Anyone have a milage charge for far-away jobs?

[Steve Lawrence]

I've been asked to clean about 35 miles away--which is not in our usual area. I want to do it but feel we need to be compensated for the trip (I know it's not that far but hey, we gotta make bank.)

What is a fair rate? The trip takes about 45 minutes one way. So it is an unproductive hour and a half plus vehicle wear and tear and gas not to mention my 2 technicians with a combined 30 years experience in a brand new $72,000 Butler. Job is about $250.

Thanks!

 

[Desk Jockey]

We would charge $1.00 a mile round trip out of our service area.

However we have a 30 mile service area so for us that would be $10.00 extra.

 

[Brian H]

Steve,

Just refer the job to us, we'll do it!!

We don't have a mileage charge but we do have a progressively higher minimum the further we go.

 

[HydroDude]

1.25 per mile for Truck and Driver non-cdl...
1.75 per mile for Truck, Trailer and Driver non-cdl
$45.00 per Hour for each Tech/ Passenger .

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Most of my work is that far away. If it wasn't already worth it we wouldn't book the job.
Our prices already more than cover these Customers...and I'm very happy they call.

 

[icleancarpetz]

COD

 

[Mark Saiger]

We charge a bit higher rate for longer distance runs.

And we usually tell them we are looking for a minimum amount of work (square feet of cleaning or pricing) to cover our expenses.

VS using the term charge

 

[BIG WOOD]

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We charge a bit higher rate for longer distance runs.

And we usually tell them we are looking for a minimum amount of work (square feet of cleaning or pricing) to cover our expenses.

VS using the term charge

I do the same. I've found that they appreciate it more when we don't show a tag on extra charges.

 

[Chris A]

Depends how busy we are

 

[The Great Oz]

How much do you want to make per hour when cleaning? Charge that much per hour for travel... once you get past your normal service area.

 

[SamIam]

 

[cleanking]

We have minimums depending on how far the job is from our shop, we use 3 tiers....under 25 miles, 25-30 miles, 30+

 

[hogjowl]

I’m not running a traveling ministry

 

[Nomad74]

$30 trip charge for me over 40 miles

 

[BIG WOOD]

$30 trip charge for me over 40 miles

That's not enough. Keep in mind, we're a service business, not a delivery business.

Instead of looking at it at just 40miles, you need to see it at 80miles round trip. That's the same time of a carpet job that's about 1.5hrs long. For me, that's about a $175 lost is I have to drive an 80mile round trip.

So instead of looking at it as a $30 trip, you need to add $175 to your minimum job cost and tell the customer that your minimum job at that location is $$$. So for me, my minimum is $275 at that location.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

How much do you want to make per hour when cleaning? Charge that much per hour for travel... once you get past your normal service area.

That's really what I'd like to do but it may make the price kinda high.

 

[Nomad74]

That's not enough. Keep in mind, we're a service business, not a delivery business.

Instead of looking at it at just 40miles, you need to see it at 80miles round trip. That's the same time of a carpet job that's about 1.5hrs long. For me, that's about a $175 lost is I have to drive an 80mile round trip.

So instead of looking at it as a $30 trip, you need to add $175 to your minimum job cost and tell the customer that your minimum job at that location is $$$. So for me, my minimum is $275 at that location.

What should I charge to go to Vegas and clean a bunch of RMHC's?

 

[Mikey P]

@Monique

 

[BIG WOOD]

What should I charge to go to Vegas and clean a bunch of RMHC's?

Don’t ask me. Give the bill to Mikey and be sure to take a picture of the look on his face

 

[The Great Oz]

That's really what I'd like to do but it may make the price kinda high.

If they balk at the charge refer them to someone in their area, unless you have a good reason to chase money-losing work that's out of your service area.

(Like being dead broke and have no other prospects. Otherwise you might be better off staying home and working on your marketing program.)

 

[Desk Jockey]

There are things we will do in the dead of winter that we wouldn't do in the dead of summer.

Of course we would be more than happy for WDR work up to an hour away.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I've occasionally gone to Memphis for an automotive group, mostly Toyota dealers. My BIL is group mgr there. 180 miles each way.

Likewise have gone out of my market for warranty work for a flooring supplier. Break even on that one.

 

[The Great Oz]

If your drive time is taking you away from more valuable work, you have to charge as much as the work you're missing. Discounting drive time is common, but not logical. For example, say an employee working in the shop is producing $150 an hour. A good customer calls and wants an out-of area service and at a specific time. We don't say no, but we do charge enough to make up the production loss. We know we will either not lose money providing a custom service or the customer will decide to have the work done on the regular schedule.

I'm fine with making less money per hour when you have little work booked, as that's just Dynamic Pricing. Logically, you have to also charge more when you're booked out several days or you don't make up for your slow season losses. Let customers know you do this and your pricing can even out the schedule.

Doing things in the winter that you just won't do in the summer can make people angry though, so I'd think it might be better just to quote a price high enough in the busy season that you can't say no if they accept.

Of course we would be more than happy for WDR work up to an hour away.

That's between 3 and 8 miles in Seattle, so I guess we work over an hour away all the time.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

If I charged no one would know but me. But anywhere in OKC or LA is that far.

 

[Brian H]

If they balk at the charge refer them to someone in their area...

I already told him to send them to us!

 

[Rick J]

Headed way out now. Bout 40 miles. For a repeat customer. Realtor who deals mosly in upscale condo communities. Most are across town.
Only 2 rooms of carpet in this one. But one needs stretched.
I don't do a whole lot for them. Had me do repairs only in the past. Usually color repair of some kind.
I told him I could do the clean while there as well. He wanted to stay loyal to the cleaning people he normally uses.
This one today he is having me do the clean as well.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

If they balk at the charge refer them to someone in their area, unless you have a good reason to chase money-losing work that's out of your service area.

(Like being dead broke and have no other prospects. Otherwise you might be better off staying home and working on your marketing program.)

Well we did the job and it ended up being $485 including a $38 charge for being over 20 miles away. It is winter in Michigan and we were very happy to have that job plus they were thrilled with the work.

PS--Thanks for the kind offer to do the job, Brian, but we really need the work. If it were a warmer month I'd likely have sent it to you.

 

[The Great Oz]

20 miles is the limit of our service area, but the most compact area that provides enough income is always best.

Maybe you're you're just smarter to start with Steve.

 

[Shorty]

Majority of my work is within 10 minutes drive from home.

After about ten miles, I do have a slight extra charge.

Long distance work where we may stay overnight & do several jobs, we have set rates which are higher for relocation & tech; travel.

When people query our rate, I explain that we are traveling xxx hundred miles, we could make the same money without the travel, in the same time but do a bit more work.

When people do query the travel, I simply ask, "how much would a taxi cost to drive to here & back"??

These jobs are usually booked a month or more in advance, generally not for carpet cleaning, but more specialized work that is not available in their area or by their local guys.

We do have jobs that are combined & will clean carpets &/or fabric suites as well.

 

[Brian H]

We have area rug drop off locations that are 23, 35 and 40 miles from our office. We can't really tell people who live in those areas that it is not local for us to do their on-location cleaning since we have a site right in their neighborhood. We just make it work.

It is not that difficult to drive long distances in Southeastern Michigan. I drive 40 miles one way to work every day, takes me about 40 minutes (37 minutes this morning) and my home is in our normal service area.