[tim handley]

okay so what exactly is groupon? Ive heard it mentioned but havent a clue what it is!!!   Reason i ask is that i had an enquiry from a client on one of my areas , Nottingham, asking if i can match  four rooms for £39, to which i was gobsmacked and said not a chance!
The guy told me he had a cleaner from Lincoln who was happy to drive from there to Nottingham to do four rooms for £39 !!!!!!
 
  really???

[Mike Gwilliam]

Ive heard it mentioned but havent a clue what it is!!!

Most of the people that have heard of it are people looking for something for nothing. It's probably fine for companies such as hairdressers to rope in some new clients.
But as we all know, in this industry people who are looking for a cheap deal usually have dirtier carpets and when they need cleaning again will look for another cheap deal and may not be classed as a returning client. A bit like most of the Facebook people I've encountered and stay away from.

[Hilton]

Look at the Bait & Switch post, this gives you some idea of what it is all about.

[*Hector*]

Look at the Bait & Switch post, this gives you some idea of what it is all about.

No it doesn't!!

Groupon is where business' offer deals to get customers. Bait and switch is just robbery.

With groupon the only people who are not robbers is the business' that advertise the wares... (usually)

[Hilton]

" Some idea" of what this is all about............

Some companies that use Groupon employ Bait & Switch tactics and that's not just carpet cleaners.

If the company mentioned that is quoting less than £10 per room ( rooms not specified) are not using Bait & Switch then they are even more stupid they sound but I am guessing they are not.

[*Hector*]

There you go Hilti... judging people by your standards... 

 

[Hilton]

Well actually I think £10 a room is a fair price, carpet cleaning is so over priced now days 

[tim handley]

just under  a tenner a room,     45 minute driving time, fuel costs......................

[Mike Halliday]

Groupon is about creating a customer database who hopefully will use you again at the full market price or for industries that have a natural upsell involved with their service......

 eg: a pub will offer a meal for 2 at a reduced price of £22,  but I will naturally buy drinks to go with the meal and might have a dessert so the £22 becomes £55

A carpet cleaner might think it worth doing work at a loss if it gives them a full database for future marketing, or the offer to do extra rooms while at the home at a still reduced price but more than the initial offer

[*Hector*]

A carpet cleaner might think it worth doing work at a loss if it gives them a full database for future marketing, or the offer to do extra rooms while at the home at a still reduced price but more than the initial offer

This however is very flawed.... I can tell you from experience.... Out of 450 people who bought my 1 and only foray into groupon, I cleaned 287 of them, several with add ons at a reduced price, but not 1 in the next 3 years would have work done at full price.

Oh yes.... and the groupon advertised price that the customer pays is not the price you receive from groupon.... you get about 55% of that price... 

Needless to say... I never did the offer again, even though they begged me to, every 6 months.....

[Mike Halliday]

I think it's very flawed..... Even for the meal deal who are guaranteed a greater amount of cash.

We have used meal & hotel deals. but now just keep an eye open for future deals.... we would never use them at full price.

[*Hector*]

good grief Mike......

we agree.. 

this could be the start of a beautiful relationship... 

 

[gwrightson]

I think it's very flawed..... Even for the meal deal who are guaranteed a greater amount of cash.

We have used meal & hotel deals. but now just keep an eye open for future deals.... we would never use them at full price.

....and very often , if you find a deal with a hotel or restaurant try calling them direct, quote the groupon offer
    the chances are they will even take a little less than the offer.
   The reason already quoted,  they receive around 50 per cent of advertised price.

  Geoff

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

Great idea Geoff....

[jasonl]

I did a couple of groupon campaigns 5 years ago, yes I worked for minimum wage, and yes I still clean for customers gained,

It has to be structured correctly,

my tips

negotiate the percentages with groupon.. yes they start at 50/50 I think I got 70 30 in my favour in the end.

DONT  run the offers they suggest, make your own with as high a price as you can for least work you can, I did any 2 for 39 in the end.

Dont forget you get paid whether they call or not, this is where the quick profit is.

exclude stairs from the offer and then charge £3 per step, that brings most jobs into a decent value.

use it as a last resort, I was fresh out of a divorce with no cash for marketing, just willingness to work and some cleaning equipment and a van.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Which divorce? Lol

[jasonl]

Number 3 - never again ! 

[*Hector*]

I said that, after my 3rd divorce....

But here I am married again... 

 

[Robin Ray]

If you want work for peanuts and attract customers who are only interested in the price who also think they could do the job just as well with a Rug Doctor Groupon  sounds the perfect place.

[jasonl]

If you want work for peanuts and attract customers who are only interested in the price who also think they could do the job just as well with a Rug Doctor Groupon  sounds the perfect place.

Have you actually done it or just read and repeated what others say on forums?

Five years later I have a thriving business, with several excellent customers gained via groupon  which was the right thing at the time when options were fewer.

There are hundreds of perpetually skint carpet cleaners who grow older working thier vans for well under minimum wage with no business training or plan in mind.

Groupon is a plan and a way to break out of it, would I run a campaign now? no way, I have more work than I can do and for better pricing, but your assumptions and statement is without merit.