[matt jones]

Hi guys just come back from doing a quote for an elderly lady. 3 armchairs and 1 foot stool i quoted £105 all in, she just said no sorry and handed me back the quote form  , so i asked her how much she had in mind and told me she had a quote for £55  .
So i just wanted to ask you guys what you would of charged? and did i over price?
Ps the chairs weren't to dirty but the arms were very greasy about 3 years old.
Thanks
matt

[lands]

I would have charge about £80-90 so don't think yours is out much but £55 is a silly price. got be at least 90 mins work done properly.

Pete

[matt jones]

thanks lands for super fast response glad im not the only one thinking that £55 is just a stupid price. And whenever you ask oh yeah who was that quote from then? they never tell you i think half the time they haven't even had another quote they are just telling you a price in there head which they would be happy to pay.
matt

[paul wright]

55-65

[Ken Wainwright]

Matt

With all due respect, you are showing the same approach to business as the prospect.  The only thing you are both talking about is PRICE.

When surveying and quoting, you need to talk about the cleaning process, why you would do this, that and the other. The cleaning solutions you use (I try to avoid the word "chemical". The techniques you use and how all the processes combine together to make a Cleaning System that is effective, safe for you, the customer and any children and animals, that the products you use CANNOT promote resoiling and will not damage or remove any protective treatment on the fabric and is quick drying.  You will have examined the suite and fabric, opened the cushions and looked inside, examined the chairs for damage, wear and excessive soiling, test for fibre type if necessary and asked about the history of use and cleaning.

Or a briefer description is that you SELL yourself and your business, you don't just quote a price.

You need to set your own standards, your own goals and work to them and charge accordingly. You shouldn't be concerned about what others are doing or charging.

I'd have done all this and quoted £120.00 for a HWE based process so your price is in the ballpark for a quality service.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

PS Even then, you'll never win them all

[paul wright]

another easy way round it is  only qoute over the phone  but hav really good chat like ken says, ive never gone and looked at job in over 12 years , works fine for me, charge what u want to earn and stick to you guns, but u get lot more outer 10 at 55-65 than u will at over 100    trust me     and u can do just as good job at 50  than what u can at 100

[chrisg]

£80

just quote little jobs on the phone or your be running round like blue ass fly, quoting and cleaning.
 

[Mike Osbourne]

When I go and quote little jobs can become bigger ones. I would never get my prices either if I just quoted over the phone.

I don't mind cos I don't travel more than 10miles radius and I get the time back by doing fewer, enhanced jobs for more money.

Still not getting all quotes and this is frustrating, but I make up with the ones I get.

 

[matt jones]

Thanks for the reply guys.
Ken i already do what you have suggested and also try not to use the word "chemical" don't like that word lol. Thanks again guys.
matt

[Mike Halliday]

the best thing said so far on this topic is kens PS ' Even then, you'll never win them all '

if i had done this quote I would have forgotten about it by the time I'd reached the end of the street because if you analyse every quote you didn't get you'll worry yourself into an early grave.

so what if someone else had quoted £55, just move onto the next appointment.

I don't want to get all mystical & philosophical but one thing i find with carpet cleaners who have been in the game a long time is they reach a higher plain of enlightenment where the don't give a sh*t what everyone else is doing or charging, they just get on with it.

Mike

[AquaMagic]

Including an OAP discount id say £70-£80ish.  We work in a two man team and would expect to complete this in arounf 75-90 mins.

Dene

[matt jones]

I phoned the lady back earlier saying i had given the quote another look over and could afford to knock abit of. Gave her a new price of £85 all in. Told her i wouldn't be able to match that silly price of £55 not worth it in my opinion, think i put abit of doubt in her mind about what sort of job she would be expecting for £55. Anyway i left it with her but she was very thankful that i made the effort of phoning back offering a discount so who knows. Like it was said earlier you can't win them all, but i do get a high percentage of jobs that i quote even though i may not charge these silly low prices.
matt

[joey p]

i dont see wots silly about 55 quid??? its worth a maximum of 80 in my opinion, if you do it youll be 55 quid better off than if you didnt, how did the customer get in contact with you, was it a flyer , cos if so you would be silly not to do it, maybe when your there you could upgrade or ask her if she needs anything else doing, maybe she will book you to do her carpets or recommend you to a friend, get your foot in the door if i were you, especially if you havent got much work on, forget all the brovado from the experienced , established guys on ere until youve got some customers under yer belt.

cheers

[Geoff Jewkes]

£27.50 per chair plus £12.50 for the stool. £95.00 Total

[prodry]

The full Basic State Pension is £87.30 a week. £105 must seem alot to silver top these days for 90mins work.

when quoting in person surely you give them a rough idea over the phone, say to them depending on what it is between x and y. Do you ask if they have had any other quotes?

At least you will know if you are wasting your time going out to see them.

We would charge £80.00 and we get 90% of the calls we get for suites. We dont go out to quote.

Our local ChemDry charge £135.00 for a three piece suite. One guy goes out to quote, another two go and clean it. So 3 members of staff involved in the clean, the franchise owner and ChemDry all taking a their cut. Then they laugh at me for being cheap. I have with no doubt more profit from each job compared to the chemdry man.

If we quoted on every job we would have to raise our prices by at least 50% to get the same level of profit.

[Geoff Jewkes]

The aim with quotes is to try and fit them in with your diary. E.g someone rings for a quote in X village, look at your diary for when you are working close by and try and put them in then, Less time and less fuel........ obviously less cost

[matt jones]

Because its not £55 quid is it? take out your fuel wear and tear on van and equipment plus cleaning products. I don't get some of you on here there must be alot of people who talk some absolute sxxxe one day no one will get out of bed for any less then £40 per hour then other days its a different story and you will work for much less. It seems alot of people dream on this forum, please don't give advice in future if it's just cxxp which aint true it doesn't help. Why do so many of you give in so easily when it comes to price it seems alot of people don't have a pricing structure cause if you did your business wouldn't work.
matt

[bennymon]

chairs £35 each stool £15 so £120   

[CARPET KNIGHTS]

personally i think this is a pointless thread.

Prices are different all over the country infact prices vary greatly in our own individual areas.

There is no way that you can get any kind of idea on pricing by asking on a national forum.

£55 may be a reasonable price to some people. Just get on with it, stop taking it to heart so much and look forward to the next job.

Cheers Goron

[Mike Halliday]

got my new Y/Ps today there's an ad in it saying 3pc suite £38 - hall, stair & landing £20 guaranteed no hidden extras

this guy will go out and clean at these prices, and he makes a comfortable living.

he's on the next page to me but i don't worry the slightest about his ad, let him charge cheap prices, it won't effect my business one bit.

mike