Looking to aquire large commercial carpet and tile accounts.

[Moser Bros.]

Anyone know how to get into commercial carpet cleaning, I clean residential at .45 cents a foot and still rarely gross more than $100 an hour, I use a Cimex to prescrub and rinse with my Dynachem truckmount at about 180 degrees. I'm a word of mouth owner operator, but business is slow for every service person I know in Sacramento, CA.

 

[TimP]

You need some tips if you can't gross more than 100 an hour charging 45 cents a ft. You need to tell us more about your methods and tools. I for one think you shouldn't be pulling out a cimex for residential. The cimex is a great tool however it's way too heavy for residential, you should look into a 175.

As for getting large commercial jobs you have to get out there and look for the work. It's not easy, and you'll get a lot of uninterested people. And if you do get one it can take a while before they actually do the work. It's something you have to work at over time. It's one reason a lot of businesses go under.

 

[Moser Bros.]

I run Procyon or Element 8 through my Cimex, I like the scubbing power of the Cimex, I think it's more thorough and quick that a 175, and much safer on the carpet fibers. I usually only have use one wet stroke and dry stroke so carpets dry faster. I got the idea from a friend who charges .60 cents a foot and also prescubs with a Cimex, I haven't been in business for 20 years, that's why my rates are lower, but a lot of my clients think my prices are high, when I have a helper, I have them use the Cimex and I wand. My clients LOVE the results.

Networking with commercial real estate agents should be an easier way to get my foot in the door to those accounts, anyone have some more advice.

 

[TimP]

Sounds like you have a good method but you should still be higher than 100 an hour. You should be able to do 300 ft an hour pretty regularly for one person, and probably 4-500 with a helper. And of course that's doing a "premium" job. I can understand being slowed by some spot cleaning like red stains or mustard stains etc. But day in and day out you should be moving quicker than that.

Maybe you need to upgrade to a high flow wand, and/or upgrade your vacuum. That way you can move faster with your wand. I don't know cause I don't know really for sure because I don't what you're running.

 

[Moser Bros.]

I have a 6 jet ProChem wand, it seems heavier than a titanium, I bought my equipment with the business 1 1/2 years ago, I have a 24hp Honda on the DynaChem, Larry told me that the heat exchanger that I bought from them would run at 220 degrees, but I have to run my machine at full speed to heat the water up and that take about 20 minute to get to 180 degrees. I forgot to mention that a lot of my customers talk me down to .30 to .35 cents a foot since my prices are about twice as much as the previous owner charged, I spend too much time talking to talking to my customers and that slows me down as well.

 

[Scott S.]

i have a porty and i average more than $100 per hour. and i use a 175 as needed. and not on every job.

 

[Moser Bros.]

I take more time to do a job now that I charge more, my job avg. is $300 for residencial carpet without protection, upholystery or anything extra, It's more like $120 an hour, but I prescrub every job and usually give an extra dry stroke to be sure.

 

[Scott S.]

being thorough doesn't hurt in this industry.

 

[hogjowl]

By being as thorough as you are, you've laid the foundation for a really successful business down the road. Doing extraordinary work is never a bad thing.

Now, all you have to do is raise your prices. Do that on all new customers you receive via referrals.

 

[steve g]

procyon is your problem get a real prespray like prochems ultrapak traffic clean its formulated right so you don't need to add other crap cleaners to boost it. on most commercial carpets you don't need to prescrub them if you are using the right juice.

 

[Contemporary Carpet Clean]

I agree with Steve G and Marty totally. Referrals are absolutely KEY in this and any biz. Referrals cut out many of the price shoppers. Referral type customers have asked their friends and family who to use. Price is usually never the first question they ask their friend or family member about you. We have lots of new customers that tell people at work that they are getting their carpets/furniture cleaned today. The co-workers reply, well let me know who they are and if they do a good job.

Talking with your customers about whatever is worth every word. Even if you do a good job, but people do not like you or do not think that you are friendly, you will not be back next time.

Moser,

Keep on doing what you are doing. You will get your system down and become more efficient. For example, on quite a few jobs now that we have STICKY TABS we tab/card all possible furniture before the Truck-mount is even fired up (saves wear and tear and lots of Exxon Mobil). This helps because especially if you are deodorizing/disinfecting and or protecting you have to move furniture, spray, groom, then move furniture back. Well if you already tabbed most of the furniture first you or your tech can just move stuff back and continue to keep the wand moving. When moving furniture and protecting or sanitizing I used to have to stop cleaning if we did not tab first. Now you do not have a bottle neck, plus your tech will be able to keep ahead of you like he is supposed to. If anyone that reads this has not try this....do it. You will not believe the time and money you will save.

2 more quick ideas to save time are:

Do not get water on every job, especially small jobs and if working alone. That saves a few minutes times how ever many jobs you do it on per day.

Tie wrap your solution and vacuum together. Winding up the 2 together saves us tons of time versus the 2 seperatley.

An

 

[randy]

Re:

procyon is your problem get a real prespray like prochems ultrapak traffic clean its formulated right so you don't need to add other crap cleaners to boost it. on most commercial carpets you don't need to prescrub them if you are using the right juice.

I couldn't agree more dump Procyon ! It is total crap. They send out a great sample the really works well and then you order and get a 50lb box of CRAP!

 

[Moser Bros.]

I only have the sample of Procyon, and I use it on Mattress cleaning, plus if someone wants green cleaning I'll use it, I use Element 8 from Pro's Choice, I works great when used with my Cimex, I wouldn't use it If I didn't prescrub first, It needs about 10 min dwell time, and you have to mix it at least 140 to 180 degrees and have 180+ from the wand jets or 200+ from my truckmount.

 

[TimP]

Get you some Powermax from Cobb Carpet...there is a special on it in the supplier room. Or some of the Judson O2 system from greenglides since you're on the west coast if you're into green cleaning and worried about PH. Niether have harmfull stuff in them and are very economical and also do a good job.

 

[DRScrivner]

Re:

I forgot to mention that a lot of my customers talk me down to .30 to .35 cents a foot since my prices are about twice as much as the previous owner charged.

Why let them talk you down? If you are doing more then the last owner then charge accordingly. Was he pre-scrubbing with a Cimex?

Maybe the answer is going to a price between what you are charging and what they are talking you down to.

What are your costs? And what is your target market client? You may have to go for a different client if you want higher prices.

This is the same for everyone, it is 100% mental, are you worth it or not? RIGHT NOW in your mind you are not worth high prices. So you are lowering your price, and negotiate down. Take some time and think about it, get some more confidence if you want to charge more.

And BTW $100 is acceptable money. Could it be better- SURE it can. Can it be worse- HELL YEAH, WAY WORSE.

Oh yeah, if you want to break into commercial I suggest you talk to Rick Gelinas at Excellent-Supply at: http://www.encapboard.com/

 

[Moser Bros.]

The previous owner was cleaning with a Drimaster or RX-20 and Procyon, I use Element 8 because it is a soap-free cleaner, I don't want to leave any residue on my customers carpets, have you tested the cleaning products you recommend on your own carpets?

 

[Moser Bros.]

Has anyone tried the Releasit CMS Commercial cleaning marketing system, I bought Joe Polish system years ago and wasted lots of money on a yellow page ad that didn't break even, thosands of 3 step letters that didn't get read, I live in a city that is oversaturated with carpet cleaning ads and I don't want to waste anymore money of advertising, The only thing that has ever worked is, networking, client retention, and referals.