[Steve Gunn]

Over the years I always based my week on taking on average £250 a day but this last year my average has came down to £150 people aren't getting as much done,I haven't done a suite for months now. Commercial customers not getting work done as regular as they used to and are more price conscious than ever before.

Anyone else finding the same ?

[davep]

No it's deffo going up here

[Paul Moss]

Gunny its cos they have cottoned on to you  you lazy carpet cleaner

[Mike Halliday]

I've been noticing a slight drop in work as we having been finishing earlier that normal, but it's strange that the drop has been the single room jobs which we do at the end of the day,

we are still doing the big jobs, which we always book in our 8-30 apiontment but some days there is no second or third job.

It's like the poorer people are not booking but the big spenders are still wanting us.

Now we are cleaning a suite then doing the carpets ( well my son is cleaning the suite I'm surfing the web on my iPad ) we will be here until 1ish then its home, it's been a lot like this lately

[Simon Gerrard]

It's strange how one area can be busy and another dead quiet. We've got our Southampton truck mount up to Wigan for a week to cope with the sheer volume of job, whereas Southampton is dead by comparison. Weird

Simon

[Fran84]

I'm in Bourenmouth Simmon and it's fairly quiet here aswell!!

[gwrightson]

I for some strange reason, have alot more commercial jobs in over the next 2 weeks, having to work saturday and sunday this week and just about to go price another set of offfices this afternoon. domestic wise has been ticking over ok .

i have tried pesuading the commercial custys  to get done in january to no avail.

Geoff

[Doug Holloway]

Hi guys

Without doing the figures I definitely have a feeling that I am having to work harder for my money, with less easy £250 jobs.

Also the odd commercial is excellent but thre are less around.

I suppose it could be worse could be sitting doing nothing!

Cheers

Doug

[mark_roberts]

The past few months have been good but December has off the top of my head been the quietest in a good few years.

Also noticing less single room jobs the past two months.

Maybe the recession has finally caught up with the carpet cleaning industry.

Mark

[davep]

You all must have custys coming out your ears if been trading for years?

[mark_roberts]

Yes a big % is repeat and referral but you always need new business.

Wouldnt like to be starting off thats for sure.

Mark

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Slightly changing tack, I had a woman call today saying "what's your best price on a suite to be cleaned" I started to humour her a little by asking what it was etc she re stated that she was looking for a 'good price' then I pulled out of the bag "when are you wanting this doing?", "this Friday" she says, I says " not a chance but can get you in for January" now I know a lot of customers don't know it's a busy time and that some want cheap but the tone of this woman wanted me to torment her even more but I was a little busy cleaning my 3rd suite of the day so had gotten a little board and my mind was wandering a little.

Shaun

[markpowell]

I've 2 suites tomorrow Shaun And 3 Friday one of them tomorrow Is 11 seats.
sick of seeing the things mate

[Steve Gunn]

You all must have custys coming out your ears if been trading for years?

I have, but even long standing customers feeling the pinch a lot of 1 room cleans only,this is the worst xmas I can ever remember people just don't have the cash to spare when it's a choice of putting food on the table or fuel in the car to have the carpets cleaned is not a priority.

I was speaking to a painter yesterday and he has been doing it 30 years and he said the same people are waiting longer and longer to get their painting done as opposed to every year which some of his customers used to do and they are wanting it cheaper than ever before

Luckily the wife has a good job so I can be a lazy carpet cleaner Mossy

[james roffey]

Slightly changing tack, I had a woman call today saying "what's your best price on a suite to be cleaned" I started to humour her a little by asking what it was etc she re stated that she was looking for a 'good price' then I pulled out of the bag "when are you wanting this doing?", "this Friday" she says, I says " not a chance but can get you in for January" now I know a lot of customers don't know it's a busy time and that some want cheap but the tone of this woman wanted me to torment her even more but I was a little busy cleaning my 3rd suite of the day so had gotten a little board and my mind was wandering a little.

Shaun

Three suites in one day that's sounds like hell

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Three suites in one day that's sounds like hell
[/quote]

In my first year of trading on 18th December I did, amongst other things, clean 5 three piece suites in one day.  . The day had started with me on my first job at 6.30 am and I finally got back home at 10.15pm!

The point I want to make was I knew it was a tough day but as it was my first year's trading I had nothing to compare it to.

In my innocence I had had no idea how tough December was going to be-the real problem was as I approached my second year's Christmas rush I knoew what was going to hit me in terms of sheer physical work-and apart from the money- I was not looking forward to it one bit.

Rog

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

I think November was one of my slowest months ever, but December has been the best xmas ever.I have only had about 5 commercials all year, but i've had 6 already this December with 2 more to do before the first week of Jan. I had one of my best days ever yesterday with my helper, 3 domestic's and a 1000sqft commercial taking almost £600. The only thing is that i seem to be getting some real oddballs at the mo, i had a strange call yesterday for a job, when i told her i was fully booked till mid Jan, she went ballistic, i meen a absolutely bonkers, shouting down the phone that i should be available at xmas as this is when most peolple want carpets/sofa's cleaned.I kept calm and pointed out that's why i am booked up as everyone want's it doing and if i could fit her in the same day or day after ( which she wanted ) i would be doing something wrong, she then started to shout that i was harrasing her!!!!!!!!! and she hung up.
We have had some real barmpot's this last 2 weeks. 

[bennymon]

Not been a Christmas rush for a few years for me the busy one is August .

[Paul Moss]

This has been the slowest December to date for me too.

[Robert Watson]

Call wise, well down on a few years ago but some good ticket prices so turning out to be a decent month. Been contacting the data base and a lot are saying after the year. We`ll see.