15.00 per room

[Curtis Pennington]

Local competion is now advertising 15.00 a room...billboards, radio I also saw a mass email there sending out to my commercial account with price...3 rooms for 45.00 #the economy tough and were here to help"...lol

Thes guys are gettting desperate...I know there has to be a catch but i havent fiquered it out yet...I think Ill call...hmmm

 

[Chris A]

Set up a hidden camera like Joe Polish!

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Just called and they said no hidden charges just a special spring promotion....I laughed and hung up...lol

 

[Ron Werner]

The catch will be , do you want prespray with that? Protector? Deodorizer? move furn?
'OH, you want us to actually clean it!!??'

 

[TimP]

Bait N switch for sure.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Bait N switch for sure.

Not always. Could just be a guy who doesnt mind making 10 bucks an hour.

 

[Bob Foster]

I just ran across a Service Master quote that they made today for a 1300 townhouse. I guess they are cleaning about 800 squares. They have a good reputation but are none the less production cleaners.

Open and empty
3 BR
1 LR
2 sets of stairs
10' hallway

dog - cat - some soiling - lighter carpet

$120.00 (.15 per foot) :roll:

 

[hogjowl]

I'm not going to go so far as to immediately accuse that company of being a bait-n-switch company. I can see where a single operator, with low overhead and a paid for TM, MIGHT could make a living with that pricing policy in our respective markets, Curtis, but man ... it wouldn't be MUCH of a living!

I have a local company who has always been a bait-n-switch company in the past. They were here 20 years ago when I started (if I remember correctly) and they're still here. The owner lives well (has toys), and has a business in Birmingham, too, or so rumor has it. Last year, I was surprised to see them moving away from B & S and raising their prices to respectible levels. However, I got a call today from an old customer that I haven't heard from in a couple of years asking me to come out and re-clean her Den tomorrow. Seems this company screwed her over this morning and have gone back to their old habits.

I guess the economy made them go back to what they know best.

 

[The Preacher]

who would turn down $225 per day 5 days a week if it's as dead as some are claiming???

$1125 would pay lots of bills and and bridge the gap!!!

 

[Ken Snow]

Perhaps instead of just lol'g Curtis, it could be informative to try to learn exactly how they can do it. Maybe they do work on a low margin but have high volume with many crews, and do good/premium quality work. That is our model albeit at a somewhat higher price. There are lots of ways to make money in any industry and they can work in harmony.

Does Captital Grille call Ruth's Chris a bait and switch? Does Outback Steakhouse call ponderosa B & S? Does The Ground Round call McDonalds B & S? We have cleaners alleging to get .80 sq ft or more and all the way down to 25 a room like us (and possibly less) and we're all trying to give our clients a quality service and create cheerleaders. I personally have never come n contact with someone I would call a B & S'r

Ken

 

[bob vawter]

I just ran across a Service Master quote that they made today for a 1300 townhouse. I guess they are cleaning about 800 squares. They have a good reputation but are none the less production cleaners.

Open and empty
3 BR
1 LR
2 sets of stairs
10' hallway

dog - cat - some soiling - lighter carpet

$120.00 (.15 per foot) :roll:

LR BR & H..$44.95
BR............$12.95
BR............$12.95
STEPS......$12.95
STEPS......$12.95

$96.75!!!! Would you lik some paper rolled out mam?

 

[Curtis Pennington]

I'm not going to go so far as to immediately accuse that company of being a bait-n-switch company. I can see where a single operator, with low overhead and a paid for TM, MIGHT could make a living with that pricing policy in our respective markets, Curtis, but man ... it wouldn't be MUCH of a living!

I have a local company who has always been a bait-n-switch company in the past. They were here 20 years ago when I started (if I remember correctly) and they're still here. The owner lives well (has toys), and has a business in Birmingham, too, or so rumor has it. Last year, I was surprised to see them moving away from B & S and raising their prices to respectible levels. However, I got a call today from an old customer that I haven't heard from in a couple of years asking me to come out and re-clean her Den tomorrow. Seems this company screwed her over this morning and have gone back to their old habits.

I guess the economy made them go back to what they know best.

his company has 10 trucks

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Perhaps instead of just lol'g Curtis, it could be informative to try to learn exactly how they can do it. Mayube they ydo work on a low margin but have high volume with many crews, and do good/premium quality work. That is our model albeit at a somewhat higher price. There are lots of ways to make money in any industry and they can work in harmony.

Does Captital Grille call Ruth's Chris a bait and switch? Does Outback Steakhouse call ponderosa B & S? Does The Gground Round call McDonalds B & S? We have cleaners alleging to get .80 sq ft or more and all the way down to 25 a room like us (and possibly less) and we're all trying to give our clients a quality service and create cheerleaders. I personally have never come n contact with someone Ii would call a B & S'r

Ken

I can see 25 0r 20 but not 15....and they have crappy crews nose rings, tats and probation monitors(true story on an ankle)..and im not cleaning 3 rooms for 45.00.

 

[Ken Snow]

That certainly would not be what I would want but again if they are satisfying a need and employing people vs having them be a burden to society what the heck.

 

[joey895]

I had a price shopper just the other day that when I followed up with them said they were going with C****** because they were only $15 per room. Honestly I didn't think much about it because they've always been among the cheapest around. I've heard they're not doing so hot but it's just hearsay I don't really know anything about them besides they and SS are the two companies that I hear the most complain about. In fact just yesterday I re-cleaned a house that they just recently cleaned. It was pretty bad, quite a few spots and it was still just overall dirty. I always just kind of chalked it up to them being the two biggest.

 

[Curtis Pennington]

That certainly would not be what I would want but again if they are satisfying a need and employing people vs having them be a burden to society what the heck.

Im not hiring someone with an ankle monitor even if he was my brother....well he was my half brother (true story) Ken you must be a dEmocrat....lol

 

[Curtis Pennington]

I had a price shopper just the other day that when I followed up with them said they were going with C****** because they were only $15 per room. Honestly I didn't think much about it because they've always been among the cheapest around. I've heard they're not doing so hot but it's just hearsay I don't really know anything about them besides they and SS are the two companies that I hear the most complain about. In fact just yesterday I re-cleaned a house that they just recently cleaned. It was pretty bad, quite a few spots and it was still just overall dirty. I always just kind of chalked it up to them being the two biggest.

Yup we get the same complaints............

 

[Ken Snow]

Either I misspoke or you interpreted me wrong Curtis, cause I am about as far from a democrat as can be. I am closest to a libertarian as I want the fed gov out of our lives as much as possible and to only protect our borders as it was intended.

Democrats imo would make us all clean at the same price stiffling enterpenurial spirit. :-)

Ken
Ps There is now way I would hire someone with an ankle tether to go into someone's house, nor one with a criminal record period. That doesn't mean other's shouldn't be able to choose to use him/her in whatever capaity they choose.

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Ken I was just messing with ya brother...

 

[XTREME1]

why were you messing with kens brother. Is he on payroll

Now this is how rumors are started

 

[Ken Snow]

you guys didn't Curtis and I are brothers? We even went to different shcools together.

 

[rhino1]

What about this:

$9.99/room
5 room min.
no furniture moving
Pre-spray $7.50/room
no prevac
no corner guards
over 100 sf considered 2 rooms

Is this bait & switch? I don't think it is. Offer this in the lower class neighborhoods, put flyers on the door for $9.99/room. If they really only wanted the traffic lanes cleaned for that price, you could at least use an emulsifier and a dry pass with the wand. Me and my help could do at least 6 jobs a day.

I figure the average would probably be $75 to $100 per job at that price. That's not counting those jobs where you are going to get to do upholstery, air ducts, protector, etc.

Keep in mind that these are areas where the homes are pretty small to begin with, the cost of living is really low - the average annual salary here is $44K/year.

With the aggressive marketing in this area right now, I am getting about 10 calls a week - all price shoppers, and we are actually booking about 2 out of 10, that's at $25 a room. Nobody seems to give a damn about the level of service or anything else except price! I spend about 10 to 15 minutes on the phone, have a wonderful conversation, and still - no sale. So if the market is requiring that I offer a lowball price just to get in the door, do I have a choice, really?

 

[steve r]

when are you guys oing to quite worryin about anyone else.take care of your own business and youll be fine.

 

[Guest]

Why do you care how they run their business! are you intimadated by them?
Their just doing jobs that no one else wants.

Be thinkful for them thats what keeps us in business!

 

[Ron Werner]

You'd have to see if they will really clean for $9.99 + $7.50 for prespray.

BTW, what are they going to do for $10 a room with no prespray!!!!?????

Why do you care how they run their business! are you intimadated by them?
Their just doing jobs that no one else wants.

Be thinkful for them thats what keeps us in business!

BECAUSE they most likely call themselves "professional" cleaners. And they mislead people to think that they hired a "professional".
Why do you think people are tearing out carpet??
Why do you think there was a "need" for the SOA crap?
I can look after my business, my 1000 clients know what "professional" cleaning is. Your clients know. All the people served by good cleaners probably isn't even half of what these guys are messing up. They aren't just going into trashed homes. Watch those sting vids, people that would be our clients are calling because they think one company is the same as the rest and if they can get it for $10, why pay $100.
People are getting scammed and it puts a huge black eye on this industry.


Thats why.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

There is someone out there that is cheapier than Greg. Wow

 

[rhino1]

One guy that does this uses a Whittaker and their shampoo.

If I did it, I would use something like Dry slurry. I think JD carries some pretty cheap emulsifier.

I am new to this area, if I had an existing customer base I don't think I would be as concerned.

 

[diamond brian]

Here's an ad from CraigsList. It doesn't really bother me unless he puts signs in my neighborhood--after all, we all gotta have a business model. I put the xxxx there.

Truck Mount Carpet Cleaning - $45 (Metro Tulsa)
Reply to: sale-1046749814@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-02-23, 10:02AM CST


Need your carpet cleaned?



Call Bubba's Carpet Cleaning at 918 340-xxxx

5 rooms up to 1000 SF only $45.00

Best price guaranteed. Fully Bonded & Insured for your protection.

Call 918-340-xxxx




* Location: Metro Tulsa
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests