I got a little testy with my response on a large bid

Nomad74

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Last year I cleaned a three story office complex. The office management was impressed with my results and promised to use me again. So this year they contacted me and wanted me to go through the entire bid process again. They said they had removed some carpet from some areas and I would need to remeasure. It turned out that they had removed only about 200sqft of carpet. Then they removed a stairwell and added in another stairwell.

So I wrote up the bid and emailed it to them. I had raised my prices by $.02. Even with the 200sqft of carpet missing the estimate was only $20 more than last year. This afternoon I got a snarky email from the lady managing the bids. She said that she noticed that I had raised my price from last year and that will reflect in their decision process.

I felt a spike in my blood pressure. I responded back the following:

"Yes, Prices went up. Are you paying more for fuel, insurance, materials, and services than you did last year? I sure am. Most carpet cleaners price themselves to go out of business. I price myself to stay in business so I can continue to offer my customers the best cleaning possible. I appreciate the opportunity.

Thanks,

Damon
A Plus Carpet Cleaning. "

Honestly, If I don't get the job, I'm okay with that. I'm so busy and have taken a page out of @Mikey P 's playbook by offering quality cleaning and building my book of business with people that know the difference. It took a few years, but I got there eventually.
 
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You and Saiger with your .02 increases.

Gas goes up .52 in Ca tomorrow...
We charged.50 C SQFT today on this....
And yes, it was was hot out. And yes, we charged a ‘pet fee’ of 250$...

CC9D7207-1A28-48DF-B461-6DB989B3B3E6.png
 
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Jim Pemberton

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Last year I cleaned a three story office complex. The office management was impressed with my results and promised to use me again. So this year they contacted me and wanted me to go through the entire bid process again. They said they had removed some carpet from some areas and I would need to remeasure. It turned out that they had removed only about 200sqft of carpet. Then they removed a stairwell and added in another stairwell.

So I wrote up the bid and emailed it to them. I had raised my prices by $.02. Even with the 200sqft of carpet missing the estimate was only $20 more than last year. This afternoon I got a snarky email from the lady managing the bids. She said that she noticed that I had raised my price from last year and that will reflect in their decision process.

I felt a spike in my blood pressure. I responded back the following:

"Yes, Prices went up. Are you paying more for fuel, insurance, materials, and services than you did last year? I sure am. Most carpet cleaners price themselves to go out of business. I price myself to stay in business so I can continue to offer my customers the best cleaning possible. I appreciate the opportunity.

Thanks,

Damon
A Plus Carpet Cleaning. "

Honestly, If I don't get the job, I'm okay with that. I'm so busy and have taken a page out of @Mikey P 's playbook by offering quality cleaning and building my book of business with people that know the difference. It took a few years, but I got there eventually.

A very good answer if you didn’t want the job. Otherwise, the first and last sentence might have been better,

As your business matures (and your body ages), leaving low profit jobs to the young and hungry is an act of charity to them, and one of mercy to your joints and muscles.
 

Nomad74

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A very good answer if you didn’t want the job. Otherwise, the first and last sentence might have been better,

As your business matures (and your body ages), leaving low profit jobs to the young and hungry is an act of charity to them, and one of mercy to your joints and muscles.
She pissed me off. I knew exactly what I was doing. I do hope they don't use me. I don't feel like working all day on a Saturday in 100 degree temps for people that want the lowest bidder. Yeah, I'm jaded.
 

Cleanworks

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Had a lady call and ask for a quote on a 2 bedroom apt. I told her $200 plus tax. She said she could find someone cheaper. I told her to have at it
 
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BIG WOOD

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I went to the grocery store today to buy some beet juice for my elderly customers who are having some health problems. She gave me a sweet hug when I told her not to pay me.
 
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Desk Jockey

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Good for you. "It's not a race to the bottom"
We stopped working Saturdays a long time ago.
I could tell you how stoopid that statement is Ron, but I believe you're too ignorant to grasp it. 😉

Seriously isn't Saturday just another day? I hear many cleaners say they dont work Saturday's. However most clients are off Saturday and expect a service provider to work weekends.

Couldn't you just take a day or even two off during the week? 🤔
 
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Mikey P

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I could tell you how stoopid that statement is Ron, but I believe you're too ignorant to grasp it. 😉

Seriously isn't Saturday just another day? I hear many cleaners say they dont work Saturday's. However most clients are off Saturday and expect a service provider to work weekends.

Couldn't you just take a day or even two off during the week? 🤔

Dont you have a pad to wash?
 
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steve_64

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I've been getting calls from customers making rude comments about prices also.
Guess they all want more money for their work while stiffing others.

But we are all in this together.
 

Nomad74

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I could tell you how stoopid that statement is Ron, but I believe you're too ignorant to grasp it. 😉

Seriously isn't Saturday just another day? I hear many cleaners say they dont work Saturday's. However most clients are off Saturday and expect a service provider to work weekends.

Couldn't you just take a day or even two off during the week? 🤔
I'm trying to take weekends off. I had to do it. My kids started calling the Mailman "Daddy".
 

Desk Jockey

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Not spending enough time with my kids when they were little is my only regret in the cleaning business.

Their mom basically formed who they became, good, caring, decent people.

I'd just fookem up, bunch little bastards walkin around cussing. Not a pretty sight. 😉
 

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