[Liahona]

Good point Rob, and my van isnt sign written either, best, Dave.

[AJCleaningServices]

...my van isnt sign written either, best, Dave.

Can I ask why?

[Liahona]

Arthur, I have never sign written my vans...... Most of my work comes from high end carpet shops and most important designers.....Therefore I represent different people on different days. This way I can always introduce my self as a colleague of whoever I am representing. Their theory and I have to agree with it is that if you are good enough at what you do then you shouldnt have to advertise. Accordingly I have never advertised for work ever. Lastly, on some of the jobs I go on it is requested that I arrive in an un sign written vehicle. This is for their security reasons whatever they may be. I know this is not the norm but it works for me. I do charge considerably more than most people do for what I do but I have a lot more guidelines to follow and at the end of the day we are all cleaning sleepers so to speak, I just jump maybe a little higher when asked. Hope this helped to answer, best, Dave.

[AJCleaningServices]

Very interesting Dave,
Do you advertise at all, like yellow pages etc?
Regards,
Arthur

[Liahona]

Arthur, no I dont advertise in anyway shape or form. Having said that I am as we speak getting some business cards printed and a mate of mine and I are getting a web site up together. When it is up I will post it on here to get the reactions good or bad from those on the forum. Best, Dave.

[andrew chrysler]

An old van isn't necessarily scruffy at all.

I have a "P" Escort van, an "R" Astra van, a "T" Courier and "S" and  "W" Berlingos, all of which, having been looked after by the drivers, still look perfect. We are cleaners, after all, so keeping our vans clean and smart isn't a bind.

The only scruffy van left now is a "T" Kangoo with a couple of small dents and rusty wheel arches. That will be next to go... eventually, but it's still making a decent living for one of my staff.

Just got rid of the scruffiest van, an "R" VW Caddy, and hardly lost any money after a year's use.

I think if customers saw me turn up in my "55" reg Merc 4x4 they would think my company is too dear; but then again, for what I paid for that I could buy 30 decent vans!

[andrew chrysler]

Oh... forgot to mention.... I've paid so much for vinyl signs over the years I've just ordered the machine to cut them myself.

It comes with the software and runs off a USB port, and at less than £500 it should soon pay for itself.

It's my birthday soon, anyway!

Now I can put special offers on the vans, and change the offer whenever I want.... just takes a hair dryer!

Hopefully I will get the hang of working it when it comes, and find somewhere in the office to fit it!

[Jason Hedges]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies sorry haven't been online since first post.

I'd like to reply to you all but theres been too many............

Was getting on well with the new cost efficient 'R reg SEAT INCA SDI' until today when its started making horrible knocking noises at the front from somewhere and darent drive it anymore until I get it fixed!!!

I've just finished taking the sign writing off the 'old' vivaro and cleaned it up ready to sell so thank god I've got it to fall back on for work.

Theres something to be said for a newer vehicle......... RELIABILITY!

Just for the record I've done a few repeat jobs and no-one has commented on the smaller older van, I was quite conscious about driving it at first but after a few days tried not to think about it.

In summary:

Pro's to having an older smaller van:

Small cheap van created more enquiries from the same sign writing (possibly because I live in a low income area of the country).

No finance......

Con's to having an older smaller van:

It has made me feel less professional and feels like customers are judging me on my vehicle when I pull up.

Van is too small, have to stack equipment and chemicals up so getting at certain items is a pain having to unload items to get access.

Unreliable...... Perhaps I've just bought a dog!

Pro's to having a newer bigger van:

Where do I start........

Feel more professional pulling up outside customers house or business.

Prefer driving it.

Feel I can warrant charging a bit more to cover the expense!

Reliable......... So far!

Con's to having a newer bigger van:

Finance.............



I'm going to try and persuade the missus to cut down on her shoe collection so I can keep the vivaro, if she doesn't I'll get rid of her so I can keep it

I really hope she doesn't read this 


Thanks again for all your comments,

Kind regards,
Jason.

[Ian Gourlay]

You have gone from one extreme to the other.


But if you n get to old van fixed you should be Ok for the Summer

[therapist]

My preference for small vans, goes back to my earlies days about 22 years ago, when it became obvious, to me, that it was more practical, especially around town, to be able to park in tiny spaces.

My original van was the tiny Honda, with two cylinders and under 600cc, but, what a workhorse.

Biggest I ever used in this business, was a Sherpa and like so many tradespeople, I currently use a little Suzuki, but again, like the Honda.............

It's surprisingly commodious, has an amazing 1300cc engine and..........is a dawdle to park and squeeze through small gaps..............it only cost €5400 new ( pounds not euros ) cant find the pound sign in my notebook.

have a restful weekend

rob m

 

[andrew chrysler]

getting on well with the new cost efficient  'R reg SEAT INCA SDI'

You've not bought the one I just got rid of, did you

By the way, just been to my local Citroen dealer to look at Berlingo Vans (for new carpet cleaning business) and saw the Berlingo Multispace.

1) buy second hand, 52 plate, low mileage (39,000), 1 owner, perfect condition £4,000. And a year's warranty, valet, full service, new mot included. Looked after perfectly, just compare that to a typical 3 year old van....

2) bright colour cars.... put eye-catching graphics all over the car.... more noticeable 'cos all vans have writing on them, cars don't

3) staff have a company car they can use at weekends.... makes recruitment easier

4) sell second hand, 6 year old car for much more money than van.... so less depreciation

5) if you are not registered for VAT you lose 17.5% on a van straight away, not so on a car

6) fold the seats down and you have the same space as the van

Conclusion..... I am selling my vans one by one, and buying Multispaces.

(by the way, I've got a T reg Fiesta Courier for sale.... good condition, no rust on the wheelarches-this must be unique.)

[AJCleaningServices]

Conclusion..... I am selling my vans one by one, and buying Multispaces.

Andrew, Berlingo Multispace is a passenger car.  Do you mean you are going to use a passenger car for your carpet cleaning business?

Regards,

Arthur

[andrew chrysler]

I've just looked at the costs of running older vans over the last year....... after routine servicing this is what was needed... it's quite interesting

K Transit ..... alternator, a bit of welding for mot
P Escort ...... nothing  
R Caddy/Inca ......  1 door lock set
R Astra ...... nothing  
R Kangoo ...... central locking kit
S Berlingo ..... 1 battery
T Kangoo ..... glow plugs, rear drums, pads, washer pump,
T Courier ..... head gasket, fan belt, cv boots, discs, pads, alternator mountings, door handle, handbrake cable  
W Berlingo ..... nothing  

compared to newer cars

W Mercedes SLK ..... 1 battery
Y Mercedes ML270 ..... the whole bloody engine management computer, PX for new car ££££ ££££ ££££ ££££  
03 Megane ..... clutch cable, wheel bearings
05 Hyundai Santa Fe ..... glove box lid, reversing sensors,
55 Mercedes ML350 ..... central locking motor, seat adjustment motor, CD multichanger

OK the newer ones are free warranty repairs, but even brand new is no guarantee of perfect reliability

In general, either Citroen are reliable (or basic... nothing to go wrong) but I'm sticking to Berlingo's in future.

Arthur.... yes, I am going to use "passenger cars"... but more exactly "MPVs" (multi-purpose vehicles). Fold the back seat down, there's plenty of space. There's tying down points to secure heavy gear for safety. A decent waterproof tray to put chemicals in should protect the interior, and staff are not allowed to leave equipment in vans overnight (for insurance) so I don't see a security issue.

Plus, Citroen do a really vivid emerald green..... you can't say it won't be noticeable.

[AJCleaningServices]

...Arthur.... yes, I am going to use "passenger cars"... but more exactly "MPVs" (multi-purpose vehicles). Fold the back seat down, there's plenty of space. There's tying down points to secure heavy gear for safety. A decent waterproof tray to put chemicals in should protect the interior, and staff are not allowed to leave equipment in vans overnight (for insurance) so I don't see a security issue...

 Andrew, I have just bought one, brand new 2 liters diesel for £8850-00.  Traded my old car in for £1400 (did not expect to get more than £1000) + £1400 cash back from the Citroen + £800 deposit and the rest is interest free credit for two years (24 payments of £277).

Seems that I am not going to be the only person in the UK to use Berlingo Multispace for carpet cleaning...

Regards,

Arthur

[andrew chrysler]

And there was me thinking that you thought it was a bad idea....

I think they're brilliant cars!

[D woods]

Hi Andrew
I notice you have had 2 ML Mercs , I had an ML270 and a ML320 they were cr*p
what do you think of them ?

[Paul Forster]

My vehicles are not sign writen. I do however Clean them once a week (interior and exterior).

Older vehicles are more trouble than any cost saving and will only let you down or leak oil. I have found to my cost that using pasanger carying vehicles even as a general runabout is a shore way to get scratched bumpers and stained upolstery.

I curently run a 3 year old MWB new shape transit. This gives a tidy image without being too flash and at £6500 did not break the bank.

I have only ever received compliments on my present vehicles and customers like the fact that Im not signwriten as it makes me seem exclusive and helps the them justify the fact that my prices are far higher than the majority of local firms.

[AJCleaningServices]

And there was me thinking that you thought it was a bad idea....

I just was not sure, but I think it is big enough for porty.    Now I am thinking of buying CFR, which uses recycled water...   I would not buy DriMaster just as yet, but to me CFR and DriMaster are "perfect due"

oops  : out of subject  

Regards,

Arthur

[Paul Forster]

I should add that i do own a l reg mark 3 troooper. This is curently just used as a runabout and for towing the twin axle trailers and very rarely goes  near a customer.

[andrew chrysler]

Hi Andrew
I notice you have had 2 ML Mercs , I had an ML270 and a ML320 they were cr*p
what do you think of them ?

Too many things went wrong with the ML270.... but that could be down to the previous owner, who had several kids to beggar the interior and who had it serviced (occasionally) by a non franchised garage.......

I bought the ML350 new, while the 270 was in my local MB dealer for repair..... they offered such a good deal that I would have been a fool to refuse, and at least I have a 3 year warranty

Couple of teething problems, but can I say that the motors were not faulty, just a bit noisy........ but that isn't good enough on a merc.

Bought my wife an ex-demo Hyundai Santa Fe 4x4, less than half the price of the ML, but you can see the difference in the quality...   brittle plastic interior, rattly bits, thrown together like a Blue Peter model with a radio that sounds like 2 tins and a length of string!

My wife's Hyundai is a 2 litre Diesel, my ML is a 3.8 petrol. She gets 25 mpg, I get 23mpg

I also have an SLK for fun, and it has never given me a days trouble apart from the battery, and that was only because it was parked in my garage for 6 months during the winter.

My ML is comfortable, almost silent even at 80 on the motorway, spacious, smooth, safe, and I will have another one when this wears out (but at about 8000 miles a year that should be in 2025 "when I'm sixty four")

My local MB dealer is superb. Even though the ML270 was not bought from them, when I had a breakdown problem they took it in straight away, put 2 mechanics on it immediately, and fixed it within the hour!

No contest. I will have MB, and I will have MB from "Mercedes Benz Southport" till they have to bury me in one.