[Mike Halliday]

What is your answer to this question?

Just been reflecting on the year so far and I've had 3 customer who I have reduced the price due to the job not taking as long as ' they' expected

All the jobs were in the mid hundreds and we were finished before lunch, a slight coincidence was the person complaining in all 3 cases was a single female, mid 30s who worked and took the day off work so we could clean. It's like they begrudge paying a weeks wages to a cleaner for less than a morning work.

This situation has got worse since I started working as a 2 man team, we can clean really quickly( but still do a great job) often I hear... "Finished already, that was quick"

I'm thinking of pre-empting the problem by explaining before we start that we work very efficiently, so can clean quickly but still give the best clean possible

[rycalshaw]

funny it doesn,t work the other way round though, "its taken 2 hrs more than i thought madam, thats an extra £100"..mmm

[Steve Gunn]

I've only had it once this year on a commercial job but explained your not just paying for my time it's the equipment,experience,insurance,training etc etc.

She was fine about it after I asked if I had taken 12 hours to do it would you have paid for the extra time I had put in she said "no" it works both ways.

I now normally explain it'll take xx amount of time but depending how well it responds to cleaning it can sometimes taker longer or in some cases quicker than the time I estimated.

[Mr Dvae]

What do we call these customers children? t......

[Shaun_Ashmore]

If asked how long I will say between this and that, the this is a ridiculously short amount of time and 'that' will be just over what I think it will take, if the customer says on the 'this' oh that's quick I'll explain that it depends on how quickly the soil comes out but it's all a mind game anyway.

Another cleaner on here told me a nice little line, if told that didn't take long his reply was " well we have brought the big machine we could have brought the small machine that takes longer to clean with" you could add it also takes longer to dry as a good benefit to them.

Shaun

[MAX Carpets]

My response is always "Well we dont get paid overtime"

Short and jokey, they cant really say much after that!

80)

[Craigp]

Drop in the cost of the TM (£12k) or mention you are off this afternoon to get the TM serviced at a cost of £450.

Or you have to buy a new set of tyres for the van £500.

Something that lets them know it's not all going in your pocket - which is true.

[Russ Chadd]

The funny thing is... They can justify spending 100's on shoes and handbags but find it hard to come to terms with paying a carpet cleaner his or her fee for honest good quality work...
I think that's why Groupon will always be popular to some people!

[Dave_Lee]

If they say "That was quick" or "That didn't take long", I say "Yeah, I just cracked on with it, less disruption for you".
Dave.

[Knocker]

Thats what my wife says

[Hilton]

In answer to the question,

When quoting the price, why not include a line along the lines of "In my experience this job will take 2-4 hrs to complete" this can go on a written quote as well.

If it runs over so what, they will feel they are getting more of your attention than they paid for.

Pre warned is always the best policy...

[Matt Steele]

It is difficult to justify your prices in these situations without sounding arrogant, i just say 20 years of experience and 4 and a half grands worth of kit makes me a very efficient worker (see what i mean about arrogant) and apart from that i'm quite happy to haggle before the job but it's just plain rude to haggle after 

[Steve Chapman]

Can't see what time has to do with it ! If you gave a price & produced the results surely that is all that matters !

I took my van in once to have a part fitted it took 10 mins & cost £250, it was just a small valve but they quoted me & I agreed, the fact it took minutes is neither here or there.

It's the finished product that counts.

Steve

[Craigp]

Thats what my wife says

Which one?

"How long will it take?"

Or

"That was quick?"

pmsl

[Mike Gwilliam]

On the other hand I'v been to several £200 to £300 jobs and the customer has said
"Is it ok for me to pop out, and will you be finished before I get back" at the start of the job....meaning perhaps an hour or so.

Every ones perception is different of how long it will take. Also customers will say I have a lot of work for you and they know it's going to be time consuming.

I had an EOT a few weeks ago @£180 which took 1hour 15 mins, the carpets were not dirty and the customer went out while I did the work. I sat in the van for half an hour part way through to stretch it out through guilt.

It's all swings and roundabouts.....some jobs no doubt can be difficult and can take longer than expected.

Anyhow....Yorkshire people will always moan wheather they are happy or not....I'm just glad I don't live there and have to put up with them

[Craigp]

  ** sat in the van for half hour to stretch it out

lol, I done that a few times, it's a good time to make some calls from voicemail.

[Mike Halliday]

To be honest I don't get the complaint often enough to really care but I do feel like telling them to switch on their brain and think about it.

Theoretically I have spent time visiting their home 3 times ....

Once to put a leaflet through their letterbox

Once to quote the job

& once to do the work.

The hour in the house cleaning is not earning £120/hr I have actually spent 2.5hrs in total

[COLIN BRIGHT]

When people say this to me I say it wasn't quick, just very efficient, did a job yesterday, they had cleared the room so It  took just over an hour, applied protector so 1 hour and 20 mins in all, cost &244.00 and the custy was thrilled that she could get on with her day

[jasonl]

If 3 people have verbalised the complaint then 30 will have thought it but not wanted to say.


I get through jobs quicker with my son working now , and charge a lot more because he said I was too cheap.

I do the walk through at the start of the job , a have standard patter ,,,,, Have you got any spots , stains , marks or problems you want particular attention paid to?  As there are 2 of us this job will take 2 hours , I have no sugar , jared has 2 .   


At the end of the job I always stress that I am more than happy to return to any problems or issues they may have .  I have been back once to a job this year , which means 10 people were not happy.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Colin I don't know how you can get away with those 'comic cut' prices I mean really!

Shaun