these days but you can still glean a 'feeling' about who you are dealing with.
If you need help doing this e-mail me.
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Phild
Ive been doing work for this company for over a year and been paid for every job Ive done.
If the stain is not going to come out then don't spend too much time on it, take a few photos and its only a call out fee and the company that caused the damage have to replace the carpet.
I was speaking to them today and they are taking on more contracts and said it would only benefit all their contractors with more work coming there way......a no brainer really.
Bob
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Bob
There are a lot of people who rant on about how much they earn an hour and wont do this and that but you and I as do the major customers in this industry what is what. You hear people boasting about earning £100 per hour then in the next post they can only afford to have one side of their van sign written, or moaning about repairing a £100 pump.
If people want to make a fast buck they should be watching crimewatch or watchdog for their ideas and not ping about on here..........
Good luck
have a good xmas
regards
Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com (http://www.carpetcleanercardiff.com)
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Bob,how do you receive payment for the work.?
Do the insurance company pay you direct,or do
You leave your bill with the householder.?
Officially,the householder is your client / customer
Not the insurance company,unless you’ve got
Some special arrangement with them.
Lewis Doubtfire
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I can only afford to have one side of their van sign written
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com (http://www.carpetcleanercardiff.com)
Serious :o
I know the feeling well Bob. Can't see the wood for the trees and all that....
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I would have turned you down on the insurance work.
I have been doing this job for 25yrs. Run a T/M. Most of the year I am booked up a week in
advance. This xmas (december) I was booked up 4 weeks in advance.
Mostly pre custys.
Dont need anything else.
You cant assume that someone is lazy or doesnt know how to run a business when you dont know all of the facts!
cheers
Chris
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Peter
Your right.... remember earlier this year all the people who said they would do the training only to pull out. Ive been on here long enough to know what people are like and theres nothing queerer than the carpet cleaning industry. ;D
I have also recently had my doubts about the NCCA's credibility and they way it is being run but thats another story.
Lewis
I get paid by cheque direct from them. They manage all the claims for large companies from a small spot and stain removal to fire and flood restoration. I fill out all their paper work and email it will my invoice. They give you an ID badge and you also have to provide all your training certs , insurance docs, H&S, risk assessments,environmental policy etc.... but once thats all done you get all the work that falls in your area.
Bob
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I would have turned you down on the insurance work.
I have been doing this job for 25yrs. Run a T/M. Most of the year I am booked up a week in
advance. This xmas (december) I was booked up 4 weeks in advance.
Mostly pre custys.
Dont need anything else.
You cant assume that someone is lazy or doesnt know how to run a business when youdont know all of the facts
Glad I'm not alone, I echo all that,
Just don't need anything else. Not insurance work. Not letting agencies. Not cleaning contractors subbing me work.
I'm happy as I am, busy all year. Far from lazy.
Working direct for domestic customers is my forte, I been going ten years now so quite a lot of repeat custom.
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Craig,why not insurance work,especially the type Bob has
Explained what type of work it is.
Paid direct by the insurance company,,,,sound as a pound. !
Residential customers owing direct to yourself for any flood
Work that comes your way because of sub zero temps.and
Sometimes ya lucky to get paid for half of it ! ! ;D :o :o
Leastways that’s what always happens to yours truly.
Any type of insurance work if it comes to that.
:'( :'(
Lewis Doubtfire
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I posted up a job in Portsmouth , no calls yet. He wants a scrubber drier and 2 people now on Monday .
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I would have turned you down on the insurance work.
I have been doing this job for 25yrs. Run a T/M. Most of the year I am booked up a week in
advance. This xmas (december) I was booked up 4 weeks in advance.
Mostly pre custys.
Dont need anything else.
You cant assume that someone is lazy or doesnt know how to run a business when youdont know all of the facts
Glad I'm not alone, I echo all that,
Just don't need anything else. Not insurance work. Not letting agencies. Not cleaning contractors subbing me work.
I'm happy as I am, busy all year. Far from lazy.
Working direct for domestic customers is my forte, I been going ten years now so quite a lot of repeat custom.
Couldn't agree more. It seems a little unfair to label someone as lazy just because they won't take work at low prices. Intelligent would be my thought! I am of course guilty of assuming that they have something else to do at better prices?
Nigel
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Sorry but could not resist it! Everyone is so busy and turning theit nose up at new work because the time of year, and having a go at Groupon for low wages etc etc etc. I would have a go at this if I could as I am new and wanting to learn my craft all the time. How long does an inspection take?............ you are not there for an hour are you?
Anyway I'm in Birmingham so I have an excuse!!!!!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Lewis,
You lost me a bit on the latter part of your post, but to answer your first question, why don't I do insurance work? as I said before they wanted to dictate the price they paid me which was 20 p per sq.ft, why would I do that when I can be elsewhere earning a lot more?
I think some people can't get concept of fully booked.
Craig.
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Very,very complex subject work involving an insurance
Company.Explaining in an e,mail is I suppose impossible.
A lot of householders think they don`t have to pay you
Before the insurance company pay them.
This could open a whole `can of worms`.
Enough said or witten perhaps ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Lewis Doubtfire
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Quote from: Chris R on Today at 08:26:17 am
I would have turned you down on the insurance work.
I have been doing this job for 25yrs. Run a T/M. Most of the year I am booked up a week in
advance. This xmas (december) I was booked up 4 weeks in advance.
Mostly pre custys.
Dont need anything else.
You cant assume that someone is lazy or doesnt know how to run a business when youdont know all of the facts
Glad I'm not alone, I echo all that,
Just don't need anything else. Not insurance work. Not letting agencies. Not cleaning contractors subbing me work.
I'm happy as I am, busy all year. Far from lazy.
Working direct for domestic customers is my forte, I been going ten years now so quite a lot of repeat custom.
Couldn't agree more. It seems a little unfair to label someone as lazy just because they won't take work at low prices. Intelligent would be my thought! I am of course guilty of assuming that they have something else to do at better prices?
Nigel
Where in any post has anyone called someone......... LAZY ?.... Maybe people should read the posts properly before making accusations.
Bob
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This kind of work can be a welcome addition. However it becomes a bit of a pain once you get a string of jobs where you can't get the stain out and get 35 quid.
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Yer John but if your good, most of the time you can remove the stain ;)
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No you can't, 75% is the standard success rate. I don't know if this thread is talking about British Gas but we used to do them and it was a nightmare, certainly not financially viable.
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I have done small stain removal jobs for builders, plumbers etc in the past. Its usually stains like oil/grease for a tool or drill bit, red brick dust from drilling a hole, muddy boot prints on the hall carpet etc
Usually really easy stains to remove.
But if they spill their hot coffee's or irnbru then your fecked ;D
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Its not whats caused the stain thats the problem its the crap the homeowners used to try and remove it including Domestos. :o
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That reminds me of a job i done a couple of years ago.
She wanted me to remove several cat urine stains from a wool berber carpet (challanging enough)
The lady had used (I kid you not!!) drain cleaner, domestos and last but not least toilet duck << Toilet fecking Duck!!
Needless to say after giving her the "WTF" look i walked away from that one.
Tony
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I used to do all Newcastle Breweries work. A very large pub in Newcastle called the Corner House had just been totally refurbished. The managers accomodation was over the complete top floor of this place. It had been modernised and a good quality wool tufted carpet laid right through.
This couple had 2 Yorkshire Terriers and because they were so busy getting the pub downstairs ready for opening, the poor little blighters never got let out.
The result 27 urine stains on this new carpet right from the back to the front door. When I rang her she told me she had removed the stains but just wanted the smell removed. She'd removed the stains alright and the colour from the carpet. 27 lovely white circles after she'd used 1001 and Dettox.
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I too do insurance work and although it's not the best type/paid work and in some cases it has cost me to do a job, overall it has been a good experience ;D
I too have done work for BG (Scottish Gas) and it was okay, not now tho.... ::)
I have recently been approached by another network offering £25.00 call out, £17.50 labour (hour) and £160.00 per room to dry regardless of how many hours, machines or distance traveled or time it takes :(
Me and another few guys, have all declined their offer, as there was no money to be made from the jobs...