[Mike Halliday]

I gave a quote last week and today got the reply shown below, it’s a difficult one to respond too. My price was based on how long it would take to do the carpet and chairs to the best standard possible

I could cut my price in half to match their quote but it would just mean me taking half the time and doing half of my standard level of workmanship.

I know the other company and they are just a general cleaning company who will put a couple of minimum wage employees on the job and do an ok job nothing special but they will see a difference

[jasonl]

Hi
Thankyou for the response to my quotation.

I disagree with your assertion that the quote is like for like.

All works are personally supervised by myself, a trained  carpet and upholstery cleaner with  125 years experience, I use only materials and equipment specific to the task of carpet and upholstery cleaning.

I do not carry out general cleaning as the competing quotation does, this is my vocation.  Any issues or problems are resolvable by talking direct to myself and I have the authority to make any decisions instantly.

[Mike Halliday]

To be honest I feel like just telling I withdraw my quote, I don’t need the job, I can fill the space it would take with other work that would pay my normal rate  so why bother doing it at a cut price.

I might just reply that my quote is based on the cost to do the job to our exacting standards, to do it for less would mean we would have to compromise our standards and we are not willing to do that

Or say I will match any other quote supplied but will adjust the quality of the work to match the lowered charge.

[Kev Martin]

Thank you for the reply to my quote the content of which has been noted.  Whilst I accept you have constraints in that you have to get more than one quote, I would point out our quote is competitively priced related to the work required.  We would also point out that by your own admission you know our work to be of a high exacting standard through personal experience.  However,  regrettably on this occasion I am unable to reduce the cost without lowering standards.

Kind regards

Yada yada

[Mike Halliday]

I sent my response last night, basically saying I can do it cheaper but the quality of work would suffer as we could not allocate the full length of time needed to do the job, the clean would still be better than the other company but not our usual exacting standards.

If the agree I will do a second visit and clarify exactly what we will do.

[hotsteam]

you could go the other way with this !

To match the other quotation I could not pre vacuum,or treat spots and stains,  pre spray, the chairs and carpets, quickly extract them not removing any spots or stains leaving them sopping wet, to dry in 3 to 5 days which may result in mildew and fungus to form !
At that price what else would you expect !

Kindly awaiting your response
slap dash 

[Elfyn]

I wouldn't de-value myself - the price I quote is not negotionable.

[DB]

One of the best answers I saw to situation such as this was by an  American.
''Certainly I can match the other price , which bits don't you want me to clean''?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

But with that you’re still competing on price, trying to explain value can be difficult when talking to the price sensitive where quality isn’t on their radar and think that everyone does the same work at different prices or that they think ‘it’s not that dirty’

[The Great One]

The other company may not have your overheads and so can be cheaper doing a like for like job.

[homenclean]

I alway like an adage ‘so you are asking for business class at economy prices’  or you don’t get fillet steak at McDonald’s prices or you can dine out on a fiver but would you really want to.

Bet if you reduce your quality they will complain and you’ll have problems with payment.

We worked at a restaurant once where he didn’t want to pay the full price so ended up just doing the walkways, day after he’s on the phone saying it doesn’t look right, my reply was you got what you asked for and in the end we agreed a reclean at  the full price plus a slight discount on on what we had already done ,but it ended up costing him considerably more. BUY CHEAP PAY TWICE.

[Robroy]

I would probably offer a bit  of a discount as they obviously want to use you,  maybe £200 off your price, or what ever you feel you could.drop to

[Ned Kelly]

Turn it on it's head Mike and ask your prospective customer to ask the cheaper company to justify why their quote is so low compared to yours.

[Mike Halliday]

The other company may not have your overheads and so can be cheaper doing a like for like job.

Martin I don’t have any overheads apart from normal business expenses (insurances fuel etc) they can’t have less than me. but I know the company they are a big cleaning company and also have a cleaning chemical supply side, they are cheaper because they will use minimum wage employees who will be given a set amount of time to do the job.

My price for a chair was £5.50 How can they do them for £2, the maths don’t add up  ‘I’m bloody quick and still do a good job and my price is still £5.50. at £2 they are using a bucket of foam and scrubbing the dirt around , no extraction it the only way to make money on them

Same with the carpet they are using a Cimex and encapping, no spot removal or post vacuuming

[Cleanevangelist]

Hi Mike

adjust the spec, bronze, silver, gold and let them pick the price that fits their budget.

good luck

Ian Harper

[Mike Halliday]

I Got the job., getting done the Xmas close down.

This is his response....

Hi Henry,
 
If you can discount your original quote by £250 I can get this approved.
 
Alternatively, If you are willing to clean a section of bench seating on the ground floor as part of the original price then that would also suffice for approval purposes. I believe the bench is approximately 5m long.
 
It’s the grey seating in reception.
 
Let me know either way.
 
Thanks
 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Sounds like they were playing you but that’s life!

What did you decide £250 discount or a ‘bit’ of upholstery cleaning? Lol

[Mike Halliday]

Doing the seating,  would have done both at a push...... knocked off the £250 and  Done the seats.

[Mike Halliday]

Chairs..chairs everywhere