[carpetguy]

All I can say about your sarcasm and condescending attitude,  J T is that you are well named !

[spindle]

and hes a fat unfunny liverpudlian!!

[carpetguy]

Matt commercial work is little different from domestic...........in the main, it's simply bigger and, if it's new to you and you really want to break into it, I'd suggest you follow your instincts, rather than depend on conflicting opinions.

In my world..............you learn, then practice, then become proficient and only then do you deserve to charge for your services, anything, other than low rates.

You will find many posts encouraging you to .............GET AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FOR YOUR SERVICES, OR CHARGE WHAT YOUR WORTH, OR, WHATEVER !

I doubt very much, that the people advocating the above, would follow their own advice, if confronted be an inexperienced novice at their door, offering to..................pave their driveway / landscape their garden / fix their roof / or carry out any other service, AT PREMIUM RATES, OF COURSE!!!!!

A fair number of people have been posting, recently, the opinion, that you should learn and gain experience, before charging more than average prices and I agree.

But.............what's moderate / cheap / expensive ?  All down to personal opinion, but, where do you rate c/c 's in the general marketplace?

Should they have a higher status / worth, than car mechanics, or firemen, or police, or armed forces, or nurses...................etc,etc ?

If you think they / you have...................please explain to me why you believe this, as I simply can't come to grips with how anyone, in this industry,  imagines for one second, that they truly have a higher value, than the above, or others who rescue lives, put wrecked bodies together, and so on.

The people above work for around £10  -  £15 per hour ( after a qualifying period ) some of the posts on here are suggesting carpet cleaners should be charging about 10 times that amount and think people charging around 3 times those rates, are monkeys, or cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So just who pays people like Jimmy Tarbuck those fantastic fees and why would they do so ?

[Ian Gourlay]

Matt

Fact of life Carpet Cleaners charge different prices.


I take time over a job  but I do not charge high prices,


Higher prices come but you need  experience Just because someone charges Higher Prices does not mean he is   not a Cowboy

Some customers call high price cleaners Rip Off Merchants

I'm just trying to illustrate insults about fellow cleaners can go both ways so its best not to use them.

The right price for ou for commercial cleaning is the price level customers start acepting your qoutes and then increase umtill you reach price resostance. its basic Economics Law of Supply and Demand

[Len Gribble]

Matt

What can I say so many variables which dominate the commercial world but you will really love the commercial world if you get into it (hard work, but the reward are good) as for pricing site survey is a must until you fully established with your contacts (I’ve even dropped £100 to get the job but the below had an influence)

What to charge I would check out there payment terms and price accordingly  (no good if you are living on overdraft due to them! bank manager quote over trading but am sure you know about this)

Good luck in the future.

spindle2k

Go any where near one my contact I will let your tyres down, by the way did get the job in BH had to up it a bit a porty job and had to pay 50p  parking attendant did not believe me that will cost them. 

Len

[jimmy tarbuck]

carpetguy...The people above work for around £10  -  £15 per hour ( after a qualifying period ) some of the posts on here are suggesting carpet cleaners should be charging about 10 times that amount and think people charging around 3 times those rates, are monkeys, or cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So just who pays people like Jimmy Tarbuck those fantastic fees and why would they do so ?
........
maybe you should go back to being employed as this seems to be the scenario thats sits most comfortably in your mind set, i for one am in business to provide the best possible service and result at the same time as actually making money, as for the answer to your final question.....THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PAYING YOU!......enjoy your peanuts fellas.

[spindle]

dont know yet len posted quote early today.................

decided that i really dont want the job..........filthy....so i have made it worth my while if i get it!!!!!!!

i didnt talk to your contact.......................

but you still punctured my tyres..................

no parking at r and p??bh?........a whole 50p!!


p.s got an invoice for you !!!!!

[Dust Knights]

I do a lot of commercial work and would've quoted £200 if the room was clear of furniture and £300 if I had to move it. So that's £1.25/£2.00 per metre.

Commercial is a different world from domestic and it's a breeze to clean one large empty room.

If anyone thinks this is cheap my hourly rate is anywhere between £80 and £120 per hour and a minimum call out charge of £50 for domestic and £80 for commercial (plus VAT).

I'd probably use micro-splitters and charly pads with the use of a Host machine to agitate where necessary - thus faster drying times.

The quality of my clean is always excellent and my customers are always delighted with the results - I have two written testimonials from Masterfoods (a division of Mars), among others.

So, I'd be a lot cheaper, be more than satisfied with what I'd be earning, and have a happy customer who would almost certainly have me back on a regular basis.

Does this make me a cowboy operator (or someone who knows their business)?

Chris

[calmore]

Matt,

At the end of the day you know what the other company quoted. You also know a few contact names within the hotel and you also know when it was last cleaned.

You can contact them in 6 or 12 months time, reminding them that their carpet needs re-doing. You'll also have a better idea of a price they are likely to accept.

[matt jones]

calmore, funny enough mate i dont know any off that i they didnt even seem to know the guys name who was doing the job in the end let alone how much he was going to do it for which is a shame.
matt

[carpetguy]

J T

I'm afraid I don't know anyone who pays their employees £40/ £50 an hour and neither do you.

The fact that 90% of carpet cleaners probably charge nearer £15/£20 puts them in an income bracket, well above the average UK income, a long way above peanut level.

A very small minority of people in this industry, earn around £100 an hour on a regular basis, but the way they achieve this, is public knowledge and they are unlikely to post the kind of drivel, you choose to.

Unless you can justify your comments and stop making sad remarks, which are offensive to many hard working individuals and unhelpful to newcomers, you might be better to button it.

I should add that I am neither a monkey, nor a novice, but simply try to give advice to people which will benefit them, at start up, or early stages of any business.

[Liahona]

Rob, whilst I agree in your comments about the other services that earn I think you said 10 or 15 pounds an hour.  I must add that, 1) they chose to be in that "job" and 2) to a degree they are in a controlled enviroment so to speak.   On the other side of the coin we as self employed carpet cleaners are 1) have chosen to be in this "job" and 2) are not in a controlled enviroment.  This being the case we therefore do not have to work for 10 or 15 an hour.  I refuse to work or even answer a phone at 10 pounds an hour but I have that choice, they dont.  So if you are going to compare "them and us" then compare that we have chosen a "job" that we can earn many times more than 10 or 15 an hour, whereas they have chosen to do what it is they have.  But again, my Deb earns £15,000 a year being an orthopaedic trama nurse which is not acceptable by any means.  Does she have a choice to raise her prices? No.  Does she pick and chose who she works on? No.  I have the choice to raise my prices and I can chose who I work for.  That is why I chose ths business to be in.  I also comment if you dont know people who are paid £50 an hour then you must have a limited knowledge of people.  From your postings which usually make a lot of sense I don't think that is the case so why make a comment such as you did.  When I have people working for me I wouldn't insult them by paying them any less than 50 an hour and usually pay considerably more.  I am not into polls but if I was how many carpet cleaners on here work for 15 an hour.  I certainy hope no one does.  For any one new to this business reading these and other posts they need to know that 15, 20 and even 25 an hour will not be enough to run a business.  To be a "duh carpet cleaner" then yes, to run a business absolutely not.   There are ex-police men and women who now work for the Davvid Bechums of this world charging a lot more than 15 an hour.  Your suggestion Rob is that they should work for Davvid for the same 10 or 15 an hour they did when they were "normal" policemen and or women. However the truth of the matter is they are doing the same thing for much much more because of their choice to do so.  You and maybe others may not like the way J T is commenting but most of what he has said is quite right. Anyway, lastly and this should be helpful as that is all that is meant by it.  If anyone is aspiring to be a carpet cleaner and set up a business and work for 20 pounds an hour, might I suggest you find another job because at that amount of monies being earned you WILL not make it.  The lads working at the tip bring home more than you would if thats all you want to charge.  It doesnt matter what other people earn, be it another carpet cleaner or a servant of the government.  Best, Dave..... P.S. I am adding this on Saturday afternoon around 16:45....... I was also thinking, to the mentioned people who are making 10 or 15 an hour (which granted is wrong) i.e. the nurses and police services or anyone else Rob wants to mention,,,,,,,, they are not running business's with their earnings where as what we earn per hour or job has to run a business, pay all fuel, chemicals, insurances, phone bills, ware and tare, taxes, adverstising and anything else that you can think of.  After all these and only after all these you still need at least 20 an hour to have made it all worthwhile.  How you can start at 10 or 15 then pay all the above beats me.  This is why "we" earn maybe 5 or 10 times what they do.  What is wrong with this entire picture is that it is they who are not getting paid enough, not that we get paid too much.  Best, again, Dave.

[clive]

I Charge between £1.00 a sqm - £4.00 depending on the size and situation. I do a 6,500 sq m school at £1.00 a sq m and easily do 500-600 metres a day truckmounted. i wold normally be able to DEEP clean a 1600 sq ft capet in around 2 hours easily. £285-£295 thank you very much and off to my next job a domestic lounge 25 metres @£3.00 a metre and h.s.l £125.00 for another hour and a halfs work.
I wouldnt get get too involved with how much per sq metre you charge for commercial - at the end of the day, it is how much money you can earn in a certain ammount of time. I priced a big lounge and dining room up for a residential home the other day and it was a really good axminster and was immaculate 300 m @ £1.60 sq m = £480 for a couple of hours 2 afternoons next week.

Clive

[jimmy tarbuck]

carpetguy, how many times are you continually going to miss the point, you can insult me as much as you like, i have been at the very top of the cleaning game for 20 years now and have heard your tail of woe on many occasions, in fact thats where i started, and thank god i learnt quickly, liahona has already marked your card in his last post with everything i needed to respond to, so no need for me to drivel any longer.
The cleaning of carpets, upholstery curtains, leather ....whatever, thats the real easy part, running a succesful, PROFITABLE, rewarding business, whilst still managing to posess some semblance of a life is the real challenge.
I AM MOST GRATEFUL YOU  HAVE NOT BEEN IN CHARGE OF MY SHIP, OR ELSE IT MAY OF SUNK RATHER RAPIDLY.
Dave, you took the words right out of my mouth. Nice to see another realist on these pages.

[Liahona]

I added to my post above, because I left out an important "case". Best, Dave.

[carpetguy]

Jimmy T

I am not missing the point, but it seems to me that either my use of the English language is inadequate in print, or some people, as I've said before tend to  " skim " or read selectively, when reading.

I have no tale of woe.........I was clearing over £2000 per week over 20 years ago, while running a, clearly successful business, in the cleaning industry. That equates to around £6000 per week in todays figures.................. Also I was responsible for turning around a business that was trading in deficit, to a big enough success, for it to be sold for £23,000,000 two years later.

So I know a little about the running of a business.

What I continually state............is the need for new people in this, or any other business, to LEARN and gain experience before trying to charge TOP DOLLAR and yes, I will always be suspicious of people who make extravagant claims, particularly when they occompany them with sarcasm, which I regard as pathetic and hadly likely to encourage new people trying to find their way.

It's nothing to do with what I charge ..............my posts are generally aimed at helping new people, with what I regard as sound advice, based on learning and  gaining experience, before attempting to charge higher prices and this would apply, even if they are able to purchase expensive equipment.

Dave

You are also clearly missing the point..........I'm not suggesting anyone should be charging £10 _ £15 per hour in this business,  I did suggest that the majority earn nearer £20 an hour, but in my opinion, around £40 - £50 was an acceptable average hourly rate, for the higher earners, who occasionally got around £100 per hour. Not the top earners.

Just a few years ago the ALLTEC NETWORK did a roadshow type of presentation, which focussed on " how to take your business to the £1000 per week level" , which was obviously in excess of what most were earning.

At the meeting I attended, I was surprised at the low prices most were charging.

As I've already mentioned...........it's the arrogant and condescending  manner of some one who clearly regards himself to be a mature, experienced and successful individual.

Perhaps it's just poor communication skills, or someone who does'nt have to, or wish to consider the less ambitious or talented.

Then again, maybe I'm too kind and giving, to others.....................but I should point out...........the c/c side of our activities only accounts these days for around 20% of the business.

We employ 16 staff and have increased turnover each of the past five years to approximately, £500k in the current year.

[Liahona]

Rob, I have never known you to contradict your self so often.  This is or has gone on long enough but I point out...... The first paragraph directed at me in the above post was all back pedalling. ........ In your other posts you did indeed suggest we should charge the same as 10 or 15 an hour you just  went an odd way of saying it.  You then went to comment that you knew of no one nor did J T  that would earn 50 an hour.  Now you are suggesting its an acceptable wage.  Well which is it, not heard of?  Or acceptable.  As to the majority earning 20 an hour, nonsense.  I use to enjoy reading your posts as I have always felt you had a lot of good things to say.  However with this post and the nonsense you posted about cfr I am dissappointed in what you have to say.  If newcomers take advice of what you advise I am sure they will look elsewhere for a business as and again if they charge what you think is all we are worth then they will quickly go out of a business that could do them quite well.  Best, Dave.

[jimmy tarbuck]

carpetguy, i am glad you say you have had such success, unfortunatley your statements on these pages do not echo such folly. According to your posts your bussiness accumin leaves much to be desired , also your threatening attitude or is it over defensive statements, i'm not sure, leaves a slippery feel and nasty after taste.
My confidence, not as you perceive, arrogance, is what has got me so far in this game.
I think this thread has run it's course, and getting back to the original post, ignoring carpetguys derogatory comments, Matt sell yourself, have confidence in yourself, i sleep well at night charging what i charge, my clients are always happy and would not dream of hiring anyone else, as carpetguy has so clearly shouted out , there are two sides to every coin, i only hope you choose the shiny side....good luck.

[carpetguy]

My eyesight must be failing along with my memory, as your interpretation of what I've written doesn't correspond to what I think I wrote, or what's on my monitor.

On the other hand ................

What's upsetting you about CFR's, they are excellent machines?

I'm amused at being referred to as aggressive or threatening, by someone who prompted my response, by being arrogant and aggressive to another, who was seeking seeking advice !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonder who he felt was giving the most useful advice, considering his current experience !

This is my last comment on this matter

JT

Your most recent comment, is exactly how you have come across to me, when you replied to someone seeking help and assurance.

a certain gent wrote, a couple of centuries ago " Oh would the power, the giftie gie us. to see ourselves as ithers see us" slightly modified to allow you to understand it.

Have a good life

[jimmy tarbuck]

carpetguy....I AGREE THIS SHOULD BE YOUR LAST POST ON THIS MATTER, AS THE WHOLE YOU HAVE DUG FOR YOURSELF IS GETTING LARGER BY THE POST YOUR LAST COMMENT ON THIS MATTER DOES NOT DESERVE A RESPONSE, SO I WON'T. :

I WISH MATT THE VERY BEST OF LUCK...EVEN THOUGH HE IS POTENTIALLY ONE OF MY COMPETITORS