national maintenance companies are destroying the commercial market

[juniorc82]

Got a call from a company called sms assist (they also manage family dollar). They recently picked up oreilly auto parts. They wanted me to do what they called a sweep , mop, and buff which would be done twice per month for 42.00 per service. I have saw the oreilly in town and their floors look like garbage. Infact they are shiny but they are dirty brown floors which have been burnished to shine which I think is blaspheme in the world of maintaing vct. These national companies have sucked the commercial floor care industry dry and it shows by the workmanship on display. I hope one day corporations will relize that developing relationships in the community with local contractors and cutting out the middle man will give them a much higher quality service... I did of course turn the job down

 

[floorguy]

MMM

the last m standing for mafia because thats what they truly are....

years ago there were a couple of these...and the owners took the money and bought minor league sports teams, and never paid the subs....then filled bkpt, and started under a new name...

i am all for free market and making as much money as you can.....but these types of biz practices in my mind are ILLEGAL....for many reasons...1 being it skirts the tax liability and passes it on...the problem is...most of these companies subbing dont pay taxes either...illegals are hired...and no not just mexicans... a LOT of eastern European people do this to...

the problem is that companies CONTINUE to do work for them....

There are a few people i have talked to and i tell them to quit it...but he still continues (though less frequent) and then i laugh when they come back and bitch about the low and slow pay...


$42...shit cost me more in gas to drive to some of them....these F$#%tards have NOOOO idea what it costs....

 

[jcooper]

A lot of these large chains or national places, just don't have the time to search for smaller or local service providers, even though the work might/should be better.

It's easier for them to hire one(management) company and have them do it(research).

If they were smart, they would give each local store(whatever) a cleaning budget and make them spend it.


I was hired to clean a walmart photo place 30 minutes away, by a lady in Atlanta.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Circa 1999...

Past tense!

 

[Derek]

that's like saying stanley is killing the resi market.

affecting the market, sure. depends on what your market is (and several other factors) whether that affect is for the good or bad.

 

[floorguy]

A lot of these large chains or national places, just don't have the time to search for smaller or local service providers, even though the work might/should be better.

It's easier for them to hire one(management) company and have them do it(research).

If they were smart, they would give each local store(whatever) a cleaning budget and make them spend it.


I was hired to clean a walmart photo place 30 minutes away, by a lady in Atlanta.

ehhhhh

money plain and simple...and to some extent i get it....ill give ya break down in a sec....

It is EASY to do it on a local LEVEL...heard of DISTRICT MANAGERS....i did work for 4 of them here, because hey once you get a good one, you keep giving them work until they cant handle it...plain and simple....

now my $$ break down

I was making $130 per buff.....lets say all stores company wide followed this pattern....they had 5500 stores at the time i think it was

Now if MMM company and says we can do that for say 105...well now they just saved 25 X 5500..$137500 per month X 12 1,650,000

now MMM wants you to do it for $80...which makes it so they make the same break down...for what???? DICK

some lady making calls in here PJs...and this group of say 10 people just cleared 1.5 mil from 1 company...and that company thinks they are cool because they save 1.5 mil...

in reality it costs them more from

stolen products, foods, etc of the shelf
mgr/worker time due to cancellations/longer time there due to service companies having shitty equipment because they dont make shit
shitty work...which custys may or may not care about...

then it takes said MMM company 2-4 yrs before it catches up (because the corp wheel is SLOW) and in the mean time they have MADE clear not paying the sub...1.5 mil x 4 = 6 fooking million dollars...not to mention the money they made from interest from not pay the subs for 60 days or longer.....


This is by far and away more illegal then pyramid marketing by far...at least there...more people have a chance to make money...here it is a small number

 

[falcans]

remax agent called me yesterday and said my prices are so high now these people are so cheap im taking the work but i said i will do it this time for 20.00 off he called me back 2 days after because he was shopping around i rather go out there to work instead losing 1 customer and money.

Before electric now gas huge difference

 

[juniorc82]

that's like saying stanley is killing the resi market.

affecting the market, sure. depends on what your market is (and several other factors) whether that affect is for the good or bad.

your comparison to stanley steemer doesnt make much sense. The national companies commercial accounts off the market then expect people to work for unsistainable wages. Stanley steemer is just a local service provider who has to bid like everyone else. It does make wonder how big of a chunk of the pie that national companies take. Then I start to get mad because if any of you have worked for them as I have you know that their account reps dont know dick about cleaning and are only their to make sure the price point gets met. I will say their are a couple national companies that are not as bad(not great by any means) I do some work at a at&t store and a few edward jones offices and while Im not getting rich at least those accounts are mildly profitable

 

[Dolly Llama]

sweep , mop, and buff which would be done twice per month for 42.00 per service.

wow...the entry level counter clerk there selling spark plugs and oil makes more money



..L.T.A.

 

[FB7777]

The real question here is, " what is you business plan and does this type of contract fit your company goals?"

National chains that coordinate their maintenance with MMM are low ball driven, plain and simple

Run

 

[floorguy]

remax agent called me yesterday and said my prices are so high now these people are so cheap im taking the work but i said i will do it this time for 20.00 off he called me back 2 days after because he was shopping around i rather go out there to work instead losing 1 customer and money.

Before electric now gas huge difference

The problem is...you are feeding the pig.....you are LOSING MONEY...plain and simple....you just havent figured it out yet....

at least if the truck is parked....there is no fuel, there is no wear and tear, there is no chems, supplies.....NOTHING to loose..

where if you do the work for say $75 and it takes you an hr....and it costs you $60...you make a whooping $15 an hr....

if thats the case...get out of the biz, and go work as a walmart greater.....

in this case above $42.....WHAT THE F%^%$ ARE THEY THINKING....I have done autozones before...about the same size as Oreily....to just buff (and good, not just a once over) took me 45 min.....I told them to mop it for me....plus i cant do more then 1, because no keys..

I did it for $75 because i knew the mgr, and use to do it long ago when i lived out that way.....but i was breaking even at best, and like i said did it because i was buds with the mgr.....

now the guy comes in for $50!!!!!!! well FUC& THAT....

if people would quit doing the work they would

A. loose the accts...and maybe it would go back local

B. be forced to raise the paid outs

BUT QUIT TAKING THE F'ING JOBS.......THERE IS BETTER MONEY TO BE MADE OUT THERE.....

and even if you do it cheaper.....do it cheaper for a local guy.....

tell the MMM to go get bent

 

[Shane Deubell]

I would re-word it though to Retail market, retail is only one small part of the commercial businesses and mostly you are talking about chains. Still have many independent restaurants/stores, plus thousands of government offices, professional, distributors, etc. Takes more marketing/sales work but you are better off over the long term.

With encap you can still make a profit at some of these jobs, some....

 

[The Great Oz]

If you compete only on price you're forced to find some efficiency that no one else has, or cheat. This is not a new trend in commercial floor maintenance.

 

[rwcarpet]

I had worked with Cleanway out of New York back when I first started up the business. It was at least some cash flow, but it was always Sunday night work in unmarked vans. Mostly mall and strip plaza stores. Stuck with them for a few years until they started getting too slow, and wanted big time $$$ in Certificates of Insurance Coverage. $3 mil and up.

 

[GCCLee]

Homeadvisor (formerly SM) currently wants 12.50 a lead.

 

[floorguy]

so this is funny...

got a call...from Tenn....865-567-8161 if anyone wants the work hahah

anyway...rite aide.....and i didnt get into all what they wanted done...was at the kids school for parent teacher conference...

once a week service i did hear....

So i asked who it was and where at...didnt tell me their company name....and it doesnt google (unless someone is smarter then me to figure it out)

SO i said..."what about $90 a time?".... no CHEAPER....ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME.......ohh i so wish i had time.....maybe ill call back and give them shit...

less then $90 for a Rite aide....no wonder they look like shit