[Kev Loomes]

Hi Steve

Hope you wasnt referring to me for being snooty!

Anyway, in answer to your question we carry out the clean as follows:

Hand wash fabric via sea sponge with pre cleaner
Apply pre-spray
Agitate with brushes
Agitate/towel off removing most of the grime/dirt/grease
Rinse/extract
Towel off removing any tram lines
Turbo dry

We find that wetting the fabric first makes all the difference as this also acts as a good carrier for the pre-spray. We do like most people would, frame first then cushions. In our case suite cleaning is approx 50% of our business and if we just did what some pople do i.e. go straight in with the pre-spay and then rinse - we personally wouldnt get as good a result!

[carpetguy]

well spotted Art

I removed myself, as I was fed up with the " marketing " by some at the time, which I predicted would cause heartach for some, but, as they say, " you can lead a horse to water, but..........."

I niggled a few myself, only because I felt they needed a reality check, but the attacks on one guy in particular, made my decision to opt out.

As it happens, I had a wake up call myself, which resulted in an angiogram and ongoing medication, with the threat of bypass surgery still hanging over me.

Made me stop and assess !!!!!!!!

robbie

Incidentally, I am a Therapist, specialising in realignment of the Pelvis / Spine and maintaining the correction

It's something that Osteos and Chiros don't do.

www.relief-from-pain.com

[carpetguy]

Formula

You appear to work in a similar way to myself, which has evolved through experience and experimentation,

As I've already mentioned, we were earning around £19 per hour when I gave up Driving Instruction @ £9 per hour and have raised prices each year to about £45 per hour ( average )
today, but, I suspect my productivity is higher ( in spite of my age and state of health ) and this is without compromising quality.

Like yourself, we continue to evolve by experimenting, with products and techniques

robbie

PS
I'm aware that some get considerably higher payments for their services and should state that the occasional suite I clean attracts a premium price, due to size, or protection.

I don't aim to insult or demean other peoples business, but there is only one Liahona and he is trading, as he will confirm, in a very small niche, where domestic budgets don't enter the equasion.
I have a number of footballer and high earners as clients and the only reason I get a higher payment from them, is the size of their suites, colour -  usually very light  -  and fussy design, with extra cushion, etc.

[davep]

Do any of you lads use the mix of Fibre shampoo/buff/oxibright?

[carpetguy]

Dave

In spite of my prehistoric origins, I'd never heard of this mix' until it was raised on here recently.

I had an aversion to Prochem and other hi foaming products, when I started, many years ago, so never came accross this, but I recently acquired a load of Prochem products when buying another c/c, out.

They include the rinses mentioned, but I have still to try the mix. Not sure  that I'll bother.

Although I avoid high foam, it arises frequently, from other peoples residues and the ubiquitous, VANISH, which, does'nt.

robbie

[davep]

Just curious as if it means no HWE then why not use?

[carpetguy]

I have a dry foam cleaner   -  stimvac  -  which probably does much the same and in theory, does'nt require h/w/e, but, it's slower and on heavy soiling, less efficient than h /w / e

It's great to have the motorised head for aggitation, but, due to my cardiac concerns I don't use it much, in factI should really offer it for sale.

robbie

[Kev Loomes]

Sory DaveP

Dont use it myself, although we do use various products from Alltec, Prochem, Craftex etc.

[David_Annable]

Hi

What always tickles me about these threads is that the people who charge £40 for a suite never make an apperance.

So we all know your out there, would you like to explain yourselves.

Dave

[Phil Marlor]

Hi

What always tickles me about these threads is that the people who charge £40 for a suite never make an apperance.

So we all know your out there, would you like to explain yourselves.

Dave

They can't afford computers!

Phil

[carpetguy]

I think you might find that the 80% of cleaners, who charge even less than £40 are too busy to spend time on forums.

There are a number of reasons why people charge lower than average prices for products , or services.

Where do you buy your weekly groceries ?

Who is your mobile phone supplier ?

Where do you get your printing done ?

etc, etc ?

There are regular postings on forums, about the cheapest suppliers,  of just about everything, yet you condemn the same practice in cleaning services. Why ?

The majority of clients have been, price conditioned, by Asda, Tesco, etc and these are the clients being serviced by the people who charge less than the others, who target the M & S costomers.

What might shock some of the " I would'nt clean a suite for less than " £150 brigade, would be the earnings of these guys.

They are usually in their 20's and 30's and prepared to work extremely hard and long and they're average job value is probably around £60, because they get a couple of carpets to clean with each suite.

If you consider, that they probably average 5 - 6 jobs per day and a couple on Saturday, they are probably earning more than you and many others, who imagine themselves to be astute businessmen.

I know a fair number of them and I was there myself, years ago.

Hard work........................of course, but the suppliers love them and depend on them for the business they generate.

Still tickling

Robbie

 

[gmccleaning]

i agree with u robbie, i for one could not charge the prices advertised on the forum, south wast scotland customers would laugh in my face, still making good wage packet out of c/c, couple of good contracts including stenaline cleaning hss voyager fastcraft (lots of carpet and 1600 seats ,like the forth bridge when u reach the end back to the start)

              george

[Kev Loomes]

Just one big difference Robbie.

Your talking about groceries, mobile phones, tesco, M & S etc. THEY ARE ALL ITEMS, NOT SERVICE. Obviously we all shop around for the exact same item - as regardless of price it will always be the same. You cannot compare this to the service industry, this you cannot disagree with.

And you have to ask yourself, if a really good cleaner with all the right equipment and chemicals, training etc is only charging £40.00 for a suite, then he hasnt really got a business and lacks something drastically.

You know, and so does everyone else, that for that price your gonna get a flimsy 'under your arm' so called extraction machine (if any), and barely an hour doing so called professional cleaning! Splash 'N' Dash....of course. Obviously things might be slightly different in far flung places, but in general (down south anyway) this is how it is.

But if they are happy giving the results they give then good luck to em, as there will always be a market for them.  

[Steve Chapman]

so many sweeping statements and generalisations :

some people just don't have the same overheads, maybe no mortgage, no family or commitments or credit, it doesn't make them a moron with a porty who doesn't know what he's doing!

I personally know a guy who charges less than £40 a suite and does a damn good job (& it cheeses me off as i charge a lot more) but thats life!

We all look for value for money, and competition is always a good thing, makes us hone our skills and give good service.

If we charge more than most then we have to have a good reason for it, not just because we want more money   then the customer will pay!


regards
steve

[*paul_moss]

Steve
Good post.

I charge £135 for a 5 seater suite.There are lots of cheaper guys by me who do it for £50, but I charge what I think it should cost for my service.End of story. Im not interested in who is cheapest or dearest just as long as people are prepared to pay my prices ( which they are ) them im happy and just get on with life.

It really doesnt matter if you charge £30 or £200 as long as your happy with it and the customer is happy and you have plenty of work, then what does it matter.

[Mike Halliday]

some people talk a load of rubbish!!

there is no reason for anyone to charge £40-£50 to clean a suite, I could care less if the have no overheads and their mortgage is paid off.

what you charge has nothing to do with overheads or lack of them, (when I got a new van on lease should I have put up my prices because my 'overheads ' went up?)

people charge silly prices because they are silly people, I charge a professional price because I'm a ...... professional

Mike

[calmore]

I personally know a guy who charges less than £40 a suite and does a d**n good job (& it cheeses me off as i charge a lot more) but thats life!

Why not sub-contract all your suites to him and concentrate on carpets?

[Mike Halliday]

I do this with a mate

he charges £70 so I pass on all the ones who can't afford me and he gives me a 'recommendation fee'

Mike

[Steve Chapman]

Thankyou for the insult mike  :

I was simply stating a real life fact of a guy who is retired and does not desire to be a millionaire but DOES want to keep working!

The point being the price is not always and indication of quality of work, and not all people want to be filthy rich, some just want to do an honest days work and are satisfied with what they earn.

what business is it of anyone to say they should charge more! That is what is rubbish!



regard
steve

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys,

I used to be £70 man working like fury to get them done in 90 mins, now I'm a £120 pound man , well at least to new customers.

I have also increased my carpet prices significantly.

The biggest advantage is that I don't have to work so hard to get a good living and my internet supplies a steady stream of enquiries, hence increased pre Xmas prices.

It really is a personal choice thing and I think as long as you clean as well as you can, then if the custy is happy with your price then all is good and well.

Higher prices also allow you to buy better equipment thus making life easier still.

Cheers

Doug