Leaving room for your regulars

[Jim Williams]

With the busy season cranking up here in N.C. I've been trying to come up with a better system of serving my regular customers and the realtors who are loyal. Usually by April I am booked about 4 weeks out and it's hard to work in everybody. I've toyed with the idea of possibly only booking new customers a few days a week and leaving the others open for my regulars, similar to what doctors offices do.

So how do you handle busy season scheduling? First come first serve? Put in a 12 hour day to squeeze in a realtor? Raise prices substantially to weed out the cheapos?

 

[CJ-FL]

With the busy season cranking up here in N.C. I've been trying to come up with a better system of serving my regular customers and the realtors who are loyal. Usually by April I am booked about 4 weeks out and it's hard to work in everybody. I've toyed with the idea of possibly only booking new customers a few days a week and leaving the others open for my regulars, similar to what doctors offices do.

So how do you handle busy season scheduling? First come first serve? Put in a 12 hour day to squeeze in a realtor? Raise prices substantially to weed out the cheapos?

Have you ever offered a discount for those who schedule during your “slow season” to try to create a less seasonal schedule?

 

[Hack Attack]

Have you ever offered a discount for those who schedule during your “slow season” to try to create a less seasonal schedule?

In line with this, I dont offer a discount during slow season but contact my repeats. They already know my service and standard, and because its slow season I throw in extra dry passes with airmovers still good dry times happy customers

 

[Jim Williams]

Have you ever offered a discount for those who schedule during your “slow season” to try to create a less seasonal schedule?

I have at times run specials on my website during the winter months. Might have helped a little. I used to mail postcards in the winter to my base back when I still had time to keep up my data entry. I need a good secretary.

 

[Ron K]

Raise your prices 10% if you loose 10% of your customers your still even.
Realtors should be the easiest to schedule if you're licenced and insured you should be able to pick up a key or have the door
open or a lock box.
Repeats too.

 

[hogjowl]

Just be glad they’re calling

 

[WillS]

4 weeks out? Time to add on another truck or raise prices. You could be loosing other $$$ potential customers calling to book with you.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah we don't have many that will wait more than a week unless it's their choice.

 

[WillS]

Since we raised prices I’ve been able to stay a little more above $100/hr p/tech. And the schedule is still booked a week out w no advertising really running. I can tell the difference w this latest increase. We cut about 12 additional low end zip codes out that mostly won’t pay higher pricing. Worked out very well - was worried at first about being slower because of the price increase, but now we have more time to focus on those 500-600$ plus tickets that only take 2 to 3 hours.

 

[Jim Williams]

4 weeks out? Time to add on another truck or raise prices. You could be loosing other $$$ potential customers calling to book with you.

I just raised them roughly $10 per job. I might see how that goes then go higher. I'm trying to stay a one man show.

Yeah we don't have many that will wait more than a week unless it's their choice.

Yep. After two weeks they start calling somebody else. My regulars will usually wait unless they have people coming over. I'm thinking I might leave some openings in my schedule for those long time customers.

 

[Jim Williams]

Since we raised prices I’ve been able to stay a little more above $100/hr p/tech. And the schedule is still booked a week out w no advertising really running. I can tell the difference w this latest increase. We cut about 12 additional low end zip codes out that mostly won’t pay higher pricing. Worked out very well - was worried at first about being slower because of the price increase, but now we have more time to focus on those 500-600$ plus tickets that only take 2 to 3 hours.

That's awesome! BTW, I enjoyed your interview with Mikey about Facebook. I tried it and it works. But you do have to be careful posting nasty before and afters on the poor side of town. You end up with the nasty cluttered houses. I spent $10 on one boosted post and booked over $1000 from it in the slowest month of the year. Not bad return.

 

[WillS]

That's awesome! BTW, I enjoyed your interview with Mikey about Facebook. I tried it and it works. But you do have to be careful posting nasty before and afters on the poor side of town. You end up with the nasty cluttered houses. I spent $10 on one boosted post and booked over $1000 from it in the slowest month of the year. Not bad return.

Glad to hear that. Talk to a lot of people that still have ups and downs with Facebook, but when you hit that sweet spot of spending that low for that great return, you’re there.

Raise prices $10 an area or average of $65 to $$75 extra a job. You’ll notice a difference then in customers that drop out. We have high volume here anyways, but those people choosing pricing over quality and service delivered will always go w those guys addding on fb $20 a room.

 

[Jim Williams]

Raise prices $10 an area or average of $65 to $$75 extra a job. You’ll notice a difference then in customers that drop out. We have high volume here anyways, but those people choosing pricing over quality and service delivered will always go w those guys addding on fb $20 a room.[/QUOTE]

I might do that. I live in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. There are plenty of high end homes here now with 23,000 more going in a mile away.

 

[greencc]

get a part time helper. do you work on weekends? maybe try sat every other week with a helper if you now do mon. to fri. lots of guys look for some extra cash after their full time job. i help a guy who is burned out after eight years, he as had other guys come and go. we work good together and he says the set up and put away are much faster when i help him.

if you find a good guy now you will maybe have him as a full time guy on a second van next year. start planning now to have a company that can take care of alll the new expensive houses that you say will be going in around you. i would shoot for two vans, two techs, and two helpers. then you can mange the business and take care of high rollers that need you on short notice whith your own van. right now you have a really good job but not a really good business. there is a difference.

and raise your carpet protection. two rooms and a hall for 135.00 you can charge at least 50.00 to 70.00 for the protector. the protection money helps pay for the helper.

 

[DAT]

I dont do discount, but ill give something away for free.. keeps them under my control when purchasing my services... House always win

 

[Jim Williams]

get a part time helper. do you work on weekends? maybe try sat every other week with a helper if you now do mon. to fri. lots of guys look for some extra cash after their full time job. i help a guy who is burned out after eight years, he as had other guys come and go. we work good together and he says the set up and put away are much faster when i help him.

if you find a good guy now you will maybe have him as a full time guy on a second van next year. start planning now to have a company that can take care of alll the new expensive houses that you say will be going in around you. i would shoot for two vans, two techs, and two helpers. then you can mange the business and take care of high rollers that need you on short notice whith your own van. right now you have a really good job but not a really good business. there is a difference.

and raise your carpet protection. two rooms and a hall for 135.00 you can charge at least 50.00 to 70.00 for the protector. the protection money helps pay for the helper.

get a part time helper. do you work on weekends? maybe try sat every other week with a helper if you now do mon. to fri. lots of guys look for some extra cash after their full time job. i help a guy who is burned out after eight years, he as had other guys come and go. we work good together and he says the set up and put away are much faster when i help him.

if you find a good guy now you will maybe have him as a full time guy on a second van next year. start planning now to have a company that can take care of alll the new expensive houses that you say will be going in around you. i would shoot for two vans, two techs, and two helpers. then you can mange the business and take care of high rollers that need you on short notice whith your own van. right now you have a really good job but not a really good business. there is a difference.

and raise your carpet protection. two rooms and a hall for 135.00 you can charge at least 50.00 to 70.00 for the protector. the protection money helps pay for the helper.

I've actually got a 17 year old nephew who's not afraid of hard work who I might hire part time then maybe full. Got to do something. I'm getting close to 50 and those long days behind a wand are taking a toll.

 

[hogjowl]

Oh jeeze, I’m 60 and just now got off the truck. You’re a p-$$y

 

[Mikey P]

Oh jeeze, I’m 60 and just now got off the truck. You’re a p-$$y

Oh gawd help us..

Now he's going to start selling his secrets to success and custom Fonts

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Oh jeeze, I’m 60 and just now got off the truck. You’re a p-$$y

Just in the afternoons, so you can have your naps?

 

[CJ-FL]

Oh gawd help us..

Now he's going to start selling his secrets to success and custom Fonts

“Crazy @hogjowl ’s secrets to carpet cleaning”. Available now on VHS

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

“Crazy @hogjowl ’s secrets to carpet cleaning”. Available now on VHS

‘Sign up today, and receive a free can of BACON deodorizer ‘....

 

[Jim Williams]

Oh jeeze, I’m 60 and just now got off the truck. You’re a p-$$y

Aren't you the old dude complaining about hip pain all the time? Suck it up! I already had to have my intestines tucked back in from pushing a wand.

 

[hogjowl]

Back pain
Wife is the hip person