[wayne zabel]

As all of us do I get lots of callers asking for a price.I generally give them the price and tell them that I do a thorough job with decent equipment ect ect.

You then get the usual........Ok I'll have a word with my wife/husband/partner,often thats it you dont hear back again.

I get frustrated with this as I just wish I knew wether they thought me too dear or too cheap,

Anyone got a good way of delving into a callers mind by asking perinent questions to get to know what they think of the price offered.

[BDCS]

They could be competitors calling, I never quote over the phone as people lie, can't measure or don't know what they want. If it boils down to just price I don't want to work for them. Price shoppers never make good customers

[davep]

Just do a good job for the custys you do get, over a few years they will repeat and so build on this.

[JandS]

You don't like price shoppers but I bet when you
look for a tradesman your first question is how
much.

Wayne

If I can get a word in when I've given a price and
you get that pregnant pause as they think about
it I ask them what kind of budget they have.
If I can remember I try and ask it after they ask
for a price and try and work round it.
Ignore the price shopper thing, virtually everybody
that rings you will want to know a price, making
them price shoppers.
p off the price shoppers and the phone won't
ring.

John

[John Kelly]

The reason they ask for a price is because they can't think of anything else to ask. They aren't going to ring and ask do you do hwe or bonnet cleaning anyway you get my drift.
They aren't necessarily price shoppers.
I see cleaners in my shop time and time again answering the phone and saying oh 50 quid or whatever. You have then straight away given them what they asked for and a lot of them are flumaxed and put the phone down

Never just answer the question with the price, get them into a conversation, ask how old the carpet is, are there stains etc etc then drop the price in during the conversation. This is basic stuff but so many get it wrong.

[JandS]

Well put John, some people are price shopping
because, basically, when they've told you what
they want they can only think to ask how much.
I got one yesterday who lives a spit away.
Just want my stairs doing I only live round corner
how much.
After explaining my minimum price she said ooooh
I thought it would be twice as much as that.
After ascertaining that it wasn't a bifurcated staircase
with 30 12 foot wide stairs, and just bog standard 13
step one I cursed silently.

John

[wynne jones]

Well the theory is that you haven't sold it well enough and they are being polite.

If though they are not calling back you have nothing to lose by coming up with lots of things you could say after they burn you and see if you can turn them around. You could even say, so that's a no then? And take it from there, you have nothing to lose have you?

[Neil Williams]

Always ask for a name and phone number, if they won't give you a number do a 1471 and call them a day or two later. If the number was blocked then that is generally an indication that they aren't serious.
During the conversation try and hit them with your knowledge from the questions you ask them.
Your chances of getting a sale are zero if the conversation goes:
Them: How much to clean a living room?
You: What size?
Them: 21 x 12
You: £40 (could be £50 or £150 it really doesn't matter)

All it takes is the next person they call to ask some relevant questions and your price counts for nothing. It doesn't mean you have to have a 20 minute conversation but unless you can go and visit you have to show them over the phone you know your stuff better than the next person.

[Jamie Pearson]

What I find works well is when they refuse a site survey and want a ballpark price I try to educate them with what to ask the next person they call. I also recommend a couple of people they should call for a comparative quote enforcing that there are many out there but only a few doing it really well.

The last situation I had like that was because we couldnt complete the job 2 days before Christmas on time for them. After 15 minutes they phoned back to say that they would wait as they didnt have the confidence in the others they spoke to.

I should add this is for floor restoration but same principal would apply.

[cannon]

Ive turned quite a few round when you know the call is about to end (Ill get back to you  ) by asking "is it just the cheapest possible price your looking for?" Whichever way they answer can give you a way to prolong the call and sell your benefits. Not something that comes naturally to me but im getting better.

Some you win some you lose.

[craig melvin]

When the potential customer rings up (who ever they are) and say its such and such as size carpet. - how much?
YOu could give them a safeish figure and then say - how does that sound? see what there reply is.

But before this you could ask them if they have had any other quotes? often you know if they quote local names what there price might be? i.e some firms are pricey and some are dead cheap!

Then sell yourself about what a great job you do and what great equipment you have and how you will not be dissapointed also that your not just in and out.

just ideas..

Craig

[markpowell]

Advertise your average prices on all Adverts, websites etc
So Lounge £50, Stairs £30, Etc
This filters out 90% of time wasters Wayne
Mark

[Steve Chapman]

If theres a long pause after giving a price why not just say 'How does that sound to you?'

Believe it or not they will more often than not give you a straight answer & then you will know,

After you have that information its up to you what you do with it. Some will say its more than I expected, others will genuinely say its fine but still need to ask wife / husband etc and ofetn they will ring back.

Personally if they say to me its more than they expected i'll tell them why its a bit more than others but also offer to throw something in for free, but thats just because i dont like the thought of them going off to someone else having taking the trouble to answer the phone 


Also that way you still get the money you want for the job and often an extra hallway takes about 10 mins .

Regards
Steve

[jim mca]

Wayne

If you are not buzy you could try asking what they where looking to pay after they ask how much if its lower than your rates try to haggle them up if its not for you then give them the name of the cheapest crap company in your area ( enterprise would be ideal ) if you get a lot of calls from custys not willing to pay your rates then you need to look at your marketing.

Jim

[clinton]

Try and be as confident as posible wayne and try and sell the benefits..Ie a great job done and carpets will be on there way drying  whhen you leave etc.

You will still always get the people just asking for a price and they may even not get the jobe done by you or anyone else..

[Seymour Sunshine]

... or they could be newbie carpet cleaners trying to find out what the going rates are!

[davep]

Problem with stressing how great the job will be great equipment etc is that the cheap splash n dash say the same!

[Paul Clapham]

Always be professional when answering the phone , ask for a name and number , and details about the work required , before you give a price.

Practice and rehearse answers / responses that clients say to you , and you to them, write  them all down that you have heard over the months /years and all the new ones you hear,

Never put off calling a potential client back , ask them if have they had a chance to speak to their partner/wife etc  and as mentioned above offer them some  "added value" to try and secure the booking, even if they say they have booked another company , keep trying, ask how much they will be paying, what service they are having etc.

We are all price shoppers ! I always think its important to flexible with prices and services , at the end of the day I would rather do a job at a slightly reduced rate and possibly pick that client up for a number of years , and the recommendations you may gain from them, than sit at home not doing a job ! 

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

Ask "whats more important to you a cheap price or value for money"

 Then fill in some details why for instance your cleaning doesn't look dull and patchy when dry and stays clean for longer. 

[Kinver_Clean]

Years ago I heard the wife in the background say that the 'leaflet was cheaper' just as the man put the phone down.
So I rang back and said that you get what you pay for and I hoped the leaflet man would give good service for his cheap price.
I got the job and ten years later a good customer who has given many referrals so I do their job for the original price as a thankyou for lots of business from others.