[Darran Pryce]

Received an email for a quote this morning:

"Good morning

I have seen your website and wondered how much you would charged for a hall way and stairs to be carpet cleaned? If you could kindly quote for the above and then quote for the same with the addition of the landing and one double room, so I can discuss with my partner later today. We live in LS12 Wortley"

I quoted £60 and £100.

She replied:

"Thank you for your reply, I will leave it thank you. We have been quoted £20 for the hall way and stairs alone.
Regards
Victoria"

I just replied and said, I wouldn't even get out of bed for that. I have far too much good work to be lowering my rates to that kind of silly price. 

£20, to clean the two carpets.  By the time you get their it's a £5 in diesel.

All the best to them, that's what I say.

[neil 47]

Darran

When I get emails for quotes , I have a folder with lots of different copy , each one relevant to the email received .

They are over 300 words long and explain why they should choose me and the pitfalls of using cheap carpet cleaners .

He gave her a price £20  .    You gave her a price £100 .   

 in her position id go for him as thats all she has to go on , i'm sure if you had visited if possible you would of also got that Job 9 times out of ten.   

[Darran Pryce]

I can't really be bothered even trying to explain myself to some of them.  If I didn't have a lot of work on then maybe I would explain myself more.

If she would have rung me then I would have given her the pitch. Insured for items worked on, I don't use a rug doctor or cheap chemicals and so on.

[wayne zabel]

The sad thing is she's still looking for quotes despite having one for £20.

Presumably she wants it a bit cheaper than that

[Darran Pryce]

The sad thing is she's still looking for quotes despite having one for £20.

Presumably she wants it a bit cheaper than that

That's what I thought.

[simonmnickson]

Wayne and Neil make excellent points

Though no need to visit - rather change how you estimate via texts and emails - as occasionally this method is warranted and necessary when busy or just to gain an in with some clients,

What about when asked for a price as here VIA EMAIL OR SMS respond with

'dear Madam I am able to provide you with an estimate -  but having spent many years in the industry, gaining much experience and thousands of satisfied clients - NOT TO MENTION making many visits to rectify poor cleaning and damage by the many untrained uninsured cleaners currently operating - I would respectfully advise that you ask prospective carpet cleaners not for a price first but for their credentials,experience,referrals and insurance and check they have a website,landline number and home address- AND then maybe for a price. A CHEAP JOB CAN SOMETIMES COME AT A VERY LARGE COST.
... is is a sad fact that many untrained cleaners are operating with little knowledge,experience and no insurance
sometimes causing damage running into thousands of pounds - HOWEVER TO HELP YOU MY PRICE IS £60 AND £100 for the requested cleaning with a guarantee that if your not thrilled to bits with the results then its free- GUARANTEED

[Darran Pryce]

Wayne and Neil make excellent points

Though no need to visit - rather change how you estimate via texts and emails - as occasionally this method is warranted and necessary when busy or just to gain an in with some clients,

What about when asked for a price as here VIA EMAIL OR SMS respond with

'dear Madam I am able to provide you with an estimate -  but having spent many years in the industry, gaining much experience and thousands of satisfied clients - NOT TO MENTION making many visits to rectify poor cleaning and damage by the many untrained uninsured cleaners currently operating - I would respectfully advise that you ask prospective carpet cleaners not for a price first but for their credentials,experience,referrals and insurance and check they have a website,landline number and home address- AND then maybe for a price. A CHEAP JOB CAN SOMETIMES COME AT A VERY LARGE COST.
... is is a sad fact that many untrained cleaners are operating with little knowledge,experience and no insurance
sometimes causing damage running into thousands of pounds - HOWEVER TO HELP YOU MY PRICE IS £60 AND £100 for the requested cleaning with a guarantee that if your not thrilled to bits with the results then its free- GUARANTEED

Hi Si

I must admit, when someone rings, I give them the sales pitch and 9/10 I secure the job.

When it comes to emails I give them an estimate based on the information given to me.  My ratio will be around 5/6 out of 10 with some saying I can get all my house carpets cleaned for £50.

I just keep it very brief and say, Make sure the company you are using are insured for items worked on and that their not using a hired carpet cleaning machine.

Because I'm so busy with work, a lot are referrals which beats any top ranked website.  You can beat having a referral and is worth its money in gold.

Even if I wasn't so busy no way would i clean any carpet so cheap.

Will also use your method in emails. 

PS, Can't wait for Vegas.   

[simonmnickson]

Me too Mr Pryce Sir 

[Darran Pryce]

Hey Si, We look like twins. I'm just the taller one :-)  Hows your new venture going?

[simonmnickson]

Hmm new venture fine work volume wise but I HATE IT !!!

erh twins thats me with the hair - LOL

[Paul Moss]

Enough said

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I was asked to quote an eot which I didn't know was eot, wow when I saw it blarrrrdy hell it's was spotty and stained each room 2 of were 24sq metres a small 3sqm landing 12 stairs and a very small entrance hall. A cleaner had been in to quote before me I thought it would have been chemdry but it wasn't it was another cleaner who quoted £55 and 'he'said it would have taken him all day and the tenant was trying to get it cheaper!

Shaun

[gwrightson]

I cannot understand why any body would want to reply via email giving a price !!

If I get a request by email, I reply explaining the reasons for
 
survey therefore unable to give a quote by email, often requests are with out a contact number , area etc. so a simple request asking for their number or forwarding me their contact number does the trick, if no response , I doubt they were serious in the first place.

Only this evening I priced 2 such jobs  by visiting ,gained them both even though one was quoted £25  for lounge and dining room

Geoff

[*Hector*]

many reasons for giving prices over email or the phone Geoff.
Distance can be one of them.... Not saying this is what I do... but I live 14 miles from the nearest town or City in any direction.... 28 miles is a long round trip for giving a price.

just 1 reason.. 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Hector I'd have thought your site would have sold the customer looking for your style of service ie dry

Shaun

[*Hector*]

It does Shaun..... I very rarely have to sell the service, and the only ones that I generally don't get after being contacted, are those that really are price shopping, and after the cheapest... which I am not any more... my prices have quadrupled in the last 3 years since going wholly LM.

[Mike Halliday]

When some one quotes a stupid price then stop any involvement, if it's an email then just delete it if you are on the phone then just say "sorry I can't help you today"

Don't commit any more of your time to it, get rid of it, don't waste your time trying to educate a person who thinks £20 is a reasonable amount to pay they are thick idiots who are not worth bothering with.

But even worse They are not just thick idiots they are thieves who steal your time and positive attitude. you start to think......"oh god there are companies charging £20, I better put my prices down to compete with them"

I only quote in person, If someone asked me to compete with a £20 price I seriously would tell tell to go f*ck themselves and walk away, (and I mean seriously)

[Paul Moss]

It does Shaun..... I very rarely have to sell the service, and the only ones that I generally don't get after being contacted, are those that really are price shopping, and after the cheapest... which I am not any more... my prices have quadrupled in the last 3 years since going wholly LM.

Mikes have not gone up much more over the last 11 years

[*Hector*]

 

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

Most emails are time wasters ..... That's why they don't call you.

If you reply to all email quotes you will probably get 5%/10% if you are lucky so it's a case of do you bother emailing back in the small chance you will get the job.

I used to reply to all quotes but got sick of getting no response so I then stopped replying at all and got abuse for not replying! So now I say I am fully booked if I get bad vibes or if it's just not worth doing like a 1 rug job and only reply to jobs I think are worth doing.