10k sq ft and the Vortex

[daniel@procarpet]

Sorry I had to put Vortex in the tittle.

I had to do a bid for a company with five locations here that needs monthly cleaning.

I have only seen the first location which is 10k sq ft. It is a cafeteria with several hundred tables with chairs.

They are looking to get traffic areas cleaned and spot cleaning done once per month and quarterly deep cleanings.

The carpet is really only dirty in a few areas.

A low moisture cleaning system would be ideal for this job.

Here is my problem. The company doing it now uses a Vortex and I assume cleans traffic areas which is still a ton of carpet for 275. :shock:

I would have to park 200' from the job site and then need another 300' of hose.

Deep cleaning would really only need to be done on about half the job. Everything else could be done with pixie dust (I love that stuff).

My approach would be to low moisture clean traffic areas. That would take 4-5 hours. If I was desperate and needed money, then maybe 350. They are paying 275 now.

I would never steam clean all of it for less than 1200-1500 dollars. So I could make 800-1000 for quarterly deep cleanings.

Like I said this is five locations done monthly.

I guess I just don't operate that kind of company.

I like getting paid good for minimal work.

With that said I did a dealership last night with one pad and a bucket of encap. They were thrilled and it was the easiest 600 I ever made. So I need to invest in an Orbot type machine.

 

[Ken Snow]

Is there a question here?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[daniel@procarpet]

Yes would you work for nothing just to be working, and are my numbers good?

(Monthly cleaning of 350 to run orbital through traffic areas and 1000 to do quarterly deep cleanings)

They are paying 500 for deep cleaning and 275 for traffic areas.

I can't work that cheap. I could if I had employees that would bust ass for 50 dollars a cleaning.

I am going to submit a bid higher and really not care if I get the work or not.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

It doesnt matter what the last company is charging, charge what you charge. Back it up with the value of your service and explain the time involved to do the quality job. They called you out for a reason... doubt its because the VORTEX does a bad job, it because they splash and dash from the sound of it.

 

[Royal Man]

If they stick to the monthly cleaning Encap bonett cleaning should do the trick. It in all probabilaty never need HWE ('cept maybe the first cleaning) I do encap bonett in some places monthly for that haven't ben steam cleaned for many years. And the clients say the carpets have never looked better.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

Well I sent the bid and explained what would be entailed.

1000 for quarterly deep cleanings. Even then only 50 percent of the job would be deep cleaned. We would just be moving tables.

350 for monthly traffic areas and spot cleaning. This can be done in about 4 hours with one person or 2 hours with two machines going.

The sad part is they just paid for a deep cleaning and the carpet looked bad in the walk off areas. I know it is from poor chemicals. To be honest there is only about a thousand sq ft of carpet that needs attention.

The other locations are smaller so will be more profitable.

My machine of choice would be the ORBOT. I want one anyways.

I'm turning into Brian more and more.

 

[floorguy]

so is this why you are bidding it??? they are unhappy with what it is now???


then of course go higher and explain to them...might be they are just tired of crappy jobs....

how tired will depend on how much higher they will pay...

anyone else bidding??


and moving tables....ick in a time and another person sense

 

[rwcarpet]

I'm on the same track as you, Daniel. I have been back to the same health care provider office 5 times in 5 years, and they never close the deal. I go up every year because they haven't cleaned it regularly, if at all. I bid it even higher this year because it needed cleaning 5 years ago and they haven't pulled the trigger on cleaning.

Oh...they just dropped $60 million on an updated computer system, so I don't feel bad trying to get the top dollar. Their employees deserve a clean environment.

 

[floorguy]

why is it that health care places are some of the cheapest??? aside from what they charge...


shouldnt it be kept CLEAN???

 

[Ken Snow]

I'm on the same track as you, Daniel. I have been back to the same health care provider office 5 times in 5 years, and they never close the deal. I go up every year because they haven't cleaned it regularly, if at all. I bid it even higher this year because it needed cleaning 5 years ago and they haven't pulled the trigger on cleaning.

Oh...they just dropped $60 million on an updated computer system, so I don't feel bad trying to get the top dollar. Their employees deserve a clean environment.

Robert- Obviously I don't know anything about the job for the health care provider you quoted 5 times now but I wonder what would have happened had you dropped your price a bit or found a way to work in whatever budget they had (SFS concept) and had been cleaning it for 5 years now instead of going there and spending time/money and getting no return.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Sorry I had to put Vortex in the tittle.

I had to do a bid for a company with five locations here that needs monthly cleaning.

I have only seen the first location which is 10k sq ft. It is a cafeteria with several hundred tables with chairs.

They are looking to get traffic areas cleaned and spot cleaning done once per month and quarterly deep cleanings.

The carpet is really only dirty in a few areas.

A low moisture cleaning system would be ideal for this job.

Here is my problem. The company doing it now uses a Vortex and I assume cleans traffic areas which is still a ton of carpet for 275. :shock:

I would have to park 200' from the job site and then need another 300' of hose.

Deep cleaning would really only need to be done on about half the job. Everything else could be done with pixie dust (I love that stuff).

My approach would be to low moisture clean traffic areas. That would take 4-5 hours. If I was desperate and needed money, then maybe 350. They are paying 275 now.

I would never steam clean all of it for less than 1200-1500 dollars. So I could make 800-1000 for quarterly deep cleanings.

Like I said this is five locations done monthly.

I guess I just don't operate that kind of company.

I like getting paid good for minimal work.

With that said I did a dealership last night with one pad and a bucket of encap. They were thrilled and it was the easiest 600 I ever made. So I need to invest in an Orbot type machine.

We cant assume anything, do the math.

I bet we could do 10k gross but only in traffic lanes for $300 in right situation, definitely encap no question.Define traffic lanes , some companies think its only hallways/lobby.

sounds like every thursday

 

[Mike Draper]

why is it that health care places are some of the cheapest??? aside from what they charge...


shouldnt it be kept CLEAN???

Our health care folks around here are our best paying clients. I charge premium and they are always happy, been cleaning for many of them for at least a few years. Some really large buildings as well.

 

[rwcarpet]

I'm on the same track as you, Daniel. I have been back to the same health care provider office 5 times in 5 years, and they never close the deal. I go up every year because they haven't cleaned it regularly, if at all. I bid it even higher this year because it needed cleaning 5 years ago and they haven't pulled the trigger on cleaning.

Oh...they just dropped $60 million on an updated computer system, so I don't feel bad trying to get the top dollar. Their employees deserve a clean environment.

Robert- Obviously I don't know anything about the job for the health care provider you quoted 5 times now but I wonder what would have happened had you dropped your price a bit or found a way to work in whatever budget they had (SFS concept) and had been cleaning it for 5 years now instead of going there and spending time/money and getting no return.

Ken.....these people had no intension of cleaning. Even the management company that owns the building have asked them to work with me. They just don't want to spend the money. Now, if I would drop the price down to 5 cents a foot, or lower, I'm sure they might do something. It is a very difficult setup, lot's of "nooks and crannies" to navigate around. Just one of those PITA jobs. Now, if I had a garage full of trucks and crews to keep working, it would be worth the lower price.

 

[Royal Man]

I have the same problem with health care providers. Some place I have been giving bids every year for over ten years and they still haven't cleaned them. I can't believe doctor clinics that should be sanitary never clean their carpet. They have hundreds of sick people there every day.

It's about the same for most commercial here. The first thing that gets cut on the budget is maintenance. So, carpet just never get cleaned. My yearly accounts are now going every 2-3 years now if at all.

 

[juniorc82]

Is there a question here?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

No question , it sees to be dan attempting to pat himself on the back or seek some sort of confirmation he made the right choice. I have grown use to estimating comercial work by time rather than square footage. I have priced out commercial for below .10 cents a square and still managed to average $110- $120 per hour. I read an article in cleanfax recently that talked about commercial vs residential pricing and how commercial cant be bid like resi.. I once attended a iicrc class at jon don st louis , I spoke to a classmate who worked for a company that cleaned fed ex in memphis. He told me that they only got $0.025 cents per square foot! . I guess in this market it is up to us to make the work profitable or pass it on to someone who will.

 

[Ken Snow]

Well said Jon

Roger- I'm not judging whether or not you or we would or should do the job, just not sure why you would spend time energy on it for 5 years, other than perhaps emailing or calling if you are sure you are not getting the job. I would cut my losses and move on or find out the price they want to pay and see if I could make that fit into what we could offer. Maybe there is a level of cleaning that would work for both i.e. high traffic areas only etc..