Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: liahona on December 06, 2007, 12:27:32 pm
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I have been asked several times of late what it is that I clean that is so different. I have always answered pretty much the same as everyone else cleans only that the value of the textile is usually greater.
So I have posted a couple of pictures of where I was cleaning yesterday. One is of the house and the other is the carpet that was made as a one off specifically for this client. It is one of 5 staircases all which are about 50 stairs in all.
The value of the carpet was £62,500. The installation was another £15,000.
Best, Dave.
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One more, ok, two.
Best, Dave.
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Van looks filthy considering you clean it for every customer!
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Fair comment, but..... To get to the property several things, it was a 200 mile drive in the pooring rain to get there. It is then about a mile drive on grass stroke mud stroke gravel to get to the house off of the main road and lastly they are existing clients so I didnt need to clean the van beore I drove up the "path". Oh and yes I would have done if they were new clients.
Best, Dave.
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Love working on carpets such as that .......... very satisfying when such items and large areas are completed to perfection 8)
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Liahona
love the ironing board and the ikea bag on the landing!
Kind of looks out of place in such grand surroundings.
Also is it an optical illusion or looking at the roof of your van it looks like it is sagging in the middle!
Cheers Goron
Ps. Good job you two!
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Chris, nice "job" you have there. And isnt it just.
I will look at the roof, dont know yet.
Best, Dave.
Just looked, it would appear ok but the picture does give the illusion that it is bowed. But then I give the illusion I know what I am doing.......
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We have a few properties similar to these, maybe not quite so grand, but still very expensive carpets in very austere surroundings, recently did a silk and wool stair carpet that had cost £10,000.
Yes you need to be careful with how you clean these carpets, but no more careful than you should be cleaning any carpet or upholstery. In fact these carpets are generally a lot easier to clean as they are normally only "dirty", there is very rarely and stains, inground blutak, high traffic areas where the carpet pile has vanished completly, things that we get in most domestic households.
The trick is to do what Dave and Chris have successfully managed to do and that is to build up your reputation with this target market. Unfortunately up here in the sticks, that market amounts to a mere handful! :'(
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And here's me thinking I do posh. Nice one guys.
Had a custy who had a TV that remembers where you sit and when you switch it on it turns and tilts for your preferred viewing. Carpets weren't up to Regal standards though. ;)
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Really nice pics Dave , Did you blitz or enz all ?
John
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Is that an EOT then? ;D
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What TM is that in the van?
Richie.
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Yes it was an E.O.T. and here is the TM, best, Dave.
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Dave
Have you got their Hydro-Kinetic if so any good?
Len
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Len, yes and yes. Best, Dave.
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Blimey Dave I was just kidding. You mean you can actually rent properties like this? Whats the rent £20k a Month
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The biggest house I've done, was a former National Trust property which had been taken over and renovated throughout, with curtains from New York, furniture from all over Europe custom made carpets from UK.
When I got the phone call, it was " Hi, Robert, we are just about to move into the new house, could you come down and give the hall and stairs a clean, they're a bit dusty "
When I got there, the housekeeper showed me around, the total area of the hall an staircase was about half an acre.
The client had spent over a million in the house, but only lived there for a year, making a tactical move to Spain from where they commute once a month to keep an eye on their " business "
Interesting item, was a Union Jack toilet seat in a little office toilet, signed by Gerri Halliwell.
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Pete, I know you were kidding but nevertheless it was still a clean up after "someone" had had the property for 3 months. I cant say who the someone is but needless to say they arent short of a bob or two.
As for the £20k a month, well romour has it that this place fully loaded is about £8 or £10k a day. I am sure the previous tenant received a discount as it was for the 3 months. This is without it being staffed. If it is staffed and also to include cleaning crews, chefs, general dogs bodies etcetera it becomes upwards of £12k a day.
Although this sounds a lot of monies what it was used for will create millions to the tenant. Even at full price of a little over a million the return far outways the initial investment to be able to use the property.
Its all relative really.
Best, Dave.
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Even the very best carpet cleaners working in the very best properties for probably the best prices that can be charged in this industry are tiny maggots looking for scraps at a very large table.
We are in the wrong business guys.
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Well good luck to you Dave. If you ever need any help Midlands down give me a shout.
Pete
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Pete, you should travel a bit more. The job, pictured is closer to you than it was for me. Best , Dave.
P.S. This is why I travel so much though as these properties are all over the country and again closer to you in the midlands than where I am at present.
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Actually Dave I would, just don't get the opportunities. I'm a bit of a workaholic so being light on it drives me effing crazy and if the jobs are viable (economically) then its a no brainer.
Have a very limited customer base as only been here a few Months so am working away from home in Jan/Feb as a labourer for 4 days a week just to pay the bills but it still gives me 2 days fri/sat to earn decent money on the CCing.
Pete
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Steamway make such great truckmounts. The 9100 must be the most reliable machine I've ever owned. I'll bet the legacy has awesome power.
How many jobs do you do a year Dave?
Jamie
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Jamie, the 9100 is an awesome machine. Not many out there that will better it, especially at the price. Machines 5 or 6 thousand pounds more will not out perform it.
The big difference with the Powermatic is having a genny on board to create 110 volts for fans, lights or anything else maybe needed.
Also the ability to mix cleaning chemicals with heat in a fixed container instead of the nonsense of plastic free standing containers.
Oh and a larger waste tank.
And it has a fuel burner which is more efficient than any heat exchange unit.
Ok, and a load of other things too.
Best, Dave
P.S. I have no idea how many jobs I do a year. 60 maybe but that doesnt count for all the Oriental or area rugs that I do. I dont really count those as I clean them off site and wait till I have a load to do at once. I also dont count the jobs that I do for other people (cleaners) as they arent really my clients.
Just looked up my invoices. Since April of 2006 till Wednesday of this week I have had 110 clients. This included Orientals as well.
My goal each year is to have even less new clients than the year before but doesnt always work that way. Otherwise I will be in the position of 4 or 5 days a week for work and thats what I want to leave behind not get into again. I really am fortunate that I work when I chose too for those who I chose to do work for.
In the 3 years I have worked here it has got less and less so I suppose its working to a degree. But my average has gone way up since I started so thats why I can work less. When I started I was doing 2 or 3 a week but now fortunately it averages half that. I say average as I dont work hardly at all during the summer. Most of my work is between September and March.
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Dave
Jamie is just up the road from me, has a decent truck but is only ok as a tech ;)
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Thanks alot Paul! You must of seen my work when I worked in your village. Have passed a few numbers onto you aswell. Might stop that now. :P
What machine have you got mr moss? How's business.
Jamie
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Dave,
If you know you've got to travel a long way, how do you price jobs? Do you add travel time to the bill, or are you expensive enough to swallow the extra time/cost?
Jamie
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Not really a straight answer as there are 3 questions. Easiest answer is that I dont price jobs anymore.
I turn up, do what I do and get paid what I ask for.
The fuel expenses for the job I did re this post were close on £135.
So in all not that significant to what was charged.
Some clients pay me travel time if the job is under £500 as they realise it wouldnt be worth doing.
But again on the whole it all gets lost in the price.
Best, Dave.
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Thanks alot Paul! You must of seen my work when I worked in your village. Have passed a few numbers onto you aswell. Might stop that now. :P
What machine have you got mr moss? How's business.
Jamie
Jamie I passed you about 2 weeks ago, you were going through Dyserth village andyou did not even wave >:(, Have passed a few ovr to you this year too on Anglesey. Do you do leather ? as I have had a few up there and refused as did no know if you did it.
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Paul,
I apologise profusely! Were you in your van? I normally look out to wave to fellow rug suckers, even Chemdry :o. Yes I do leather, but hate re-colouring so don't pass on any of those. I promise to wave next time.
Dave,
Sorry for all the questions! In north wales we have to travel alot and I often wonder how much I should try and re-coup in the price. Where are you based?
Jamie
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Jamie your van looked good .I just could not work out which one you were on the side of the van ;)
Just hoping you are the blonde one :D
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Live wise I am either in West Wales or inbetween Bristol and Bath. Near junction 18 of the M4 if that helps. I work all over the U.K. but do travel farther afield sometimes.
If your travel expenses are dropping your profit margin enough for it to be considered a problem then yes you should try to re-coup.
Just up your prices 5p a foot or so and then job done, fuel payed for.
Best, Dave.
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Paul,
I wondered why all the blokes are disappointed to see me! False advertising I guess ;D. What van do you have I'll look out for you.
Dave,
Not that far away! Will have to ask you another time what it was like working in america as I'd love to move there one day.
Jamie