Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 12, 2008, 06:53:46 pm

Title: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 12, 2008, 06:53:46 pm
How much would you charge me to clean a 3 seater sofa and a living room carpet. I said £95.00. WWWHHHHAAAATTTT HOWWWWW MUCHHH?
The last guy did it for £20! Well why dont you call him? I lost his number! Yeah right!
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: davep on May 12, 2008, 07:56:58 pm
Dont think hes still in business somehow   :-X
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 12, 2008, 08:17:04 pm
At £20 I think she was trying it on, in 20 years I have never seen an advert for £20 to clean a 3pc suite.

These people infuriate you because every call you get you think you have a decent chance of converting into work IMO all they are doing is holding up your telephone line.

Shaun
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Paul Redden Countryfresh on May 12, 2008, 08:39:17 pm
Unbelievable..I'm glad I'm not the only one...we had wayne and waynenetter ring today.." how much one small room?" £40??? how long will it take to dry?" us.." is it short pile or long pile?   "what do you mean?" ???  ::)
Needless to say we didn't get the job...Phew
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: mark_roberts on May 12, 2008, 09:11:30 pm
is it short pile or long pile?   "what do you mean?

Thats a fair enough answer to your question considering most dont know the type of carpet, the size of the carpet or even what the stains are.

Had one last week.  Gave her a price for a 12x12 room and then she asked did I have any special offers off that price.

Mark
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 12, 2008, 09:29:23 pm
I guess it's the old saying "if you don't ask you don't get" I usually tell them that if they have 2 carpets done (when they've asked for 1) that they qualify for a discount just to push the order value up, but I always stet that there are no real discounts for 1 carpet cleaning as there is no real profit after fuels etc etc etc

Shaun
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Straker Cleaning on May 12, 2008, 10:11:28 pm
My customers ask when can it be done ........ if anyone asks price, i hang up  ;D

Kidding ....... tell people it could be £4.00 a sq metre ........ they have idea of sizes and realise a maximum cost. I confirm price before starting (likely to be more like £3.50 sq m) and do job........these are customers i like and have now  ;)
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: steve cardy on May 13, 2008, 07:23:07 am
I had a call from a woman last week and i thought it was one of those urban myth for carpet cleaners. She told that me that she needed 5 bedrooms stairs and landing cleaned as her previous carpet cleaner had sadly died. Before i could give her some idea on price she said that he use to charge her £40.00 for the lot. I think you can guess my reply.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: stevegunn on May 13, 2008, 07:30:47 am
There is one in the chronicle who charges 2x carpets £20 and a suite £35 the advert he puts in costs £835 per month.You do the maths how much is is making? Another way of looking at it is if on minimum wage £5.50 =£220 a week for 8 hour day,four suites £140 for a days work or four carpet jobs £80 still making more than minimum wage.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: from edge2edge on May 13, 2008, 07:42:24 am
I have a couple of small hire machines so if they are one of these cheap as you like types then i offer them a machine to do it themselves.Some do take up the offer so at least i get the money on offer in some cases.Alan (swindon)
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Joe H on May 13, 2008, 08:17:27 am
I guess it's the old saying "if you don't ask you don't get" I usually tell them that if they have 2 carpets done (when they've asked for 1) that they qualify for a discount just to push the order value up, but I always stet that there are no real discounts for 1 carpet cleaning as there is no real profit after fuels etc etc etc

Shaun
That sounds about right Shaun.
The price of fuel today makes it even harder to make on the "one carpet" cleans.
We need to be realistic 1. about our own costs. 2. about what the customer will pay seeing times are tight.
Up selling by as you say "I can do a discount on a 2nd (or 3rd) carpet" sounds good sense to me.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 13, 2008, 08:39:11 am
There will always be a spectrum of what people will pay and what their expectations are. The £20 woman is right on the edge and I wouldn't even bother codgetating about the whys and wherefores of her thinking, and certainly wouldn't draw any inferences about the economy and my pricing.

Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: crowncleaning on May 13, 2008, 04:53:17 pm
i try not to give prices over the phone, normally if their serious about a job, they will let you go quote
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Straker Cleaning on May 13, 2008, 05:07:17 pm
Quoted on job recently, to be told that i was twice the price of another quote she had and maybe she might use me in the future !!

If i was too dear now......... it will be worse next time she calls  :o

Emailed her back and wished her the best ........ added that i do not compete on price as my customers demands are quality driven and NOT price driven  ;D
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 13, 2008, 07:51:04 pm
Beautifully put Chris Ill remember that line for future reference  ;)
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Len Gribble on May 13, 2008, 09:17:15 pm
Most calls are from woman they hold the purse strings, if it man hang on ill talk to the misses and it’s not about when you can do it. ???

Mike

Married are we? :D ;D

Chris

Not ott on m&s samwages, greasy Joe’s ;)

Len
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: *paul_moss on May 13, 2008, 09:20:36 pm
I would charge £75 for the sofa alone.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Ian Rochester on May 13, 2008, 10:20:42 pm
We're not the most expensive but I went to do a quote on some corded commercial carpet today, 292sq m, and they wanted us to move all the furniture, tables, chairs, bins etc.

Chap told me he had to get three quotes and so far his best quoted price had been £80.00 !!
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 13, 2008, 10:25:33 pm
I bet removal men would charge more than that to move the tables alone!

Shaun
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: 2cleanright on May 13, 2008, 10:30:03 pm
Lionheart - I would have asked if he had mis-read the quote. There must be another "0" in there!
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Joe H on May 14, 2008, 05:56:11 am
We're not the most expensive but I went to do a quote on some corded commercial carpet today, 292sq m, and they wanted us to move all the furniture, tables, chairs, bins etc.
Chap told me he had to get three quotes and so far his best quoted price had been £80.00 !!

Not worth the time of day thinking about it
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: stevegunn on May 14, 2008, 07:19:01 am
We're not the most expensive but I went to do a quote on some corded commercial carpet today, 292sq m, and they wanted us to move all the furniture, tables, chairs, bins etc.

Chap told me he had to get three quotes and so far his best quoted price had been £80.00 !!

Quotes like that spoil it for everyone because they perceive that they will do a good job,if the company price oriented then they will go for the £80 then need it done again in 3-4 weeks time
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: capital-services on May 14, 2008, 11:12:15 am
I have to agree, but disagree, sometimes we have gone in at a lower price (even as low as that) as a loss leader, just to gain other or future work especially in commercial market.

Dennis
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: crowncleaning on May 14, 2008, 11:20:55 am
I think since the recession may be heading our way, the cleaning businesses that deal mainly with the cheap end of the market may be the first to be hit, simply because they deal with low earners who will tighten the purse strings first, so therefore prices should be going up at a time of recession!
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: angie666 on May 14, 2008, 11:34:58 am
haha heard it all b4 she prob phone u back!!! chancers eh! thats why cowboys get to be cowboys because people like her ......... ::)
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: ollie on May 14, 2008, 05:29:49 pm
Did a quote today for a lady who used to use another local cc but she wasnt satisfied with the results last time cos he took only 45 mins to do a lounge, bedroom and hsl and it was still dirty. I got there and she told me all this and then says "and he is very pricey" now I know mr x is cheap so I told her I wouldnt compete on price.I explained it would take me much longer I would use all the correct solutions etc , I even showed her she still had detergent left in the carpet. I asked how much he charged ....£35!! I said theres no way I can beat that so she starts saying things like "come on do it for £30 and I will have you twice a year...you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours!!!"   what a joke! she knows he is rubbish and takes 45 mins yet thinks £35 is pricey!! She nearly had a heart attack when I said £110 is the best I can do! She said "come on do it for £40 then and you wontt have to move the telly!!! "  I didnt get the job  :'(
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 14, 2008, 05:47:09 pm
Do these people go shopping, or buy petrol or pay utility bills?

Yesterday i nip out for some milk at the corner shop, I think I'll get a magazine as well, oh and a pastie and a bar of chocalate (that's why I'm a fat Baztard) oh and I need a birthday card. Pulls a tenner out......That will be £10.51 please!

Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 14, 2008, 05:53:03 pm
But Mike people do shop around for the above we are being conditioned to do it by the TV and internet, Spar are local shops and charge more then Tesco, if you quote over the phone people will price shop unless you have 1000's of customers that will pay your prices what ever.

Shaun
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 14, 2008, 05:57:03 pm
As Joe said further up these idiots just try it on and are not worth thinking about. The sooner everyone pulls together and ups their prices (including the cowboys) the better the industry will be. Of course that will never happen!!

I did an old couples house today. I went in and it was stinking of pi$$. It was that bad I literally had to hold my breath! They said they had others CCs in and they did not notice any difference after they left. They were amazed with the results they got from my equipment and are having me back at regular intervals.

Heres the toilet...


Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 14, 2008, 06:00:11 pm
So Shaun what you are saying is I'm a fat LAZY baztard. ;D

Just saying you don't get much for a tenner nowadays wherever you go.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 14, 2008, 06:12:06 pm
Go and have a sandwich!

Ah go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.

Shaun
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 14, 2008, 06:58:59 pm
It was that bad I literally had to hold my breath!



Nancy

There's nothing like the smell of dried p1ss in the morning, natures own smelling salts.

Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Joe H on May 14, 2008, 07:21:09 pm
and arent you the fortunate one getting to go back regularly  ::)
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 14, 2008, 07:23:16 pm
Yes looks like ill be going back to do their living room and conservatory carpets sometime in the near future  :-\

How fabulous.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Joe H on May 14, 2008, 07:55:15 pm
Ah! now that may be better.
and of course this old couple may hav younger family in the area too.
Title: Re: Just had a woman on the phone....
Post by: Mike Osbourne on May 14, 2008, 08:10:43 pm
Do they have relatives abroad?