[brianbarber]

Cleaning bedroom only jobs, can be tricky with regards to hoses
I keep one set 'sterile', that's 50 ft for indoors only, when finished I use large dust sheet outside property to bungy up after job.
Or as suggested, if long run, drop through windows down to van.

Mr B

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Definitely got to go with the rub of the green but when they call for the rest of the house to be done then you'll be quids in, big picture.

Tony I've just done an end of tenancy clean on a 3 bed terrace ok 2 lots of stairs for £240 it's my normal charge just got to believe in pricing structure that are in other people's heads not yours.

Shaun

[COLIN BRIGHT]

I also do a lot of 2 room jobs- I don't see your point- 2 rooms ALWAYS cost more than £99 - just had the best year I've ever had last year and have done more so far this jan than any other jan since starting- so I must be doing something right - all my jobs next week are rep custys kicking off with a £680 job on Monday
Happy days

[Mike Halliday]

There seams to be 2 areas of disagreement on  this post.

1) should travel & wasted time be charged to the customer

2) should the customer only pay for what they get cleaned or pay more because  the job is awkward

Now I think about I often get customer to tell me to arrive after 9.20 as they take the kids to school but I normally start at 8.30 so they I'm giving them 50minutes of my time before I even get there... Should they pay for that time?  I slightly think they should.....but I would never charge them, it just how the job goes  

Travel time...... If the amount travel time stops you doing another job then it should be charged for

Awkward jobs.... Again it's about time, if the job takes longer and it stops you doing another job then it should be charged for even if it mean charging £90 for a small room, the size is irrelevant.

You might thinks its January, I have no work today, does it matter if I'm at the house 1hr or 3hrs it's still £60 more than I had at the start of the day, which is personal  choice..... you can choose to do the job or not its up to you

We all work to our own beliefs, Colin won't go to a house for less than £90.  I calculate my charge by The amount of time 2 of us are on the job, some think  they are lucky to earn £20 an hour. We only answer to ourselves not names on an Internet forum.

[Fran84]

You're quite right Mike

I agree with the school run point. Yes it wastes part of our working day as we can't squeeze one in before. Would never dream of charging them more though!!

Travel time... We set our travel time by the area that we choose. If I feel a job is too far or would take too long to get to then I can choose not to do said job. Again would never dream of actually charging more.

Awkward jobs... I am a great believer in rough with smooth. You win some, you lose some and all that.

These are my opinions on the subjects and only mine. Like you said Mike the only people who we really answer to are ourselves. That's why we all work for ourselves and nobody else.

[COLIN BRIGHT]

On the school run point, I don't leave my house until 9.am at the earliest to avoid the run, is rather be sat in the office doing something creative than sat in traffic... I don't know if its just round here but many if my custys don't want me there before half 9 so I nearly always start 9-30-10am
Also try to avoid travelling at rush hour

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

When i speak to a customer, i find out if they are on a school run. If so, then it's 9.15/9.30am start, if not then i ask them what time they are comfortable with. I've had customers ask me to come at 7am before  , don't mind, just means an early finnish or another small job booked in.

[JandS]

Never start a domestic before 9.30 and try
to be never travelling between 3.00 and 3.30.
The school run round here is a nightmare.

[Simon Gerrard]

There seams to be 2 areas of disagreement on  this post.

1) should travel & wasted time be charged to the customer

2) should the customer only pay for what they get cleaned or pay more because  the job is awkward

Now I think about I often get customer to tell me to arrive after 9.20 as they take the kids to school but I normally start at 8.30 so they I'm giving them 50minutes of my time before I even get there... Should they pay for that time?  I slightly think they should.....but I would never charge them, it just how the job goes  

Travel time...... If the amount travel time stops you doing another job then it should be charged for

Awkward jobs.... Again it's about time, if the job takes longer and it stops you doing another job then it should be charged for even if it mean charging £90 for a small room, the size is irrelevant.

You might thinks its January, I have no work today, does it matter if I'm at the house 1hr or 3hrs it's still £60 more than I had at the start of the day, which is personal  choice..... you can choose to do the job or not its up to you

We all work to our own beliefs, Colin won't go to a house for less than £90.  I calculate my charge by The amount of time 2 of us are on the job, some think  they are lucky to earn £20 an hour. We only answer to ourselves not names on an Internet forum.

You can charge for all of those things, but your customer retention rate will take a hit. We are in a service business and there is a fine line between charging people for everything and everything and risk loosing them as a loyal customer, or just taking the rough with the smooth, provide the service when and where people want it, take any problems on the chin and be grateful they chose you and not someone else.

Simon

[Craigp]

You can view a carpet cleaners success by his prices.

As a general rule those charging the most are the most successful whilst those charging the least are the least successful.

eek, I'm off now. 

[Mike Halliday]

a  bit like restaurants..... I can get into the local cheap  eatery anytime, the Michelin starred restaurant up the road charges 4 times the price and is booked up 2 months in advance.

and the cheap places bends over backwards to make you happy the Michelin place sneers down their nose at you if you order wine by the glass.  and people consider themselves lucky to get a table

[wynne jones]

We are in a service industry, therefore if a job is deemed £60 by a customer then we should accept it.

This does not compute with me. Whats so special about being in a service based industry.

If he had agreed £60 up front and it turned out a pig then fine, but she told him what the price was. It's no different to when a customer tells you how to clean it and how easy it is to get a particular stain out.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Mike your analogy is slightly flawed as people like to be seen in the 'right place' where as with carpet cleaners we are like children, seen and not heard.

How many times have you parked right outside someone's property and gone straight in with the pipes not batted an eye lid after lifting £100 for 30 mins work?

Over the year it's usually in your favour or you'd really change your pricing structures.

Shaun

[Simon Gerrard]

Whats so special about being in a service based industry.

Because we provide a personal service rather than a product
If Mike feels aggreived at only being left £60 to clean a bedroom carpet then he should take it up with the customer. But is he aggrieved because he only got £60 for it, or because it turned out to be a bit of a pig? If the latter then surely you take those kind of things on the basis of 'the rub of the green?'

Simon

[Simon Gerrard]

You can view a carpet cleaners success by his prices.

As a general rule those charging the most are the most successful whilst those charging the least are the least successful.

eek, I'm off now. 

Craig,
Depends on how you define the word 'Successful.'

[Blacky]

I would politely explain to the customer that the payment she left of £60 was not enough. I'm sure she thought it wasnt enough when she left payment.
The reality is, you'll make about £14.90 in your pocket from that job.

[Simon Gerrard]

I would politely explain to the customer that the payment she left of £60 was not enough. I'm sure she thought it wasnt enough when she left payment.
The reality is, you'll make about £14.90 in your pocket from that job.

Care to explain the maths on that one, I'm assuming you know Mike's running costs?

[derek west]

I would politely explain to the customer that the payment she left of £60 was not enough. I'm sure she thought it wasnt enough when she left payment.
The reality is, you'll make about £14.90 in your pocket from that job.

the reality is he could possibly make about £50 on that job.

[davep]

How much to come clean my kids bedroom?

[The TACCA Scrutineer]

Fill me in here, this is a big problem with TM user's. You have expensive gear, it SOMETIMES takes a long time to

set up (as Mike describes), connecting hoses, safeguarding other areas etc, this is time consuming and you expect

to be paid for your time. Mike took 2-3 hrs on one bedroom (setting up and cleaning) and he realistically wanted

£120 to do that, because of his time.

I, on the other hand, pick up my Sabrina Maxi (in one hand) shoot up the stairs, take 5 mins to set up, and take

15 - 20 mins cleaning the same bedroom depending on the variables. If it's a one off I would charge £60 min

charge, but with other work involved only £20, a BIG difference.

Just because TM user's have invested so much money in their gear it doesn't give them the right to charge / rip off

the customer! I mean, how can you possibly charge £120 to clean a bedroom carpet. Someone quite rightly said for

a few quid more they can have a new carpet fitted.

I believe just like the very cheap carpet cleaner's those who are charging extortionate prices are also 'harming' this

industry.