Opinions on my pricing structure

[Jim Williams]

Right now I charge $135 for 2 rooms and $30 for each additional room, but I am thinking of going to something like this, small bedrooms or offices $45, master bedroom or living room $65, bonus rooms $85. This would give me pricing that is similar to sq. ft. pricing without having to switch to sq. ft. pricing.

I know the pricing debate has been beaten to death on here but I really have no desire to switch to sq. ft. I tried it years ago for awhile and it was too complicated for my brain. I like to offer simple pricing.

Should I just stick with the Stanley Steemer style pricing or switch. The reason I'm thinking about doing this is I'm afraid I might be losing some of the cookie cutter homes with only a few tiny bedrooms to clean. Also after doing some figuring I would actually be making more on most jobs.

What do the experts say?

 

[steve_64]

Looks complicated to me.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Whatever works for you and your biz. Sometimes your location dictates pricing.

 

[BIG WOOD]

I’ve learned that you need to use all the pricing structures

Is it a big empty house and the real estate agent said have fun? Measure it from wall to wall

Or is it a phone call where someone wants s price over the phone? Give them your price per area with a range.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Expect to have many hang up on you when you quote a decent price for cleaning their upholstery.

btw, a great way to weed out people looking for the cheapest price!

 

[Cleanworks]

Expect to have many hang up on you when you quote a decent price for cleaning their upholstery.

I don't like cleaning upholstery anyway. I price it high and if they select me at least it's worth my while. I can happily clean carpet all day long but find upholstery to be back breaking work.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

I don't like cleaning upholstery anyway. I price it high and if they select me at least it's worth my while. I can happily clean carpet all day long but find upholstery to be back breaking work.

Upholstery isn't that awful if you've got good systems for all situations. But, yeah, it's often not as profitable as carpet cleaning unless you work for certain 1% types and many of us here do so it's all in how you are familiar with fabric needs and don't get too crazy but deliver awesome results especially where required.

 

[steve_64]

Right now I charge $135 for 2 rooms and $30 for each additional room, but I am thinking of going to something like this, small bedrooms or offices $45, master bedroom or living room $65, bonus rooms $85. This would give me pricing that is similar to sq. ft. pricing without having to switch to sq. ft. pricing.

I know the pricing debate has been beaten to death on here but I really have no desire to switch to sq. ft. I tried it years ago for awhile and it was too complicated for my brain. I like to offer simple pricing.

Should I just stick with the Stanley Steemer style pricing or switch. The reason I'm thinking about doing this is I'm afraid I might be losing some of the cookie cutter homes with only a few tiny bedrooms to clean. Also after doing some figuring I would actually be making more on most jobs.

What do the experts say?

I'm $50 a room 2 room or $100 min. Price goes up from there depending on urine issues or other stains and odor.
12 x 12 room size regardless of furniture unless I'm moving it then maybe $25 more depends.

I lose about 1 a month due to prices. Maybe 2.

I count rooms and multiply by 5 can't get much easier.

 

[ruff]

If you want it that simple, just average out your yearly (all clients and all sizes) decide how much you want to make on your "average" house and quote it.
You'll loose on some and gain on others. In the long run it will all average out.

Better yet:
Ask them if their home is Bigg-ish, Medium-ish or small-ish.
Price accordingly.

 

[Jim Williams]

I appreciate the input. I'm leaning towards keeping things the same. It's worked for 14 years. My current pricing covers set up time pretty good and one thing I've noticed is that no matter how big the rooms are I always seem to average 30 minutes per room. I can clean 3 wide open rooms as fast as I can clean 3 small cluttered rooms.

 

[Goomer]

Looks complicated to me.

Yea....not so complicated to us, but the less complicated it is to the customer, the better.

Right now I charge $135 for 2 rooms and $30 for each additional room, but I am thinking of going to something like this, small bedrooms or offices $45, master bedroom or living room $65, bonus rooms $85.

Should I just stick with the Stanley Steemer style pricing or switch. The reason I'm thinking about doing this is I'm afraid I might be losing some of the cookie cutter homes with only a few tiny bedrooms to clean. Also after doing some figuring I would actually be making more on most jobs.

You have pointed on a problem I have noticed with "room/area" pricing.

It often means 2 different things to you and to the customer.

To you it means a small bedroom or office, and to them, it can often mean a master bedroom, living room, or bonus room.

I have learned to not throw any numbers out until I know what rooms are involved.

In general, the more bedrooms the better.

Once I hear living room I always follow by inquiring about any dining/hallway/entry areas, because that are the areas that will burn you if the customer tries to sneak them in as being part of ONE "room" due to their very convenient ignorance.

That usually gets to the meat-n-potatoes.

Short and sweet before I throw any numbers at them.

" Likely $$$ at the most.......I may be able to do better on the price once I see the condition".

I find most of the time, 2 things happen here, the customer either is fine with the estimate, or they attempt to justify a possible lesser price by going into detail of the conditions, which is only more of a benefit to you in assessing the job, and a perfect moment to counter by further probing their basic expectations and attempting to "check" them according to their desire for a lower price.

The perfect time to inquire if you are expected to be moving furniture around, or anything else "extra" is when they are fishing for a discounted price.

 

[JohnHawkP]

Your pricing looks pretty good.

I go for a minimum hourly rate when quoting although i don't share that with the client.

$100 per hour is the minimum for me and I look to upsell when the client has stiffed me on size or condition.

 

[roro]

On the one website on which we show pricing it's set out as per below.
roro

"Indicative Prices*
Minimum callout charge - Variable $120 - 180
(mainly dependent on access e.g. drive-on / up path / steps / high-rise )
Carpet cleaning
Lounge / Family / Rumpus - $85
Additional rooms - $40
Average hallway - $25
Stairs (average width) - $40 per full flight"

 

[Mikey P]

Your pricing looks pretty good.

I go for a minimum hourly rate when quoting although i don't share that with the client.

$100 per hour is the minimum for me and I look to upsell when the client has stiffed me on size or condition.

Welcome back John!

 

[JohnHawkP]

Thanks Mikey

 

[jcooper]

I'm sooo thankful my wife takes care of all this!

She kicks butt and has no problem getting them to willingly measure or at least guesstimate their sqft. Without that, we are just making up numbers and I'm waaaay to generous to make up numbers. It was killing us, my kindness(not measuring).

Her quotes are often larger than the actual price, happy clients.

I appreciate the input. I'm leaning towards keeping things the same. It's worked for 14 years. My current pricing covers set up time pretty good and one thing I've noticed is that no matter how big the rooms are I always seem to average 30 minutes per room. I can clean 3 wide open rooms as fast as I can clean 3 small cluttered rooms.

Yep, empties are just gravy! An empty that takes 3 hours could take an extra hour or two furnished with people, kids, dogs, etc. home.

 

[Jim Williams]

I'm sooo thankful my wife takes care of all this!

She kicks butt and has no problem getting them to willingly measure or at least guesstimate their sqft. Without that, we are just making up numbers and I'm waaaay to generous to make up numbers. It was killing us, my kindness(not measuring).

Her quotes are often larger than the actual price, happy clients.




Yep, empties are just gravy! An empty that takes 3 hours could take an extra hour or two furnished with people, kids, dogs, etc. home.

I wish I could get my wife to answer my phone. She used to years ago when I was in the chimney cleaning business and the customers loved talking to her. She would probably double my income because she's also not as generous on pricing as I am. I guess when I'm on the phone I just want to get them booked and have a fear that my prices are too high. Like they say, poor salesmen have skinny children.

 

[SamIam]

Right now I charge $135 for 2 rooms and $30 for each additional room, but I am thinking of going to something like this, small bedrooms or offices $45, master bedroom or living room $65, bonus rooms $85. This would give me pricing that is similar to sq. ft. pricing without having to switch to sq. ft. pricing.

I know the pricing debate has been beaten to death on here but I really have no desire to switch to sq. ft. I tried it years ago for awhile and it was too complicated for my brain. I like to offer simple pricing.

Should I just stick with the Stanley Steemer style pricing or switch. The reason I'm thinking about doing this is I'm afraid I might be losing some of the cookie cutter homes with only a few tiny bedrooms to clean. Also after doing some figuring I would actually be making more on most jobs.

What do the experts say?

Do you have a Sq ft limit on your $135 or $30 per room extra

 

[Jimmy L]

OFER.......................LOOSE..........WTF?

SUPPOSE YOU USE THE WORD.................PROLLY..........TOO!

 

[hogjowl]

OFER.......................LOOSE..........WTF?

SUPPOSE YOU USE THE WORD.................PROLLY..........TOO!

Yeah
And Larry giving advice like he knows carpet cleaning

 

[Jim Williams]

Do you have a Sq ft limit on your $135 or $30 per room extra

No, I don't, but I do have on my website that large bonus rooms are counted as 2 rooms.

 

[CJ-FL]

To me I think the deciding factor on whether to price per area or per sq. ft. Is whether you want to give quotes over the phone or in person. If you dont want to give on site estimates I think you as almost have to have a per area price.

Most people in my areas are elderly, are unable to measure accurately, or are too too bothered to measure for themselves to have an idea of what your cost would be.

On the other hand. If you're always estimating in person, I guess you could decide job by job how you want to do it. If this were the case you could have a per area price that you apply to your average home that is soiled to an average level and swap to per sq. ft. For the not so average homes.

 

[JohnHawkP]

Over in Oz we measure by the square metre.

So an average room is 14 M2

$3 per M2 works out at 3 X 14 = $42

Easy

Do you reckon the States will adopt the metric system?

 

[steve_64]

Its the red headed step child of math here.

 

[SamIam]

To me I think the deciding factor on whether to price per area or per sq. ft. Is whether you want to give quotes over the phone or in person. If you dont want to give on site estimates I think you as almost have to have a per area price.

Most people in my areas are elderly, are unable to measure accurately, or are too too bothered to measure for themselves to have an idea of what your cost would be.

On the other hand. If you're always estimating in person, I guess you could decide job by job how you want to do it. If this were the case you could have a per area price that you apply to your average home that is soiled to an average level and swap to per sq. ft. For the not so average homes.

Ps sq footage guys measure 2 days work 4 days it’s a rough life!

Damn I might have to try it!

 

[CJ-FL]

Ps sq footage guys measure 2 days work 4 days it’s a rough life!

Damn I might have to try it!

Damn is right!... When I get Steemer Black fired up, I've got dibs on that job. lol

 

[ruff]

To me I think the deciding factor on whether to price per area or per sq. ft. Is whether you want to give quotes over the phone or in person. If you dont want to give on site estimates I think you as almost have to have a per area price.

Most people in my areas are elderly, are unable to measure accurately, or are too too bothered to measure for themselves to have an idea of what your cost would be.

On the other hand. If you're always estimating in person, I guess you could decide job by job how you want to do it. If this were the case you could have a per area price that you apply to your average home that is soiled to an average level and swap to per sq. ft. For the not so average homes.

By the square foot here CJ.
No in home estimate. Only by phone. No need for client to measure.

Room sizes are pretty average. With a few questions one can figure out pretty easily what approximately the footage is.
Been doing it for 29 years. Rarely am I substantially off and that's addressed in the phone conversation and email follow up.
Works well for me.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Yeah
And Larry giving advice like he knows carpet cleaning

LTA

 

[hogjowl]