[Neil Williams]

A few weeks back I did a quote for an EOT.
2 bed property coming out at a total of 360 sq/ft plus the obligitory stairs.
Realising it EOT and knowing tenants don't want to spend much I went in at £120 (so £100 net).

4 pm this afternoon I got this e-mail:
Hi
 
You kindly came out and gave us a quote of £120 for cleaning the carpets at 100 A****** Drive. I have had a couple of other quotes since then and I was wondering if you are able to match one at £60 from A & K Cleaning services?
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Kind regards
 
Sylvianne

£60 I've nearly stopped laughing.
Oh yes she did an e-mail back saying NO

[Jim_77]

I'd have asked her which half of the job she didn't want me to do!

If it was an easy-ish job, I'd maybe try to talk her up to £100 using the quality angle, but I'd certainly cut a few corners for that.

Some people want the moon on a stick. But then again we have to be realistic in these times, there are a lot of EOT enquiries and many don't have a clue about what a carpet cleaner should cost or what to expect from them.

I think there are some customers like this you can't talk round, not for love nor money, so you have to walk away from them.  But as a last resort I quite often strike "special" deals for specific payment methods 

[Adam P]

this is why i don't think it's good eot cleans supposedly are on the up. although we get work from them it's much less money and far more competitive on price which we don't want to be competing on.

amazed she actually had the balls to email back and ask for a 50% reduction.

[Paul Simpson]

EOT will always go for the cheapest I think as they don't have to live with it after.

Had a price shopper recently for a lounge plus HSL clean, after speaking a while I gave him my minimum price which this would have come under, he said he would call back.
He did within half an hour and that another cleaner from Brighton, the next town (20-25 miles away) gave him a price of £35-40 and could I match it to save them travelling.  

Said I could not match it and told him that if they are going to travel 25 miles for a £35 job then expect them to hike the price on arrival and that they are welcome to it.

[Paul Simpson]

But as a last resort I quite often strike "special" deals for specific payment methods 

Not sure what you mean Jim, can you explain 

[Neil Williams]

If it was an easy-ish job, I'd maybe try to talk her up to £100 using the quality angle, but I'd certainly cut a few corners for that.

Oh she had an e-mail back telling her (again) what she will get for £120 compared to what she will probably get for £60
And I then got one back saying she would check out the other lot and might come back to us if they can't prove certain things.
Personally I'm not bothered either way now, if she can afford the rents around here along with the sports car and thinks I will half my quoted price then any respect has gone. I'm all for a bit of negotiation but that's just insulting.

[Jim_77]

Paul, let's call it bank transfer

Neil I think you're missing a trick mate!  It's all very well having principles but even if you went half way between your price and her price for... uhm... "bank transfer" you're actually putting more in your pocket at the end of the day and everyone's a winner.

No point in cutting your nose off to spite your face.

[Paul Simpson]

Paul, let's call it bank transfer

"Bank transfer"..........but that means no more cash jobs 

Joking of course in case any authorities are looking in. 

[Neil Williams]

The trouble with """bank transfers""" is that it's a bit of an issue getting the paperwork to the agent for proof.

[Mike Halliday]

you need to play mind games with EOT jobs when they are wanting the lowest possible price.

I always ask who the letting agent is and no matter what they say .....(EG)Bourke And Hargreaves .....

I make out we do lots of work for them and have done for years, then I say "B & H never refuse our invoice when you present it for your bond to be returned, they have a good idea how much it cost to have the carpet cleaned to their acceptable standard, it saves any disagreements with the bond"

plant in their mind they might not get their money back if they don't get the job done right

[Adam P]

sounds like you've watched inception too many times mike the way you talk 

[garyj]

Been a couple of really good posts from you this last week Mike.
Are you getting softer in your old age?

[Mike Halliday]

another thing about EOT cleans is they say "we never used that room, so we don't need it cleaning" I always tell them the letting agent will want all the carpets cleaning, so i will give it a good vac with my industrial vacuum cleaner which will leave wand marks..... so it will look like it has been cleaned and I will itemise it on the invoice as being cleaned.

also I give a 30% discount for no furniture but I offer to make out the invoice for the full amount ( or even slightly more)  so it looks like the tenant has laid out a lot of money upon vacating  the property to leave it in a clean condition.

[The Great One]

another thing about EOT cleans is they say "we never used that room, so we don't need it cleaning" I always tell them the letting agent will want all the carpets cleaning, so i will give it a good vac with my industrial vacuum cleaner which will leave wand marks..... so it will look like it has been cleaned and I will itemise it on the invoice as being cleaned.

also I give a 30% discount for no furniture but I offer to make out the invoice for the full amount ( or even slightly more)  so it looks like the tenant has laid out a lot of money upon vacating  the property to leave it in a clean condition.

Hi

So, you charge less but make the invoice out for 30% or more higher?

This means you earn less but pay tax on a higher amount as it is invoiced and therefore goes through the books.

Bizarre

Martin

[Mike Halliday]

yep, but the other option is they get it done by someone else.... so I earn nothing.

but I'm not earning less as they are getting the discount because the rooms are empty so the job is quicker so I can do another job  


so i earn £100 but invoice £130 so I'm paying an extra £8 in tax, or I could not do this , not get the job and it cost me £100 plus my time & diesel

[jasonl]

you need to play mind games with EOT jobs when they are wanting the lowest possible price.

I always ask who the letting agent is and no matter what they say .....(EG)Bourke And Hargreaves .....

I make out we do lots of work for them and have done for years, then I say "B & H never refuse our invoice when you present it for your bond to be returned, they have a good idea how much it cost to have the carpet cleaned to their acceptable standard, it saves any disagreements with the bond"

plant in their mind they might not get their money back if they don't get the job done right

I just say that all the local lettings agentsd have heard of us , so when they see our receipt it will be acepted as clean .

I mailshot them all monthly ,so the lettings agents will all have heard of us.

[Mr Dvae]

 ???why would they want you to match the lower price? are they assuming that you would do a better job or are they lying about the price the other company gave? i have a great close for these sort of guys, i just say i'll think about it. i just love keeping people on the hook.
however what they're really saying is they want to buy your services, but you havn't sold your price.
should be able to sell full price to these sort of guys

Dave

[Neil Williams]

should be able to sell full price to these sort of guys

Don't want to fall out with you Dave but EOT's (unless you're talking £2k a month types) buy on price, and why shouldn't they.
I like to think I've been in this game long enough to know how to sell yourself, the process, the benefits etc although I'm a long way short of the type who plonk themselves on the settee and don't leave until the customer signs the contract.
Where I might fall short on hard selling I make up with finding a connection between myself and the customer....kids, jobs, house, pets, car whatever. In the case of this one I latched onto noticing her partner is in the Army (which I was) so I was able to start a conversation on that.
Like many have said, 'customers buy you,' so I use that method to find a connection between us before hitting them with the price.

[The Great One]

yep, but the other option is they get it done by someone else.... so I earn nothing.

but I'm not earning less as they are getting the discount because the rooms are empty so the job is quicker so I can do another job  


so i earn £100 but invoice £130 so I'm paying an extra £8 in tax, or I could not do this , not get the job and it cost me £100 plus my time & diesel

Do that 1000 times and your're paying £8000 extra 

[Mike Halliday]

 [/quote]

Do that 1000 times and your're paying £8000 extra 
[/quote]

but I did a 1000times it would also be earning me  £100,000..... so that extra £8000 is'nt going to be a problem