[Phil Marlor]

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!


regards
steve

So you must only earn what you need?
99% who charge £40.00 for a 3 piece suite do a crap job, FACT!

Phil

[Steve Chapman]

 :

[Phil Marlor]

 

[carpetguy]

There are, predicably, a couple of comments, which question the credibility or                            ability of people, based on what they charge for their services

Equally, predictably, there are a majority of fair minded comments...................

I've deleted a long post, as I've no desire to insult anyone and that is the                        temptation, after reading a couple of the replies .

Prior to my Ninja, I had a CFR and before that, an Extracta.  None of which                                would go under my arms.

My ability to clean the average suite in 90 minutes, may  be due to several factors

My methods have evolved over twenty years.

I use good products and machinery

I have learned how to get the best out of tools

I don't make promises I can't keep

I don't waste time drinking tea

I work steadily and methodically without stopping


Perhaps I undervalue myself, but I don't need to advertise and I find a little Suzuki                    1300 is perfecly capable of carrying ;-

One Ninja with carpet tool and three hand tools
100 feet of hose
External heater
Puzzi 200 with hose and tools
One rotary with brush and 10 bonnets in bag
Sebo and Hunter vacs
Numerous chemicals
There is still room for my spare Extracta and vacuuming steamer

Yes, I could earn more by increasing prices and may well have done so,                                            if I was a minute or two younger.

Professional?

Not for me to say, but my clients certainly regard me to be totally different from
other c/c's they've dealt with, in my manner , appearance, businesslike way I go                       about things and the knowledge I share, selflessly with them.

Silly, maybe, but I  don't think so

HELPFULL ....................absolutely
RECOMMENDED ...........always

Big headed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                  Who me ?

TFN

robbie

[Lavinia]

carpetguy i am sorry but i never mean to affend or upset anyone that was never my intention. Many people work 10 or even 12 hour days and earn a good wage, if by chargeing more i can earn the same in 5 to 6 hours i will (i work to live not live to work). I also take into account that here in bucks there are a lot of well of people where as in scotland they may be futher apart and i guess this has a lot to do with things. the main thing i guess is that as long as the upholstery is cleaned to the best of our abillity we should charge what we are happy with. The only thing i find hard is that if in 3 hour we can clean £150 worth of carpet then why charge less for upholstery. Sorry once again if i sounded condersending or insulting to anyone trying to earn an honist living
richard

[Jason Hedges]

Hi all,

Robbie, I'm with you on this one.

Lower overheads - Lower prices - Fact!

I advertise minimally (£20 per week) and get a regular £200-£300 return.

People that spend £X's advertising big time have to charge accordingy to make up their money. Ok they're having 50 calls a week and I'm having 10.

I charge £60-£100 per suite plus protection but they're having to charge £125+ to warrant they're expenses. Same job (if not better) a lot more money!

Its not "you get what you pay for" in this industry. Some cleaners, me inculded take  pride in our work and expect a reasonable payment in return.

If I was spending £100/£200 per week in advertising I would need 50 calls a week and could warrant £125 a suite.

I can understand bigger companies charging higher rates because of their overhesds but for one man bands like myself £60-£100 is just fine................

And I know I do as good a job if not better than my higher paid comrades....

Kind regards,
Jason.

[cleaning co]

hi jason, y would u need 50 calls aweek if u was spending 100-200 on ads ?  i charge 40 for carpet and 80 for a 3pc  spend 100 week  my averge job price is 80  on averge week get 10 bookings on bad week get 5      , so avg week earnings is  800 bad week 400   if i got 50 calls a week i would avg 4000  also if u only get 200 week from 10 jobs thats very poor  return how much are u charging ?  i thought i was cheap mate  p.s no carpet cleaner on there own gets 50 calls a week unless every other carpet cleaner in a 100 mile radius packs in !!
phil  how is that fact ?  do u go round inspecting every cheaper carpet cleaners work in your area or something?, i like carpet guy drive round in me little 1300cc extol van with me ninja and prochem chems do a decent job for what i call decent price 40 a carpet and get lots of custy passing my number on to thier freinds,if we was so crap y would they do this and they hav done for 12 years !!!    tescos are lot cheaper than sainburys but they get more custy every week and make more money do tesco sell crap food and giv crap service  fact ? phil ?
when i was in the building trade the builders who charged double were known as the cowboys for ripping people off !! not for doing a better job mate!!   is it not the same in the carpet cleaning trade ?   i hav done cleans in the past for 100 and took me an hour and chem dry hav priced the job at 500 pounds!!! now that is a rippoff imo how many times can u go over 3 carpets to justfie that sort of money !!!
gary

[carpetguy]

Horses for courses, as they say. If you are making a decent living and at the same time providing, value for money, you, IMO, are being successful.

There will always be differences of opinions and thats healthy, but some will always have an unshakeable belief in what they do and how they do it.

We have all invested, in some cases a great deal of time and money is this industry, but we are all different.

Some have stronger motivation and drive

That doesn't neccessarily make them a better businessman, or, guarantee that they'll deliver a higher quality of work , or even be more profitable, or happy.

It should be clear, from posts, that many are perfectly happy with their earnings, even if it means working longer and harder than others.

The only ones that anger me and no doubt, others, are the characters, who not only advertise extremely low prices, but have further HALF PRICE deals, which mean "cleaning" carpets for £5  -  £7 and suites, for £15  -  £20.

They, unfortunately, cream off a huge proportion of the market and make it difficult for the others, who work to a quality and value for money ethic.

As in any business, there will always be Price Shoppers and current society has become conditioned to being Price Driven by retail marketing.

I don't imagine any of the "half price special" people will be on here or attending courses, but , I might be wrong !

work to do

robbie

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Do the maths do 10 job @ £150 and you've nearly doubled your Gross, but you have nearly trebled your profit!

Same overheads but the rest goes straight in the bank.

Shaun

[Mike_Boxall]

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

 

Another good post I don't have to write - welcome back Rob!

Regards

Mike

[Steve Chapman]

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?)

Mike

Mike I just did!

regards
steve

[the red carpet]

So did i , why should we be paying for flash vans and new equipment at the end of the day its not us who want it, a carpet cleaning machine is not something iv always desired its something my customers want i just turn up with it.

Buying a new van and t/m helped me justify a price rise, im now making the same profit as i was per job
But the jobs are easier to do and the vans not in the garage every week, wich means less stress for me

Decent equipment pays for itself, it gives you more time to concentrate on other things.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

New shiny machines give a professional image, watch your recommendations rise.

Shaun

[David_Annable]

Hi

Shaun

Whats a professional image?

Dave

[carpetguy]

   Thanks Mike

My laptop was getting lonely and I've been put on medication for heart artery problem, rather than bypass surgery'

I would state catagorically, that my heart problem and wrecked back, have nothing to do with this industry.

The artery blockage is genetic and the back problem, is the result of undiagnosed pelvic misalignment, which gave me problems from my teens, only being properly diagnosed about 5 years ago, after 40 years of agony.  I went on to train in this alignment technique and am a registered practitioner.

I should have quit c/c altogether, but still do a little.

robbie

David ..........look in a mirror, hopefully, you will see one !

 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

ask your Mother

Shaun

[Bill Prior]

I charge £49 to clean a suite.
Carpets are from £18 per room.

I pre vac, spray, agitate, extract and use a decent machine.

I'm always busy (employ 1 person who does most of my work) 

On average we take about £1,300 per week which I'm happy with.

Our prices are Splash n Dash but our service is not.

All to their own   

[Phil Marlor]

I wouldn't mind getting someone else to do the suite @ £49.00, but as for me doing it, no chance!

Your guy is one in a million if he is doing a good job and handing over that much to you each week.

Poor bloke will be burned out by the time he is 30!

Phil

[Bill Prior]

I wouldn't mind getting someone else to do the suite @ £49.00, but as for me doing it, no chance!

Your guy is one in a million if he is doing a good job and handing over that much to you each week.

Poor bloke will be burned out by the time he is 30!

Phil

Nearly all are invoiced on a 14 day account. The only cash they hand to him is a tenner tip!

[cleaning co]

invoiced after 14 days ?  are these domestic custys  if so y o y would u do this ?  are u a madman !!! lol  after 14 days some people with lots kids hav made them dirty again and would try to blame u saying u didnt clean them proper!!   please tell me these are not domestic custys lol
gary
p.s when i done this sort of work 9 out 10 jobs were one carpet jobs and the type of custy u would never trust not to pay u there and then !!