[Steven Butler]

Im not interested in what you/we all charge but was wondering
1/ How many of you go and quote at every job?
2/ Who measures rooms to quote?

Im on about domestics only as ive been stung a couple of times with HUGE living rooms.

[Mike Halliday]

I go and quote all new jobs, existing I just book in.

Now and again I will give a phone quote if I know the area and type of house, I never quote for suites over the phone.

[Marius Alexandru]

Hi Steven,

Have a look at laser measuring tape.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Apart from the fact that you'll get more jobs you'll get the correct price.

[David_Annable]

I measure rooms, if they measure it themselves they quiet often get it wrong, usually think its bigger.

I don't quote every job on site, quote some by email, some on the day (most customers don't like that).

If its going to be a decent job £150 to £200 got to be worth going to see it. Depends how busy you are.

There all different.

[Robin Ray]

I view 99% of jobs and measure up with a laser measure then times it by the appropriate sqft price for the situation.

I find
1 you know exactly what you need when you go to do the job,
2 the job conversion rate is a lot higher
3 you get the price right
4 you can talk about other services and create even more work
5 you put the customer at ease and can answer their concerns before it comes to entering their home to do the work,.
6 you get to see the customer and gauge weather they are a time waster before committing half a day or a day to doing any work.

In terms of working out a sqft or sqm price just pick some rooms in your own home and properties you go to regularly. decide how much you would want to clean that room, measure it and divide the price by the area and you have your sqft or sqm price. Add a little more for heavy soiling and take a little away for cleaner or empty rooms.

[David_Annable]

If your starting out or are not busy go and look at everything, you'll get more work.

Keep in touch with them, you'll get more work.

[Steven Butler]

Cheers guys.
Im in my 3rd year and have been using set prices but have been caught out a couple of times.
For example £50 for a living room, it could be a tiny terraced house or a huge converted barn and id be charging same price.
Can you recommend a good laser measure?

[David_Annable]

To cover that say it will be £50 which includes say 165 square feet.

Measure it on the day give new price.

If accepted all good, if not return to vehicle and drive away job jobbed.

[davep]

Steven- just ask them if it's a single lounge of a barn. 

Ic you know the area you'll know the size approximately anyway.  Single lounge approx 14 X 12 or through lounge.  Just ask and less chance on being stung.

[Ian Harper]

But what about if they want stuff moving? that takes time. or how many stains or spots whats the differance? will they vac or you. all these thing take time and products. all affect price and level of service. size is not everything ( now where have I heard that before)

Packages let them choose their price point.

by putting it all in you basically saying one price if your carpets are light or heavy soiled, stained or not, unfurnished or not. why should people that care for their carpets and just need a freshen up pay the same us lazy people that have heavy soiled, stained carpets? who get the best value out of the one price deal? its not you or the person that cares for their carpets.

I am sure many of you that visit and price take all these things in to account. but its not transparent. what if a friend has you to quote and does not tell you that you cleaned for her mate. how do you explain the price difference? packages will make your prices transparent to everyone and fair.

how many customers will pay a high price and empty and vac a room before you come? not many. but many will if they can save money. show them the different spec and you find out the ones that want you to move stuff and pay for it and the ones that want to save the money.

stain removal no longer becomes your problem but the customers, will they pay the extra and take the risk? are you a cleaner or restorer? you can be both for a price. that last stain you sweeted over did the customer really care about i?  could they have lived with it, did they really want it removed. do they know the difference between a spot or stain? which requires just removal or correction? which has no risk and the one that does?

You can do this without a visit its call "terms and conditions" again that visit takes up your time

I am dead against one customer paying for another. sound strange? but its true all jobs do not take the same time or products! be fair to the customer that are due respect. its these people you want on your database after all.

[Robin Ray]

That sounds interesting Ian, can you enlarge upon how you work all these factors in to your pricing structure.

[Ian Harper]

Robin

its a standard package selling. list items. in each package that you will do name then say bronze, silver and gold or something like that. then when they book you send out a conformation letter.  with what you expect from them with a copy of spec (package) and price.

here is an old copy sorry formatting did not work of my carpet cleaning confirmation letter. feel free to use

http://chelmsford.cleaning-carpet.co.uk/carpet-cleaning-confirmation-letter/

works like a dream

my old packages here, again feel free to use

http://chelmsford.cleaning-carpet.co.uk/carpet-cleaning-spec/

BTW i never do any correctional stains without disclaimers signed its their damage and I dont want to take ownership of it. as long as you explain the risks and they sign you should never have a claim. quick story about my view on this i use diesel vans and when they get old the glow plugs are a real pain to remove. try and find a garage that will risk removing them without striping the threads, none will if damage happens when they are trying to remove them its down you you to pay for head removal and rethreading. and they dont tell you this before hand. It ped me off the first time but I understand now what risk is about its my problem not theirs.

Hope that helps

[Robin Ray]

Thats interesting Ian, thanks for the info it looks really good and comprehensive.

I am not knocking your way of doing things as it obviously works well for you and countless other carpet cleaners out there. I have never used a package sales technique when pricing other than offering protector and other services where it is an advantage. I have always tried to offer more of a no compromise all in service to try to wow the customer every time, in fact sometimes I will do a little extra on purpose to try to impress them unexpectedly and try to attract premium customers.

It will be interesting to hear from other cleaners on the friday night before the TACCA day as there will be a discussion on this very subject (pricing) there are so many ways of going about things.