[donsalter]

We are struggling to implement option strategy at the estimate stage of the fast track strategy. Our staff cannot appreciate fully the principle that given options the customer may not opt for cheapest option ; there answer is 'they will not pay that' and thus we are losing  a golden opportunity to make our business more profitable.

Is any who is successful at implementing this side of the fast Track package  based in the North West   and not a threat to us prepared to let one of our staff come out with them for a couple of days. I am sure it would be of mutual benefit .

Don

[Dave_Lee]

Don,
Surely you mean " where you are not a threat to THEM". Anyway where are you based?
Dave.

[Mike Osbourne]

I must say Don I'm a bit suprised you shell out for the Fastrak programme and you have to come on CIU to get answers to specific problems. Don't they give you direct support for problems implementing the system?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The key is in taking the option of pricing away from the operator. What I used to do is have a menu of the 3 different cleaning styles ie  option1 being the cheapest option2 mid range option3 bows and whistles BUT I used to have a the menu with a  space for the 3 prices so the customer made up their own minds.

Somethimes they mixed and matched rooms but if your technicians are offering option1 all of the time what have you got to lose?

example

                    option1             option2          option3
Lounge          £50                   £75                £100

What you put in your options is upto you, so you could have in option2 dust skirting boards free spotter free spot removal for 7 days, option 3 includes scotchgard and free top ups of spotter, you get the idea?

Shaun

[Simon Gerrard]

Don is a threat to most people in the North West as Competent Cleaners are everywhere these days.
I don't like the Fast Track system but I am very glad indeed that Don has adopted it as it will probably send a whole swathe of disaffected customers our way.

Simon

[derek west]

Don is a threat to most people in the North West as Competent Cleaners are everywhere these days.
I don't like the Fast Track system but I am very glad indeed that Don has adopted it as it will probably send a whole swathe of disaffected customers our way.

Simon

amen to that brother, "ahem" i mean mr gerrard.

derek

[JandS]

Sounds complicated to me when it shouldn't be.
Why the options like dust the skirting board.
Free spot removal for 7 days, that's really going to wow 'em.
Especially on day 8.

John

[Simon Gerrard]

I don't like Fast Track, to me it's nothing more than a fishing expedition trying to find gullible people willing to pay double the going rate for the same job.

Simon

[Matt Lindus]

Price is very important to customers Don in carpet cleaning.

The filter process follows...

                                    100 customers looking to buy carpet cleaning.

 20%                      30%                                  15%                                 30%                            5%
Choose                  Choose                              Choose                           Choose                          Choose

DIY Hire----------Replace Carpet------------Buy Small Unit-----------Change to hard floor----------Choose professional

Of the 5% that do call you, you have to get the sale.

If 100 customers have a damaged aerials, 95% will use a professional, there is little other choice for the customer. With this in mind, the market share is greater.

Matt 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

If we all did the same service then we would all charge the same prices,

 if you were to lash away at a carpet with your puzzi 100 and charge £10 and then it takes 3 days to dry then that's option1,

 if you then do what you normally do that could be option2,

 if you were to offer and extra post buff and have the carpet bone dry before you went and then applied scotchgard then that would be option3.

The customer decides which service they want based on what they want to spend and how they want it cleaned, these are hypothetical options.

The best thing about Fast Track is that it keeps you focused.

Shaun

[donsalter]

Thank you for your replies.

I thing Simon summed up the attitude of our staff .  We offer a superb service why would they pay double the amount for what is simply an unnecesary service and one which we offer in our standard package any way. Perhaps as we do he needs to ask why Chemdry are able to charge twice the price for the same job.

We have been operating the Fast Track programme for 4 years with good success; the point of the post was that  all our staff adapt the package to suit themselves  but as they have not had any hands on training  at the estimate stage by someone who has appied the fasttrack priciples with success ie use of lap top, healthy home package etc and see that they work they are always going to be struggling to accept them. Yes we can this in house but the post was a 2 way  proicess.Talking with and watching other opertaors in the same industry is a necessary tool  as we all tend to work in vacumms without this interaction. We joined the NCCA some thirty years ago for this very reason. 

The post was asking simply would anyone who is opertating the Fast Track or indeed any other system  be interested in sharing their knowledge. with us

Don

[Ian Gourlay]

I did not go as I had other commitments

But apears that last weekend at Alltec event

On The Marketing Day Saturday

For the First Time Ever Success  Coach members were revealing  how they upsell and get an average ticket of £200

Are you sending out a letter explaining the services prior to  your people doing the Audit

Did you do Fastrack or have you just picked up parts of the system?

[jasonl]

Thank you for your replies.

I thing Simon summed up the attitude of our staff .  We offer a superb service why would they pay double the amount for what is simply an unnecesary service and one which we offer in our standard package any way. Perhaps as we do he needs to ask why Chemdry are able to charge twice the price for the same job.

They can charge twice the price because 1. people like to think they have the vary best. 2, thay are adding value to thier offering 3, The lowest level is a straight clean,  the highest is a straight clean plus protect, a stain remover, deodorizer and anti allergen treatment.

If I had a child /wife who was an asthmatic/allergic to dust or pets,   £100 quid is nothing to relieve the symptoms, many many customers agree with this,, it sounds like your people merely need belief in your product , there are many noncc related companies that can effectively train your staff in this, you would see a full return in training within a month.

[donsalter]

Jason

I agree and we have looked at this as an option but surely it would be much better to have the training from an experienced motivated and successful person within our business sector. The belief will be far more palpable if they can see first hand how changing the sales pitch can produce dramatically different results and doing this 'on site' ie in someones house or commercial premises may produce a more permanent   result

Don

[jasonl]

I do not agree that having someone training sales people from the same sector is necessary. When I was in Chem dry , they spent 10s of thousands of pounds annually on external speakers and trainers.

The man who sold the company for 19million in 2005, told me personally once that his  policy was to find the person , then teach the skill.

Iam familiar with the North West cc scene, and the only such companies within cc who could train your people would be CHEMdry  franchises , and a few Rainbow people , good luck with that!

[mark_roberts]

Don

Whats your email address

Mark

[donsalter]

don@competentcleaners.co.uk

[will01]

My local CD van has changed it's livery. It now just reads "Fire and restoration", not a jot about cc.

will

[A+CleaningService]

I am not a great lover of ripping people off. I do not think i would have the nerve to go and quote some poor old lady with a fancy laptop, some way over the top price.  Or some easy lead person, who does not know better.

Then again fast trackers have to do a lot more marketing, with there pink flyers, because the pink flyers only appeal to a small group of  people. Or am i wrong?

[Simon Gerrard]

Don,
You've got a fabulous business in the first place. If you are not trying to foist even higher charges onto your existing customers you may find yourself going backwards, sales wise. Perhaps your staff have got a point if they are choking at charging people what they must think are excessive charges. The expression, 'don't p on your own bonfire' springs to mind.

Simon