[Peter Sweeney]

That last post shows how little you know of any of the mentioned markets.

[Hilton]

Please educate me then.....

[Andrew Briscoe]

I had a plumber reccomended to me, I needed the hot water tank replacing
as it had a small leak, straightforward job really, guy turned up and opend up
a few new packages of wrenches, 2 weeks later he finished the job, turns out he had just gone selfemployed after working for another plumbing company.

It should only have been a days work at the most, he messed it up 1st day, failed to finish it second day, then failed to turn up.

If he had the propper tools for the job, I would of been happy and reccomended hi, I didnt

[Hilton]

Right, so it was nothing to do with the tools he was just incompetent.

[Andrew Briscoe]

Right, so it was nothing to do with the tools he was just incompetent.

 should of added he rounded off all the joint connections trying to grip them,
so incopmetant and wrong tools

[Paul Moss]

Andrew i always thought you walked like a plumber 

[wynne jones]

The benefits to me of a TM are speed of work and ease, which means more money in less time. Any additional benefit as a marketing tool etc is a bonus.

Does it cost me to do this? Of course it does but the return is far greater for less effort. I'm happy for someone else to use an electric whatever as I don't have to use it.

 

[Andrew Briscoe]

Andrew i always thought you walked like a plumber 

you'll walk funny when I kick you in the plumbs 

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Having a TM sets you apart from the majority of the competition, thereby making it easier to get better prices.

It's all about USP's having something that is better and perceived as better.

The acid test for me is old customers who regularly say your 'new' machine is much better, i.e does a better job.

Cheers

Doug

[Hilton]

Hi Guys

Having a TM sets you apart from the majority of the competition, thereby making it easier to get better prices.

It's all about USP's having something that is better and perceived as better.

The acid test for me is old customers who regularly say your 'new' machine is much better, i.e does a better job.

Cheers

Doug

Hi Doug,

Would you not agree then that like wise having a DF system or Texatherm sets you apart from the competition and the USP is easier to market than a TM ?

Have you raised your prices to your old customers 'because' you have a TM  and have to recoup return on investment or just because it was time to readjust your pricing.

Chappie at the top has ducked out of answering how the market differs because you have a TM, I dont believe it matters what set of equipment you have the 'market' is the same other than for reasons I have already mentioned, simple fact is the huge majority of Mrs J Public is ignorant of how a clean carpet is achieved and know nothing about carpet cleaners, the NCCA or any other body for that matter.

Personally I dont believe the customer gives a rats arse what your using so long as the desired effect is achieved, the price is correct and that they like having you work for them.

Now when it comes to carpet cleaners and our own ego equipment matters big time 

[Mike Halliday]

I use a truckmount and can't remember the last time I mentioned it to a customer. And can't remember a customer asking what equipment I use.

Can't really agree that a truckmount helps you get better prices, what price you get is solely based on your ability to sell your services, I get good prices not because  I'm a fantastic carpet cleaner  but because I have a good understanding of how to sell

[Simon Gerrard]

I've lost count of many phone calls we've had over the years with people saying, 'is it you with the big machine in the van?'

Owning a TM is nothing to do with EGO, that's absolute rubbish, as if any competent business person would spend so much money purely to say they have a TM. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the reason most TM operators have a TM is for the extra productivity which translates directly  into raw earning power and that alone justifies the add expense.
The other thing is that when people have their carpet cleaned with a TM, some, but not all comment on how much cleaner and drier the carpet is and associate that (rightly or wrongly) with the TM.

Simon

[Hilton]

I've lost count of many phone calls we've had over the years with people saying, 'is it you with the big machine in the van?'

Owning a TM is nothing to do with EGO, that's absolute rubbish, as if any competent business person would spend so much money purely to say they have a TM. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the reason most TM operators have a TM is for the extra productivity which translates directly  into raw earning power and that alone justifies the add expense.
The other thing is that when people have their carpet cleaned with a TM, some, but not all comment on how much cleaner and drier the carpet is and associate that (rightly or wrongly) with the TM.

Simon

Absolutely I am saying that some CC just love boasting about how big and expensive their equipment is and not just TM's but I agree most would have purchased one purely on a business decision.But I have know people seduced in parting with a small fortune just to have the latest bells & whistles TM which has then taken years to to see a real ROI and in quite a few cases had to sell them because they can not pull in enough work to justify the cost.

I take it you are not suggesting though that an operator with a portable or a DF or similar can not earn as not much money as a TM operator ?

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

'Dry' carpet cleaning is another usp and will win the sale with some customers, I have my dry 60 system which is basically Texatherm with different chemicals.

Today I have done 2 stain removals which came to me because of my Chemistry back ground another usp.

Others will have other things they sell on and some just rely on price but this means you are very vulnerable to the next CC who wants to undercut you.

I think anyone who has a TM who doesn't mention it is crazy, it is a strong selling point.

In answer to did I put my prices up , no the increased speed did this for me allowing me to earn more or the same easier.

Cheers

Doug

[Russ Chadd]

How many customers call me up and ask "do you have a van mounted machine"? 1 in 30 probably!
Could i get away with charging a bit more because i own a TM? Nope!, my area is saturated with carpet cleaners and competition is high...
I use a high end porty not because it "offers TM like performance" but because it practical and does exactly what i want it to do and it earns me money. Also i dont need a huge Renault traffic to cart me gear around in or the added headache of purchasing a second vehicle like a car.

I will admit there are times like today when a TM would come in very handy but right now i just cant justify the huge outlay.
Who knows if my work load increases i would definitely consider aTM... but then which one??

[wynne jones]

'Can't afford the huge outlay'

I think that's a euphemism.

But anyway I'm mystified buy guys who buy brand new vans and brand new high end portables with expensive bells and whistles when they could spend less over all on a 2 year old van and a half decent 2nd hand truckmount. When people say TM are for people's egos I think the same if you have a new van when the one you have is perfectly presentable, which depreciates like a brick as soon as you leave the showroom and if you lease it that's even worse.

[peter maybury]

Most of the truckmount owners I know like myself have been in the industry a long time and started of with feeble equipment and because of professional pride, their abilities and equipment have improved. I for instance have von Schrader carpet machines, texatherm, portable extraction machines. rotaries, crb. This is not boasting, these are tools that a professional with a wide customer base needs.
It is not an us and them situation we have the experience of all sides of the industry. Customers are not going to talk to you about truckmounts if you turn up with portables, but when we turn up with our truckmounts people will talk to us about their perception of portables.
In a recent post I mentioned that customers when I turned up with with a von Schrader to clean leather would mention about the last cleaner just did it with towels, they will not say that to me when I just turn up with towels.
You need to see both sides of the coin, most truckmounters regret is that they did not make the move sooner.

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com   

[Hilton]

Yeah I can see that,

But I can honestly say I have never turned up in my time with a portable or LM and the customer has said, if only you had a TM.

[Russ Chadd]

So anyway... if i was going to move up a step what would i buy?

ETM or TM?

With all respect i dont think it would be the ETM, it would most probably be a regular TM, ideally diesel and water cooled... that prowler i had was sooo loud for a tiny machine!!

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Look at what your wanting to achieve and buy what you need ie you're selling dry but a host or you're part time from the back of a car then buy a smaller machine to fit your business model you don't need a Titan to clean at 50ft away its overkill so an etm at 100ft is about right.

Shaun