Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on July 19, 2007, 06:19:24 pm
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I get lots of people calling for prices then saying "I'll have a word with my hubby" or "I'll get back to you in an hour". What is the best way(s) of sealing the job there and then without them going to someone else. What ways can i put them off or indeed attract them to my services? Thanks in advance, John
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HI
Ask them what their budget is?
Regards
Martin 8)
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I have the same problem , you no the potential customer is just going down a list of carpet cleaners from yell. com looking for the cheapest price
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with price shoppers if your not the cheepest you wont get the job it doesnt matter how good you are just stick with the people who value your service :) :)
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hi john, same here your lady phoned yesterday,
said you had told her my name
gave her a qoute a bit cheaper than you had given her
oh thank you she said, i will check with my hubby!
did she get back to me did she poope!
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why don't you get back to the people you have quoted for instead of waiting for them to get back to you,
sometimes life gets in the way and its not that they don't want you but maybe something more important cropped up and they forgot about you
you'll be surprized how many people will say
i'm glad you phoned, yes we would like to go ahead.........
try it, its only the cost of a call!
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Why would these women need to 'check with their hubby'? Surely if she needed to check then it should be the hubby doing the calling around!
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If your quoting over the phone, your pitch had better be good.
You have to sell it hard, (We will do this, that, and the next thing)
I know it`s hard at times, when your not in the right frame of mind, bad timing etc. But it`s got to be done.
To be honest I don`t get many price shoppers.
Or maybe my pitch is so good, I convert them. :)
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The only thing I can add is to tell them how you do it and more importantly why so they can attach a value to the price. I say to custys that its better that they don't vac before I get there and wait for them to ask why.........wellmr/mrs custy you will be amazed at the difference in the finish if you brush the carpet before vaccing etc. etc. I get alot of calls back from price shoppers. I'm sure you can work it out without me going on about the psychology of it all.
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As has already been said, if they are looking for the cheapest price there is nothing much you can do. But in saying that, you can convert some - if you fight hard.
When they ask for a price ask if they are ringing around looking for the cheapest price possible. Most will say yes so forget it. One or two will actually say 'well no, not necessarily'.... There's your chance! go into your routine explaining the pitfalls, your service, expertise, free quote, not covered on insurance unless survey done, website etc etc - anything to convince them that you are better than potential cowboys.
Works for me ;D
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hi guys and gals
One thing i'd like to know - if someone doesnt commit there and then (or does not call back) why do you automatically assume its to do with the price?
cheers
Stephen
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Good point BB
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just don't give them a price over the phone.
if you accept that you will not get the job anyhow, then you have nothing to lose by refusing to give a price.
Mike
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On thing I would like to know is why would you want to convert a price shopper in the first place. For indeed if its only a little they want to pay why would you want to clean for them? Only a thought.
Best, Dave.
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Thanks Pete
So any idea though? I ask this as when i decide who i do and dont allow to work for me (i dont mean carpet cleaning especially, i mean in general), the price is only one factor out of several.
Stephen
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When they say how much will it be I say, well I can tell you now I won't be the cheapest. ;)
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Mike, I bet you are less expensive than I am. Best, Dave.
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BB
If you have to price over the phone sometimes (which I do) you have to ask lots of open questions. These are designed to get your customer talking to you and more importantly you listenening. the resonses will guide you to your next qusetion. ie. what can can you tell me about yr carpet? "well we bought it 3 years ago etc.etc. what stain guard was put on it? etc etc.....none! really? etc.etc.
In all this time you have a, built a rapport and b, opened extra earning opportunities.
Key is...........................get them to do the talking
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Sorry, i didnt realise the thread was relating directly to people telephoning for prices, sorry.
I thought it was a 1-to-1 visit etc
cheers
stephen
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Dave
It's people like you who make me look cheap. I don't understand why people get upset over high prices, you're doing the industry a favour. ;D
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Not all customers are price shoppers, but they don't know what to ask for apart from the price it is therefore for you to inform them of what you offer or don't offer, they wouldn't call if they weren't looking to (may be) buy, but I would highly recommend a visit to see them.
So you think Dave would get his prices if he didn't?
Shaun
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When you call a service supplier..................do you honestly not ask what the service will cost, or at least ask for a guide to their charges.
I recently needed the services of a gas fitter and after confirming, they would carry out the work, I asked the obvious and normal / usual question.
" Can you give me an idea of what it will cost ?"
As I never advertise ALL of my work comes via the phone and some ask, what will it cost. Most are repeats and expect the price to have gone up a little, others are referrals and, although referred, don't necessarily have a clue about the cost involved.
My response is always,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,," when can I call to have a look " unless it's clearly a small job, in which case, I give a " about £x and should be no more than £y.
Been caught out a couple of times...................but, I always stick to my word.
Final word................there are people making a damned good living, by charging half, what some of you claim to charge.
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Hi Guys
The only sure way to beat the price shoppers is to quote very low.
Ask yoursellf do you want to work at the bottom of the market?, I certainly don't, so just let them go.
Difficult I know if you are short of work but better in the long run.
Different forms of advertising lead to different quality of enquiries, I have found the internet gives me high quality most of the time.
Cheers
Doug
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Hate to repeat myself, but, and this is only directed at new, or comparatively new startups.
Unless you are a Colin Bright, or Mike Halliday and I mean a very strong personality, who has total belief in your self and your abilities...............you might have to simply WORD HARD for LESS than others otherwise, you may fail through lack of CASH FLOW.
THE LIFEBLOOD OF ANY BUSINESS IS CASH FLOW
If it's not there from day one and you are unuble to pay for Fuel / Advertising / etc, you will never get off the ground.
It's all very well being told to pitch your prices to the top end, but, unless you are very well funded / extremely lucky / or can live on fresh air, YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.
When your HARD WORK has added some cash to your bank, or your stash, then you can become more selective in who you target.
There have been a number of posts over the past year, from people with different strategies, enabling them to target all sectors of the market and building successful businesses.
Working hard while learning the business doesn't always make you a busy fool and you will learn much more quickly, doing 3 -4 jobs per day, than 2 or 3 per week.
I'll guarantee that most of the people on here started with low prices and only raised them when they felt confident and competent in themselves.
I started that way and one of the most successful operators on here simply followed in her fathers footsteps, but through gaining personal confidence and encouragement has raised her game and is enjoying the benefits.
This is aimed at beginners and relatively new starts, anyone whose been around for more than a couple of years should be in the middle price range, nibbling at the higher quality sector, but you have to walk before you run.................otherwise you might suffer a nasty fall.
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I beg to differ
I am in my first year, and convert 81.2% (currently on my log) of all calls to jobs, how does that compare to the industry average !!
How?
I NEVER quote over the phone, I see every job and talk to the client.
If they push for a price I will tell them straight up that I will not be the cheapest and do not want to be, and suggest that if they do want cheaper they will find them in the local paper.
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I don't concider my prices to be high but excellent value for the work that has to be done, there will always be companies who will undercut you but you have to be confident from day one.
its all about the service you provide and that is the key, you also have to explain the job in detail to your custys and why the price is what it is, repeat and referall work this year has gone through the roof, which also tells me that my customers are very pleased with the service i provide
that should go for everyone
it is a real struggle to start with but stick to you guns and soon the work will steadily flow in
DONT CUT YOUR PRICES, because the only one who will suffer is you and your business.
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On thing I would like to know is why would you want to convert a price shopper in the first place. For indeed if its only a little they want to pay why would you want to clean for them? Only a thought.
Best, Dave.
i was one of the cheapest in the u.k and deffo in my area when i first found this site many months ago and im not new to the game at all , if i got a sniff of a price i would under cut them just to get the job weather i made money or not ,
just to get right up my competers noses ;D ;D and keep my 5 vans out there running around its good to go into a custys house and they say " i see your vans all over the place you must be good everybody gets you "
how ever now being one of the dearest in my area , i fine im busyer and ive found out off a few new custys that i didnt get there job last time because i was to cheap !!!! thought i was a cowboy !!!!!!!!! not all prices shoppers go off the cheapest how ever its a little easyer to for me to start lifting the price due the the massive custy base i have
and why moan about price shoppers ?? i do it myself ? and a bet everybody does in some way
i dont buy all my bits from the dealers for my vans i get them else where why ? cause of the price ;D
if your starting out you have to cut yourself in to a market and get your customer base up , ok working cheap isnt good but as long as your makeing min wage at the end of the week and the bills are paid and a few quid put in the bank youll be ok, but you must try and up the prices say after a year or six months when repete work starts comeing in and dont wait 20 years like i did :(
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Spot on Susan and it was you I was using as an example.
Philip
If you are converting at that rate, you are in the Same ( mould ) as the Colin Brights etc, but, that represents about 1 or 2% of the total.
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lets get this back to the original question How can I win over price shoppers?
so the phone rings and they ask " how much to clean my 14ft x 14ft living room?"
first thing I say is "where do you live?" when they say "Main St in Leven" I say "I'm in Leven tomorrow teatime ( white Lie ;) ) I'll pop and have a look at it, then I give you an exact price"
if they say i only want a price over the phone I ask them questions they will not know the answer to, when they can't answer them I tell them that there's no way any reputable & professional company could give a price without that information, and I would be misleading them if I gave them a rough price and then found unforeseen problems when I arrived (which meant a higher price)
then ask for a home visit again, but add when you visit their home you can explain the special offers you are giving at the moment.
in the end it would take a book to explain all the ways to combat priceshoppers.
Mike
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Very well stated Mr Halliday
You have put it very concisely, the way most experienced, not necessarily expensive operators would respond to the situation.....................in other words, coming across as a professional business, without sounding condescending, or patronising to the enquirer and keeping their interest, by tempting them, with a carrot.
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I find that getting Jobs is very much like going for a Job interview. They make their mind up in the first few minutes about you.
Over the phone you just cant get this across to them in the same way, When I got busy I got lazy and started quoting over the phone and just could not convert in the same way.
I always go and quote now and if they wont except me in their home for a quote I just wont go. This normally makes them think about why I want to see them and they change their mind and let me come and quote. If they dont they are not worth having as customers anyway. Quoting in person gives me higher job tickets as well.
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Totally agree with Neil.
Quoting in person probably accounts for 30% of my profits. Both in terms of conversions and price quoted.
Therefore I'm always eager to go and do quotes. :P
Something perhaps that is never brought up but will effect our earnings is how you look. If you 'look' trustworthy you are more likely to get the job. If you look like a part time cage fighter with tats up your neck, quote over the phone.
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John
http://cleanersnetwork.wordpress.com/2007/02/20/problem-with-cheap-cleaners-in-your-area/
respect
Ian Harper