Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dave_Lee on March 23, 2005, 10:11:10 pm
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Hi All,
Replying to another thread made me think of this topic. Speed or thorough or can you accomplish both? I admit now that many years ago when my prices were too low and I was rushing around, always busy, from job to job, I used to think to myself - ' I know I do an excellent job, but if I could charge more and afford to spend more time on some of the finer details, I could do a better still, job.'
My TM means I can do more in a day than when I had a portable because the obvious time saving features of such a set up. However actually cleaning, I find is only marginally quicker on carpets and the same on suites that it used to take with a portable and i dont think that a bigger more powerful etc machine would make much difference to this. I work as fast as I can to get the job done, I dont take breaks not even lunch, it takes me two and a half hours to clean the average suite, flat out exhaustively cleaning, one and a half hours for a lounge diner, moving average furniture, in the same manner. When I am finished I know that what I have cleaned is cleaned as thorough as it could be cleaned. If I had cut back somehow on the amount of time doing the job, it would not be as thorough and therefore not as clean.
Now if I was able to increase prices by say 50%, then I could take it easier not working so hard, spend more time doing it, doing 50% less jobs,for the same days takings.
So how do some CCs seem to be able to get through a lot more in a day without sacrificing the quality of the clean, OR DO THEY?
Dave.
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Dave
I've thought about this a lot as time is money and to make more money you need to either save time or work longer.
Its interesting to hear you say that actual cleaning using a truckmount v portable is similar as i was under the impression this was where the real time savings are and also the setup and lack of filling.
I only save major time when I dont prevac, agitate or even prespray. This is only done on rental properties where general appearance is all that matters. To do this in a residential setting I would be compromising on quality although prevaccing isnt always necessary. The pressure, vac and heat of a truckmount may cut out some steps but I dont know as i havent got one.
Today I cleaned three bedrooms smallish sizes only the beds to move and i charged £60 (£2 per sqyard for the package she wanted) over the phone to a previous customer.
When I arrived they where polyester, cream but looked grey, traffic lanes and really bad filtration soiling and she had the cheque written. Had to swallow on this one and it took 2 hours. So sometimes jobs like this really throw you off target.
Mark
PS. any favourite chemicals for filtration lines anyone as these wouldnt shift.
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I hate the customer who stands there looking at a clock and asking me "will you be much longer?"
I always answer the same " Do you want it done quickly or properly?"
I allow enough time to do work completely and do NOT rush any of my jobs. Cutting corners is as bad as rushing and vice versa.
My customers know that when i finish, it is because i have done all i can and not that i have to be elsewhere. That is part of the reason that i never have callbacks/ complaints.............. confidence.
If you look like you are rushing then the customer will see something that they think you have missed and be on your case. If you have taken the job at the same steady pace throughout then they will be confident that you have done everything you can and not overlooked anything.
How many of us have heard stories of CC's that do first 100 sq mtrs in 2 hours then the last 100 sq mtrs in 1 hour.................... working back towards entrance, surely that last part should be worse and therefore take longer.
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Mark,
Just to clarify, A TM allows me to do more jobs in a certain time than my portable because there is no filling, mixing or emptying etc., and for me this where most of the time is saved. On the actual physical cleaning side, my experience, cleaning carpets is only marginally quicker and no quicker cleaning upholstery, though I am guilty of the overclean, I know, but then I was when I used a portable.
Dave.
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I am amazed how fast some truckmount users say they can clean a full house.
Because even when I have a goffer I cannot equal the time claimed.
Perhaps we will get explanations next week. At Milton Keynes
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I think the cleaning times you've stated are about right to get a thorough clean,i look at it as every job is different,you win on some and lose on others but not by much either way unless you've really underpriced something.
After a few years of cleaning i've found i can now almost time a job with a quick look before i start and sad as it may sound i've even got the knack of judging water flow from taps in different area's so that i can be connecting hose's etc while my bucket is being filled,i've lost count of the time customers are poised to turn off the tap thinking i've forgotten it when i appear back in the kitchen.
Call backs /complaints are quite rare if you take a pride in your work and are an experienced cc but i wouldn't say completely avoidable just by taking your time , its just not possible to wait for everything to be 100% dry if u have a busy day lined up and stains can wick back up or other minor problems can occur.