upholstery cleaning poll

« **on:** April 24, 2005, 09:33:39 pm »

I have a love hate relationship with upholstery cleaning.I do think it should be double the price I charge but I am loathed to spend valuable time going out to quote for upholstery even with a good presentation I seam to get the same return of customers booking over the phone as I do when I go out to see them I'd just like to know what you think.

Shaun

PS relivant checks are done before I start to clean (before anyone starts)

Perhaps I should re word the question

If you charge over £100 for a 3pc suite to be cleaned who quotes over the phone?

« **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2005, 10:22:40 pm »

I never quote less than £125.00 for a 10 cushion suite and I tell the customer that an inspection could reveal extra cost.

« **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2005, 10:57:17 pm »

£ 20 a seat for sofas
£ 25 for armchairs.

So a 3 seater sofa and 2 armchairs £ 110.

« **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2005, 11:19:57 pm »

Hi

£25 per seating area+ V.A.T

+ Upholstery is dry when i leave............................The folowing week

« **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2005, 11:56:39 am »

£20.00 a seat, but charge £98.00 for a five seater, so as just to get under the £100.00 mark. May increase, to £22.00, so thats a £110.00. Voted at under £100.00 and its 50/50. Maybe the poll should have more choices, to see the extreme in charges ie, under £50.00 to over £150.00. Must dash back to work may do it later

« **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2005, 04:19:37 pm »

£25 to £30 a seat dependant on soilage,fabric,design and condition.
I have charged up to £175

Paul

« **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2005, 04:38:12 pm »

We are slightly going of the point, the important thing here is not how much we charge, but the price is 'given over the phone'

I found when I went over the £100 I hardly ever got the job when quoting over the phone, now I visit them and give my price (£120)

but I have a set script that I use when forced to give a price over the phone, which keeps the potential customer on the phone for at least 5mins.

I think it takes a lot of skill to get high prices over the phone.

Mike

« **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2005, 04:50:15 pm »

Mike,

I agree its harder to get higher prices over the phone BUT you do have to count quoting time as working.

So a quote must cost , say £25 allowing 30mins inc travelling.

O.K if it's 3 piece plus lounge but not so clever if it's one bedroom.

I almost always quote by phone and accept slighty lower prices , but probably higher per hour pro rata than if I spent half the evening quoting.

Cheers,

Doug

« **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2005, 05:12:59 pm »

this is why I try not to work more than 3 miles from my home

I do most quotes as I'm passing, so hardly ever go out in an evening.

If you charge £120 for a suite and have to travel out to do a quote, that time will cost you £25 so really the suite is making only £95, so why not charge £95 over the phone. this is the the piont you are making,

this sounds very logical until then next time you clean it or they recommend you to a friend then you still only make £95 but this time you did have to make any trip out, if you charged £120 then all future work (which does'nt need a visit) will make you £120.

Mike

« **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2005, 05:20:38 pm »

I MUST BE IN THE WRONG COUNTY, AS MOST THREE PIECE SUITE I CLEAN ARE BOUGHT FROM ARGOS , LITLLEWOODS OR SOME OTHER CATALOGUE, THEY DONT COST TO BUY NEW ,WHAT SOME OF YOU WANT TO CHARGE.PERHAPS YOU SHOULD UPDATE YOUR IDEAS ON THE COST OF A NEW SUITE FROM THESE SUPPLIERS. £200.-£300. WILL BUY YOU A NEW ONE. WANT WORK START LIVING IN THE THROWAWAY AGE, AND READJUST YOUR PRICES. WE CLEAN ABOUT 15 SUITES A WEEK. AT AN AVERARGE OF £80.00 AND DO A GOOD JOB IN ABOUT 90 MINS

« **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2005, 06:12:09 pm »

You are not in the wrong county, but are proberly targeting the wrong customers. Ive never cleaned a suite from Argos, with my prices I would not get much work. I charge between £120 -£150 so if I did the same amount of work as you(15 a week) I would be able to take an extra £1000 a week more than you.
More profit = less work for the same money = more time for selective marketing. Perhaps you should consider updating your ideas?

Mark

« **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2005, 06:19:03 pm »

MARK :WELL DONE, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO SERVICE THE CUSTOMERS THAT APPARENTLY YOU ARE NOT GETTING.SO IT MIGHT AS WELL BE ME, CARRY ON ARGOS AND ALL OTHER CATALOGUE SUPPLIERS. YOURE KEEPING ME IN WORK, AND HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS YOU DONT GET CUSTOMERS WITH CHEAP SUITES BECAUSE YOU ARE UPMARKET.WITH PRICES TO MATCH

« **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2005, 06:30:10 pm »

Well I think thats exactly what he means he's not targeting those customers as you are.

How many people do have working for you? 15 suites a week is a lot by any body's standards and is a business in its self.Personaly I couldn't do that many I would be shattered doing 5 a week but good luck to you if you are earning £1200 a week on suites alone you have a very good business.

ps;

Take your cap lock off, when you post with it on its gives the impression that your shouting your message across its really not good form old chap

« **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2005, 06:39:56 pm »

it might be that i advertise the price that fits into a certain prospects pocket. and i am more than capable of cleaning 15 suites alone, in any week. i also target and promote suite cleaning , and im not an old chap.

« **Reply #14 on:** April 25, 2005, 07:13:01 pm »

here we go again :

15 suites in a week!!
ive been in this line of work for to long,and never have i had a week with 15 suites in it,not counting a fire damaged suite shop!, and i wwont touch a suite under £150, nor could i CLEAN one in 90 mins

dave

« **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2005, 07:35:08 pm »

Never come across mail order 3pc suits do come a cross a few DFS’s :(my preference Derwent as when I lean on it for a rest, it dose not fall apart, 3 a week is enough glad I don’t live in the same part of Kent as 89, :

give me carpets any day!

Len

« **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2005, 07:39:19 pm »

to do a professional job in 90 mins on cheap fabric would be backbreaking in the least.. x15 and i think i'd need a week off the following week !...2 or 3 a week is more than enough for me...i'm with len give me carpets everytime.

« **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2005, 07:53:19 pm »

im not suggesting that carpets are not easier to clean. what i am saying is that if you make your promotion work for a specific target market you get quantity prospects. and if the price structure is correct prospects turn into jobs. 90 minutes with 2 persons working is easily obtainable. and as far as i have never had 15 in a week comment. i also have been cleaning for over 12 years both here and in america. , and would be extremely dissiluioned if my advertising retuned me less. that is for every £1 i put in to advertising i expect returns . we travel far afield to earn a living, i would very much like to be hanging on to the thought that my phone would only ring by somebody referring me . hopefully those that maintain carpet cleaning get more than 15 jobs aweek,so whats the difference. we all specialise and some advertise better than others.

« **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2005, 08:01:18 pm »

Fair enuff...takes me between 2.5 and 3 hours to clean a suite and i ache a lot more than when doing carpets ...i'll stick to upholstery when i get asked rather than look for it in that volume at that price....are you one of the travelling cleaners 'in your area for a limited time' sherlock ?

« **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2005, 08:24:31 pm »

no matt, i just travel alot. sherlock

Poll

who charges over £100 for a 3pc suite over the phone?