[David_Annable]

Hi

Having established that most people have a minimum charge (mine is £40).

How much do you discount for 2, 3 or more rooms.

If charging £40 per room 5 rooms would be £200, where as I think £150 would be more appropriate.

Dave

[Shaun_Ashmore]

£1.00  OFF for OAP's when accompanied by both parents.

Shaun

[David_Annable]

Hi Shaun

I have advertised 10% off for old giffers in the past.

But all it got me where people smelling of wee.

Dave

PS I know this works for a very well regarded member, but not for me.

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Dave,

I offer a half price deal on every carpet cleaned after the largest at normal price (normally the lounge, lounge/diner).

So for example working on 30p sq.ft a 10'x20' through lounge would be £60 then every room after would be charged at 15p sq.ft.

So if they say through lounge @ 10'x20' - £60, 2 bedrooms at 10'x10' @ half price would be £15 each price would be £90.

Time is money and travelling / setup / breakdown / travelling takes the time doing the work while you're there is easy.

I always ask if there's anything else they think might need cleaning while I'm there at a half price rate, usually get an extra carpet, rug, chairs etc a day .

Did a job today and asked if anyting else might need cleaning, cusomer said dining chairs. Did 4 dining chairs, took 10 minutes, extra £10 on the bill. Doesn't sound like much but it all adds up.

Hope this helps.

All the best,
Jason.

[Mike Halliday]

I always give a 10% discount to retired person, not many of them smell of wee, but most don't have dirty carpets and never want evening & weekend appointments.

i suppose I give a discount for more rooms, as I use a 3 for 2 offer which tends to make people have more done.

Mike

[angela carlton]

Good to see a bit of reality, in  pricing. This is the way we have always worked and it gets a constant flow of refferals

Angie

[Derek]

My minimum charge is £55 within a two mile radius of base.

I never discount cleaning prices when more than one room is done. 

I never discount cleaning prices full stop....you may as well take a price cut for that is what it is. The money I earn from cleaning is to provide for my family to live

I will however offer a discounted price for any add-on such as protection treatment.

Imagine for one moment if you were employed and your boss asked you to do additional work but at a lessor hourly rate...I can imagine what would be said to him/her....can't you?  :


Whoah...that's going to upset a few folks...but it is how I feel...reduce your prices and you start to clock watch....human nature kicks in and all that goes with it

[rs_cleancare]

I have to agree with Derek I stand strong with my pricing.
Yesterday a customer said they require a discount because they are having 4 chairs cleaned (wow so many). I explained I am running a business and at the end of the month would they except thier boss giving them a lesser wage because he can get somone cheaper. We have our overheads which is what the customer dosn't think about all they see is £40 - £50 per hour.

On the very large jobs i will go in cheaper just for the fact that you could be in one place for a day or two. Then you don't have the added time of travelling between jobs and setting up.

Rob.

[craigp]

im with other 2, i used to discount, not any more, i dont even advertise 'competitive rates' you dont need to, if people want your services they use you, not just because you got 1 room free.

the price i qoute is the price i want, why discount it? if you can discount then your first price is to high.

[bennymon]

if i was fully booked i would be with you but im not   i also have a familly to feed  and at present im only getting a few jobs a week so if a little discount gets me the job thats fine id rather the money in my pocket than someone elses 

[Jason Hedges]

True Bennymon,

I've only been in business 2 years and if I'd have stuck to set prices and not offered cheaper rates for extra jobs whilst on a job I'd have lost my house by now! We all need to earn £X's a week to survive, around here if I charged a £50 minimum call out I might as well pack up and throw in the towel.

I think once you have an established customer base and have been in business for a few years price setting is fine. When you're business is in its early years every penny counts. If it means cleaning a suite for £50 because you have a morning free then do it!

All the best,
Jason.

[Neil Grainger]

Gents, I no this may not be politicaly correct but is it not the point that you are supposed to make the customer think they are getting a discount.

Do you think that you save money at Tesco's, they may nock 10p of a loaf of bread but put 10p on the cheese that goes in the bread. Its all an illusion.

For me the process is the same I go through pricing with clients but have different structures for people finding me with the offers or people coming from Yellow pages where their are no offers.

The whole point of offers is to get the customer to ring, not take money away from me.

Cheers

Neil

[craigp]

i should just make clear i do reduce my price for a whole house, like 1 bedroom on its own would be more than if it were with another 2, but i dont bother giving a percieved discount, ie. tell them what it would be indevidaully.

they tell me what wants cleaning i give a price, obviously the more they have done the more economical for them.

not saying im right in that mind. i just like it simple now.

[Derek]

Whooops...here I go again...I don't even discount for a full house of carpets and soft furnishings.

I offer a quality job and quality service.....I want time to do the best possible job that I can for my customers....I also expect to be paid a reasonable amount for that effort

If you discount now they will expect a discount next time....you will get stuck in a rut and if you want to raise your prices at some point then you will have to establish a whole new clientbase based on your new price structure.

You are doubling your marketing efforts...not  very cost effective

Do a good job ....make your customer comfortable with you and 'they' will sell your services for you....now that is cost effective!

[Kev Loomes]

We give 10% discount for over 500sq ft, then 20% on over 800 sq ft. Teasing them to have more and having it cheaper works everytime! Losing the % is worth it if its at a good rate, plus no travelling/setup etc 

[COLIN BRIGHT]

i offer a volume discount, so the more thety have done, the cheaper it gets
if i can do 3-4 rooms in one house then i am prepared to give a small discount, its better than doing 4 seperate rooms in 4 seperate houses
however this does NOT mean i would work for peanuts
in fact we do very nicely thank you

P.S i've had a postponment on the job i was supposed to do tommorrow of £291.00
went to see someone tonight who wanted it "doing ASAP"
when i said i could do it tommorrow she said she wanted it doing cheaper , TO HELP ME OUT!!!

decided to have a lie in instead and chill out for the day
the cheeky cow!!!!!!!!!!

[stevegunn]

i offer a volume discount, so the more thety have done, the cheaper it gets
if i can do 3-4 rooms in one house then i am prepared to give a small discount, its better than doing 4 seperate rooms in 4 seperate houses
however this does NOT mean i would work for peanuts
in fact we do very nicely thank you

P.S I've had a postponement on the job i was supposed to do tomorrow of £291.00
went to see someone tonight who wanted it "doing ASAP"
when i said i could do it tomorrow she said she wanted it doing cheaper , TO HELP ME OUT!!!

decided to have a lie in instead and chill out for the day
the cheeky cow!!!!!!!!!!

Peasant as you would say

[COLIN BRIGHT]

exactamundo my friend 

[rich hand]

How obvious is it that successive rooms can be cleaned more quickly than the 1st since the equipment is already set up and yet we still get these debates!!!

I always get around £50 per hour and any room after the 1st is reduced to about 2/3rds.

Working off an hourly rate is obviously fair to the naive customer who doesnt understand setting up but I really do this to get extra work and therefore £.

Maybe some people who charge the same throughout have a higher minimum which obviously covers for the 1st and then a lower £/m2 which effectively lowers the successive room cost?!

[Shaun_Ashmore]

a cleaner I know charges a considerable amount for his 1st carpet then discounts heavily for extra work.

I think he charges 80p per sq ft for the first 200sq ft = £160 and then 40p there after.

Athough he is very kind and will do a minimum of 100 sq ft if he's quiet = £80

Shaun