Letter to Property Managers

[daniel@procarpet]

they're not all like that, Dan.
the majority it would seem, but many will pay fair prices .
probably won't find many at .55 cent-o-sq, but there's plenty that will pay .15 to .25
and any good cleaner that's efficient and uses quality chems and equipment can easily gross $100+ an hour at those price points
Unless they take 3 hours to vac 1000sf and roto scrub unnecessarily

two crew can gross a buck fiddy or better at those prices and still vac 'n rotoscrub too

I can live with that. How do you guys know whom to call? Do you get a list of PMs, or do you just drive around going into rental offices?

Well thats the big question isn't it...how to get the account.?

Here is the problem...all PM companies already have a Carpet Cleaner/s.

Getting them to give you a chance is the hard part...

If you work in a college town ...in June, July, August, and September there are mass move-outs and move-ins...at this time you might get a PM company to give you some time sensitive overflow...and thus get a chance to show what you can do. If you don't live in a college town...check with the PM company the week before the 1st of the month...don't offer to do it for less...that is not the road you want to go down...but suggest you might give them a better product for the same money....

In my case I already did the turnover cleaning and maintenance/repair for the PM company and they just handed me all their carpet cleaning once I proved that I did a better job for the same .18 sqft.

The truth was... that a good reliable turnover cleaning/repair company was more valuable to the PM's than the dime a dozen Carpet Cleaners out there. When I added Carpet Cleaning they literally jumped to give me the CC business in order to keep me happy and reliable and to give themselves better carpets and one stop shopping for all their cleaning/maintenance needs.

So if you want PM's to "give" you the carpets... you really need to fill as many of their other needs as you can...maintenance, cleaning, painting, etc...

One good sized PM company can book you solid 15 days of the month or more...at .18 a sqft you won't get instant rich...but you won't miss any meals or equipment payments either... :wink:

This post can be summed up by one word "RELIABLE." If the pm's can trust you to the point that they can send you a list of properties to clean, go out of town etc., and know they are going to be done right without any hassel on thier part, not only will you get their business but all of their friends. Don't put so much emphasis on price. Just be fair. If you can't clean a three bedroom 1500 sq/ft home for 150-200 then you shouldn't worry about this type of work. When they call you to clean their personal home you better show up in something clean and nice to separate yourself from economy cleaners or worse yet stanley steemer. Actually I must admit SS has the cleanest new E-250s on the road. Their vans are nice they just don't know how to clean. Well some of them do. Stanley's top employee here for years just opened up his on Service Master and took the majority of their high end clientelle with him. I guess that is the best way to do it.

 

[Ron Werner]

Dan, that's the issue, most of the cleaners that I know are doing pm work are doing only an adequate job. Some are multitruck, and for the most part, all are reliable. We don't have many unreliable guys in Vic area, a few, but not many.
One pm has me doing hallways at 40cents/sf, no prevac, because I'm getting them cleaner than the other guy at 18cents who took half the time. I could do work for 18, but then I'd have to speed up to where I know I'm not doing diddly squat. There is a difference, a MAJOR difference, when the wand is moved slower.

 

[Bob Foster]

Victoria street price for rental apartments 1 bedroom $75 2 bedroom $85

Where's the money even at double the price given the time requirements of your thoroughness?

 

[DevilThomas]

Victoria street price for rental apartments 1 bedroom $75 2 bedroom $85

Where's the money even at double the price given the time requirements of your thoroughness?

I think Bob is really nailing it here Ron...no one doubts your thoroughness...but where is the money to come from if you spend 2 hrs for what I can do in less than 1 hr? You have to remember that carpet cleaning is only one of many services that have to be paid to turnover a rental unit. Now your thoroughness may actually mean your carpet is cleaner than mine...but if there is no discernable difference in how the carpet looks...then it will take a very special PM to appreciate you...and be willing to pay you twice as much.

I also clean the unit and get paid $25 per hour to prevac..before I start the Carpet Cleaning...at .18 sqft.

 

[Ron Werner]

Victoria street price for rental apartments 1 bedroom $75 2 bedroom $85

Where's the money even at double the price given the time requirements of your thoroughness?

I think Bob is really nailing it here Ron...no one doubts your thoroughness...but where is the money to come from if you spend 2 hrs for what I can do in less than 1 hr? You have to remember that carpet cleaning is only one of many services that have to be paid to turnover a rental unit. Now your thoroughness may actually mean your carpet is cleaner than mine...but if there is no discernable difference in how the carpet looks...then it will take a very special PM to appreciate you...and be willing to pay you twice as much.

I also clean the unit and get paid $25 per hour to prevac..before I start the Carpet Cleaning...at .18 sqft.

Yes, I'm aware of the going rates. But those are not the jobs I'll be looking for. And those aren't the dwellings that pms really care about. To them, make the carpet look clean, patch up everything, get it looking "good enough" for the next tenant.

Here's what started me thinking on this. One of my clients has a house that she is turning over to a pm. She called me in because the vacating tenants had the carpet cleaned but it still looked soiled. I got a mess of soil from vacuuming, as normal, and then restored the carpet to a very nice brilliant colour again. Could she have gotten a better 2step cleaner in that would have made it look better? yes. But for some people, they have higher standards.

 

[Bob Foster]

Pemberton homes - gone
Sutton - gone
Brown Brothers - brutal
Cornerstone - gone
Burr - gone
Diversified gone
Complete Asset - gone
Devon - gone

That's 80% right there and none of them pay more that 75-85 due to a constant stream of hacks claiming better work that they get hit withe EVERY MONTH. You and I both know who they get to do their work. Some of them are bruital and treat you like a slave. Remember when after 5 years of working for Devon Propertied (at least 50 3-4 story appartment buildings) Sani-Tech said they were raising their rates $10 - they canned them.

But if you think its worth filtering through this list http://www.romsbc.com/ you might find something. But I think it is a waste.

Ron, here is a far better idea. Go after the strata associations by going to this place and go after their common areas and you will pick up some good condo owner's units at the same time.
http://www.visoa.bc.ca/

 

[bonesheal]

I don't mind running around hustling for work, but it seems like it's more profitable to put my efforts into homeowners.