Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 04:05:17 pm

Title: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 04:05:17 pm
Got a job over the holiday period at a publishing company in London .The job can be done anytime between the 25th December to 4th January. The job entails 8 floors totalling 5000 sq metres , however that includes desks , cabinets and the likes so 5000 sq metres will not be the amount of carpet  to be cleaned . I am going to charge £2500 and hopefully complete the job within 4 days .  What I am asking is do you think the price is right or too much or too little?
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Paul_Ashworth on November 25, 2009, 04:08:06 pm
That depends on what system your going to use to do the job ??
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: garyfindlay on November 25, 2009, 04:08:27 pm
I would of thought £1/metre would still be low.
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: derek west on November 25, 2009, 04:08:56 pm
take you a week

derek
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Paul_Ashworth on November 25, 2009, 04:12:07 pm
Dereks right even if you bonnet it at 100 sqm per hour thats 50 hours
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Simon Gerrard on November 25, 2009, 04:58:45 pm
Dave,

What system are you planning on using?
Your price is very low indeed and may well get you the job but commercial customers like this will expect a really good result and if they don't get it you may end up doing all that work for a whole lot less.
If I were you I'd sub it out to a company used to dealing with that kind of job, that way you can sit at home and chomp on your turkey leg and get ped and still be making a buck!


Simon
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: clinton on November 25, 2009, 05:02:38 pm
Dave

I do a lot of commercial work and using the l m system its going to take some work mate..

Prob in that time lot that you said.

Have you got someone helping as with 2 set ups going and plenty of pads you could do it quicker..
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: markpowell on November 25, 2009, 05:07:53 pm
£2500 for a week, do it if its LM.
Mark
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 05:08:22 pm
 Derek 2 floors a day equals 4 days .It isn't actually 5000 sq metres , as I said desks and bookcases etc
system will be to hwe and bonnet . Simon the price is as it is because we do regular work for them and £2500 for the week isn't bad is it ? Did the walkways on the 8 floors 3 months ago and did it in a weekend working 12 hours a day the desks and what have you are basically the same amount to clean so should do it in 4 days .
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: clinton on November 25, 2009, 05:11:23 pm
Dave you doing it on your own ???

Can you do it just l m system..
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 05:17:29 pm
Yep Clinton one man band me  ;D
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Kinver_Clean on November 25, 2009, 05:22:48 pm
I may be teaching grannies to suck eggs ---- but if it is carpet tiles go LM every time.
I have just picked up a job from another cleaner ( I'm subbing for him) and he tried doing it wet. It was terrible, with muck coming back up from between tiles and from the bottom.
We did it on Saturday, two of us. 650 sq mt in 5 1/2 hours including very awkward access whick too 1/2 hour in and again out. When you measure go for the total. Desks etc slow you down considerably. It is much quicker for a clear floor, no chairs to move and no desk feet to trap the pad and no wires to wind up!

Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: fenman on November 25, 2009, 05:30:36 pm
I agree.
When pricing offices etc. we always ignore the desks and give a price on the whole floor area.
It is far easier to clean an empty office so if you deduct meterage for all the obstacles you are doing yourself down.
50p a sq mt is very very cheap.
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Mike Halliday on November 25, 2009, 05:35:53 pm
like everyone says you are too cheap, 4 days and only charging £2500..... I can hear the bailiff knocking already ;) ;)

only one person here has seen this job, I'd rely on his opinion, (But I'd work 4 days for £2500)
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 05:50:58 pm
The guy I am doing the job for, owns a cleaning company, that has a contract with the publishing company . I have cleaned the place on a regular basis they are giving me regular work . Why is everybody thinking it's 5000 sq metre when it is probably half that with desks bookcases etc so £2500 i think is good even if it is £1/ sq metre.The guy that owns the cleaning company phoned around and the average price for the work was 50p/sq metre. That included enquiring at NCCA
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 05:54:07 pm
Thank you Mike . I think I know what I am doing as I have been in this game for 11 years now . Thanks everybody for your opinions and advice which is what I asked for and got .
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: derek west on November 25, 2009, 06:32:50 pm
sorry dave i'll rephrase

it would take me a week.

and yes i'd do it for that money.

derek
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Mike Halliday on November 25, 2009, 06:58:31 pm
Dave my post wasn't meant to cast doubt on your ability and perhaps my humour might have been mistaken for sarcasm (for which I apologies)

but your last post ( not the one before Dereks) makes my point, only you have seen it so only you knew that only half the carpet needed cleaning, which spread more light onto what you are charging and why you think it will take 4 days
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: gwrightson on November 25, 2009, 06:59:44 pm
Dave forgive my ignorance, I am missing some thing ?

you quote  " I have cleaned  this place on a regular basis"  

I cannot see the reason for asking in the first place , only you know having experienced the task what to charge, and at 50p a mtre for a total of 5000 mtres , why not .  personaly i would have priced at £1.00 a mtre as is my charge for large commercial areas, but  50p , yes I would have made it pay at that because 2,000 mtrs is easily acheivable in 2 days.  
geoff.

psSimon .I would be interested to know what you consider a reasonable price for a really god job as you put it, because I cannot imagine 1 of your clients paying much more than 50p a mtre for their carpets been cleaned.
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Len Gribble on November 25, 2009, 07:01:33 pm
I do a few (9) similar in size started of with hwe ended up only using lm I would have gone a lot high if going direct

Len
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: JandS on November 25, 2009, 07:43:21 pm
TM or Porty??
Take you longer than a week with one Porty.

John
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Mr Dvae on November 25, 2009, 07:56:36 pm
i personally dont think wahat u r charging is important. what is however is the age  and condition of the carpets to be cleaned as this affects the cleaning time more than size. im assuming from your price that the carpets look almost new otherwise you may end up with a nightmare at that price.

dave
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 25, 2009, 08:10:40 pm
Carpets are in good condition .As i said cleaned all the walkways 3 months ago  Obviously there are stains that are in the carpet that won't come out (tea  coffee been in too long ).  and the client has been informed of this and understands .Also there are tiles that are a slightly different shade (replacement ) again client has been informed . I asked your opinions because I was intrigued as to the response I would get , all taken on board and thanks once again for your opinions .
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Len Gribble on November 25, 2009, 08:14:47 pm
As an ardent TM’er had to swallow the wand I rest my case the logistics with porty is mind-boggling. ;D

Len
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Jim_77 on November 25, 2009, 11:52:14 pm
If I could get it, I'd go in for a higher price and HWE it as a one-off with a view to regular LM as an ongoing maintenance plan.

That's in an ideal world though, after 4 years I'm still trying to convince one of my commercial clients to have a job lot done like that to save money longer term, rather than one-off smaller bits n bobs they keep giving me.

Good luck whatever transpires :)
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: dave123 on November 26, 2009, 06:43:37 am
Jim you have hit the nail on the head . We are looking at this company having it done regularly and othe r buildings that the cleaning company have contracts with . We already have Lloyds TSB in London having their walkways cleaned on a regular basis. Nice to know that you have money coming in regularly even when work is slow . ;D
Title: Re: pricing issue
Post by: Mr Dvae on November 26, 2009, 08:13:59 am
here here!


dave.