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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: maxcarpets on December 03, 2006, 10:26:06 am

Title: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 03, 2006, 10:26:06 am
Hi All,

Just wondered how business was looking for the Christmas countdown in CC land. We are about a week in front but, to be honest it is not as busy as I would like. How about the rest of you?

Cheers
Justin
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Neil Grainger on December 03, 2006, 10:57:46 am
Justin

About 2 weeks out at the moment but week before Xmas still completley clear.

Much better than last year.

Nobody seems to want cleaning that close to Christmas.

Cheers

Neil
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: robert stubbs on December 03, 2006, 11:36:01 am
 Snowed under with work right up to Christmas eve.
   
                       
  I put this add in local rag seemed to work for me.    Regards Rob
       
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: vangaurd on December 03, 2006, 03:45:12 pm
just got in, and 5 messages, on my phone
wanting work done .
i have done 3 jobs today, 5 leather 3 piece suites to clean this week
all recomendations!
i must admit iam shattered at the mo.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Geoff Jewkes on December 03, 2006, 04:02:13 pm
Been fully booked upto the 23rd of dec for 2 days now, thats also working saturdays and sundays, and only had 2 days off in the last 5 weeks... Its bananas over here
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 03, 2006, 04:03:59 pm
perhaps a message for new carpet cleaners would be

save your money as January can be quiet, also the BT phone bill comes and the TAX PERSON ;D

save for the raining that will probably come.

Shaun
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Geoff Jewkes on December 03, 2006, 04:19:27 pm
I Agree....... Jan was ok this year but feb and march weren't good. Novembers takings are in a seperate account for such eventualitys and i,m squared up with Mr taxman. A nice position to be in  :) :)

Excellent advice Shaun
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 03, 2006, 04:41:09 pm
Last year I finished on the 23rd, so hopefully we'll have a last minuite rush.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: bennymon on December 03, 2006, 06:32:17 pm
only got 3 jobs booked between now and christmas :'(
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Geoff Jewkes on December 03, 2006, 06:47:57 pm
Whats happened there benny???
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: stevegunn on December 03, 2006, 07:05:35 pm
just got in, and 5 messages, on my phone
wanting work done .
i have done 3 jobs today, 5 leather 3 piece suites to clean this week
all recomendations!
i must admit iam shattered at the mo.

That's because your too cheap put your prices up man ;D ;)

http://newcastle.gumtree.com/newcastle/40/6344940.html

Booked up till 23rd quoted £83 for a double flight of stairs yesterday told customer I could do it in the new year he offered me £50 on top of that price if I do it before xmas,why can all customers not be like that ::)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: derikraven on December 04, 2006, 06:47:18 am
real quiet up here in the Highlands but things can change daily so no worries :)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on December 04, 2006, 07:24:38 am
ive got me and my three staff flat out until xmas and turning work down everyday  >:(
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: bennymon on December 04, 2006, 04:55:32 pm
ive been that quiet ive even dropped my prices  :'(
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: cleaning co on December 04, 2006, 05:01:53 pm
benny mate take it all with pinch of salt mate ;)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Neil Grainger on December 04, 2006, 05:03:05 pm
Benny

What sort of advertising are you doing, I know you are local to me and I am really busy,

If you need any help just give me a call or mail.

Cheers

Neil
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: HQCS (John Kastrian) on December 04, 2006, 05:17:05 pm
We do have a few spaces available at the moment but we are pretty booked up until the 19th Dec.
Also have a large job to complete sometime over the Xmas break (approx 600 sq mtrs),this is a key job so can take my time.
John
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: vangaurd on December 04, 2006, 05:55:15 pm
cheers steve , now i have the feel of things i intend
to raise the bar!
i was just feeling my way for a while mate
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 04, 2006, 07:44:57 pm
Nice few jobs in today, hopefully it will keep coming in up to Xmas. You can never tell this time of year.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: bennymon on December 04, 2006, 07:54:24 pm
hi neil ive sent you an email cheers :)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: rich hand on December 04, 2006, 08:50:29 pm
What are everybodies daily takings?
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: bennymon on December 05, 2006, 01:36:32 pm
hi neil i dont know if the email got to you but you can get me on 07881942804  or email  abmcleaning@fsmail.net all the best :) :)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Macarthur on December 05, 2006, 02:34:56 pm
I know it sounds hard to believe but other than my regular commercial jobs, just one large domestic job next week, nothing else yet for December, cant understand it, I am hoping things will change and the phone will start ringing again soon.

Nigel. 
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: mark_roberts on December 05, 2006, 04:31:00 pm
Been booked solid until Christmas for week or so now although have kept 3 days free in the Christmas week for emergency work and for previous customers who always leave it until the last minute.  Been turning away new customers for the last week.

Having said all that for the past two weeks the phone calls for new business has been very slow.  Dont know why.  Maybe the forcasted interest rate rise in Jan.

Mark
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Terry_Burrows on December 05, 2006, 05:50:21 pm
We are in papers we just did 10,000 drops,not bad will do again,just did another 10,000 in another area for this week,getting a bit better,this year for us as cc has been bad :'(might be areas :-\
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: rich hand on December 05, 2006, 10:21:54 pm
Ok well 7000/wk and a couple of small local mags (2000 circ/each)  is bringing almos 10 days booked up and 350/day (average). Starting to book for jan with some custards who dont mind.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: cleaning co on December 06, 2006, 03:39:10 am
  900 avg a day booked up till next nov taking bookings for xmas 2007 if custys dont mind waiting  lmfho ;D
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: *paul_moss on December 06, 2006, 07:04:14 pm
Im the same around £1200 a day but xmas 2008 is only half full. ;)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: mark_roberts on December 06, 2006, 07:07:25 pm
Whats wrong you jealous?

No bull from me but really two weeks from Christmas and your not mad business.  Maybe you need to become an employee again.

Mark
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Mark Roberts on December 06, 2006, 07:35:17 pm
Paul, you have been going just over 3 years, many on here have over 10/15 years of repeat custys and still do massive amounts of marketing, add too that its Dec, one of the busiest months in the cc calender.

If your not fully booked in Dec you need too ask yourself why, when so many are. Have you thought about fastrack or getting an unbiased friend to look at your marketing?
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: *paul_moss on December 06, 2006, 08:12:51 pm
mark
No need as I have Dec mainly full and part of Jan.
I made the coment because there is so much bull on the forum from alot of people about advanced bookings from some.
In your case Mark only take it on the chin if the cap fits ;)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: the red carpet on December 06, 2006, 09:40:31 pm
Booked to the 15th, but am sure i will work every day up to christmas as iv worked every day iv wanted to for the last 3 months.

Done hardly any advertising though the last month or so and my calls have really dropped, one thing i wont be doing again and a word of advice to others is this isnt a good time of year for experimenting and change.

In the last 2 months iv changed machine, changed van, changed the chemicalls i was using, changed the way i clean and took on staff.

This leads to a lot of stress as they have all had there teething problems, and has cost me loads of time and lost me plenty of work, i wish i had of stayed as i was till after christmas now.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 07, 2006, 07:52:45 am
I did the same Red, backed off advertising thinking the business would be their anyway. I won't do that next year. However, I am pleased to say it looks like I'll get through it anyway ( hopefully ) But i could of done without the worry of it.

Regards

Justin
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: craigp on December 07, 2006, 08:40:04 am
interesting Mark,

im the same been very busy, alot booked in for next week and couple week after, but phone calls for new business has stopped this week, dramatically!

this week ive only booked in 1 maybe 2.

Craig
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Neil Grainger on December 07, 2006, 05:09:10 pm
Craig

same for me, booked solid next week with a few spaces. Following week nothing.

Phone has stoped ringing this week apart from the I want my 3 Bedroom House cleaned for £50 pounds lot.

Dropped of very quickly though.

Cheers Neil
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 07, 2006, 06:35:44 pm
So no one is expecting a last minute rush tnen? Just took a booking for the 19th, so there's hope yet!

Cheers

Justin 
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Vernon Purcell on December 07, 2006, 08:09:19 pm
Steve
You should have told me about the job when I was up at Restomate I would have run our 500 psi inline heat exchanger around and done the the job. Given a real live demo on a real life carpet
Vernon
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 07, 2006, 08:34:26 pm
I'm booking in for the 19th Jan, but I've been s/e for 15 years, I was wanting a bigger rest but I hate turning work away!

I left my mobile on divert yesterday and forgot it was in my trouser pocket, got in the bath about 9pm with my trousers on the bathroom floor and guess what?

Could just reach them over the bubbles, another booking for Jan £120

Shaun
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 07, 2006, 08:44:30 pm
We have bookings for Jan, but cant fill the last week in December, YET!
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Macarthur on December 07, 2006, 10:14:32 pm
Several more calls yesterday, now fully booked next week and half full following week.

Nigel.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Barry Livingstone on December 08, 2006, 11:07:34 am
turned up to a 120.00 job today and for the second friday in a row no one in the house >:( >:( >:(

really getting  :-X off with this .........ahahahahaagggg

Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: mark_roberts on December 08, 2006, 03:38:16 pm
Arrived at 1.30 for a £295 job and no answer.  No answer on the phone either.

Lets me get some paperwork done and waste a few minutes typing useless drivel on these boards.

Mark

BTW - Im shocked at the amount of people on the board at this time of day at this time of year!!

Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Neil Grainger on December 08, 2006, 04:37:09 pm
Call the night before to confirm gents, saves a lot of time if it goes wrong.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Mike Osbourne on December 08, 2006, 04:50:50 pm

If only you were in a white collar job. You could still bill them for the time. :'(
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Geoff Jewkes on December 08, 2006, 04:54:08 pm
first 10 days of jan booked........... hopefully this is a sign of things to come!!!  :)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 08, 2006, 08:52:43 pm
In my experience giving them a call the night before gives them a chance to call off or dive out.

I find that they are in anyway.

Shaun

PS I used to call th enight before, I find the eliment of surprise better.
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: Barry Livingstone on December 08, 2006, 11:48:46 pm
ooooppppppppsss.............half hour after last post today on this customer called went to do job....cust...well pleased took pics for her mum to see.

than booked in her leather suite for next week............bless them dont you just love customers.............. :) :) :)
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: maxcarpets on December 13, 2006, 11:41:12 am
Booked up until 20th, PHEW!
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: bennymon on December 13, 2006, 05:15:24 pm
only done one job this week :'(
Title: Re: COUNTDOWN TO XMAS
Post by: COLIN BRIGHT on December 13, 2006, 05:44:10 pm
Although there is a huge volume of extra calls this time of year, i don't find it to be any buisier than normal, we seem to be booked a coulpe of weeks in advance all the time.
i do find that the jobs are smaller as in 1-2 rooms rather than the normal 3-4 rooms per job
i think thats why it seems busier.
spring time right up until the end of summer seem to be my busiest periods with people who want the carpets cleaned for them rather than for the benifit of "other people who are coming for xmas"
has been a fantastic year all said and done

roll on 2007