[Ian Gourlay]

Has anyone seen a Chem Dry Flashing Sign

The idea is they are tied to a lamp post at top of street where Chem Dry are working 

I presume they say

Chem Dry working in this street etc etc etc

[robert meldrum]

I imagine the local authorities would take a DIM VIEW on such a BRIGHT IDEA ...............there's no doubt that flashing signs DO get your attention.

Should be easy to get hold of one if they're left unattended   

[Ian Gourlay]

Robert  should have said c ;Chained so going to need some cutters

I did wonder same as you regarding highways etc

[John Kelly]

Because of the downturn in fire and flood insurance work, Chem Dry are really going to town pushing their carpet cleaning. Someone I know now has 2 truckmounts on the road, a further 3 on order and is planning to have 14 by next year. This is from a standing start about a year ago. These units are over 30k which includes the van.

[MAX Carpets]

thats cheerful of you John. I hope this someone is up North?

[John Kelly]

Thing is you would be better off with Chem Dry as your opposition as someone charging 10 quid a carpet. Chem Dry generally charge top wack so gives you the opportunity to pitch just below them.

[Mark_Jubb]

Thing is you would be better off with Chem Dry as your opposition as someone charging 10 quid a carpet. Chem Dry generally charge top wack so gives you the opportunity to pitch just below them.

You're absolutely spot on there John, I've got no problems qouting against CD

[Mike Halliday]

just so we are clear, are we pitching below them becuase we are not as good as them? or some other reason?

I was speaking to a marketing 'expert' last week who said we should be charging more than the franchises becuase we are working on the job and customer expect to pay a premium for such a personel service.

[jasonl]

Chem dry are charging for works carried out to a uniformed system of service standards, actual work standards and products used.

It was explained in an early training manual from Chemdry ...

If you go to a town you have never visited  you can visit the local Mcdonalds and get the exact same Big mac served in the same time, by someone in the same uniform , wrapped the same, in an identical looking "restaurant" .
Or you can buy a burger at an independent outlet, which may or may not be of better quality.

Therefore , if you can offer a better service , and better cleans than Chemdry , charge more, if not , charge less.

I would love to see a CCDO  order up a Chemdry dry to carry out a  job , in a  BBC Watchdog style, so we could all see exactly what happens.

When I had a Chemdry franchise , we were mystery shopped 2 or 3 times a year , and we got the results , this was a great tool for us and the master franchise in making standards uniform.

[davep]

Isnt there high charge due to being a franchise have more overheads, can only use certain products and that 

[John Kelly]

Exactly Dave. Their product cost is substantialy more than non franchise plus they have there fees. So pitching below them gives you a double wammy of possibly getting the job and it being more profitable.

[jasonl]

I have a friend who I see a couple of times a week , he has 2 CD franchises, every month , before he touches a carpet he has to pay....

Van and TM LEASE   £700

Franchise fee for 2 areas  £430

Insurance pl                £95

Chemical min purchase, which covers his needs £640

Plus mandatory training days,software and support £200 .

[kevin sparrow]

So he has to pay out £500 per week before he earns a penny. Incredible!!

[John Kelly]

Yes but thats just 1 insurance job.

[Ian Rochester]

And when the flood jobs come in.................that's when the money comes in!

I'm firmly of the opinion of "would I buy it", if I wouldn't be willing to pay above a certain price for carpet or upholstery cleaning then why should I expect someone else to pay it?

Chem-dry and any other competition can charge what they want, I will charge what I want and have a decent turnover

[Simon Gerrard]

I think it is a good thing to have someone in your area that is charging high prices, especially the CD franchises because we get lots of X customers from them and we pitch our prices somewhere in the middle which makes us look more competitive. The number of CD franchises near us seems to be getting less and their prices don't seem as high as they used to be, so maybe that tells it's own story.

Simon

[Mike Halliday]

Ian where did your here about these flashing lights? sounds like a wind up to me : :

and just an observation about franchisees and high prices, I've noticed when ever I price against them they always visit after I have been, which is a technique we did when I sold double glazing YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE LAST PERSON TO GIVE A QOUTE!!!

 8 times out of 10 the last company who quotes will get the job..... if the prices are very close then the last company always wins.

the last company to quote can counter any argument given by the first company and cast doubt in the mind of the customer about the first company which they don't have a chance to answer.

[Dave_Lee]

If all CD franchisees are offering the same standard of service and job quality, then what I hear from their ex customers doesn't say much for them.
The truth is like all CCs whether Franchise owners or not, there are good and bad. There will be big differences of service amongst CD owners just as much any other.
Dave.

[jasonl]

If all CD franchisees are offering the same standard of service and job quality, then what I hear from their ex customers doesn't say much for them.
The truth is like all CCs whether Franchise owners or not, there are good and bad. There will be big differences of service amongst CD owners just as much any other.
Dave.

Spot on there, Dave , it is a constant battle with the Master franchise, trying to police all the franchissees , making the product offering uniform, carpet cleaning is not like a retail product such as burgers, itis very hard to make every job the same, as each carpet installation is different. This makes it difficult to have any kind of good duplication , otherwise we would all be running multiple vans and the price would then also go down.

[Ian Gourlay]

Mike

I do not do wind ups but if anybody is going to see one and they are not a figment of my imagination  it will be in Yorkshire