[Joe H]

Paul
that is if he has treatment risk insurance :

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I don't think people read these posts properly sometimes  :

Nobody said that charging £ 400 was a reasonable price to clean just a suite.

Colin suggested that £ 400 to clean AND protect a 3 piece suite and a 20 yd2 lounge carpet was not extreme if the materials in question were expensive.

If it was a 3+1+1 suite then that would be £ 150 - the carpet would be £ 60, then add a further £ 80 for protecting all of it - thats £ 290 for starters and thats assuming its an average home with average quality furnishings.

Top end furnishings would demand a higher price.

And before you all start moaning about how you would never get that sort of price in your area, fine I am not disputing that. But where I am based a 3 bed home will set you back £ 400K and multi-million pound homes are in abundance.

I won a job yesterday to clean 4 rooms and a staircase - in the Lounge they had a U-shaped 8 seater leather suite which cost in excess of £ 10,000 and they were interested to know that I clean leather. I wont be charging them £ 150 to clean that !

Yes plumbers and electricians have to carry out more training over a longer period of time - but any hairy arsed bloke can be a plumber or electrician they are not brain surgeons either. But not many of them can be entreprenuers and run their own businesses.

I am not ONLY a carpet cleaner, I take pride in what I do for a living and if I didnt then there would be no point doing it.

We keep having the same arguments on here about " I wouldnt get those prices in my area" - well no-one is disputing that, but when others say how much they are getting in their areas or how well they are marketing their clients to get higher prices everyone rants and raves and suggests they are ripping people off !

I've been biting my tounge on this topic but its got the better of me and I had to post something - so rant over.

Bring on the negative comments ! 

Steve

[clinton]

Steve

[master-clean]

Absolutly well said Steve, I'm not JUST a carpet cleaner but a very experienced and skilled at what I do.

Maybe a newbe doing it a year may be unskilled and yes sure he can clean a carpet.

But a Certified carpet cleaner with 5 plus years experience can clean it A WHOLE LOT BETTER!

[clinton]

Steve

Thats what i would class myself too

[Mike Osbourne]

I don't think the word extortion is the right one as it implies some form of high pressure tactics. In reality these people have simply invested a lot of time and effort in finding and developing that particular niche.

If £400 to clean a suite doesn't sitt well with you then just get on with working in your own business rather than going on about someone elses.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

As with all businesses there will be people working within  a wide range of prices, which will depend on many things.

The CC with a 500 Pound second hand machine and an old van, no training etc can hardly be compared with one who has invested 50K, plus various training hours etc.

We are not all the same and will not charge the same prices, remember Chem Dry have also invseted in the franchise fee.

They are good for the industry as they keep prices up.

Cheers

Doug

[COLIN BRIGHT]

3 PIECE SIUTE CLEAN AND PROTECT    £292.50
12 X 15 LOUNGE CLEAN AND PROTECT £151.20  = £443.7 - 10% VOLUME DISCOUNT
TOTAL £399.33

SO ONCE AGAIN A VERY REASONABLY PRICE

i think there are too many people who want to be "your best mate"
what i mean by that is they dont treat people like clients but charge lower prices so they can all bitch about the other company who charge higher prices
when in reallity you are just assuming people all want stuff doing cheap

and as to asking people what they are willing to pay over a cup of tea
well that is a ridiculus way of gageing people
"only £120? well i would like to pay you £200 if you dont mind!"
how many people have got that responce

as for repaet customers and recommend, well they go up year on year
in fact when we do go back people ask to have more work done because they know they will get a great job

its all about what you think you are worth and cleary a lot of people dont think they are worthy a lot

im eight years into this business and getting stronger year on year unlike a lot of people who only last a couple of years because they concentrait too much on what others are doing and charging instead of building their own business

maybe some of you guys should join FASTTRACK  
JUST A THOUGHT!

[master-clean]

Just want to add to my own point which is if you are certified and have this much experience plus your using the best equipment availible and there fore will have invested thousands and alot of time and hard work, then you would be MAD to charge low prices.

If you are giving a first class service (there only one or two in any major city out of 10's of c/cers) then value yourself! 

Colin made a good point asking a cheapo client would they pay £100 to have there lounge clean is stupid, course they'll say no, thats why they got you there doing it for £30 !!

Trust me working cheap is a mugs game! up your prices you'll do less work for more money

AND NO YOU WONT LOSE CLIENTS (except the ones you dont want)

[COLIN BRIGHT]

well done Master Clean

YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RIGHT.
looks its only 2.10 pm and im home after having a very lucrative morning

think i'll catch some rays while the sun is still out
is that sweat on my brow , oh no just some sun cream i didnt rub in properly

[Matt Lindus]

As Carpet and Upholstery cleaners, you deal direct with the punter so you can leave with the raw stuff.
This in turn means you can bank with that prestige organisation known as "Bank Of Floorboard"

Apparently you have access to your cash 24-7. A great service.

Matt

[JandS]

All I can say Colin is that you must live in an affluent area.
I now charge £85 for a 3 piece and I know for a fact that apart from the
franchises I am dearer than a lot.
Rang round a few and the average is about £60 in this area.
It's get what you can at the moment round here, every other house I go to
the man of the house is usually in, something I hardly saw up until back end of
last year. No work for them.

John

[Mike Osbourne]

John

Sounds like you should move to a better neighborhood then, or at least within traveling distance.

[richy27]

good luck if you can get 400 for a suite if it takes 3 hours thats £133 an hour thats more than a vet charges. 

i try to work at 25 per bum lucky if i can get that

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Its not £400 for a suite

Its £ 400 for a 5-seater suite, 20yd2 lounge carpet and protection of both.

So far on this thread our prices have been compared to plumbers, electricians, plasterers, brain surgeons, bricklayers and vets.  :

[Doug Holloway]

Hi guys

What amuses me is that when comparisons are made with other industries there is an assumption that they all earn the same.

My mate who sorts out central heating systems others engineers can't, earns a lot more than other plumbers I know because he is better.

Another couple of guys, now retired pride themselves oh having been the most expensive dentists in town.

Aim for the top and charge accordingly.

Cheers

Doug

[Neil Williams]

Its £ 400 for a 5-seater suite, 20yd2 lounge carpet and protection of both.

So if we take out the costs of raw materials what is the end labour charge? £350?
At 7 hours work that £50/hour labour, anyone willing to say they would take 7 hours to do this?
Sorry but I live in a pretty well off area of England and if I charged £400 for this job and took anything less than a full day to do it I'm sure I wouldn't see these people again, and that's if you got the job in the first place.
Yes there are exceptions to the rule (ie those with more money than sense) but not in the everyday walk of life.

[M.Acorn]

Comapny advertising in my loaal rag at the mo....Av 3/4 bed house carpet clean £89. av 3/4 bed house carpet clean and 3 piece £125 !

[Neil Williams]

A quick example.
Yesterday I went and quoted a 3 seater sofa and elctric recliner chair.
Material....white
Marks and stains....loads

Previous guy had managed to overwet recliner which caused problems with the controls of it.
I could see that this was at least 2 hours work and quoted £75 plus Vat on the basis this was a former work colleague of my wife.
The silence clearly told me it was time to go and forget about it

No doubt some will will say this should be £150 or more. I'd rather be working at £30/hour than £0/hour

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

So if we take out the costs of raw materials what is the end labour charge? £350?
At 7 hours work that £50/hour labour, anyone willing to say they would take 7 hours to do this?
Sorry but I live in a pretty well off area of England and if I charged £400 for this job and took anything less than a full day to do it I'm sure I wouldn't see these people again, and that's if you got the job in the first place.
Yes there are exceptions to the rule (ie those with more money than sense) but not in the everyday walk of life.

Neil

I'm not trying to educate anyone because clearly it's a waste of time.

I'm simply pointing out that the example price above - and it is only an example, not a real job - is achievable with certain clients in certain situations. I have had plenty of instances like the one you mention above, when you can hear the tumbleweed when you give them the price 

But while the £ 400 example might be the exception to the norm, surely we should all be striving for better prices rather than continually worrying about what everyone else is charging, especially the cheap ones.

Steve