Has anyone tested flat rate pricing?

[Superior Sealing Solutions]

I'm new to the floor cleaning business. My other business of 28 years was bathtub and tile refinishing. My customers always appreciated not being rushed off the phone and loved being talked to not talked at with fancy sales talk. Asking them what they need done then letting them know what a basic estimated price would be to do the job based on what they are telling you. knowing that its way worse than they are saying, you simply let them know when you get there you will give them a firm price before you ever get started. People don't like to be nicked and dimed to death. Just giving them one price to do one job simplifys it for everyone. Up selling is always good but wait till your already in the house working to do that. But then again what do i know I'm just a newbie to this business.
Thanks everyone for all the info I'm learning here.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Superior Sealing Solutions" data-source="post: 4476655" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

My other business of 28 years was bathtub and tile refinishing.

Pretty sure we are all interested in the tile refinishing knowledge you have... Welcome to the board!

 

[Mikey P]

No kidding

What do you know about tub and counter refinishng?

 

[Superior Sealing Solutions]

Hey Mike, if you need info on refinishing a bathtub feel free to call me. I'll be more then happy to help you out with that.

 

[Willy P]

You'll never know until you try

I thought about this before I responded. I think your $900 an hour statement is well, a little bit off. I did some work with a Langenwalter franchise so statements like I "ll don't know" displays a high level of ignorance. Can you make good money doing spot dyeing? - absolutely. Between the 3 crews they were averaging about 700 to 900 -a day. On an exceptional day they might hit 12 to 15 hundred, but they were the exception, not the norm.There isn't any competition as they had the lone franchise in a civic area of 1.5 million or so people, a wealthy area and were well thought of - and even at the rates they charged they met a lot of price resistance. Us elder statesmen have seen things like a shill named Steve Mathie and a company called Roper systems come on board and make ridiculous statements about the gold nuggets to be mined from carpet dyeing. A lot of people got screwed and I wouldn't want some newby or start up eating crow. Yes, I'm a hardass. but $900 an hour is a straight rip off, no matter how much paint and lipstick you want to put on it and not even close to a realistic figure for 99% of the crowd here.

 

[Chris Howell]

@Willy P

You must not have read all of my statements. I didn't claim that we charge $900 for every job. That's the hourly rate. So if a job takes 30 minutes we would charge $450. If the job takes 15 minutes we would charge $225

Our pricing is always based on the replacement value of the carpet. It's not a cleaning or maintenance service, so it's not priced the same as those.

Our customers feel that our pricing is fair which is why they've been using us for over 16 years. We are providing them with a cost effective alternative to having to replace the carpet.

 

[Chris Howell]

@Willy P

Just realized that there something that I need to clarify. $900 is the hourly rate for my services. I charge out my technician's services at $500 Per hour for commercial services. My rate is higher because of my experience and expertise. Sorry, should've made that clear earlier.

 

[Willy P]

 

[Chris Howell]

Too funny!!!

 

[PrimaDonna]

@Chris Howell ,

You said you charge by the hour but also by the replacement cost of the carpet. Since we have done your class I'm familiar with your pricing structure, but I find this statement confusing.

Can you clarify how you determine if your basing the price off hourly rate or off replacement cost?

 

[tres davis]

How many hours per week do you work? And I guess your class is either really short or really expensive!

 

[Chris Howell]

How many hours per week do you work? And I guess your class is either really short or really expensive!

@tres davis

I really don't work in my own company anymore. I have technicians that I've trained to do everything. I typically only go out one day per week to do consultations/estimates on large commercial jobs. Other than that most of my time is spent traveling and providing support to people I've trained in The Dye Lot which is our private Facebook page where our trainees get support.

 

[Chris Howell]

@Chris Howell ,

You said you charge by the hour but also by the replacement cost of the carpet. Since we have done your class I'm familiar with your pricing structure, but I find this statement confusing.

Can you clarify how you determine if your basing the price off hourly rate or off replacement cost?

@PrimaDonna

Spot repairs (such as repairing bleach spots) are based on our hourly rate. Color restorations and complete color changes are based on the replacement cost of the carpet.

 

[Cleanworks]

Tom Vu sure appears to get a lot of multi colored ass

 

[Nate The Great]

I been to his seminars... That's where my love of butts came from...

 

[The Great Oz]

I was going to respond to the original question, but Nate's shut down the thread.

Thanks Buddy, I've got other things to do anyway.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

For me though it seems a bit unequal. On a 10 x 10 room with furniture you may be charging close to $.80 a sq ft or $250 an hour. On a room thats vacant and 200 sq ft you are only charging $.22 a sq ft or about $120 an hour.

We limit our per room pricing to rooms up to 200 sq/ft. If a customer says "they are small rooms" I respond "if a room is less than 100 sq/ft I'll discount the price once I see the room on site". This has satisfied customers. Then IF I do end up giving a discount I take $5 off the room.

 

[Spurlington]

Superior Sealing Solutions" data-source="post: 4476661" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Hey Mike, if you need info on refinishing a bathtub feel free to call me. I'll be more then happy to help you out with that.

Got a brand new deep tub installed back in November .. floor guy installed lino shortly after .. and now my wife tells me theres a foot long scratch in it. She noticed it a few days after the floor guy came back to put a new seal under the toilet because the first was leaking. Im thinking he put the toilet in the tub to clean out the seal and reinstall the new seal. I cant prove it cause I didnt see it and didnt catch it after he was done. Either way, can this be fixed? My thumbnail will catch if I scrape at it.