Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: cleanability on June 09, 2009, 05:50:21 pm
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Been carpet cleaning 11yrs and I know its each to his own with pricing and I know its good luck if you can charge high and get work....BUT £400 plus VAT to clean a 3 piece suite and 12 X 15 lounge was quoted over the phone to a lady I booked in today. I'm sure you can guess which company it was. My conscience just wouldnt let me take £400 from someone for that. Its bleeping carpet cleaning here not splitting the atom or brain surgery. Yeah yeah i know some of you will agree with that quote but then again there are alot of strange people on this site lol
Chris
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local Chemdry quoted £240 for a 3pc suite over the phone, not a really high price but if you charge these prices never quote over the phone!!
I think when they give these prices over the phone they don't really want the job so are just saying a high price to get rid of them.
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Hi Guys
Another way of looking at it is that some people will pay almost any price and at 400 for a mornings work, you can have the afternoon off !
More CC's fail because they are too cheap than fail because they are too expensive.
Cheers
Doug
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Yep i agree with you both. On the bright side its great she phoned CD first then me lol
Chris
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if it was to clean and protect then i think that is a fair price
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£400 to clean and protect is a fair price????
£360 after materials for less than 4 hours work.
Make no wonder the phone don't ring as much
with those kind of quotes flying around.
John
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if you pick and choose your clients then the phone does'nt have to ring as often
it depends who you target
if you want to work for people who are not willing to pay for your expert service after numerous training course and thousands of pounds worth of investment to make your company the best and stand out from the others, then thats up to you
i however choose to target people who think to clean and protect their £4000 suite and £1500 carpet
at ONLY £400 a really bargain
it also means you can get home early to post things on this forum
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All I can say in reply to that is you must live in a very affluent part of the UK.
Have asked many a customer what price they would be prepared to pay for there
3 piece cleaning over a cuppa whilst doing there carpets and most replies have been
the same really over a broad spectrum of households, from semis to 6 bedroom
detached in a small affluent village and all said that if it was quoted £100 +
they would think twice.
Even stretching it out to 4 hours is £90 per hour.
But if you can get it good luck, I would be sat on my backside every day round here quoting them prices.
John
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At those sort of prices you won't see them again. It will be just a one off .Better to go middle market price and get repeat customers in my opinion ;D
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I must admit that when I was cheap may be 10 years ago I got referal after referal after referal, I charge more now and have just the same amount of work but get more for it, people do use me again but tend to leave it longer between cleans this may be because of money or the fact that products have got better and also machinery, around 80% of my work is past customers but the other 20% is new customers or referal, years ago it was all referal.
Shaun
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We are talking carpet cleaning here not a skilled trade. As much as many on this site like to believe, carpet/upholstery cleaning is not a skilled trade. To charge £400 for a job someone could do after a few hours training is extortionate.
Dont get me wrong I'm making a living out of it. £400 to employ eg a plasterer or bricklayer is more realistic.
Lets face it after one hours training anyone could clean a carpet. Could you re wire a house or plaster a ceiling after one hours training?
Chris
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Maybe it's not a skilled trade and it is easy to pick up.... But there are still many out there getting it wrong and ruining peoples carpets..... Strangely enough, their prices are usually ridiculously cheap ::)
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Some of the most successful people in this business are not the one's charging the highest prices, but the wise guy's who charge reasonable, but not cheap rates and get the through-flow of business. Ok, if you are prepared to sit around for weeks on end waiting for that elusive person that will say yes to £175 / £200/ £250 + vat to clean a suite then fine, but while you're sitting around doing that (and believe me that is what these guy's do) the rest of us can be out there day-upon-day making some money.
Simon
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My prices are in the somewhere in the middle and I'll do trade for trade jobs when they come up and favours for mates.... I like to be working but I know when to stick my fingers up to a job!
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Some of the most successful people in this business are not the one's charging the highest prices, but the wise guy's who charge reasonable, but not cheap rates and get the through-flow of business. Ok, if you are prepared to sit around for weeks on end waiting for that elusive person that will say yes to £175 / £200/ £250 + vat to clean a suite then fine, but while you're sitting around doing that (and believe me that is what these guy's do) the rest of us can be out there day-upon-day making some money.
Simon
Thats complete rubbish! ALL the successful carpet cleaners (to the domestic market) without exception charge high prices, and as you go up the scale the more successful the higher their prices.
I suggest you research the market more before giving inaccrute information to other carpet cleaners.
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The fact is there aren't that many of the high price people around, why? Because unless they operate in affluent pockets around the country they simply cannot find enough people to say yes to their extortionate prices. This business is and always has been about finding more people who say 'yes' than say 'no.' Every area has a price that most people are willing to pay, it's as though people know what is and is not a fair price for a job. We're not brain surgeons and shouldn't be charging brain surgeons prices, but on middle of the road prices you can earn £200 - £400 per day, how many other people earn that much in a day?
Simon
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sorry never met anyone who would pay £400 for suite clean and would never ever ask it however dressed up it was
paul
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Matt Lindus does arials and gets far more money than CC is that classed as a 'skilled' job?
Actually the job isn't a skill the getting the work is, we aren't carpet cleaners we are business men and Sir Alan Sugar has no qualifications and is a multimillionaire but I wouldn't trust him with a hair drier round my head let alone a surgeons knife.
Is owning Mc Donalds a qualified job? no but it is a license to print money all because the owner is selling 99p cheeseburgers does that mean that he's not worthy?
Shaun
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Well I'm pleasantly surprised some agree with me. Thanks chaps. I live in the Welsh valleys and if I tried charging even £200 for a suite I'd be at home all day every day.
Chris
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Fascinated how people on here can generalise about charging ca. £ 400 to clean a suite. Have come across suites, probably purchased from DFS which I imagine cost little more than that to purchase. As a customer it would not make economic sense to pay that sort of money to have it cleaned. And yes, in most cases an unskilled upholstery cleaner with an hours training would possibly not ruin it.
On the other hand, have also dealt with suites that probably retail at 15 times that price, with far more interesting & delicate materials. There £400 is not unrealistic and the bozo with one hours training under his belt just has to hope that his treatment risk insurers look upon him kindly
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Paul
that is if he has treatment risk insurance ::)
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I don't think people read these posts properly sometimes ::)
Nobody said that charging £ 400 was a reasonable price to clean just a suite.
Colin suggested that £ 400 to clean AND protect a 3 piece suite and a 20 yd2 lounge carpet was not extreme if the materials in question were expensive.
If it was a 3+1+1 suite then that would be £ 150 - the carpet would be £ 60, then add a further £ 80 for protecting all of it - thats £ 290 for starters and thats assuming its an average home with average quality furnishings.
Top end furnishings would demand a higher price.
And before you all start moaning about how you would never get that sort of price in your area, fine I am not disputing that. But where I am based a 3 bed home will set you back £ 400K and multi-million pound homes are in abundance.
I won a job yesterday to clean 4 rooms and a staircase - in the Lounge they had a U-shaped 8 seater leather suite which cost in excess of £ 10,000 and they were interested to know that I clean leather. I wont be charging them £ 150 to clean that !
Yes plumbers and electricians have to carry out more training over a longer period of time - but any hairy arsed bloke can be a plumber or electrician they are not brain surgeons either. But not many of them can be entreprenuers and run their own businesses.
I am not ONLY a carpet cleaner, I take pride in what I do for a living and if I didnt then there would be no point doing it.
We keep having the same arguments on here about " I wouldnt get those prices in my area" - well no-one is disputing that, but when others say how much they are getting in their areas or how well they are marketing their clients to get higher prices everyone rants and raves and suggests they are ripping people off !
I've been biting my tounge on this topic but its got the better of me and I had to post something - so rant over.
Bring on the negative comments ! ;D
Steve
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Steve ;D
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Absolutly well said Steve, I'm not JUST a carpet cleaner but a very experienced and skilled at what I do.
Maybe a newbe doing it a year may be unskilled and yes sure he can clean a carpet.
But a Certified carpet cleaner with 5 plus years experience can clean it A WHOLE LOT BETTER!
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Steve
Thats what i would class myself too :)
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I don't think the word extortion is the right one as it implies some form of high pressure tactics. In reality these people have simply invested a lot of time and effort in finding and developing that particular niche.
If £400 to clean a suite doesn't sitt well with you then just get on with working in your own business rather than going on about someone elses.
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Hi Guys
As with all businesses there will be people working within a wide range of prices, which will depend on many things.
The CC with a 500 Pound second hand machine and an old van, no training etc can hardly be compared with one who has invested 50K, plus various training hours etc.
We are not all the same and will not charge the same prices, remember Chem Dry have also invseted in the franchise fee.
They are good for the industry as they keep prices up.
Cheers
Doug
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3 PIECE SIUTE CLEAN AND PROTECT £292.50
12 X 15 LOUNGE CLEAN AND PROTECT £151.20 = £443.7 - 10% VOLUME DISCOUNT
TOTAL £399.33
SO ONCE AGAIN A VERY REASONABLY PRICE
i think there are too many people who want to be "your best mate"
what i mean by that is they dont treat people like clients but charge lower prices so they can all bitch about the other company who charge higher prices
when in reallity you are just assuming people all want stuff doing cheap
and as to asking people what they are willing to pay over a cup of tea
well that is a ridiculus way of gageing people
"only £120? well i would like to pay you £200 if you dont mind!"
how many people have got that responce
as for repaet customers and recommend, well they go up year on year
in fact when we do go back people ask to have more work done because they know they will get a great job
its all about what you think you are worth and cleary a lot of people dont think they are worthy a lot
im eight years into this business and getting stronger year on year unlike a lot of people who only last a couple of years because they concentrait too much on what others are doing and charging instead of building their own business
maybe some of you guys should join FASTTRACK
JUST A THOUGHT!
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Just want to add to my own point which is if you are certified and have this much experience plus your using the best equipment availible and there fore will have invested thousands and alot of time and hard work, then you would be MAD to charge low prices.
If you are giving a first class service (there only one or two in any major city out of 10's of c/cers) then value yourself!
Colin made a good point asking a cheapo client would they pay £100 to have there lounge clean is stupid, course they'll say no, thats why they got you there doing it for £30 !!
Trust me working cheap is a mugs game! up your prices you'll do less work for more money
AND NO YOU WONT LOSE CLIENTS (except the ones you dont want)
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well done Master Clean
YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RIGHT.
looks its only 2.10 pm and im home after having a very lucrative morning
think i'll catch some rays while the sun is still out
is that sweat on my brow , oh no just some sun cream i didnt rub in properly
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As Carpet and Upholstery cleaners, you deal direct with the punter so you can leave with the raw stuff.
This in turn means you can bank with that prestige organisation known as "Bank Of Floorboard"
Apparently you have access to your cash 24-7. A great service.
Matt ;)
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All I can say Colin is that you must live in an affluent area.
I now charge £85 for a 3 piece and I know for a fact that apart from the
franchises I am dearer than a lot.
Rang round a few and the average is about £60 in this area.
It's get what you can at the moment round here, every other house I go to
the man of the house is usually in, something I hardly saw up until back end of
last year. No work for them.
John
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John
Sounds like you should move to a better neighborhood then, or at least within traveling distance. ???
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good luck if you can get 400 for a suite if it takes 3 hours thats £133 an hour thats more than a vet charges.
i try to work at 25 per bum lucky if i can get that
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Its not £400 for a suite
Its £ 400 for a 5-seater suite, 20yd2 lounge carpet and protection of both.
So far on this thread our prices have been compared to plumbers, electricians, plasterers, brain surgeons, bricklayers and vets. ::)
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Hi guys
What amuses me is that when comparisons are made with other industries there is an assumption that they all earn the same.
My mate who sorts out central heating systems others engineers can't, earns a lot more than other plumbers I know because he is better.
Another couple of guys, now retired pride themselves oh having been the most expensive dentists in town.
Aim for the top and charge accordingly.
Cheers
Doug
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Its £ 400 for a 5-seater suite, 20yd2 lounge carpet and protection of both.
So if we take out the costs of raw materials what is the end labour charge? £350?
At 7 hours work that £50/hour labour, anyone willing to say they would take 7 hours to do this?
Sorry but I live in a pretty well off area of England and if I charged £400 for this job and took anything less than a full day to do it I'm sure I wouldn't see these people again, and that's if you got the job in the first place.
Yes there are exceptions to the rule (ie those with more money than sense) but not in the everyday walk of life.
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Comapny advertising in my loaal rag at the mo....Av 3/4 bed house carpet clean £89. av 3/4 bed house carpet clean and 3 piece £125 !
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A quick example.
Yesterday I went and quoted a 3 seater sofa and elctric recliner chair.
Material....white
Marks and stains....loads
Previous guy had managed to overwet recliner which caused problems with the controls of it.
I could see that this was at least 2 hours work and quoted £75 plus Vat on the basis this was a former work colleague of my wife.
The silence clearly told me it was time to go and forget about it ;D
No doubt some will will say this should be £150 or more. I'd rather be working at £30/hour than £0/hour
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So if we take out the costs of raw materials what is the end labour charge? £350?
At 7 hours work that £50/hour labour, anyone willing to say they would take 7 hours to do this?
Sorry but I live in a pretty well off area of England and if I charged £400 for this job and took anything less than a full day to do it I'm sure I wouldn't see these people again, and that's if you got the job in the first place.
Yes there are exceptions to the rule (ie those with more money than sense) but not in the everyday walk of life.
Neil
I'm not trying to educate anyone because clearly it's a waste of time.
I'm simply pointing out that the example price above - and it is only an example, not a real job - is achievable with certain clients in certain situations. I have had plenty of instances like the one you mention above, when you can hear the tumbleweed when you give them the price ;D
But while the £ 400 example might be the exception to the norm, surely we should all be striving for better prices rather than continually worrying about what everyone else is charging, especially the cheap ones.
Steve
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Maybe I'm a bit naive but with Chemdry and Servicemaster which seem to be the high chargers, do they get most of their work from non domestic work? Maybe insurance work etc. So perhaps they give very high domestic quotes because they dont need the work and getting the high quoted work domestically is a bonus????????. As I said before I'm in the Welsh valleys which is where the £400 quote came from and you could wait til hell freezes over and you'd get no work round here with that quote.
Chris
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with such sad stories and tales of woe, you guys are making me weep :'( :'( :'( :'(
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I am afraid to say that it is called running a business to employ people and allow enough for reinvestment and profit- as people have said more go out of business by not charging enough than charge a professional price -and for goodness sake the amount we charge is the businesses income not your income -out of which all the overheads chemicals repairs phone depreciation accountancy insurance internet new computers,uniforms ,premises ,training etc etc,I know of no other industry that is so proud to make poor incomes-I had a small petrol mower serviced cost £99.00 incl vat no repairs .just a spark plug and oil.
If people stopped trying to be the lowest and concentrated on it as a business -what happens when you cant work- and what is so wrong with making a profit or god forbid creating some wealth?
As they say in the states there is no pride in poverty-!!
Best Nick Brown
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Well said Nick
Just read your previous posts - it's a shame you don't post on here more often as you have the right attitude to business.
Steve
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Are those who express dis-belief doing so simply because £400 in itself is a fair amount of money or simply that it seems a lot for the job described.
But a "smallish" bill in amount for a small job can hide a lot of pitfalls.
For example, I've just done a lounge in a house 6x3 metres. Not the largest room you'll ever come across by a long chalk. It was for a regular client and with a large immovable object taking up about 1.5 square metres.
If doing other work for the client it would gave been around £40 mark. AS it wasn't it triggered my minimum charge of £50. Add on some anti-staining treatment and VAT and the bill came in at around £76, thus getting on for twice the price I would charge for a basic clean of the carpet as part of a larger amount of carpets to clean.
£76 isn't a lot of money in itself but for what was cleaned it does seem so.
My point is that whilst the £400 quoted above is more than I would have charged, I can see how it might have been arrived at and have no problem with that. Expertise comes at a price, apprentices (and new-to-the-game-of carpet-cleaning) don't.
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a price is what a customer is willing to pay people will only pay if they think they are getting value for money nobody likes to think they are being had/ scamed try and explain your prices when flyer come through the letter box like this i have hidden the phone number , but this is a long established firm
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Hi
Guys, there are always exceptions. We have all earned on certain jobs £100, £150 an hours, maybe one 1 or 2 jobs a year, you have to price on what you think you can get for the job at hand, if you can get £400 then great but we all know that you won't get that every job, evryday.
I recently had a job opportunity through the post to teach to be a Inventory Clerk, reckons he earns £9-13000 every month! My answer is Bo**ocks, he would have be doing 10 check ins a day every weekday at an average of £50 to get £10,000 a month, some inventories can take 3-4 hours (4 bed house fully furnished) 10 check-in a day is a 10 hour day plus report write up, and he wants to charge people £5,000 for the privilage of teaching.
I have had jobs at £170-190 per hour but I can count them on one hand, at the end you price what you think is achieveable at the time of quoting.
Regards
Martin 8)
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Had a job mid morning for a regular and it was a through lounge ended up charging £90 as i added a protector as well to the carpet,supose i could have done it a lot cheaper.
Maybe if it was a quote from the web site i might have not got the job as it was a highish price ???
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i think this whole thread high lights the fact that we all know what we have to charge to run our own companies. Yes the large franchise companys our on the whole goin to be the high er end of the spectrum as oops may upset people they at the end of the day our govened by what royalties thay have to pay for the previlage of having the companies name they have invested in.
cheap prices will in some instances get custys wondering why and over in flated prices will only encourage price shopping as nobody likes to feel ripped off.
we all have the right to value ourselfs how we feel fit.
i love the freedom of being my own boss and charging what i feel is correct to sustain my business and hopefully produce further growth and a good relationship with existing customes
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Everyone 's idea of " what to charge " is different. If you've invested £40k plus before training and marketing and before taking a penny it's pretty obvious that you will have to earn a hell of a lot more than someone whose invested £1k plus training and whose marketing consists of advertising in local newspapers / magazines, or whatever.
Not only do you have to allow for replacement of the £40k kit ( about £150 per week over five years ) not including maintenance costs or even day to day running costs.
Now, if you've invested at that level you will have to charge an awful lot more and work an awful lot harder ( at everything ) than the guy who will have recovered his initial investment in a couple of months and only has to set aside about £8 - £12 a week which will buy him an upgrade on his original machine at 5 years.
The guy with the smaller investment can earn just as much as the big investor but will keep a lot more
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a price is what a customer is willing to pay people will only pay if they think they are getting value for money nobody likes to think they are being had/ scamed try and explain your prices when flyer come through the letter box like this i have hidden the phone number , but this is a long established firm
My clients would never call someone from a leaflet like that with those prices, Dont compete with them, ignore them, they may be in my industry but they are worlds away from me and my clients know it!
Some of you guys just don't get it :(
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Quite why any business would base their prices on the cheapest in their area is beyond me.
Surely you must have worked out what your operating costs are and what wage you need to earn to pay your household outgoings - that will determine what you need to charge as a minimum based on x amount of jobs per month, just to keep afloat.
We are running a business guys - work on your business, not in it.
Steve
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Steve & Robert,
I won't disagree with what you have both said but let's look at it this way:
If you have invested £40k and are trying to get it back then surely you'll get that money back by doing plenty of mid range jobs which are more easily got. Compare that against the effort needed to get high paid jobs and subsequent lack of because of the price.
Who is going to retrieve this £40k first?
Now I put it to the test today. E-mail enquiry that went back and forth a few times whilst I dragged the info out of her, and here it is......
>>I live in Basingstoke kings furlong area, size of the lounge is 18 x 11 >>ft, beige carpet, few general marks on the lounge carpet and stairs, and a >>little bit of spilt matt paint on the landing
And this was my reply......
> Thanks for coming back with the details> From that information you have given me, I would estimate the price to be:> £101.00 plus vat which would be £116.15 in total.> Please note that whilst every effort will be made to remove any markings > or paint spills, no guarantees can be made to total removal.
And that was the last I heard from her ;D
Now if I'd gone in at a reasonable £70/£80 (one mile away and 1.5 hours work) I'd have got it and been £70/£80 better off.
Not to worry it was an interesting test, so back to reality pricing 8)
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I agree with you completely Neil, it's a difficult one.
I did a quote last night, literally 5 minutes from my house - bedroom, through lounge, stairs and landing (small house) - I quoted £ 125 and offered a 10% discount because she got my number from our local mag.
She said thanks I will get back to you, but I wasn't convinced - now I could have said £80 or £90, but who knows with some clients.
I dont know about you, but when I turn up to quote I pretty much know before I even give them a price whether or not I am going to get the job.
Steve
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I dont know about you, but when I turn up to quote I pretty much know before I even give them a price whether or not I am going to get the job.
For sure. If the outside of the property is well maintained and manicured, two newish BMW's on the drive, smartly dressed and the inside of the house tidy etc etc then you know you're onto something.
Start taking these elements out and one by one down goes what their willing to pay even before you start speaking.
I've been to some places and just parking up tells me I'm about to waste 20 minutes of my life, but having gone there I just get on with it. Perhaps they pick up on my body language but I know when I'm wasting my time.
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For sure. If the outside of the property is well maintained and manicured, two newish BMW's on the drive, smartly dressed and the inside of the house tidy etc etc then you know you're onto something.
Start taking these elements out and one by one down goes what their willing to pay even before you start speaking.
I've been to some places and just parking up tells me I'm about to waste 20 minutes of my life, but having gone there I just get on with it. Perhaps they pick up on my body language but I know when I'm wasting my time.
Lol :)
Yeah know exactly what you mean Neil - you psyche yourself up saying to yourself " I've driven all the way here so I am going to get this one no matter what "- then you pull up outside and your confidence drops 10% - you go into the house and it drops 50% - by that time I just want to get back in the van and go and do something else ;D
Steve
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Neil....I'm NOT supporting either side of the argument as I don't believe there really is an argument.
What has to be appreciated is that a fair number of people will invest very little but still be very, very successful, while some will spend £50k - £60k and expect success, but fail to achieve it.
You can be the best carpet cleaner in the world but lack self confidence or have difficulty with marketing and never achieve the success you deserve.
That is a sad fact and unfortunately it applies to a lot of decent people.
If this is you...............get someone to market your service for you and do what you're best at. Doesn't mean your a lousy businessman, just means you know your strengths and are delegating to cover your weaknesses.
Some people have difficulty asking for a higher than average price
If this is you..........get someone else to do your quotes
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I feel there is a lot of people in my area just don't want to pay the going rate. Lots of big houses, cars, both working - they want a cleaner but don't want to pay, same with the carpets too. I'm doing so many quotes at the moment went to a huge house the other day, quoted £170 for about 3/4 of the house. She then told me they have a bissell carpet cleaner, her husband was thinking of hiring a RD but there are marks on her carpet which don't come out. I gave her the sales pitch - NO JOB. Carpet Cleaning is very quiet at the moment, in fact its all really quiet apart from Quotes !
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Sounds like your not marketing yourself very well.
PS I have quoted twice other c/cers prices and got the job.
What reason do you think the other cleaner THOUGHT he never got the job?
I'll tell you he probally thought his price must have been to high. but infact it was to low and probally the customer felt he would not do as good a job!
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Hi masterclean, I feel I'm very confident at sales/marketing especially when face to face. I feel that if I charged the prices as on the cheapo leaflet above we'd be fine!!
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Well master-clean you talk a good job I''ll give you that.
John
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I can see what Master clean is saying perhaps my take on it would be, "do you really know what the customer is thinking?" no thought not and neither do I !, if you 'sell' your service with a more indepth quote or try and sell to them with more details then you put quality into their heads NOT everyone buys on price and you'll find that if you try and offer more or different you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Shaun
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Hi Guys
As with all businesses there will be people working within a wide range of prices, which will depend on many things.
The CC with a 500 Pound second hand machine and an old van, no training etc can hardly be compared with one who has invested 50K, plus various training hours etc.
We are not all the same and will not charge the same prices, remember Chem Dry have also invseted in the franchise fee.
They are good for the industry as they keep prices up.
Cheers
Doug
I am offended by this, I love my old van. My Citroen Relay never fails to start. Not to mention the saving I make on juice, it never get past 75 and so I don't worry about speeding on the motorway. It carries all my machines and chemicals and that poor old fa*t now carries my pure water tank. Well I don't full it, there is no turbo on it so it's a uphill struggle with the tank. I am thinking of changing it but maybe next year, I just change the timing belt on it, so it is now ready to do a few more thousand miles. LONG LIVE MY CITROEN
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On the topic of pricing, well let me get my 1/2 pence in. Has anyone noticed the prices in London lately, 3pc suite £35, £1.50 per stair, single room £20, double room £25 and it goes on Check the internet, type in carpet cleaning in london and have a look at some of those sites that display there prices and claims to be the best (am I allowed to call names on here). The sad thing is some long standing companies are charging these prices.
A point mentioned by several prior to this, not all customers want cheap and cheerful. What's wrong with £70.00 for doing stairs and landing? Do it all the time. All my customers are left surprised at the final outcome.
A few questions for my fellow Carpet Cleaners;
1) Have you had a rent or mortgage decrease lately due to the economic downturn?
2) Have they(white hall pick pockets) reduce the tolls and Congestion Charges because of the downturn?
3) Is petrol or diesel price down due to the economic downturn?
4) Has your insurance stopped or reduce due to the downturn?
5) Does your family stop eating and your wives stop shopping?
6) Are train, bus and coach fares going down?
Get my drift...?
So why should CCs be the moral high responsible for and driving the initiative to work for peanuts?
As for those who don't think it's a skill, do it properly, show some pride and then think again. Then ask this, aren't you a skilled professional? When companies pay top bucks for good sales people or top market analyst or top financial controllers - Hey we do all that every day for a living and we pay ourselves so ADD SOME VALUE TO YOUR SERVICE.
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Good post with the questions :)
Think a lot of carpet cleaners set up and work cheap to get them up and running.
Trouble is ist hard to up the prices so they carry on cleaning cheap.
After a few years the van or machine needs upgrading and they have no money put aside and realise they have just taken a wage out and have no extra money left ::)
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I met a guy at Altec this year that I realised came on here now and again, he runs a Thermal Blue wave and a porty, his average ticket was £300 plus. Judging by his van and the amont of kit he had I could believe it!
Evidently he does mostly West End work but is based in St Albans.
Though he did admit that he used to be booked up 3 weeks ahead but was now slowing down to a week or so.
I suppose if you can get it and are prepared to work for it, its there. Actually think he was 1 of the early fast trackers and was reaping the rewards.
Murky
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I think that's Nigel at Design Care.
Shaun
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Hi Guys
If you are cleaning in the West End, then you would expect to get high priced jobs, lots of parking hassle traffic etc but also lots of money and high quality items.
There is no right price.
Cheers
Doug
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I met a guy at Altec this year that I realised came on here now and again, he runs a Thermal Blue wave and a porty, his average ticket was £300 plus. Judging by his van and the amont of kit he had I could believe it!
Evidently he does mostly West End work but is based in St Albans.
Though he did admit that he used to be booked up 3 weeks ahead but was now slowing down to a week or so.
I suppose if you can get it and are prepared to work for it, its there. Actually think he was 1 of the early fast trackers and was reaping the rewards.
Murky
Murky I know who you mean, Nigel Woodhead, probally the most successful carpet cleaner in the UK none the less.
Many on here probally flippantley read his posts without realising but well worth taking note of his advice.