Today's price objection....

[Mikey P]

good gravy Megster, what is the median house price out there?

 

[SamIam]

They have tax on a service where your at?? or do you tax the chemicals you use?

 

[Doug Cox]

I'm always impressed at what people can make cleaning carpets, and good for you but you really didn't close the deal. Some people don't value quality workmanship. In respect to doing Wall to wall versus open areas, I generally will knock down the estimate by 30%.

 

[ruff]

Ofer if it doesn't set you off, would you tell me if you are room or sq/ft?

Everything sets the Hebrew off.

The mere fact that I'm interested will probably set him off.

By the square foot, you hicks .

Currently:
In general, the cost for cleaning up to 300 square feet of synthetic carpeting (measured wall to wall-our minimum charge) or 28 stairs is: $189.00- If it is the 1st, or second floor and if we can use a truck mount unit (be able to legally park right by your place). Third floor or more than 150 feet of hose- $239.00

Any additional footage, thereafter, costs 45 cents per square foot (portable machine- 50 cents). Normal width stairs (approximately 30” wide) are $5.00 per stair. Wool and woven carpets are charged at a higher rate.

Do let me know if you're after the Hebrew version.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks Ofer, I was just kidding with ya.....but I'm fairly sure the pig was serious!

 

[Bjorn]

להתגבר על עצמכם

 

[Dolly Llama]

what is the median house price out there?

google

Bucks county has a large population density ...mostly white bread crackers too.

didn't look at home values, but the medium family income is just under $70K

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania



..L.T.A.

 

[PrimaDonna]

good gravy Megster, what is the median house price out there?

We primarily sevice Bucks and Montgomery counties. I'd say most of the homes we service are in the $400/800k range. Average home 3,500-4,500 sq ft. And many over $1m.

Here is some income data.

Montgomery County, PA Income and Salaries. The income per capita is $41,330, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $78,984.

Bucks County, PA Income and Salaries. The income per capita is $37,171, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $76,859.

The largest town we draw from is doylestown. Here is the home price info.

Avg. Listing Price
$697,832

Median Sales Price
$383,000

 

[PrimaDonna]

They have tax on a service where your at?? or do you tax the chemicals you use?

Yes. We have to charge 6% PA sales tax on all services.

 

[SamIam]

I thought California was bad we still don't have sales tax on a service but it's coming!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

hush your mouth....

Kentucky doesn't either, but I'm sure it's coming.

 

[EDS]

Up here in BC we do not have sales tax on services either... But it is coming ...

 

[PrimaDonna]

We don't have sales tax on clothing tho....so that is really nice.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Like everything else in NY its a PIA.

No sales tax on carpet/upholstery but yes on scotchgard, pet treatments, etc.
Yes on all tile/stone and general cleaning.

But what if we include scotchgard in the price?
Who knows ....

 

[Mikey P]

No tax on carpet but on tile?


Too funny.

 

[KevinD]

No tax on carpet but on tile?


Too funny.

Welcome to NY, tax code very confusing.
We even have a tax on things like large marshmellows but not small miniture ones.

 

[Mikey P]

What if you used small marshmallows to grout the tile?

 

[Shane Deubell]

This is the People's Republic of NY, they would find a way to tax you .

Why carpet cleaning is exempt is beyond me.

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

When a customer or friend asks me "if I can do it cheaper", I've always wanted to say:

1.) "Let me check with the guys first to see if their willing to take a paycut on this job" or....

2.) "Mam, how would you feel if your boss came up to you and asked you to work for free one day a month to help the company out" or....

3.) Your friend asks "how cheap can you clean my carpets?" You then reply "it depends, I have a ton of leaves in my backyard that needs raked and bagged up by noon tomorrow, how low do you want your carpet cleaning price to be? or....

4.) Mam, I'd love to but every time I ask the guys to work cheaper they would rob you blind and the job will end up costing you more in the long run. That's why we work to keep these prices at this high service level.

......maybe I better save these responses for 6 months before retirement and disappear in a flash to an exotic warm climate = PARADISE!

 

[Dave Rampage]

If you are not moving any furniture you could offer 40% off and i'll bed you would still make the same hourly money. If you don't take the money somebody else will. There was a time I thought like you did. I have changed and make a lot more money now. You don't have to lower your quality to still meet her in the middle.

 

[Braden bell]

Some good points here about location. Some of the prices I read on here would be hard to get in our area. You would definitely be targeting a small percentage of our population. I'm in Tillamook OR

 

[Mikey P]

It's all relative Braden.


How much is a nice 3/2 track home in Tillamook?

 

[Braden bell]

I'm on the east end on the edge of city limits. If you were to look on Google Earth or something you would look for alder lane or the junior high school. There was a guy that built three around the corner from us. They were listed at 199. I think he got in the 180s. That's a hard question to answer the last few years after the whole housing bubble thing. We have our beach home areas nearby and those people will pay and call cleaners out of Portland sometimes. Those are the customers I like. We did one last week and when I told . 25 Per ft. She didn't hesitate. I mentioned protector at .15 more. No hesitation. But to stay busy you have to have locals. I've gotten pretty good at explaining my system so it takes the intimidation out of it for them. I always remind my wife. How do you feel when you know we have to call a plumber. The potential cost is intimidating. Remove that. Personalize the conversation and it seems to work ok. We are not that busy with carpet though. We have a janitorial business. Pretty much everything cleaning but powerwashing

 

[Braden bell]

Just read your first sentence mikey. That was basically my point. Definitely not bashing anybody. You should hear my prices when I don't actually want the job

 

[Mikey P]

oh I knew your point exactly, just wondering what a Cheddar Cheese house costs..lol

 

[KevinL]

You couldn't get those prices here, I don't care if you had Playboy bunnies cleaning naked. 3br, 2 bath house here goes for $130 to $200. I have 45 competitors with a population of around 200,000. I'm not sure if it's because of a large SS here or some guys cleaning for 2/$69 but people would laugh at us if we tried to charge those prices. I charge 2/$95 then $25 a room. Stanley does specials for 3/ $99. There is a guy here that does the first room for $39.95, additional rooms for $19.95.

 

[Able 1]

Meg what if your husband gets hurt? Would your customers except your price? Not having a back up plan could be a recipe for a life changing disaster.. Congrats on your pricing, but no one knows what tomorrow brings.. Be ready, always! How many do you employ?

 

[Carbonated Carpet Woman]

I think you handled it very professionally and gave her some options to work with. Since you're not desperate for work, you have the ability to stand your ground and you did so very nicely.

Marty, I have a friend who always says, "There's a reason "O" follows "N" in the alphabet!

 

[PrimaDonna]

Meg what if your husband gets hurt? Would your customers except your price? Not having a back up plan could be a recipe for a life changing disaster.. Congrats on your pricing, but no one knows what tomorrow brings.. Be ready, always! How many do you employ?

We have a full time tech that works with John and there is me.

Several years ago, we had that happen. I was 7 months pregnant with my first and a kid ran a stop light (cell phone) and plowed into us (from my side). Totaled the car. It was a miracle that my air bag did not deploy, but John's did. Baby and I were fine, John, not so much. The impact and jolt/shoulder belt holding him back, he tore his rotator cuff. We waited as long as we could for surgery. Hired what we thought was going to be a temp guy to help us get through. John trained him before surgery to get technique down. John still went to every job, did the walk through, pricing etc. but couldn't push the wand. In a sling for 6 weeks and 6 months before he had full mobility/strength back.

We planned to let the tech go after. But found that our average job ticket had increased. Could have been that person thought 2 guys could handle more work and they were more likely to add on....could have been that John had time to chat and build rapport, gain trust and suggest other services that they added on. Either way, that was the tipping point for us to know we had to have a second guy on the truck. And we haven't looked back since. At one point we had two techs and John was off the truck, but he missed it. So he's back on.

He maybe getting older....but he's still got the stuff and can out clean anyone we've ever had. As a matter of fact our guy called out on Friday and John did a $3,300 day...by himself!

It would suck if he were injured where he couldn't be back on the truck again, but we would figure it out. I can't do the physical labor, but we could train someone. I can go on the truck and do all the estimating and client schmoozing if I have someone to do the labor. Anyone can learn to clean carpet and do a good job at it. We are where we are because of the relationship we have with our clients. That is something, we've learned, can't be taught. We have to have the right personality on the truck to deliver that. If that means it's me, then I have someone else do all the administrative stuff I do.

 

[hogjowl]

Where there's a will ...

And, when you depend on your business to live, there's always a will.