[Adam P]

if you've already done 1 deal, how can you do 2 more in next month? by the rules i've been told you'd be allowed 1 more at best.

also i've added a bit more to my other post above yours

[jasonl]

The vast majority of Groupon customers EXPECT  to pay more  than the headline price , in most jobs they ask for a price on  furthur work , which is done right there and then .  Most customers , well almost all were  medium to high income  properties .


My sister is a high earning solicitor , she booked a £34  spa treatment  in a hotel near Nottingham , her 2 friends did the same , and after meals and accommodation they spent over £600  in the hotel

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/sheffield/clumberparkaug11/656320

It is not a scam , bait and switch , or a rip off , just clever marketing . 

If your deal makes Groupon money  , you could do these deals every week if you wished.

[Adam P]

sorry for doubting you but they tell me you can't do the deals that often, although you might be correct the people are groupon say otherwise for carpet cleaning. do you have any proof?

that sucks more from what you said, our ideal customer who'd normally pay full price now pay with 75% off for the first £100, and you may not be able to get an increase rooms. for me 2 hours is almost our average job.

[The Great One]

Hi

Almost everyone is assuming that you will only get the small amount and that in future they won't use you ec, where is the proof for this assumption?

Jason has done it, it seems, and it also seems to have worked, surely he is proof it can work.

Say you get 300 jobs, some will be just that price and others will need/want more doing, for which you charge normal price and they may use you in future, some may not, but there don't seem to be a lot of assumption that it doesn't/won't work?

Martin

[JandS]

And while your doing all these cheap deals what
about the day to day customers who ring from
your ads etc wanting a clean?
Or your regulars?
Do you put them on the back burner while you
deal with Groupon customers?

John

[The Carpet Cleaning Pro]

looking and reading the comments about groupon, it is obvious to me that some of you really have no idea how it works and what it brings in. Looks like I may have to go national with it then.

[Paul W Jones]

My local Groupon is Birmingham and there's a £29 for two carpet deal on there today and with seven hours left he's sold 87.  One thing it does prove is that if the price is attractive to the consumer they'll go for something that maybe they otherwise wouldn't.  I suppose you could say, well,  bypass Groupon and offer your own £29 deal direct to the consumer but then you'll be unable to reach such a wide audience as Groupon.  I'm intrigued by the whole thing and am tempted to look into it a little more but I think you would have to plan your campaign well.  My other concern would be how and when you are paid and just how well Groupon's customer service people deal with complaints.  I'm sure that Mrs Smith or Mrs Jones is sure to ring up complaining about a leftover stain somewhere along the line!  I'll keep watching this topic with interest!  I think the only downside is that it is inevitably going to devalue our trade.

[clinton]

Good post jb

Was going to say am sure there will be some shrinkers and other come backs as its not just a piza half price deal.

Weere talking carpets and some expensive ones too out there with all sort of problems if you dont know how to clean it right..

[L.Doubtfire - The Blade Runner]

Alleluyah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lord be praised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JB
Clinton,this has been my whole point all along.
Personally I think I would go out canvassing and foot
Slog for work before getting involved with Groupon.
Apologies members,ya know I`m out of it now,but I
Just could`nt resist it
 

Lewis  Doubtfire

[cannon]

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/newcastle/maid-to-clean/970701?nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_1_0_0_270&a=61

This one was in my inbox today

It would be interesting to see how many do become repeat full price paying customers, they may well get in touch next time they require carpets cleaning " hi are you doing a 2 for £26 offer like last time" Then when you say no off they trot to groupon to see who is. Its just devaluing carpet cleaning as a service.  Just my view on it.

[garry22]

Who sets the initial price?

Can you not offer cleaning at say £ 75.00 - 100 a room?

[jasonl]

Who sets the initial price?

Can you not offer cleaning at say £ 75.00 - 100 a room?

You  negotiate it with Groupon , they want low cost to the customer and BIG discounts    it is hard going trying to get them to offer anything over £40 . 

[mark_roberts]

So are you saying these customers on the cheap deal seem to refer more.  Possibley because they cant believe they have got such a good job at a unbelieveable cheap price. 

I just cant see them paying more next time. 

Mark

[Phillip Mold]

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/newcastle/maid-to-clean/970701?nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_1_0_0_270&a=61

This one was in my inbox today

It would be interesting to see how many do become repeat full price paying customers, they may well get in touch next time they require carpets cleaning " hi are you doing a 2 for £26 offer like last time" Then when you say no off they trot to groupon to see who is. Its just devaluing carpet cleaning as a service.  Just my view on it.

Interesting small print on the 2 for £26 offer..........." Extra charges may apply for excessively dirty rooms. Room must be cleared prior to service."
And of course we all have our own definitions of "excessively dirty" and reserve the right to charge extra to move furniture.

I think I'll stick to providing a quality service with no extra charges at what I consider a reasonable price.

[JandS]

Exactly mark they'll just look on groupon for
another cheap deal.

John

[Simon Gerrard]

Even ifnyou do build a database of groupon customers which youmhave done for next to nothing, most people have their carpets cleaned ever 18 months - 2 years, so you've a long wait on your hands before having any chance of repeat business and given these people go for cheap deals who is to say they'll pay full price next time. That's one he'll of a gamble and one hell of a long time to have any hope of recovering your losses.
I take whatvJason Lawal says with a pinch of salt, he's the master of embellishment, that's a posh word for bs

[JandS]

Unbelievably it says regardless of size.
I did 2 rooms at a mosque last week, the
smallest was 56sq m. And they were pretty
clean so nowhere near excessively dirty.

John

[bennymon]

hi jason was the £56 before or after groupon had there half and did you do the 2 or 3 room deal i worked out if it was the 2 rooms for £26 deal and you average £56 if you get 100 jobs thats£5,600 wich could be done in 3 weeks doesnt sound so bad does it folks . even with the groupon £13 per job its still£4,300 

[Tony Rowley]

Never tried groupon but i find this thread interesting, the way i see it is that you are paying groupon to do your marketing, you sit at home and they get you 100-300 and you go out and do the jobs and try to upsell wherever you can.

You have spent no money on advertising/marketing

You have spent no time walking the streets

You have guaranteed work

Work out how much you could/would spend on advertising/marketing to get that money guaranteed and you have the answer to the question........is it worth doing groupon?

Wether it devalues carpet cleaning as an industry, i doubt it as so much of the population dont or ever get their carpets cleaned.

I dont doubt that it has worked for the people on here who have admitted to doing it and some people on here just protest far too much for them to be credible.

That said i still cant decide wether i would do it, but, if your going to thrive you have to be open to new ways of marketing.

Tony

[bennymon]

on the flip side of what i said  if you dont manage to upsell then its a lot of hours for£1,300