Charging- spot cleaning only

[Donwand]

I don't like it when a customer will ask me if I do spot cleaning only. What I really feel they are saying is I want my house cleaned for the least amount. Any suggestions, on a pricing plan that has worked for you in regards to spot cleaning, carpet, upholstery, tile, etc?
Thanks for all feedback,
Brian

 

[Papa John]

I'm currently in "Beta testing" on spot cleaning. I want it to be just emergency Spot cleaning were I use the EDIC spotter. And we would only clean a few spots for about $75. I would use my small personal car to avoid the parking hassles in San Franciso.

I showed up to do the 1st caller..OMG!! Do u know cuties will lie just to get a quick appointment!? Haha.
I ended up cleaning an entire small bedroom with a 3 inch upholstery tool at just 55psi! And it took awhile cuz the stains were make-up. The other room just had pet urine and cleaned up in 5minutes.

I ended up not charging the customer because she has been with me the longest, she is a VIP and I just cleaned her home 1 week earlier.

I haven't advertised this service Yet..

 

[ruff]

Not quite an answer to your question.
I found out that the ones who want just "a little spotting", always want just a little spotting. The ones who want just 'this one little room' this time, always want just one little room this time.

Therefore no spotting plan. They have to pay my minimum and then if they want further spotting I'll do it. If just a few and I don't have to run throughout the house, I'll chip it in. If I have to run through the house and in reality it will practically take as long as a cleaning, I charge accordingly.

In my experience good clients understand the cost of business and are willing to pay for our time and effort. And the ones who don't, are not good clients.

If you have a different business structure (maybe like what John is doing) and you need to fill your time, you may be able to do it at a reduced price structure. However, I, as an owner operator, have no problem filling my schedule and doing that is a money loss for me. If I just cleaned and they need spotting soon after, I'll reduce my minimum, somewhat.

 

[Mikey P]

I'm currently in "Beta testing" on spot cleaning. I want it to be just emergency Spot cleaning were I use the EDIC spotter. And we would only clean a few spots for about $75. I would use my small personal car to avoid the parking hassles in San Franciso.

I showed up to do the 1st caller..OMG!! Do u know cuties will lie just to get a quick appointment!? Haha.
I ended up cleaning an entire small bedroom with a 3 inch upholstery tool at just 55psi! And it took awhile cuz the stains were make-up. The other room just had pet urine and cleaned up in 5minutes.

I ended up not charging the customer because she has been with me the longest, she is a VIP and I just cleaned her home 1 week earlier.

I haven't advertised this service Yet..

You can run a 1.5 wand off that unit

 

[renegade_cowboy]

With something like this you have to know how much it costs your company to do it.. It would be hard to charge it over the phone because this is more "by the hour" type pricing. So once you know your cost and how much you want to profit.. you will get how much you should charge.

 

[mirf]

I just cleaned one where the son threw up and did not make the bathroom but it was small area
and we had just cleaned it the week before. It is the holiday and we were pretty booked.
I went with the spotter, water claw and brush pro. worked great!

 

[Desk Jockey]

We have a "less than minimum" 1-man spot cleaning up to 30-minutes, $95.00.

 

[Spurlington]

$2 a minute with a minimum order.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

My minimum charge is my minimum charge - $120. Which will do 3 rooms. If I go into a room to do a spot, I charge for that room. I tell the customer it's faster for me to clean the whole room than to get down and clean one tiny spot.

 

[Papa John]

You can run a 1.5 wand off that unit

Maybe so--but I didn't bring one with me on that day.

 

[Cleanworks]

I have a minimum charge for any service. It doesn't matter if we are spot cleaning or repairing a cig burn. We also have a lot of condos with carpet in just one or two bedrooms. We usually don't do anything for under $120.00. This may seem high to the customer who sees you come and go in a short time but your cost is the time it takes you to get to the job, do the work and maybe putting off a more profitable job that you could have been doing if you hadn't already booked this one. Another way to look at it though, you are in their home, is there a chance to upsell some other product or service or get a referral to one of their friends or family. You don't know unless you ask