[cleanimperial]

Hi

I had a call today the lady said she wanted one bedroom and tree rugs cleaned the rugs were 2 ft by 4 ft I said our minimum charge is £50 she said would you do it for £40 I said £45.   I will get back to you was her answer. So when I got of the phone I just threw her number in the bin. How much do they want to pay.

I give up.         Fred

[carpetguy]

Same as you...............as little as possible !

[Ian Gourlay]

Holding my breath I once said I will do it for Free they still said I will get back to you.

[ianharper]

guys

don't be judged on price, by doing so this is the only difference you are giving your prospects to choice from. have a USP or give value is the only way to go.

work out a small audit to do over the phone. what this does is gives the prospect the view that they are in control and not being sold to, and they hear there voice more. that's why we have two ears and one month, listen twice as much as you speak.

by asking questions you get the real reason for the clean and then you can offer the fix to the solution. prospects only think of price and don't value the service we provide or that all carpet cleaning services are not the same ans as so cant be judged on price.

BTW you should never quote for rugs over the phone. always view and tell them that anyone that quotes and does not view does not know what they are doing. I am sure YOU know but unless you tell the prospect they might choose someone that does not and end up with damaged rugs. much more expensive that a cheap clean.

Fred you cant win them all. good luck

Respect

ian harper

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I know we all need the smaller jobs to fill the diary as much as the big ones to pay the bills but sometimes these customers don't need a professional and aren't looking for a professional service they are focused on price and price only.

I know some of the older cleaners will say that they'll have you once and then move on to the next but I treat these customers as 'test cases' to see if I can convert them and also they are the ones that pay my petrol bill for the week.

They'll be plenty more of these customers that call in the your cleaning life so unfortunately get used to it, I have converted a few of these customers in to regulars and also cleaned just the once for them and also lost them without doing any work for them but as they say "you can't win them all!"

Shaun

[Mike Halliday]

I 'll tell what to do, ignore the question, when they say  "how much to clean my carpet"ignore the question!! and just start talking like what they've really said is "can you pop down to give me a quote"

or when the say  "how much to clean my carpet" say "that's a very good question" then ignore it.

example: I get on a plane and say to the flight attendant "can I smoke? she answers "are you alone?" I say "Yes" she says "are you seated in first class?" I say "no" she says "do i know its 3hour flight"  I /"say "yes" she then says "is it  a pipe or cigar?" I say "it's a pipe" ..........she still hasn't answered my initial question

this might sound like waffle but it illustrates that when a question is asked it does not need an answer, all they know to say is 'how much' it does not need a response you can just acknowledge the question then move on.

Mike

[lands]

Mike you have clearly had some sales training before. That is a classic objection handling technique. Bloody works n' all.

Pete

[mark_roberts]

Or maybe shes thinking, as they do, the rugs only cost £10 each and the carpet was a remnent for £40 so the cost new price was £70 total and your wanting £50 to clean.  Get the point.

Also although your min is £50 give her a price per item ie. £30 for the bedroom and £15 for the rugs so thats £45 however we have a min charge so i could also clean another rug for you or a small box room or whatever your pricing structure allows.

Regardless your dont want £50 jobs no matter what Shaun says .

If your losing £300 jobs then start worrying.

Mark

[Prestige1]

Mike don't leave us in suspence! can you smoke on the plane or what? Phil

[Mike Halliday]

not even in the toilet

them blasted smoke detectors!!

[david_m]

Iam with mike on this once somebody ask me the price
the first thing i say back is ,  where do you live they, they answer
then i say i will be there at such on such a time to have a look at it

i only go to quote if its near hand so i have to change it about
sometimes to suite the situation.

another thing that i would ask is quite simply when are you needing this done sooner our later open ended they answer
well i can be there on 16th at 2 oclock how dose that sound.

always try and stay away from price untill the apoiontment is set

not always possibile.

  Davy

[cleanimperial]

Thanks all for your advice.