Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ajy on September 27, 2004, 02:57:52 am
-
hi guys,,getting to grips with this now,,what a great site and bunch of guys,,,(helpful)what prices should i charge for the average 3-pce???
-
If you want to be snowed under with work charge £40 but if you're lazy charge £120 and you end up doing only a third of the work you'd be doing when charging £40.
;)
Mike
-
But make the same money for a lot less effort!!
-
you guys are on the ball,,i dont think im lazy mike but obviously i dont want to work my hart out mate ,,thanxs for the response
-
Or if you hate doing suites - £150 upwards.
Dave.
-
Dont charge £40.00.
You need to price a suite at nearer £100.00, it can take up to 3.5 hours (well I am slow) at £40 thats only just over £10 ph.
Phil
-
One day Phil,
You will have to let show you how you can knock an hour to and hour and half off that time using my method of cleaning suites, safely and with quick drying times ;)
Trevor
-
Hi Trevor,
Having seen how you clean a suite first hand, I can vouch for your statement regarding time saving (and not much elbow grease either) ;) ;)
Regards.
Martin S
PS haven't forgotten that i'll post something ref' your help.
PPS what time did you finish in Letchworth?
-
Phil
I can also help you! Stop chatting up the customer and the tea/coffee brakes, stop wishing and concentrate on the job in hand. ;D ;D
Len
-
I also take 3hrs.
When I went to Ashbys acordinding to sylabus they were meant to show how I could save an hour.
If splash and dash can do it in an hour they still get £40 an hour.
-
Len,
Have you ever thought it could be the other way round the customer is chatting me up.
Had one last week who sat on the stairs while I cleaned her 3 piece and never stopped talking.
Nice lady though ;)
Phil
ps Trevor where in Hertfordshire are you based?
-
Phil
Point taken, but I’m so focus on getting the job done it would be like the wife talking to me, then again do they ever stop! ;D Have some ear plugs free see you in London.
Len
-
Trevor, why not just tell us how to knock an hour of our suite cleaning ::)
Adam, you should charge as high as you think you can get away with but don't go lower than £75, as you get more comfident you'll find it easier to ask higher prices.
Mike
-
Most of the time I quote over the phone and ask a lot of questions how ever do some times come unstuck re size they say two seater where it can turn out it can sit three/four how do you get out of this quandary?
Mike AJY = Adam ??? :o
Len
-
think ive got to go with you on this one mike (charge what i can get away with) i like it,,you got any jobs ;D
-
Come on fellas...whats this 'charge what you can get away with'
What an attitude!...
You have to work darned hard to clean a suite properly then you should expect a fair return for your efforts.
The statement above would indicate that you are ripping a customer off... surely this isn't the case
Derek
-
OK Derek why don't you tell us the formula for working out how much to charge to clean a suite.
'charge what you can get away with' might sound unproffessional but its how most carpet cleaners make up their prices.
if you charge by the hour then did woodman cut his prices by 40% when he learnt to cut an hour off his cleaning time,
or if we work out our price by how much our bussiness expenses are would you put down your prices when you've paid off the bank loan you got to buy your equipment.
Mike
-
Hi ajy
I think to get anywhere £100 to clean a suite takes a lot of salesmanship, something that a newcomer will not have.
On the otherhand you dont want to start out to cheap as you will have trouble pushing your prices up.
You really need to know what your compertion is charging and pitch your price accordingly.
Dont forget that the people charging a lot will have high overheads, the cheap people will have low overheads.
So its all related to your overheads & how much you want to earn per hour.
Dont fall into the trap of wanting to earn £40 but not getting much work, when you could do very nicely at £30 an hour and being resonably busy & keep your overheads down.
David Annable
Just my Twopeneth
-
I think you also have to be realistic. You are not going to get high prices for cleaning a Ten Year old Suite from the COOP which was designed to withstand Four years Wear And Tear. You are not going to get high prices for the second hand suite, unless it was an antique.
Also Lens riht you do need to check out size was caught twice lat week. Have instructed Sales Team to ask more questions regarding size,
-
Hi Martin
I finished at 3pm, not bad eh.
Hope you enjoyed your time with me and that it has given you something to think about ;)
Phil , I am based in Bedfordshire close to Herts & Bucks borders.
Trevor
-
Trevor
This hour saving method wouldnt have something to do with the texatherm method would it?
Mark
-
Trevor,
Where in Bedfordshire, I used to live in Langford & Wilstead.
Didint realise you were so close to me.
Phil
-
As professional trades/business people, we should conduct ourselves accordingly. To charge as much as you THINK you can get is not very professional at all. After all, if someone cleaned your suite for £XXX, was then recommended to your mother/sister/uncle/cousin and they were charged only £XX for an identical suite in the same condition, then surely you would feel "ripped off" yourself and never use that company again. If Halfords, Dixons, Jessops, Tesco etc. etc. etc. can charge everyone the same price for the same goods/service, then why can't we?
What is required is a clear and fair pricing structure and policy. For myself, I'll charge by the seating unit. That's my standard price. If the soiling level is exceptional, then I may add a small premium. So too for extra travelling, scatter cushions etc. You may prefer to charge by the hour, by the seating unit or by the number of buckets of water used, but you should always be fair and clear and able to honestly justify your pricing structure should friends, family or neighbours compare notes.
Safe, fair and happy pricing:)
Ken
-
Do all repacement window companoes charge the same.?
-
Ken you're getting the wrong end of the stick ;) I don't mean make up the price differently for each customer, I mean make up your price and stick to it for everyone.
if we are talking about fair is it fair for you to charge the customer say £160 to clean a suite when someone who charges £95 might do it just as good.
why should you make an extra £65, because you've made up/ decided/ worked out/ calculated your price of £165.
we all charge what we believe we can get no matter what we say.
Mike
-
Mike
I wasn't talking about you, or anyone else specifically in my post, especially as you and I are quite familiar with the professional way each of us deals with this issue. However, there are many CC's on all the forums who appear to make up their prices as they go. We're all businessmen out to succeed. I do it my way and it works for me. Others do it differently and it works for them. However, it's my opinion that their way is wrong, as I pointed out in my previous post.
As to levels of priing, Waitrose feel that a can of beans is worth £XX but Tesco only charge £x. But both are successful within their targeted market. A window replacement company should typically have a proper, structured pricing policy, into which is worked variables allowing for commisions, overszes from standard, added features etc. etc. But as in all businesses, different companies will have different rates. I value my services higher than some, which is why I command a higher price. But this issue isn't about what you charge, more about having a clear pricing structure that can be seen to be fair and honest to all.
Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken
PS Yes it is fair for me to charge more for a suite than some others. You don't force anyone to buy your services, you invite them to purchase at a quoted price. It would be unfair though if I charged someone else more (or less) just because I felt like it. Very unprofessional.
-
Mark
Not quite, I don't like the method for upholstery cleaning using the Texatherm system, I use a combination of systems that in theory any one could do,greatly reducing the chances of damage to the item being cleaned.
Phil
I operate out of Woburn (not the Abbey ;D)
-
So why not tell us what it is ::)
I'm starting to think this is like some schoolyard prank, some snotty nosed kid running around shouting "I've got a secret.... I've got a secret"
we'd all like to cut an hour off our suite cleaning, so tell us your big secret.
Mike
-
I've got a secret
Dave
-
AJY,
It's your business , you decide how much you want to charge,otherwise you might as well work for someone else. :o
Best of luck,
Doug
-
Mike
There is nothing scientific about the way I structure my prices...as you know I charge well in excess of £100 for five seating units...Like Ken I charge by the seating unit.
I purchase all my equipment for cash (no hire purchase) and this can only be achieved by salting part of ones earnings into a fund for repair and replacement
When one considers all the outgoings of running a business I am not accessive in my pricing...it's all down to the bottom line.
Most of us could probably get a job working for someone else for the same bottom line figure or more without all the hassle of actually running a business....we just choose not to...or in my case I am unemployable ;D
Derek
-
Mike
Once again so eloquent with your replies,that I am just falling over myself here rushing to help you out ::)
No big secret, available to all but like a naughty school boy you havn't been paying attention have you? Had you bothered to check you would have seen that I explained how the procedure works in an earlier thread.
But I prefer to show if at all possible rather than explain, as hands on is much more reliable and aids confidence.
PS: you must have attended some strange schools as a kid, 'I've got a secret' ??? thats a new one on me.
-
What can I say, I had a very unhappy school life :'( :'(
I was always picked last when playing football & the school bully used to always pinch my dinner money.
I'll search through all your postings and see if I can find out your secret ;)
Mike
-
Hi trevor,
Is this your "secret" ;D
Taken from a previous posting by woodman,
A really good vacuum light mist with Solutions MS light agitation and a quick rinse with water Job Done
Incidently best bit of kit I have added for a very long time for upholstery cleaning is my Minitex mini roto.
I use this all the time for agitating the solution in and working on arms and back cushion problem areas.Takes all the hard work out of agitation leaves the furniture looking great before rinsing.
Also can help with drying off after rinsing,with air movers going use the mini roto with clean pads and this speeds drying no end.
I actually, and I didn't think I would ever hear myself saying this, quite enjoy upholstery cleaning using this method
Superb bit of kit.
-
Trevor,
What is this Minitex Mini Roto and where did you get it?
How much?
Phil
-
http://www.texatherm.co.uk/
£225 for the mini-roto
Mark
-
Phil
Think sold by texatherm don’t know the price.
By the way boys six of the best is needed. ;D ;D
Len
-
Will a Black & Decker do the same jobs as the Mini Roto? ;D ;D ;D
-
Will a Black & Decker do the same jobs as the Mini Roto?
It looks like one of those mop things you use to wax your car with. ;D
Upholstery with a shine !
Mark