whats your best add on money maker?

[Scott S.]

Currently mine is Carpet protectant, and pet spotter in close second, and leather cleaning in third.

im talking about services or products you sell while your at the customers house cleaning carpet.

 

[Shane Deubell]

We mainly focus on tile for residential.

So carpet is our main upsell.

 

[jcooper]

Upholstery cleaning and rugs.

 

[Mikey P]

Return visits to do tile or upholstery


Or protector..

 

[PrimaDonna]

Protector...all the way.

It's the easiest to get clients to add on, quickest thing to do (vs. adding on a whole kitchen of tile and grout or cleaning a sofa), and most profitable (not a lot of labor hours to apply and inexpensive product).

Protection "upsales" account for 15.8% of our total revenue so far this year. 14.6% for 2014, and 13.5% in 2013. If you aren't currently offering protection, then you are missing out. Imagine adding those percentages to your bottom line at the end of the year. Protector sales alone more than cover techs wages for the year.

Grout Sealer would be our second most, but it pales compared to protection numbers, and then pet damage remediation.

 

[Nampa Carpet Cleaning]

Pet Odor, Red Stains and Upholstery. I only sold 2-3 gallons of protector all last year

 

[Jim Williams]

Upholstery cleaning for me. I give a large discount if I'm cleaning 3 or more rooms. I need to push protector more. The gallon I've had in my van for a few years is looking stanky.

 

[Papa John]

We don't upsell in the home and get positive response because of this. We seldom have the time to do extra work.
I think the home should be a sanctuary from salesmen.
However we do advise them that some of their area rugs should be cleaned in Plant if needed.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

Repairs and stretching. People always pay to have the wrinkles removed.

 

[Kevin B]

Our #1 upsale is Protector. Which gets me thinking. I need to hone my profit margin down some. Who has the best protector bang for the buck?

1. Protector
2. Pet Urine sub surface treatments
3. Repairs
4. Upholstery

 

[Scott S.]

i use maxim advanced, and teflon scotchguard. two best products that you know work, and you don't have to get the run around like other manufacturers on how or if it works. Simply put it works!!

 

[Jim Pemberton]

For what its worth, here are some thoughts I shared in our weekly newsletter. This applies, of course, to whatever brand and flavor protector you prefer:

http://www.ecleanadvisor.com/public/1374.cfm?sd=2

 

[GeneMiller]

We don't upsell in the home and get positive response because of this. We seldom have the time to do extra work.
I think the home should be a sanctuary from salesmen.
However we do advise them that some of their area rugs should be cleaned in Plant if needed.

The customer is hiring you as an expert. An expert should let the customer know what other services they can provide. I'm not talking about selling anything but offering them the opportunity to buy additional services. If they already trust you why wouldn't they want you to clean their upholstery,tile,leather Ect. And then protect or seal it. Just sayin.

Gene

 

[Art Kelley]

We just bought a car last night and the salesman had three upsell programs for our consideration. Some sort of protector for the fabrics (he did a demonstration putting coffee on untreated and treated cardboard LOL) an extended warranty and tire replacement . We declined all of them so he had us watch a special local news report on his laptop about how bad Michigan's roads are and that people are getting this tire replacement, while he left to do something else. I thought my head was going to explode. Then we went to the finance man and he showed us the same programs we just declined. I got up and left his office and made some business calls.
Like John Stewart said, doing a hard sell in the home is annoying to people. I don't like it from other businesses I have to deal with and I think my customers appreciate that I don't do that stuff.

 

[Wing It]

I agree with gene in that if we are good at what we do, we need to let our customers know what we are capable of doing for them. My problem is with the scare tactics some use to upsell.

 

[Johnny]

Upon completion of the carpet job at a long-time customer's house yesterday, she asked whether I would be interested in cleaning the leaves out of the gutters. I had just rescheduled my next job to today, so I said, sure. That's an add-on I'll not be advertising.

 

[Russ T.]

I think the home should be a sanctuary from salesmen.

I definitely want our customers to feel this way too. It's not entirely true, though, because we already sold ourselves enough to get into their home. We are salesmen through the process.

What type of salesman are we? That's the best question I think. We aim to educate a customer on our services and we aim to excel, in knowledge and practice, at every service we offer. Truly offering value to anyone with a surface that needs occasional pro service.

I WANT the confidence in protector that some seem to have. Maybe it's just confidence in the profit? Maybe it's not? I just don't have the confidence to sell it like I wish I did. Maybe I need to lower the price, to make me feel a little better about it?

I almost perform miracles daily on carpet that hasn't been cleaned or protected in years, with my RotoVac. It makes selling protector hard for me. It shouldn't. That's when protector is most valuable. After a THOROUGH cleaning.

Ugh.

I think I'm on the brink of becoming a better salesman.

Pet treatment represents our biggest upsell.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We just bought a car last night and the salesman had three upsell programs for our consideration. Some sort of protector for the fabrics (he did a demonstration putting coffee on untreated and treated cardboard LOL) an extended warranty and tire replacement . We declined all of them so he had us watch a special local news report on his laptop about how bad Michigan's roads are and that people are getting this tire replacement, while he left to do something else. I thought my head was going to explode. Then we went to the finance man and he showed us the same programs we just declined. I got up and left his office and made some business calls.
Like John Stewart said, doing a hard sell in the home is annoying to people. I don't like it from other businesses I have to deal with and I think my customers appreciate that I don't do that stuff.

Congrats on the new car!

Man you have patience. I get pissed, not loud but pissed that someone cannot understand the words "Not interested".

I'd have two plans for them. (1) Sell me the car without the dog & pony show or I'm going to go to a dealer that will just sell me the car.

Its been 10-years since I last bought a new car but I did help my father buy one when he was still alive. I paid for a consumer reports report on what we should be able to get for price. He found what he wanted and I told the salesman this is what I wanted to pay. He said they couldn't do that they would loses money. I showed him the report, said if he couldn't there are a dozen Toyota dealers with an hours drive. We will find one that will.

He took it to the sales manager and my father bought the car. No games no up sells, just the car.
I know I'm a dick...so what.

 

[Nate The Great]

He took it to the sales manager and my father bought the car. No games no up sells, just the car.
I know I'm a dick...so what.

Acceptance is the first step...... I'm proud of you!

 

[Papa John]

The customer is hiring you as an expert. An expert should let the customer know what other services they can provide. I'm not talking about selling anything but offering them the opportunity to buy additional services. If they already trust you why wouldn't they want you to clean their upholstery,tile,leather Ect. And then protect or seal it. Just sayin.

Gene

Most of our customers are presold before we arrive in their home. If our customers wanted our opinion or sales pitch they would ask..
I am a big enough person to realize that our high end clients don't care what we CCS think.. they like that we get In and get done quickly. And we like getting done early also.. we Can act this way because we are swamped as it is... I prefer to SHOW people what I can do-- Then to do a Razzle Dazzle Sales talk to them.

 

[GeneMiller]

Most of our customers are presold before we arrive in their home. If our customers wanted our opinion or sales pitch they would ask..
I am a big enough person to realize that our high end clients don't care what we CCS think.. they like that we get In and get done quickly. And we like getting done early also.. we Can act this way because we are swamped as it is... I prefer to SHOW people what I can do-- Then to do a Razzle Dazzle Sales talk to them.

John if your customers are PRESOLD before you get to their home then somebody is giving them a sales pitch. Personally I don't give anybody a sales pitch. I am going to apprise them of all my services. I've been to a home before when they have somebody else coming to clean their tile. You aren't going to tell them you can provide that service. True consumers want to be educated. I don't advertise anywhere, including no website. I haven't for over 20 years. yesterday we did a job where she said you are going to protect everything, right. I've probably been going there at least 2 x a year for over ten years. Since the first time she has purchased protector. If I had never mentioned it, it would be hers and my loss.
Telling someone you can provide them with a service is doing them a favor. When they need the service they know who to call. I don't clean drapes but I refer them to someone. I also refer a painter, plumber, a/c ,electrician , carpet repairs, marble guy and even a guy who grout stains. I don't see any difference. If I did those services I would sure tell them about me.

Gene

 

[Papa John]

I should clarify-- our sales pitch is Passive-- we list our services on the web. During the booking call the dispatcher might take the time to Ask if they need anything else cleaned.

It's amazing what you can sell when u tell/show people you Don't like to "Sell"-- maybe they put their guard down and then they can be sold with greater ease..

 

[GeneMiller]

I was in sales and was very good at it. I was usually 1st or 2nd in the office. I was never out of the top 10 in a very large company. The reason I did well was because I realize nobody wants to be sold. However , we all need services and have to buy stuff. If they like you they want to use you. It's just that simple. I'm basically just referring myself. i don't offer anything to them that they don't need, and I never pressure anyone to make a now decision. I always tell them I've been here 25 years just call if you decide you want it. I list all my services on my cards, truck and the back of my shirt. You'd be surprised at how many people say , I didn't know you clean tile when I tell them.

Gene.

 

[Royal Man]

For the holy-er than thou, leave money on the table guys. Just learn and teach the correct way to offer other services that will benefit the client. Its not selling. Its being a professional. I personally feel that NOT offering a service or product that will help a client. Is a dis-service and an unprofessional way to treat a client. The more it help my client with services that will benefit them. The happier my cients are. So, make Happy Clients. Sell the hell out of them. But, do it the correct way. As the educated, sincere, professional that guides their clients. Double those tickets and double your clients satisfactuon.