[Shaun_Ashmore]

Is it me or has everyone gone off clean them? I have only 2 booked in this week and only 1 last week, I do prefer carpets but I like my customers to have clean items all year round.

Shaun

[davep]

I had 2 Monday and 2 Today, like buses..

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Shaun
None yesterday, 4 today, 2 tomorrow and 2 Thursday and thankfully none (at the moment) for Friday.

Not planning to work Saturday at all. (But that may (have to) change.)

That's quite enough for one week thank you.

Roger

PS BTW Shaun I wish your observation was true!!

PPS "Just think of the money, Roger "

[Mike Osbourne]

In Roger's neck of the woods he is known as the Sofa Whisperer. The trick is not to chase them, let them come to you.

 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

4 in 1 day is nice on the bank balance but I prefer the carpets to increase ....... productivity 

My local CD's are charging some funny figures atm one was £95 for a 3 pc 5 cushion which I was quite surprised about. How much are yo guys charging for 3pc suites I am at £135 and £55 for protection?

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

About the same as you Shaun, taking 2-2.30 hrs now with the truck, need one of those fancy minitex things and custy making numourous cuppas and I can just about hack doing them now.

[Ricky M]

£125 at the min and protection is half the cost of the clean or if I can hit it right than the same again , thats for the average clients , its a lot more for super wealthy , they want to pay more for more not that you can give more it just how they see it .

[Peter Sweeney]

Have 47 items to do over 3 days ranging from 1-3 seaters and they are in student digs  que very bad back

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

In Roger's neck of the woods he is known as the Sofa Whisperer. The trick is not to chase them, let them come to you.

 

Mike

That's because I'm a little hoarse

Shaun:-

Prices: usually £110 to 120, protection c£45. Depends slightly upon how far to travel, if in flat, parking access, if it's a new customer or not.

[Andrew Briscoe]

I have been at 95 for 2 years now, i think the further north you go the less they pay, around here is expensive to live, and wages are generally low.
Talked to my other half about it just last week, how to charge over 100, without losing customers, till she told me they already pay 110 with the vat, thought i was quick one 

so hopefully will be putting up to 105 soon, once get thru recession, may even try an odd custy at 120, see if reaction 

Andrew

[derek west]

i have 2 prices, high quality clean price and high quality clean with accelerated drying.
ive put my prices down and may go a bit lower,
derek

[clinton]

Got a 3 pce on tmor morn and one to do friday morning subject to the quote

I dont seem to get as much upholstery work to quote on as i did years ago but still do about 10 a month

All at just below the 100 pound mark as well (with an underpowered portie )

Maybe with the cheap suites for sale nowadays has changed things i guess.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I definitely get less suites as a percentage now.

Did two 2x2 seaters today which is unusual these days.

120 each both straightforward.

Cheers

Doug

[Shaun_Ashmore]

£120 each!!

That's good stuff.

Shaun

[Jim_77]

Upholstery cleaning 1st half of '09 is roughly half of same period '08.

Things are never consistent though, I could have a run of suites now.... joy

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I have been at 95 for 2 years now, i think the further north you go the less they pay, around here is expensive to live, and wages are generally low.
Talked to my other half about it just last week, how to charge over 100, without losing customers, till she told me they already pay 110 with the vat, thought i was quick one 

so hopefully will be putting up to 105 soon, once get thru recession, may even try an odd custy at 120, see if reaction 

Andrew

Hi Andrew

I certainly wouldn't try and tell you what to do as you will know your market. But....

Would I be correct in assuming you have reached one of those pyschological pricing barriers where the problem is that you have a problem with putting your price up above £100 when in fact your clients wouldn't know any difference?

I only ask because for a long time I stuck out at below £100 for this very reason. Once you commit to jumping through it you will probably find that you'll wonder why there was ever a problem  and secondly that the price then rises again fairly rapidly.

Am I right?

Roger

[markpowell]

Im at £95 and get a 4 out of every 6 quoted.
Mark

[Andrew Briscoe]

Roger, yes its been a bit "pyschological", have been at 95 + vat for 3 years now, it was the missus that told me i was getting £111.63 off the custy with the vat (17.5%) so basically, in customers eyes i have been well over a 100 for a while now.
My area is a difficult one local council area that i am in middle of is 2100km2 has a population of 51000 and there are 24 people per sq km it is  one of the largest councils in the country, so very rural with a lot of travel, as mentioned wages are low, and is said northerners are tight.

I cant pick and choose my customers, a lot of city estates will have similar poulations .

Have got a few jobs today , and i stuck 20 % on and still got the job, i get nearly all i quote for, unfortunately none where suites but will try next one.

I thought i would have this problem when i went vat reg 4 year ago, but custies seem to expect it.

Andrew

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I thought i would have this problem when i went vat reg 4 year ago, but custies seem to expect it.

Andrew

Hi Andrew

Similar to you when I went VAT registered about 2 years ago. For a long time I absorbed the VAT on domestic jobs (although I did put up prices to some extend to compensate. Just wanted to avoid saying "plus VAT") So I know what you mean.

Had a bit of a Damascus Road experience earlier this year and now quote with VAT (Without having put my prices down.) My only concession is that if they are new customers I may still absorb the VAT but at the end of the job when we get to discussing repeat work I then mention that I'm VAT registered and that this has in effect been a discount I offer on the first job only whilst they get the measure of the quality of the work.

I should mention I am in the Flat Rate Scheme for VAT so the book-keeping for this method of working is dead easy.

Roger

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

There is no doubt that pricing problems are as much in our heads as our customers.

Worried about breaching 100, quote 95 custy who says yes would almost certainly say yes to 120, custy who says no would probably say the same at 75.

Cheers

Doug