One of THOSE customers

[Ron Werner]

well, I just had an "interesting" time.
Get to a house, owner not there, mom lets me in, 88sf syn area rug with piss on it (~$400-immersion cleaned), flocked fabric chairs and ottos, and 2 microfibre ottos ($200), and 14 stairs, 2 95sf rooms plus a 200sf master ($300)
I start vacuuming, he arrives, I show him the quote, he flips and wants to throw me out of the house! 18yrs cleaning, thats a first. Telling me I'm ripping him off. The "OTHER" cleaners cleaned his furn and carpets in a mobile for $300. He wants to start his own busn now, to offer a service to make things Look clean. I told him we need a good reliable budget cleaner like that out here, to call me and I'll help him out.

He keeps threatening to tell the whole community that I was going to charge $1000 for all of that, thinking it was only 5hrs work which would have been just the carpets and furn, not the area rug. 5hrs work, $500, right on the money from what I've been hearing on the board.

Anyway, sure you guys have heard a hec of a lot worse. Guess I'll find out just how good my rep is in town if he starts bad mouthing me, showing the work order and misleading people as to what was involved. What a fun day! :roll:

 

[Royal Man]

The only problem I see is that the rug cleaning could of been double of the costs of it new.


You can charge what ever you want.

$400,$4000 it's up to you.

It's called free enterprise.

It's up to the client to decide to go ahead.


Don't lose any sleep over this.

The problem sounds like it was more between him and his wife since she signed off on the cleaning.

Return with your video cam and document any bruises or cuts she may have.

 

[Doug Cox]

So.............. Did you get the job?

 

[Ron Werner]

I think he's divorced.

Nope, didn't get the job.
I had vacuumed the furniture and all the carpet but the masterbedroom and the area rug, which I would have been taking out to a shop anyway, by the time he arrived. I didnt have access to the master as he had things he had to put away "private things he didn't want me to see". He was going to pay me for what I had done and I told him no charge. Its a good thing he came when he did or I would have had the furn mostly cleaned.
He kept going on about the $1000, and I never got the chance to talk to him about the area carpet until after he flipped, mentioning that the cost of cleaning may be more than he would want to spend on it. But it had been puppy broke and I wasn't going to short change myself on it. 200 for furn, 300 for carpet, 400 for the rug and 100 for tax.

He was sure threatening though. Definitely taking him off my mailing list!
Price has got to be the most dividing criteria.

I think its time I sit down and call ALL the cleaners in the area and get a quote over the phone, JUSt to see where I am.

 

[Bob Foster]

Did she see your quote and then tell you to go ahead? If not - it's more or less your fault.

I remember once when my wife came home with a $130 oil change. It only happened once and then she got reminded what the hell I bought her a cell phone for.

 

[Bjorn]

GHC I would not have just tossed you out of the house but would have shoved a hockey stick up your ass if you tried to get away with that here.

 

[Dmreed4311]

It is your business so charge what you want but if you tried to charge me 1.29 per sq ft to clean my carpet I would politely ask you to get the hell out of my house.

 

[Walt]

One of my favorite customers about chocked when I gave her the price to clean a sofa and all the carpet in her large home. I asked if she still wanted to do it. She let out a resigned sigh and said, "Yes, It has to be done."

Half an hour later, her husband comes flying down the stairs yelling, "Stop!! I'll pay you for what you've started but I can't afford this. It's almost the cost of a used car!"

I asked him how much he thought the estimate was for and he replied, "Six thousand!!" I assured him it was for six hundred. Much relieved he left me to my work.

Apparently his wife had misread the estimate before she signed it.

I still can't over the fact that she signed it thinking it was for 6k. Crazy.

 

[royalkid]

Yeah, $400 for a syn rug, come on...? And approx. 400 sq ft w/ 14 steps $300? $1,000 for all that sounds kinda high? Other than the carpet, you could have given an approx. quote over the phone (chairs w/ ottomans) 88 sq ft rug, 3 rooms 14 steps. At least they would have known a "round-about" price and told you no-way and saved you time. How could you possibly start work on a job that high without approval from the owner? I'd get a cell # or work # and get in touch with them before starting.

 

[sweendogg]

you apparently never full washed an area rug royal kid.. $400.00 to guarentee odor and urine removal. That is not bad all things considered.

And $1000.00 was the carpet, steps and furniture as well. but I do agree that approval was in need.. of course he did not specify yet if he had approval.

 

[Ron Werner]

I didn't have access to the master bdrm to complete the quote till he got home. All I did was start prevacuuming.

When he got home I finished the workorder and showed him. The area rug wasn't worth it for him to clean it, and he had a BIG problem with me making $100/hr cleaning his carpets and uph. 55cents/cleanable sf is not that high esp when you compare what others are charging for much less service. IS $30 for traffic areas too much in a 100sf room? Is $5.50 /stair too much? How about $100 for a mstrbedrm moving the bed and cleaning wall to wall? My prices are not outrageous.


The area carpet was going to get a full immersion PLUS urine decon treatment. WHere I sub it out would have quoted them the same price.
Its good to get someone like this every now and then, makes me re-evaluate and be sure I'm charging reasonable prices for my service.
Doing a 5 min presentation in the morning, guess what part of the topic will be :roll:

 

[Brian R]

That's seems a little high for the grand total but to each his own. I wouldn't have paid it if I wasn't a carpet cleaner...of course I wouldn't pay it even though I am either.

For a $1000.00 ticket for anything you should make darn sure she's ok with it. Which I think you did.

If she didn't know the price......You did a no no in my book.

You might be ok with $150.00 job and discussing price at the end but not something that high.

Either way...Dude should have just asked you to leave nicely and tell you the price was out of his price range.

No harm....especially if you said "no charge" for what you had already done.

Yeah, your prices are high...but if you stick to them and you get paid then more power to you.

As long as you don't do the same job for someone else for $300.00.....that could be seen as unethical.

And I'm not talking about that crappy club website where you pay to be eithical either.
:mrgreen:

 

[rwcarpet]

Now....when you re-value that to American dollars, what would the price be? Was that price in US or Canadian dollars?

 

[Desk Jockey]

We get yelled at, cussed at and the phone hung up on us regularly when quoting WDR work over the phone. :mrgreen:

It doesn't phase us, those are not our customers and I would rather find that out now than to actually do the work and have a issue about price and payment.

Your prices are not that bad and if you have clients that are paying that then I wouldn't worry about this one. He was not your customer, he wanted budget cleaning something you don't offer.

The only error I can see on your part is the you began the cleaning (vacuuming) before the client knew the price. Maybe that's always how you proceed but I would prefer a phone or on site estimate prior to cleaning if not an existing customer.

 

[floorguy]

.55 seems high, but you do vac the shiot outa them....i think most high priced cleaners are in the .35-40 range...I think

5.50 a step is way high....as much as they hurt my back, they also take the least time...how much sqft is on that there step??? then compare it to your .55 :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

$100 sounds good, unless it was only the bed to be moved, but when you say wall to wall.....unless the bed had other issues then just sliding it around....but if there was more things to move and the bed was a bigger pita then most...$100 not that bad

 

[GCP]

The only problem I see is that the rug cleaning could of been double of the costs of it new.


You can charge what ever you want.

$400,$4000 it's up to you.

It's called free enterprise.

It's up to the client to decide to go ahead.


Don't lose any sleep over this.

The problem sounds like it was more between him and his wife since she signed off on the cleaning.

Return with your video cam and document any bruises or cuts she may have.

keep pushing forward.

 

[Bob Foster]

1 customer in 10 years? Sounds like there is nothing wrong with his price. Just a little communication glitch.

 

[Ken Snow]

1 customer in 10 years? Sounds like there is nothing wrong with his price. Just a little communication glitch.

Ditto that Bob!

 

[rhyde]

you could clean some people's house for free and they would still think they're getting ripped off!

it's just the way it works

 

[Ron Lippold]

Ron just keep doing what you are doing. If you start listening to the guys that cant do what we do soon you will be doing it the way they are doing it. Guess what you will be bitching about not making any money.. Keep it up Ron...

 

[Ron Werner]

thanks for the feedback
Hope other new cleaners can read this post and realize that they don't have to bend over to the cheap customers.

 

[Burtz]

give us a break Ron

you got tossed on your ass because you way over charged this customer
most people just cant see the value in you jerking off with your vacuum cleaner for hours on end.

 

[Dolly Llama]

most people just cant see the value in you jerking off with your vacuum cleaner for hours on end.

:shock:


..L.T.A.

 

[Brian R]

:shock: :shock:

 

[floorguy]

most people just cant see the value in you jerking off with your vacuum cleaner for hours on end.

:shock:


..L.T.A.

 

[Royal Man]

thanks for the feedback
Hope other new cleaners can read this post and realize that they don't have to bend over to the cheap customers.

Were they cheep or surprised?

Still not clear. Was the work order signed before the cleaning?

Personally I would of blown a gasket too if the price wasn't up front.

 

[lust1kiddo]

Just my opinion..but the rug was a little high. thats like 4.50 per sq ft. for a synthetic rug...they MUST LOVE it..lol. I dont know, I'm sure I could charge more than I do now..and some people just say charge what they will pay. I do what I think is fair. One time after I gave a quote for 100.00 a guy told me that "the other guy did it for 80." I just sat there on the phone for 11 seconds letting him think about what he just said..lol. Than I told him" I wouldn't compromise the work or my integrity for 20 bucks." He was like, "No one is asking you to do that..i just laughed and didn't do the work. "
We should have a quote of the day section here..lol.

p.s. If that was in the city, they would have paid. I have seen 4000 dollar tickets for a two bedroom apartment with a few pieces of crappy furniture in it.
crazytown

 

[Dolly Llama]

Get to a house, owner not there, mom lets me in

is this a first time custy??
If so, were they aware of your high-end pricing??
even a "ball park" price??

IMO, when your prices are near twice as much as most other quality BD's, you should be doing it like Ron Lipoid and some of the other hi-rollers ....on-site sales pitches and agreements BEFORE the work starts .

No misunderstandings and most importantly , no "surprises" that way with first time custys



..L.T.A.

 

[Royal Man]

Get to a house, owner not there, mom lets me in

is this a first time custy??
If so, were they aware of your high-end pricing??
even a "ball park" price??

IMO, when your prices are near twice as much as most other quality BD's, you should be doing it like Ron Lipoid and some of the other hi-rollers ....on-site sales pitches and agreements BEFORE the work starts .

No misunderstandings and most importantly , no "surprises" that way with first time custys



..L.T.A.

I get a lot of jobs where the owner is not home.

Most have a blank check on the counter.

(I'm doing an other tomorrow)

I don't begin before I call them and go through the job with them.


I hope this is a learning experience for you Ron

 

[Dolly Llama]

I get a lot of jobs where the owner is not home.

Most have a blank check on the counter.

(I'm doing an other tomorrow)

I don't begin before I call them and go through the job with them.

what are your prices there, Mr Rhinestone Cowboy??
and what if you can't get a hold of them at work??

..L.T.A.




I've been walkin' these streets so long
Singin' the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
Where hustle's the name of the game
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain
There's been a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me

Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know
And offers comin' over the phone

Well, I really don't mind the rain
And a smile can hide all the pain
But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way
And I dream of the things I'll do
With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe
There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon