[robert meldrum]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH......Nothing like MARKETING issues to get the mud flying around.

I've watched with interest the changes many have made to their business models over the past three or four years with some amusement.

There's worse around than Groupon...............I just had a look through Gumtree where carpet cleaners are working for even less than the Groupon deal would give them.

[Joe W Brown]

Some interesting points made there Martin and you are right regarding how the customer sees things compared to how us carpet cleaners see things...
Groupon maybe a good idea for restaurants and shops to promote a product or to attract people through the door, but i just dont see it working  the same way when service is involved.
Take two identical 2 bedroom houses and get the same carpet cleaner to clean both, pay him £30 for one and £130 for the other, will both jobs take the same time and will the method and results be the same?

It depends on the carpet cleaner and his mindset. I could clean a 2 bedroom house immaculately for 50p if I wanted too. Give me £200 and I could clean it in 5 minutes.

[*Hector*]

All of you who say that cleaners who do groupon would not do a good job because of the price... DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS BY YOUR OWN STANDARDS..........

Who the hell are you to say who would do what, unless it is about yourself.....??

[Simon Gerrard]

I've seen Hector and Mrs Hector in action on a Groupon job and they did a really thorough job, in fact I was quite impressed, not only with the Hectors but the LM system they were using.

Simon

[robert meldrum]

I considered a Groupon type deal to launch a specific deal I had in mind which I believe would result in almost every job being profitable but I need to have medical matters resolved first.

When it comes to marketing there's no place for snobbery or selfrighteousness . You market your business to gain buyers and make profits. If you get too involved in trying to appear Honest John or feel the need to wave bits of paper around to Prove what training you've done you are wasting time and effort.

People who will buy your service have a NEED and that is someone to get their carpets LOOKING CLEAN at reasonable COST with minimal FUSS and DRY IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.

They don't care about how big or powerful your machine is or what organisation you belong to. They want CLEAN CARPETS and if you can give them what they want without fuss, at reasonable cost and with very quick drying times you are IN THE DOOR.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi guys

There are a wide range of customers for a wide range of carpet cleaners, it is up to the individual where they position themselves.

Cheers

Doug

[robert meldrum]

In theory your comment is correct Doug................but the world has moved on somewhat over the past few years and what had been the status quo for decades is no longer the case.

For example ..............I was a regular's house recently and the Groupon issue was raised. This is the home of an English Championship Manager who is not exactly paid peanuts but his wife was telling me her friends all use ITSON which is similar to Groupon and illustrates the mindset of today's buyers.

The people who only bought the " best " are becoming scarcer and their offspring are not following in their footsteps so finding people who are happy to pay high prices is getting harder.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Rob

I want customerrs who realise the value of the quality of the service I offer and there still seems to be plenty.

Quality is king, I rarely eat in a cheap restaurant because I can afford not too, when I was younger and had much less money I did.

Cheers

Doug

[*Hector*]

But some cheap restaurants provide excellent food quite often better quality food than the expensive restaurants.... 

 

[Ian Gourlay]

Robert

I am not against low prices and Rip Off Britain tells us to shop around  but looking at some of the prices quoted I do not think Carpet Cleaning Prices have moved on much in the last 12 or even 20 years and that cannot be good for this industry or suppliers

[Ian Gourlay]

But some cheap restaurants provide excellent food quite often better quality food than the expensive restaurants.... 

 

I agree I have eaten at some of the most expensive places in this area and you often need  magnifying glass to ind the food .

And The Soup. One had a Gordon Ramsey makeover but still closed shortly afterwards

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

As Doug  Oscar Wilde said "A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing"

There are still many people out there who can distinguish the difference-or as somebody once said “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”

Rog

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Robert

I am not against low prices and Rip Off Britain tells us to shop around  but looking at some of the prices quoted I do not think Carpet Cleaning Prices have moved on much in the last 12 or even 20 years and that cannot be good for this industry or suppliers

Ian

If you were to review your prices over that time, then allowing for inflation would your prices now be ahead, the same, or behind what you were charging 12 or 20 years ago?

And depending upon your answer what would you put it down to?

Rog

[Ian Gourlay]

To be honest Rog I have always been around 30p per foot  for last 8 years so I have not moved forward and allowing for inflation I have gone backwards.
20  years ago 15p to 20p

I put it down too having too many distractions and although it suits me it is not the way forward, but what I am also saying is that people still jib at paying 20p a foot and many Carpet Cleaners Market at 15p still 

It also why I am now considering my options  when  or if I return.

[Craigp]

Remember that book that Alltec and Extracta used to sell, a guide to running a carpet cleaning business?

The guy that wrote it was operating in the early 80s around Reading way I think. He used to charge about £35 a lounge back then, so doing 2 rooms for £11 in 2012 surly you would need to be a sandwich short of a picnic.

[*Hector*]

People do things for different reasons.....

Who are you to say who is "a sandwich short of a picnic??"

Just asking in case you are the great overseer of life...

[The Great One]

Remember that book that Alltec and Extracta used to sell, a guide to running a carpet cleaning business?

The guy that wrote it was operating in the early 80s around Reading way I think. He used to charge about £35 a lounge back then, so doing 2 rooms for £11 in 2012 surly you would need to be a sandwich short of a picnic.

Depends on the sandwich

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Another part of the equation is that with experience and the cleaning products and equipment we have carpet cleaning is better/faster than years ago.

Shaun

[Carpet Dawg]

People do things for different reasons.....

Who are you to say who is "a sandwich short of a picnic??"

Just asking in case you are the great overseer of life...

  LMAO!! Yes there are a few on here 

[robert meldrum]

Good point Shaun and the only reason I'm looking at the " groupon type " marketers is simply that I reckon there's a niche market which could be nurtured via the modern marketing styles of groupon etc.
Something we did many years ago could be worked effectively with that approach as we would expect to at least double the sale values.

I was charging more 25years ago than many are currently offering.