Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on December 27, 2008, 10:54:02 am
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Im going up about 20% on average. Who else is going up and by how much?
John
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you need to be careful upping your prices unless your very busy or looking to target a different sector of the market
inflation is on its way down, so everything, including wages will drop next year
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Well I can always put them down if I think it's not working out. I tend to market the higher end domestic properties so hopefully a fiver or tenner here and there wont make that much difference. Anyway my overheads have gone up dramatically so need to up the prices for that reason alone.
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my overheads have gone down, chemicals are cheaper
(vat drop) diesel has gone down in the last few months, suppliers are trying to be more competitive, advertising companies are practically giving ads away, i think its the cheapest things have been for a long time, my mortgage has also gone down due to lower interest rates, heating and fuel bills are slowly dropping and food and living costs are coming down too.
hence the inflation will be de-flation next year
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Mike,
Hope you don't use Prochem products as their prices are going up dramatically as from 1st Jan.
Pete
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For domestics I have a pricing policy. One year I'll put carpets up, the next year I'll put upholstery up. On 01/01/09 it'll be upholstery by 6.5%.
Commercial is slightly different.Most of my commercial work is Dry Fusion. Chemical costs are a larger part of the overhead with DF than with some other systems so I need to watch this carefully. By changing from Activator to the new Fusion Pure I have effectively halved my product costs so there is no plan to increase my charges in the forseable future.
As a small service business, it is difficult to increase volume to compensate for lower charges, so your pricing and costs need to be watched carefully. As was once quoted, Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity It is sometimes more cost effective to stay at home rather than work for next to nothing.
Safe, happy and profitable cleaning :)
Ken
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Hi john
Are you just going to put up every job then or just the letting side ???
Ken
How do you find the fusion pure against activator ???
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Hi Clinton
Putting my carpets up by 5p per square foot and upholstery up by £3 per seat. Might not sound a lot but it should mount up.
John
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By pricing each job individually, you don't have to state a set price for A / B / C and to keep down prices without reducing your returns, you just have to be more efficient.
Is pre vacuuming really necessary
Which and how much prespray are you using
Do you really need an acid rinse
Etc, etc.
Don't clean way beyond client's expectations, when meeting them is adequate and probably more profitable.
This is NOT being mean, or SCRIMPING. It's maximising your return for time and effort.
I almost never prevac, so I save a considerable time per job and I have retained a very high proportion of clients over the years.
PROFIT is about ROI and how effectively you manage TIME and PRODUCT ( consumables ) has a major bearing on PROFIT.
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Don't clean way beyond client's expectations, when meeting them is adequate and probably more profitable.
don't agree with that bit carlton.
you'll get far more referals from cleaning beyond expectations and you'll also stand out from the also rans.
i always clean to the best of my ability regardless of my clients expectations, and when there gobsmacked by the results, i rub my hands knowing they'll be talking about me to there friends.
derek
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Like you carlton I rare pre vac, usually they ask me over the phone shall I run round with the vac. In some cases they just do it anyway.
Always ask them to clear the room of any small items of clutter though like magazine racks and kids toys.
Generally find if it's a living or dining room everything bar the 3 piece and immovable objects have been shipped out.
One even put the 3 piece on the patio this Summer.
Do try to clean the place above there expectations though, as Derek says, maybe then they'll put in a good word for you with the neighbours.
Upped my prices in December.
John
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Hi john
As long as you are confident in puting your prices up ???
Am sure you will soon find out if you will loose regulars as they usually vote with there feet ::)
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John
Forgot to ask you did you get the leaflets done ???
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Derek
Been taught to suck eggs many years ago. Client expectations are nearly always unrealistic and it would be foolish to promise something you can't deliver.
My results have almost always exceeded client's expectations, but I never assume they will, so when presented with an unexpectedly good result, they are delighted. It's just using psychology.
Been running for the past 6 years, or so with no advertising, don't even give out cards, but people still phone and refer me to others.
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carlton
you said dont clean beyond clients expectations, NOT! dont promise beyond clients expectations.
i was giving my views on that basis.
now your changing the goal posts.
so did you mean don't promise or clean?, as your first post says clean.
derek
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Who would win in a fight between Carlton and Derek?
FFFFIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;D ;D ;D
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You missed one very important little word in your tranlation of what I wrote Derek. Completely changes the message.
To clarify for you.
The use of the word " way " in this post was intended to convey, in a word............" far above reasonable expectations "
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Clinton
To be honest mate Ive still got a box of 6,500 of the old ones here that will be going out next week. Not needed to do much advertising over xmas. As soon as they are picked up Ill buy 20,000 with the new special offer on. Print Carrier have upped their prices for 20,000 by about £30.00! Good job im upping my prices!!
John
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For those who think putting up prices is risky with the crunch an all, simply take a small part of your business and test it out. If it creates more profit you can apply it to other areas if it don't work don't try the same thing elsewhere.
Or just add 5% across the board, then another 5% a few months later. Don't really see the 'risk' unless you only work for lower income homes and do a blanket 10%+ to everything.
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Don't clean way beyond client's expectations, when meeting them is adequate and probably more profitable.
don't agree with that bit carlton.
you'll get far more referals from cleaning beyond expectations and you'll also stand out from the also rans.
i always clean to the best of my ability regardless of my clients expectations, and when there gobsmacked by the results, i rub my hands knowing they'll be talking about me to there friends.
derek
derek are you ever wrong
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richard.
did i say i was right?
derek
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Well I can always put them down if I think it's not working out. I tend to market the higher end domestic properties so hopefully a fiver or tenner here and there wont make that much difference.
Maths hasn't always been my strong point, but a fiver or tenner would constitute an extra 20% on top of a job ticket worth £25 or £50.
Have you thought this through?! :-\
P.S. Yes I am upping my prices this year, I do it as of 1st March.
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I generally raise prices in March. It gives me an opportunity to take stock of suppliers prices etc and how it affects my bottom line.
Maybe O/T but it's been mentioned so... Whilst i'm all for labour saving I honestly can not imagine not pre-vacuuming carpets before cleaning. I've been at this since 1990 and might be stuck in my ways but this is a fundamental of my service. I have plenty of clean filters on board and keep the vac clean so it is at it's best. I've never been able to get that grotty fluff from down beside the gripper without it. I even move the furniture and vac behind there. I can't be unique. Even if the customer has just done it I offer and do it explaining mine are probably more powerful, simply because they seldom do the edges or under the couch. My point is not to offend or preach it just seems such a basic in the process. Maybe this explains why I can't do 3 jobs a day and i'm still working at 41 ;D
Cheers
Simon Demmen
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Don't forget, if you put up your prices by 10% every year for some customer this will relate to an actual increase of 20% (or even 30%) since they last used you.
if you cleaned someones livingroom carpet last Christmas and they use you again in January is only a gap of 13months but your prices will have increased by 20%.
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OK it's pedant time, I'm bored!
Dec '07 £100
Jan '08 £110
Jan '09 £121
21% increase :) :D
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Hi John
how much do you pay for the 20 thousand then from print carrier ???
Am also going to get some leaflets out next year just going to pay someone to do it for me when i can find someone reliable ::)
Cheers clinton
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increase prices ever year just a little by a lot
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Clinton
Finding someone reliable is the trick, not easy! Im about to pay £194 for 20,000 A5 colour glossy both sides from print carrier. They have put their prices up quite dramatically in the last few months. So it works out at just under a tenner a thousand but thats delivered as well.
Paul
Putting the price of upholstery cleaning up by £3 per seat. This equates to an extra £15 for a 3-piece. If a regular is unhappy ill do it for the 2008 price to keep them sweet. Cant say I enjoy doing upholstery though lol
John R.
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Hi john
Thanks for that :)
Might try the print carrier next time as i got 5000 done for 130 pounds i think from dp in hull,there again they were good quality and he was good geting the right design for me :)
Your right on the reliability.
Am going to get someone to drop lets say 500 at a time so itl less tedious.
Otherwise its going to be a large company at 26 plus for a thousand and that aint solo.
Sounds like your busy thats the main thing.
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Hi mate
Not the worst idea getting someone to do 500 at a time. Not sure how much you could pay someone to do that? Any ideas?
I have to say Clint PC do a lovely job and the quality is the best ive used and by the sounds of it they will save you a few quid as well.
As for busy Im not! Got one job on Fri. Not had any leaflets out for weeks because of the problems with my leafleter. Ive just messaged a lad on facebook who did some part time work for me and is on the dole. Maybe hell do me 500 a day for £15-£20 a pop. Ill probably end up getting a large firm to do it for me
John
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Hi john
Same here aint busy at mo meant before xmas :)
Got a large job friday in an office so glad that came in otherwise i wont start geting calls till next week when the kids have gone back and the trees have come down ::)
Might try that print carrier then just its the sorting out with the artwork but any saving will help next year as i think its going to be a little tough.
Was just thinking that the 500 a time would be far beter fro the leaflet guy so was thinking 15 pounds for 500 leaflets sounds fair.
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Yeah I share your sentiments exactly. I was thinking £10 per 500 then 10% from any job leading from the leaflet. This will stop him from sticking them all in a bush and is an incentive to get them all delivered!
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That sounds not so bad too and i would do the same and give a bonus if i got work from the leaflets and would be honest with the leaflet guy :)
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Its worth being honest mate. It would be so easy to rip him off but for the sums of money involved it wouldn't be worth it. If he gets back to me and is interested I will give him the option of £15 per 500 or £10 per 500 + 10% from any work from the leaflets. Ill see what he thinks!!
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Thats how i work john and always will as i would be cheating myself.
Think you could try the incentive first with the 10pcnt extra :)
If you get someone reliable it could be lucrative for both of you.
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Well the lad in question is unemployed but loves his pop!! So some beer tokens will be incentive enough for him lol I know him quite well and dont think hed be the type to rip me off
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lol
As long thats all he likes ;D
As you said its all down to trust mate
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Got my leafleter going out tomorrow, £15 per 500 or £10 + 10% of any jobs I get from the leaflets (I think hes going for the latter). Suits me as it's a better insentive to put them through! Leaflets going through solus which is ofcourse always better!
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John
Its the same guy you were talking about ???
Was going to egt someone i know but he has now got a job ::)
Thats a fair deal as am going to do the 500 at a time for 15 or the other one you do its just trying to find someone and it harder than you can imagine :(
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£15 for 500 seems quite alot, but i suppose theres more chance of them doing a proper job and if yo get the work from them then its worth it, i'm gonna try some pro leafletters in a couple of weeks time, (if theres any in this area) see what happens.
anyway, back to mario kart. its neck and neck, we;re doing all 32 races with 10 down and 22 to go, my 12 year old is 2 points ahead and the 8 year old is 3 behind.
tense.
derek
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Derek
John and i were going to try the 500 at a time as i thinks its less tedious and am sure more chance of the smaller amount being delivered :)
:D were going on the mario cart :)hope you have the wheels too ;D
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Clinton
Don't forget in Jan especially you could do 500 and get zilch. Need a good few thousand before you would get a good idea.
I'm certainly not doing any spending in Jan except on stamps n paper. Leafleting, database mailmerges and web stuff for me. :)
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Mike
Know what you mean with the leaflet drop :)
I have only spent money on the yell.com and 5 thousand leaflets and my web site the last ten months and the rest of my work comes from recomondations..
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Sorry Clinton I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs.
It's just you look so young it's hard to believe you've been at it for so long. ;D
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Mike
You charmer ;D
No your right never enough things to learn and i always am :)
I caint believe either so going to take the established 1989 of the van :o