[Mr Dvae]

With all this talk about pricing, was just wondering how domestic carpet cleaning prices varied around the country?
For example take a 21 by 12ft lounge, I'm in the midlands and i would charge about £60 how much would you charge?

Note this is not an opportunity to take the pee out of anyone, just a genuine interest to see what's happening in the carpet cleaning community. so come on guys if you charge £9 or £900 let us Know!

Dave

[Phillip Mold]

I'm not far from you (Warwick), I think you are a little on the low side, I'd be looking for 10-20% more.

[markpowell]

I would charge £60 and hope to be done in an hour.
Mark

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I ususally go for around the £90 mark, alot of cleaners may go for how bad it is and how much furniture etc etc so there isn't a definative answer.

Shaun

[Mike Halliday]

I go on how much I can get away with, an old woman who I can bully a little bit I'd charge her £300  ( and I'd march down to the cash point to get the cash NO CHEQUES!! )

or if it was a honey who was willing to show me a bit of special attention I'd do her  for free.

Did a blind woman's last week just turned on my machine then read the papers for an hour charged her £150 because the carpet was dirtier than I expected,

[Mark Lawrence]

I go on how much I can get away with, an old woman who I can bully a little bit I'd charge her £300  ( and I'd march down to the cash point to get the cash NO CHEQUES!! )

or if it was a honey who was willing to show me a bit of special attention I'd do her  for free.

Did a blind woman's last week just turned on my machine then read the papers for an hour charged her £150 because the carpet was dirtier than I expected,

 

For example take a 21 by 12ft lounge, I'm in the midlands and i would charge about £60 how much would you charge?

My price would be £100 (down south)

Mark

[Mike Osbourne]

Two Clients with 21x 12 carpets charge same price?


Custie 1


You turn up for the quote and park on their big drive, you are welcomed in and shown a synthetic pile carpet. It's not bad at all and point out a few marks, she says 'Well if they come out they come out if they don't they don't. We're not expecting miricales just want a freshen up really, oh and we will take all the furniture out the night before so you can get straight to work then I'll make you a tea and leave you to get on.

Custie 2

21x12

You turn up, it's a one way narrow street with terrace houses you have to park down the road a bit and parralel park. You knock on the door and hear lots of dogs barking. What seems like five minutes later a woman answers the door and she on her mobile but beckons you in. She points at an off white wool berber which has loads of different types of staining, there's a slight whiff off dog pee although she denies her pouch has done anything. There's dog hair everywhere. She then says it's not bad is it, and that will come out won't it, oh and I want you to pull out that cabinet with the china in cos it hasn't been cleaned behind ther for years.

Oh and can you just run over these rugs as well (although will probably wait and demand on the day)

She continues jabbering on and a ten minute quote takes 20 minutes cos you can't shut her up.  


Still charge by the square foot?

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

Personally I would charge around £75 (30p per square foot)

[Mike Halliday]

on a serious note, for a normal clean with no real problems £75

I find a disgusting carpet only takes an extra 10mins from an average soiled carpet, so really only furniture makes a difference to my price. even type of carpet makes no difference ( unless its seegrass etc)

[Mark Lawrence]

Still charge by the square foot?

Yes! cos the way i see it is this.

if you charge different prices to similar properties and these people know each other, they will want it at the same price. this way you aint seen as ripping them off (in their head). you risk losing the job and there aint no amount of explanation that will sway them.

also we all take the rough with the smooth, so if your price right (not silly cheap) its not that bad really. then when you get a scenario like your first example, then this makes up for the crappy ones like you say on the 2nd example....dont be fooled into thinking that the 2nd example will want it cheaper just because its a bit simpler. if they see it as a quality job then thats what they would expect to pay.

Mark

p.s. £150 to clean & protect

[Mike Osbourne]

Mark

So you would overcharge the person with a relatively easy clean that takes half the time and feel happy about that?

Personally I don't see why they should effectively subsidize the awkward clean. That's what the rough with the smooth philosophy feels like to me. Each job is priced based on what needs to be done, not what makes calculating a price easy.

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

£ 82.00




Steve

[Steve Chapman]

£75 for us

steve

[clinton]

Mine would be about 70 pounds..

There again as mike osbourne said if its in a bad state and parkings a problem etc i would prob be a lot more and if i was busy wouldnt be bothered if they said no!

[Neil Williams]

If it was an over the phone quote £70 plus vat = £80.50 clean only
Depending on how close/far away it is and overall condition (on seeing it first) I might add or deduct a few pounds.
I believe a lot of us are guilty of really hyping up some job prices because we don't want to do them, but if we get them then big bonus.

[derek west]

£10.56 for me.

unless its really dirty then it would be £10.76

derek

[Jim_77]

£102.47, 45 minutes.

[Jim_77]

Mike... I wouldn't even arrive at the 2nd type of job you describe, I'd have it sussed on the phone as soon as she called!!

Those sorts of customers I'll scare off with the price in the first minute of the conversation, saves me a lot of hassle and a bit of money.  Some of them do book in, most don't, fine by me gives me more time to concentrate on the people I like to work for

[Mark Lawrence]

So you would overcharge the person with a relatively easy clean that takes half the time and feel happy about that?

No, i would feel happy that i have given the 'relatively easy' clean an honest, high quality clean that she is entirely happy with and one that i feel i have given my all at. what is wrong with that :, as for the harder one - i would feel, hey ho, its a toughy but im prepared to do it nethertheless.

This scenario wouldnt work if your working to budget cleaning, as you would feel peeved at working so hard for so little :

Dont forget, the person you gave a lower price to, will expect this lower price next time (even if its on a dirtier carpet), and will tell all her friends the price too. then when you go and quote, you have to try and explain to them 'why' its gonna be more. they will smell a rat - even though there isnt one.

Mark.

p.s. jim, same as me then on pricing

[richie]

Depending on the area i was working within Birmingham (and surrounding areas) id charge between £58.75 - £70.50.

Richie.