How far are you guys booked out?

[Steve Lawrence]

We're typically booked out about 2 weeks most of the time during the cleaning season, maybe 3 weeks before the fall holidays. It costs us a few jobs--the people that need it done really soon. We usually have enough time in our schedule to handle small emergencies.

Do you think 2 weeks is too long to wait for our service?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Personally I would call someone else if I had to wait one week.

I'm damn impatient! I want what I want and I want it NOW!

Seriously I do not like to wait once I'm committed to purchasing a product or a service. I might study it for months, weeks, days and then when I'm ready I want it then. I can wait a few days but weeks. WELL..........I'm going to call around.

No matter how great your service was last time I'm going to assume you guys are pretty much to the same (unless you use a porty...FRANK! ). I might ask around and see if my friends or relatives have someone that they use and are pleased with and see if they can get to me sooner.

Man I wish we were booked that far out! We are usually just a few days and we can always squeeze you in if we need to.

We squeezed in two water losses today. One from a nasty storm last night that knocked out power to a small town up near the Nebraska boarder.

 

[Doug Cox]

I don't think "How good of a job you did last time" comes into play in this discussion as much as "How bad of a job I got last time I went with someone else. I use to have a waiting list 4 weeks out. Fortunately its usually 2 weeks max now, which is easier on me and my customers.


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[Art Kelley]

I am telling people my first available time is in July, four weeks from now. Every day I lose a few jobs because some folks can't wait. For me, it's just the price I pay to operate like I do. It's nothing new. There's only so many hours in a day and my business peaked out many, many years ago. I don't lose sleep over it. Hagopian and Modernistic and Centurion are the recipients of my overflow of customers. It's a good problem to have.

 

[Mikey P]

Art and Doug


You two run identical businesses from what I gather.

How many jobs a month do you average from May to October?

Do you work five, six or seven days?

 

[Doug Cox]

Mike- I average 3-4 jobs a day, 5 days a week.

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[Doug Cox]

If I were Art, I would raise my prices. That's how I cut mine down. Not to mention weeding out some undesirables.

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[Mikey P]

are you posting on your phone from the home owners bathroom?




I have both trucks out today and here I am at home scratching myself.

 

[Doug Cox]

I'm waiting on an estimate.

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[Art Kelley]

Art and Doug


You two run identical businesses from what I gather.

How many jobs a month do you average from May to October?

Do you work five, six or seven days?

I have no clue about job numbers. I only look ahead, never behind. All I know is every beautiful June day is filled with jobs. I have two Sundays off. I have a condo on the beach on Lake Huron I can't visit until the July 4th weekend. Oh well. My wife said she will go up there and enjoy it.

 

[Mikey P]

you really don't know how many jobs you do?

 

[jcooper]

We're typically booked out about 2 weeks most of the time during the cleaning season, maybe 3 weeks before the fall holidays.

Do you work by yourself, Steve? How do you run an estimate if booked 8-6 or whatever... It's an issue I'm actually running into, no time to bring the bids back.

I'm booked til the 9th, if I NEEDED to I could stay out later or fit them in somehow.

 

[Art Kelley]

you really don't know how many jobs you do?

I don't know and I don't care. It doesn't interest me.

 

[Jim Martin]

We're typically booked out about 2 weeks most of the time during the cleaning season, maybe 3 weeks before the fall holidays. It costs us a few jobs--the people that need it done really soon. We usually have enough time in our schedule to handle small emergencies.

Do you think 2 weeks is too long to wait for our service?

90% of the time I am week and a half to 2 weeks out...........we normally lose 3 or 4 jobs a month because of it..........

 

[Lonny]

I'm two weeks out right now. My first year really hitting the residential hard. Up till this year it has been almost exclusively Commercial.
I have drop offs even being only two weeks out. Picked up two new commercial clients, and an additional building for an existing client this week. Speaking of which tomorrow is interview day! Definitely tis the season!

 

[Bjorn]

new customers have to sign up for lottery to get a cleaning spot a year in advance

 

[PrimaDonna]

We are about a week out. The past 2-3 weeks have been killer....not many jobs, but huge tickets. We had a record week last week even with the holiday. Guys were at a class yesterday so we've only worked M and W of this week and already looks like we will blow out last week. I don't know what's going on, but I'll take it. Bring it on!

 

[Able 1]

I'm never booked out.. If they want it tomorrow they'll have it tomorrow,if they want it within an hour I'll see what I can do. I don't advertize(except SM reminders), 90% of new custy's are referrals. 18 jobs so far this month.. I have 8 on my schedule for tomorrow, 7 for Friday..

 

[PrimaDonna]

I'm never booked out.. If they want it tomorrow they'll have it tomorrow,if they want it within an hour I'll see what I can do. I don't advertize(except SM reminders), 90% of new custy's are referrals. 18 jobs so far this month.. I have 8 on my schedule for tomorrow, 7 for Friday..

8 jobs in one day? What are they one room or are your running multiple trucks/routes? We are mostly repeat and referral as well. But with the size of our average job we can only do 2-3 jobs a day.

 

[Able 1]

8 jobs in one day? What are they one room or are your running multiple trucks/routes? We are mostly repeat and referral as well. But with the size of our average job we can only do 2-3 jobs a day.

2 vans 2 guys, we split up for the little ones, use 2 vans on the bigger ones.. 8 for Friday now also.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Do any of you guys raise your minimum charge during the summer? I was thinking of bumping up my minimum charge this summer to $197 from $147.

 

[Hoody]

Every year that a thread like this appears I feel like I need to leave this:

You're welcome.

 

[Able 1]

Every year that a thread like this appears I feel like I need to leave this:

You're welcome.

Think I read once you wacked out quite a few in a day.. What was you record? 15

My prices are right in the middle, so I should really bump them up.. Tomorrow we will be doing all 8 with one van, but drive the other to a central location just in case.

 

[Hoody]

Think I read once you wacked out quite a few in a day.. What was you record? 15

I see what you did there...

... and it was 16!

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Hmmm, thread took a wild turn. No prob.

 

[Vivers]

We're booked out 2 to 3 weeks typically and I lose a lot of work not being able to do next day appointments or even within a week.

That being said we downsized purposely as growing the company and adding employees just turned out to be more of a headache then we wanted so were in a real good happy spot now. Just not for clients who need it immediately

 

[BLewis]

When Monday arrives we will usually have about 5 openings for the week. By Monday @ 6 or early Tue that week is full and we're filling up the following. We usually schedule 4-5 jobs per day shift depending on size, then we have a break, then we go out and do a couple restaurants at night

 

[PrimaDonna]

When Monday arrives we will usually have about 5 openings for the week. By Monday @ 6 or early Tue that week is full and we're filling up the following. We usually schedule 4-5 jobs per day shift depending on size, then we have a break, then we go out and do a couple restaurants at night

We are running very similar. Beginning of the past 3-4 weeks we had several appointments opened. By Tuesday/Wednesday the rest of the week was booked out.

 

[amygeorge]

Here in podunkville, we do 2-3 residentials \ day this time of year. If it’s a big commercial job - that is all I schedule for the day.

We are booked a week out. We always try to work someone in when possible for our repeat customers (landlords, etc.) and family emergencies. Since I don’t overbook, it’s usually not a problem. Folks will not wait, even if they have to pay to have someone drive 60 miles to come here or they rent the doctor! What really makes me mad is when they call for advice on what products to use with the doctor….

 

[ruff]

Amy, why not sell them the right product?

and don't forget to explain to them about soil saturation done by underpowered machines. Plant the seed in their mind and create a secondary business of restoring (at an added cost, naturally) their damaged over saturated, residue reeking carpeting.