PrimaDonna
Megatron
...They calculate your "hourly rate".
Ever had this happen to you?
We always quote the scope of work ahead of time and get customer approval. After all they are paying for the service to be provided and for the result of clean carpet. If they didn't think it was a reasonable/fair price for the job/results, the objection usually comes up then.
The are delighted as you leave....and then after your gone they (or the spouse) figure out how much you "made and hour". Suddenly the price they paid for the service and results they wanted and was fine at the time, is too high (see comment above "even though you did a great job"...um isn't that what the price was for...for us to do the job and do it great?).
We've gotten....You make more than I do an hour....you make more than my lawyer charges per hour.....or my doctor....and you're only a "carpet cleaner" (probably didn't even go to college....).
I often want to say, "So what i"m hearing is that you would be okay with it if you paid the same amount and it took us all day to do your carpets and get the same results?" Or remind them that the price was fine for the "job" when we quoted it. You agreed it was a fair price for the "job" and that is what you paid for, "the job"....it shouldn't matter how long it took us if it was done and done "great" as you say..... But I don't, I bite my tongue.
Do you follow up with customers like this or just let it go? Do you follow up and take the time educate them that because of your knowledge, over 25 years of experience, (very expensive) truck mount, fine tuned systems and highly trained/skilled two man crew you are so efficient that is why you could do the job so quickly?
Or, ask, if a single guy with a portable, did the exact same "good job" but it took him all day to do it, why would they be comfortable with that hourly rate, yet it's a black mark against us cause we did it in two hours instead of 6 or 8?
I don't feel the need to justify, yet I do want to address the customer concern so they aren't left feeling like they were ripped off. Sometimes pointing it out in a tactful way helps them to see the value....but I suppose it could back fire too.
How have you dealt with this?....(and if you never have, then you're not charging enough.....LOL)
Ever had this happen to you?
We always quote the scope of work ahead of time and get customer approval. After all they are paying for the service to be provided and for the result of clean carpet. If they didn't think it was a reasonable/fair price for the job/results, the objection usually comes up then.
The are delighted as you leave....and then after your gone they (or the spouse) figure out how much you "made and hour". Suddenly the price they paid for the service and results they wanted and was fine at the time, is too high (see comment above "even though you did a great job"...um isn't that what the price was for...for us to do the job and do it great?).
We've gotten....You make more than I do an hour....you make more than my lawyer charges per hour.....or my doctor....and you're only a "carpet cleaner" (probably didn't even go to college....).
I often want to say, "So what i"m hearing is that you would be okay with it if you paid the same amount and it took us all day to do your carpets and get the same results?" Or remind them that the price was fine for the "job" when we quoted it. You agreed it was a fair price for the "job" and that is what you paid for, "the job"....it shouldn't matter how long it took us if it was done and done "great" as you say..... But I don't, I bite my tongue.
Do you follow up with customers like this or just let it go? Do you follow up and take the time educate them that because of your knowledge, over 25 years of experience, (very expensive) truck mount, fine tuned systems and highly trained/skilled two man crew you are so efficient that is why you could do the job so quickly?
Or, ask, if a single guy with a portable, did the exact same "good job" but it took him all day to do it, why would they be comfortable with that hourly rate, yet it's a black mark against us cause we did it in two hours instead of 6 or 8?
I don't feel the need to justify, yet I do want to address the customer concern so they aren't left feeling like they were ripped off. Sometimes pointing it out in a tactful way helps them to see the value....but I suppose it could back fire too.
How have you dealt with this?....(and if you never have, then you're not charging enough.....LOL)