[Mike Halliday]

I usually  have a slow January (but normally I go on holiday to get some winter sun so arn’t Bothered),  but this year I stayed at home.

To try and increase business ( especially with my favourite type of customer) I put this on my leaflet, although it not a typical special offer it certainly has got a good response. Lots of OAPS  calling and telling me they don’t mind when I do it.

My helper is only working 2 days a week during Jan & Feb so book the work on those days so they are full profitable days but easy as there are 2 of us.

I might keep it on all the time as  a 20% discount is worth it, OAP  Are always easy jobs ( and they have the best biscuits😉)

[Robin Ray]

How do you quantify a 20% discount? Do you measure the job and take 20% off whatever your price works out at. Or do you guestemate the price and do it 20% cheaper than that?  Also if it's a returning customer do you give them a 20% discount off the price  you charged before? if you are doing the same areas that is. Do you tell people what the price would have been, then tell them what the discounted price is, or do you just tell them what the price will be?

Not knocking your approach if it is working well for you, however % discounts can seem intangible in comparison with offers like " free protector" or "100sqft of carpet cleaning free" etc. Have you tried this approach before? 

[john martin]

if you had 'carpet cleaner ' on you van insted of a giraffe it might bring in some work for you   

[DB]

People have some strange pets these days....
I have customers who have kept Tarantulas, Snakes of all sizes, exotic Wild fowl breeder, Chinchillas, Rats plus many others....haven't come across a Giraffe yet...maybe Mike has

[Mike Halliday]

Robin, I work out the  full price and tell the customer, if they are happy I open my diary and book it in, if when I give the price they mention the 20% discount then I tell them they dates  I can do it to qualify for a lower price.

If it’s a small job it’s booked in at the end of the day ( I like to work until 2:30-3:00.) if I have a day when i’m Finishing at 1:30 I fill in the last hour. If it’s a big job they have to have the next available space on a Saturday or Monday which is the days my helper is working. At the moment these days are booked up for 2 weeks so people have to wait if they want the 20%

It’s a genuine 20% discount, if existing customer want it and are willing to comply with the restrictions they get it

John, Giraffe stain removal is a growth area in Yorkshire

[Shaun_Ashmore]

What happens with single carpet cleans or minimum charge jobs?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Robin I always feel that Free Protector isn’t a great selling point customers need telling of the benefits and cost so they don’t see its financial value, I do find that volumising is the best discount 3 for 2 for instance that said I don’t discount anymore but I may knock off a tenner or so if it’s a real issue.

[Mike Halliday]

What happens with single carpet cleans or minimum charge jobs?

I give them the 20% I still get £75ish, 

Really I don’t lose out as I tend to give discounts as I price up jobs, if they are getting a through lounge and stars done I will start doing bedrooms for £30 ( less than I normally charge) but since coming back to carpet cleaning i’ve Tried to stop being so casual about my pricing. Every room gets quoted at it’s full price.

[Robin Ray]

Some time ago I had two virtually identical leaflets made one with, a "have 3 rooms cleaned and get a 4th cleaned free" and another with testimonials on the back. The one with the testimonials brought in over 50 % more work than the offer. Since then i dont give any offers, the closest i get is if i measure up and it seems a bit high i knock a little bit off, but I don't tell people. Having said all that, after years I had two calls within a week and both customers had saved the leaflet with the offer on the back.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I find at this time of year people look for discounts they will go out of their way to get money off I’m sure that they’re not that savvy to understand peaks and troughs of our industry.

[COLIN BRIGHT]

i have sent out 3 for 2 offers  to my existing clients to be done in January or February, i find this by far the best offer that they react to, its only ever sent out to past clients as i dont do random leaflets, i also have a minimum spent of £140 , depending how the year goes, i might do the same offer in the spring, usually get about a 5-1 ish return, sometimes a lot more, so well worth it, when i say i send them what i really mean is i reuse the same flyer,change the dates, attach the client list and email it for someone else to do, it costs me 71p each, thats the whole service..i never see a piece of paper, envelope or stamp.....i am a very very lazy marketer but it works for me

[Steve_Knight]

Hi Colin

What mailing software do you use for this?

Cheers Steve

[COLIN BRIGHT]

ive always used the cleaners mate data base, works for me

[DB]

I  have NEVER discounted my prices for cleaning...that is my core business, it provides an income for my family
Four rooms for price of three... that's approximately a 25% discount (OK the smallest room is free) why not just reduce your prices 

NOW... if you were to have a protector applied I could give you a 40% discount... find out what the major retailers charge for protector...I am more than happy to give 40% of that figure

Just another way of looking at things

[COLIN BRIGHT]

why not reduce your prices? well we all know, everyone loves a bargain, no matter how rich you are, so if you are offering a FREE room ,well there's that word FREE again, then people are more motivated to ring,
dont get me wrong, i have a bear minimum of £140 to do anything, by offering a 3 for 2 (only to repeat clients in my case) it is a great way of keeping in contact with your clients but also doing 3 rooms (even if one is FREE)  is far far more profitable than say doing one room, packing up, moving on, setting up again and also its just turn up and clean rather than have to convert new clients

[Mike Halliday]

I think the best special offers encourage the customer to spend more money, a 3 for 2 offer might look like you are doing a room for free (which you are but it’s the smallest room) but if the customer has multiple rooms a cleaned rather than only the one living room which the originally planned you walk out the house with more money.

A quick note about special offers, if you offer a ‘special offer’ or ‘half price sale’  you need to explain why you are able or willing to give it, if you don’t people thinks it’s not a Genuine offer.  if you look at my example above I explain exactly why i’m Willing to give a 20% discount (they fill empty spaces).  I see loads of half price leaflets where it list the normal price then give the half price next to it, nobody believes that the company ever charged the full price they know it’s just con. 

I often use the .....’local person discount for Beverley residents’...... and I say it saves me time & money to keep my work in my local town so pass this saving onto the customer, again it’s a believable reason to give a lower price so people trust it

[Cleanevangelist]

or you could just forget about discounting and offer after care. free spotter with lifetime refill with a spillage call out vouchers, valid for 3 years. This give you an excuse to contact them on a regular basis (does your spotter need refilling)

[Mike Halliday]

How can you offer aftercare to Customers who you don’t have? Special offers create new customers. But then do both, give them a lifetimes spotter as well