[Thomas Mckee]

Just out of curiosity is there anyone taking laptops in to custys houses to give quotes with the likes of quote master from cleaners mate?

[Jamie Pearson]

Me.

iPad with my own app.

Customer doesn't argue with what the computer tells them.

[DK]

Which app

[Jamie Pearson]

Own. Something I am working on. It's a bit buggy though.

[Stevieoneill1967]

I searched "own" in the app store - nothing!!!

[K.O. Glanville]

I have been for a few years now.

Started off with an older IBM laptop and a Canon printer.

I use Quicken for my accounting program, invoicing, data base, etc;

I also use Quicken Customer Manager as my diary, this works very well for repeat customers just as it does for day to day appointments.

Just recently got an Apple MacBook Pro which I'm having some reservations about.

Because of the Apple hassles, I still keep my old IBM up to date with all info  

Problems with Apple:

Quicken now has a program for the Mac in Australia, (at last, the Yanks have had it for some time).

BUT !!!  It only works on the "Cloud" version.

IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE INTERNET, YOU CAN'T OPEN QUICKEN TO WRITE AN INVOICE.!!!!

As I live in the sticks with many valleys and hills, reception can be quite poor or even non-existent, even for mobile phones and tv.  

To overcome this, I had to purchase a program called Parrallels, which will run Windows 7

Then download Windows 7, more expense if you don't have it.

Download Quicken and Customer manager, no problem.

Download your favourite email program, I love Thunderbird by Mozilla.

Then you also have to buy a pdf converter for the invoices in order to email them , or do what I did and get a freebie from the 'net.  

So after a couple of months mucking around and nearly throwing the Apple in the creek, I HOPE I now have it running right, only just got it set up properly (I hope), yesterday.  

I also have a mobile eftpos machine that can also be tricky in the back blocks.

This is invaluable as many times the custard may not have quite enough cash on hand, or, "I've just written my last cheque", or as you write out the invoice, "I'll just duck down the bank and get some money".

My answer for the above??  "No worries, I've got an mobile eftpos machine".

Deal done.

Do your homework and ask questions about all aspects of any equipment and programs you will be using before you part with your hard earned doh ray me,   after all, it's YOUR money and you can spend it anywhere you want.

Hope this helps.

Shorty.

[Ian Gourlay]

I had a very small one with a small thermal printer to my blind orders on and calculate price etc.

Did try using a large laptop for Carpet Cleaning Presentation but I did find it hard to hold customers interest.in the presentation  But  customers did like the final price print out as our mate from aus says customer tends to give price more crediability if its a print out on the computer.

I have no idea why because the first time I used this technique was in Replacement Windows  about 20 years ago cant remember what we had I think it was something like a spectrum. Anyway price was loaded 25% higher than true retail price.

We used phone a friend a lot.

[Mike Halliday]

If using a wireless 3G IPad or laptop I think it would look really professional to say to customers ...

" if you give me your email address I will email you a written confirmation of our quote as well as a help-sheet detailing how to prepare  the room for our arrival.... You will receive this right now before I even walk out the door"

Then send it right then, this also helps you collect Email address for future marketing, even if they don't use your service this time

[Stevieoneill1967]

I have a competitor who uses a laptop presentation when conducting a survey.  I have lost count of the amount of customers who have commented on this in a negative way, saying that it took up too much of their time and was not something they were interested in watching.  In my opinion, a customer will not be swayed by a fancy frilly laptop presentation, but more likely to be impressed with punctuality, smart appearance, politeness and being knowledgeable and informative during the visit.  I think a detailed written survey/quotation form is sufficient.

[Jamie Pearson]

I have a competitor who uses a laptop presentation when conducting a survey.  I have lost count of the amount of customers who have commented on this in a negative way, saying that it took up too much of their time and was not something they were interested in watching.  In my opinion, a customer will not be swayed by a fancy frilly laptop presentation, but more likely to be impressed with punctuality, smart appearance, politeness and being knowledgeable and informative during the visit.  I think a detailed written survey/quotation form is sufficient.

Especially on the scheme.

[K.O. Glanville]

I don't do on-site presentations as such with the laptop.

On site it is mainly for direct invoicing only.

When I do a quote, i walk through with a laser measurer, take notes and email the quote that night from home.

I do have an iPad with photos on of previous jobs so that the custards can see the type of work, and the quality, they we can achieve, but only if I think they are interested.

This has worked well especially with cleaning of leather clothing that has become mouldy.

I have a series of an AU$3,000.00 Armani jacket that was green when I received it, and a nice two shades of brown when I had completed restoration of it.

With these new gadgets, it's just like talking, you gotta know when to shut up, or turn off the tool. 

But a laptop for invoicing on the job is invaluable to me.

Shorty.

[Paul Clapham]

Don't really understand why you would e-mail a quote to a client , in all sales jobs, and this is what you are doing when "quoting", is to CLOSE the sale while you are in-front of the customer, and get the job booked.

If you e-mail the price its so easy for them to say no thanks.

[Steve Chapman]

I would normally do the same, lazer measure, notes and agree the job, but always send a quote by email later.

That way it seals the deal and you have their email address without having to try to hard.

Cant never understand why you would do a laptop presentation when you can just speak to them face to face, human to human.

Unless you think the laptop does a better job than you 


Steve

[K.O. Glanville]

Sorry, maybe I should clarify the above.

Most times when I am asked to do a quote, it's for commercial work, hence the walk through, measure, etc;

Most times, especially in large offices where I can work for two or even four days on the one job, the quote will go to the office manager who then presents it to a board meeting for approval.

There is one job, spread over two levels of a high rise that takes me four days to complete, I have been doing this every six months for nigh on nine years now.



With residential, I can give a verbal estimate over the phone and book the job in.

Most residentials I do, I have done before, thirty years in a small town you get to know various homes, units, etc;

In my Quicken, I only need to type in an address and I can get all the info I need on the job, providing I have been there before, or in the case of units, one in the same block.

Most units/flats/cpndos; are roughly the same size, it's only the stains, etc; that change the price.

I also have set prices for all types of furniture, mattresses, rugs, etc;

With many units that contain a lot of furniture, I do a "Package Price", this includes the carpets, mattresses, upholstery and floor rug.

There is approximately six hundred of these types of units that I apply these prices to.

Same goes for houses, although some suburbs the houses are larger, so I price accordingly, just as I also price for outlying suburbs.

Qualifying the job over the phone for problem areas, I can give a fairly close estimate, and I tell the custards that it is only an estimate, a final price will be decided when i see the job.

Most are happy with that.

Shorty.


PS::: Most of my work is within a 10-15 minute drive and with little or no parking problems.

[Kev Loomes]

I have a competitor who uses a laptop presentation when conducting a survey.  I have lost count of the amount of customers who have commented on this in a negative way, saying that it took up too much of their time and was not something they were interested in watching.  In my opinion, a customer will not be swayed by a fancy frilly laptop presentation, but more likely to be impressed with punctuality, smart appearance, politeness and being knowledgeable and informative during the visit.  I think a detailed written survey/quotation form is sufficient.

This sounds like he was using the home survey/presentation - which is an Alltec thing not Cleaners Mate. I personally believe 'presentations' can be a bit too much for clients and possibly be counter productive. However, doing your quote in the normal way and then offering it out on a printout (yes via a laptop!) - with different packages included for them to choose from, is basically a guaranteed way to increase job tickets. And all this can be done quicker than physically writing it out. Also, this method is even easier to sell to clients because its not about hard direct sales techniques, which is old hat. This subsequently takes the fear of 'selling' away as it is essentially automated.

It's not about a fancy frilly laptop which was mentioned, just a common sense way to run a business i.e. using clever easy tools to increase sales. This is something we utilise every day in our cleaning business.

Mike is right, this goes a long way to increasing your professionalism even further and add this on top of all the other things mentioned above makes you stand out from the crowd and secure the deal with much more success - and more money.

Dont get me wrong, its quite normal to write out quotes if thats what you want to do, you probably feel more comfortable doing this and there's really nothing wrong with that. But imagine if cleaners just looking to increase sales - implemented this and IMMEDIATELY did so! Would that be of benefit?

Kev

p.s. If this was someone elses product I would say exactly same thing.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Nice disclaimer kev

I agree that a presentation can be over selling it some customers can even see through it, all you are wanting is a glorified calculator but where the customer sees the numbers going in.

Shaun

[Steven Lawrence]

Kev, Can cleaners mate be used on an ipad?

[david washbrook]

No wish it could

You can download an app wich connects to your home computer via wifi so as long as your home comp is on and you have wifi it will work I find it to much hassle but I think Steve gunn uses it

[Kev Loomes]

It can't run directly on an iPad as it is a Microsoft product. But there is virtual way to run it which is via PocketCloud. Steve Gunn uses it this way on his iPhone. But would work better on a bigger screen as on the iPad.

We personally use a netbook, its small, neat and does the same job.