Had to bite my tongue!

Kevin De Medeiros

Kevin De Medeiros

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Kevin De Medeiros
Got a call from a custy asking me for a price on some tile cleaning as he is selling his house and wants it to show good. This was at 530 yesterday and asked if I could come by at night same day. I said I couldn't as I had other obligations and said I could come out first thing in the morning. Then he started telling me he roughly measure it out, wasn't too dirty and just wanted it gone over quickly. I gave him a reduced price cause he says he's on a budget and I obliged but still gonna hit my min of 150 an hour.
Then he hit me with it. Why so expensive? It's JUST cleaning!. I honestly regret not giving this guy an education.
Thats the first time I've actually heard that come out of a customer's mouth even though I know most customers are thinking it.
Do I really have to justify to customers on every quote why I charge what I charge?
 
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BIG WOOD

BIG WOOD

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Matt w.
If you have time to think about it, I'm certain you can come up with a tactful response to make him look stupid, but truth of the matter is, he's probably pissed because he called 3 different businesses before you, and they gave him a similar price.
 
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Jim Pemberton

Jim Pemberton

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I think that its important to be able to explain your service and pricing. I also know that its difficult to do that in the face of a discourteous person. I don't know you Kevin, but if you are like most people who have chosen this field, you take pride in what you do, and often care more about the outcome than even your customers.

That's why this kind of behavior gets under your skin, at least that's my assumption from your message.

That all said, I hope you didn't/don't get this job. This guy is trouble.

Reviewing your comments:

1. He called at 5:30 and wanted you to come out the same evening. That means he has little/no respect for you and your time. RED FLAG.

2. His insistence on having you come at the last minute means that there is some reason he's being "forced" to make a cleaning decision, and that it isn't planned out. This likely means that he doesn't see the need for cleaning, but some outside circumstance is pushing him into it. Therefore, he doesn't see the value himself. RED FLAG

3. When people tell you that it isn't "too dirty" and that they want it "gone over quickly" that also says that he personally didn't see the need for it to be cleaned, and doesn't value cleaning, and therefore what you do, and therefore you. RED FLAG.

4. "Why so expensive?" Once again, he doesn't see the value. I don't think any education you might attempt to give would make a difference to him. Everything he said to this point means that if whatever outside circumstance/person caused him to call you in this hurry hadn't forced the issue, he would not have contacted you. RED FLAG

Bottom line: This guy will look for trouble if you do the job, and find every way not to pay you, or to "extract more value" by making you come back a few times.

Do all you can not to clean for him.
 
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Kevin De Medeiros

Kevin De Medeiros

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Kevin De Medeiros
Matt I know exactly what to tell him but it was one of those I had to let slide. After I got off the phone I started thinking that this becoming a trend.
 
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Kevin De Medeiros

Kevin De Medeiros

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Toronto
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Kevin De Medeiros
Jim Pemberton said:
I think that its important to be able to explain your service and pricing. I also know that its difficult to do that in the face of a discourteous person. I don't know you Kevin, but if you are like most people who have chosen this field, you take pride in what you do, and often care more about the outcome than even your customers.

That's why this kind of behavior gets under your skin, at least that's my assumption from your message.

That all said, I hope you didn't/don't get this job. This guy is trouble.

Reviewing your comments:

1. He called at 5:30 and wanted you to come out the same evening. That means he has little/no respect for you and your time. RED FLAG.

2. His insistence on having you come at the last minute means that there is some reason he's being "forced" to make a cleaning decision, and that it isn't planned out. This likely means that he doesn't see the need for cleaning, but some outside circumstance is pushing him into it. Therefore, he doesn't see the value himself. RED FLAG

3. When people tell you that it isn't "too dirty" and that they want it "gone over quickly" that also says that he personally didn't see the need for it to be cleaned, and doesn't value cleaning, and therefore what you do, and therefore you. RED FLAG.

4. "Why so expensive?" Once again, he doesn't see the value. I don't think any education you might attempt to give would make a difference to him. Everything he said to this point means that if whatever outside circumstance/person caused him to call you in this hurry hadn't forced the issue, he would not have contacted you. RED FLAG

Bottom line: This guy will look for trouble if you do the job, and find every way not to pay you, or to "extract more value" by making you come back a few times.

Do all you can not to clean for him.
Click to expand...
Hey Jim, I love what I do and have great pride in my work as I'm sure everyone on Mikey board does. Lately however, I've been getting this question on every quote I do lately. It might be that it's getting harder to survive up here so everyone is looking for that deal.
 
Jim Pemberton

Jim Pemberton

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Jim Pemberton
Kevin, your pricing strategies might be something for you to review, but my long winded comments were also meant to point out that this person should not be what you would want as a customer.

As Matt said, he might have just been calling every cleaner to find the cheapest guy fast.

Part of reviewing pricing is also deciding who your target market is. As far as price objections, where are the calls coming from when you get such objections?

You might want to start a thread regarding price (not your exact price, but establishing fair pricing for your marketplace) and let the veterans here chime in.
 
Jimmy L

Jimmy L

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Jimmy L
Some of yous guys are like womens. Talking about gossip all around the country as if it's your business. Now I can understand WHY you have women at your fests.

BE A MAN DAMN IT!
 
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Jim Williams

Jim Williams

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Bynum N.C.
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Jim Williams
Simple answer. "Because I'm worth it." Assuming you are worth it. If that doesn't satisfy Mr. Pilfington go into a spiel about how carpet cleaners only get to keep half of what they make if they are lucky. Then hit him with a sob story about having 10 children at home to feed.
 
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Brian H

Brian H

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Detroit Michigan area
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Brian H
It has been my experience that the customers that we really go out of our way to try and accommodate are more likely than not to be a problem. And yet I still go overboard to get those jobs into our schedule... :headscratch:

Listen to Jim!!
 
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