Package Pricing

[Sticky]

Do you guys offer different packages? What do you guys charge?

I'm thinking of having three packages.....30sqft, .60sqft, .90sqft...what you guys think about those prices?

I mean Sears did a study years ago and with three packages 15% bought the first package, 15% bought the most expensive and 70% got the middle package...nobody wants the cheapest package...

Also, if they get the second or 3rd package and schedule there appointment for next year I will come back in 6 months and clean the carpets for half off but they must get package 2 or 3 which includes scotch guard....

 

[hogjowl]

Those prices mean nothing without an explanation of what they represent.

 

[bensurdi]

This is what my company does. We have about 85% of our clients choose the most expensive package, all though our most expensive package is .75 cents per sf. 90 cents per sf would be nice though! Shit that would be $900 for 1 thousand SF, that may be a tough sale but if you can do it let me know. We're getting .75 EASY right now so it may be worth raising.

 

[Blue Monarch]

I hadn't realized ICS changed their board to the MB format.

 

[hogjowl]

LOL ... the Guru circle jerk over there is driving the natives over here.

 

[DRScrivner]

This is what my company does. We have about 85% of our clients choose the most expensive package, all though our most expensive package is .75 cents per sf. 90 cents per sf would be nice though! poo that would be $900 for 1 thousand SF, that may be a tough sale but if you can do it let me know. We're getting .75 EASY right now so it may be worth raising.

You are getting .75 per SF to clean carpet?

I am all about making a profit- why else would you be in business. But for that price it had better include a HECK of a lot more then carpet cleaning and/or a "happy ending".

 

[Blue Monarch]

Not only $.75, but no problem getting it. Sounds like it's time to raise his prices. Should at least be pricing at the point of pain.

 

[Able 1]

How long dose it take you to do this, and what does it cost YOU per custy??


The Complete Healthy Home Package
Maximum Deep Cleaning. Homes occupying more than 3 people or that have pets will love this program

• Don’t lift a finger; we vacuum for you.

• Don’t lift a finger; we move your furniture and replace on plastic tabs to prevent

• Eco-Friendly pre-spotting for all tough stains.

• Eco-Friendly Pre-Spray applied on all areas to remove ground in, oily dirt.

• Steam extraction cleaning with a truck mounted unit for the deepest clean.

• Eco-Friendly Non-Residue rinse to retard re-soiling of your carpet.

• 3M Scotch guard Protector applied to all cleaned areas.

• Carpet grooming after cleaning.

• High Speed drying of your carpet. Surgeon’s Booties provided to you.

• Rotovac-360 technology is used to bring your carpets natural look back ( great if you have matted down carpet )

• Plus-Newsletter subscription (A $83.00Value)

• Plus-Personal Spot Out kit (Lifetime supply)

• Plus-1/2 Price cleaning in 6 months

• Plus-5th Cleaning is FREE ( All you pay for is carpet protector)

• Plus-60-Day “Spot & Spill” insurance (does not include pet urine/vomit or flood damage)

• Plus-60-Day no-spot return guarantee!

• Stairs are an additional $3.00 each

 

[Sticky]

I'm offering quite a lot for the prices that I'm charging...if customers ask about price I'm just simply going to tell them that we cannot offer all that we offer for a cheap price...We include an indoor carpet and air quality inspection and we also do a vaccuum inspection for them....

Those are just a few of the extra's that we do...we also have a 200% guarentee if Mrs. Pifferton isn't happy then we will reclean the area's that she isn't happy with...if she is still not happy then we will pay the cleaner of Mrs. Pifferton's choice to re-clean the area's that she is unsatisfied with....we only pay for the area's that she is not happy with and we only pay after she presents a PAID invoice....it does not include scotch guard or anything else because we only guarentee the cleaning...I know .90sqft is high but I figure that I will try and see how things go since I'm just getting started...If everyone thinks that your prices are reasonable and you don't have people turn you away becuase of your price then your not charging enough....

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Gosh, imagine how much money you'll be making when you have 30+ trucks at those prices.





The above ignorant statement is just for fun.

 

[Bill Soukoreff]

This is what my company does. We have about 85% of our clients choose the most expensive package, all though our most expensive package is .75 cents per sf. 90 cents per sf would be nice though! poo that would be $900 for 1 thousand SF, that may be a tough sale but if you can do it let me know. We're getting .75 EASY right now so it may be worth raising.

If I had to clean with bio-kleen products, I would want to charge .75 cents too. They are worst products I have ever used with the exception of Bac-Out.

Their pre-spray is useless, and their rinse is way to foamy and does leave a sticky residue. Plus enzymes eat protein, guess what our skin is?

How to do you spin the green angle on teflon based protectors? Or do you conveniently leave out that part?

 

[hogjowl]

No 45/90 vacuum technique and no 5 minute vacuum instructional demonstration?

You're no professional!

 

[bensurdi]

Well it takes 2 guys a "normal" job about 3 hours to complete.

When we use any product that we wouldn't consider to be as safe as others we "conveniently bring that to their attention and let them decide what they prefer".

We also do anti-allergen treatments in any room of their choice etc.

We dont only use bio-kleen products, but we advertise them because they have a better brand recognition and better marketability than some of the others. We actually use the judon stuff quite often or Procyon stuff.

 

[Sticky]

The vac check is simple we make sure the brissels are touching the ground, its not clogged and that the bag is not full...who needs to be a professional to do that....

 

[Sticky]

Gosh, imagine how much money you'll be making when you have 30+ trucks at those prices.

I don't know if that comment was directed toward me or if that was suppose to be funny...maybe i just don't get it....

I'd rather charge a lot and market high end residential then chase around apartment complexes and restaurants like all the other fish on the bottom....I guess time will tell and I'm going to try it and if it doesn't work I can always lower my prices.

Nobody in my area is going to offer as good of service or as good of a cleaning then I'm going to offer. Why shouldn't I charge the most? I'm not trying to be cocky but there are Stanley Steemer guys that are charging a lot and they do a shitty job. (Stanley Steamer around here atleast)

Why not have a package that is really expensive? I want them to get package 2 and thats why I price package 3 so high and you guys know occasionally you get customers that just want the absolute best. I worked at ILS store for 5 years and everyone starts out and wants to be the cheapest and goes and does apartments for 5 bucks cheaper then the last guy...I don't want to go down that road...I hope I didn't come off rude or cocky....

 

[Spurling]

Yeah Rob .. nobody in your area is gonna OFFER as good of service or as good of cleaning as you will OFFER .. others in your area will actually do it ..

Hi Sticky Man .. just breaking your balls

 

[daniel@procarpet]

Stanley Steemer's standard rooms size is 300 sq. ft. Their price is usually 3 rooms for 99 dollars and as low as 79 for 3 rooms recently. Thats like .10 cents a foot. If you are getting above .50 cents a foot for carpet cleaning, I might pack up my stuff and move where you are. No one in their right mind would be happy to pay .90 cents a foot for carpet cleaning. .30 cents a foot is amazing where I work.

 

[Spurling]

You could charge $1 per sq ft and include washing the dishes and be less profitable than the guy who charges .20 per sq ft with basic pre-spray and extract ..

back when i was a hack .. I charged $35 a room for basic pre spray, spotting and extracting .. I could do 4-5 rooms an hour .. and with a helper, twice as fast .. thats $140-170 an hour ..

now we charge .65 per sq ft and provide full service including pre-vac , move most furn, agitate pre spray, extract , groom, speed dry, booties with a 30 day warranty .. with all that ..1 guy avarage $150 an hour..

bottom line is how much an hour you need/want to generate .. the more steps you provide will require a higher rate to charge ..

so for you people who are wowwed at the ones charging so much .. youre probably not that far behind in what youre collecting per hour depending on the amount of steps youre taking

could go either way .. if you want to make less trips, do less jobs, less set-up and break downs, you will want to raise your prices and offer more steps .. or if you charge less and provide less, you will do more jobs per day.. nothing wrong with a little bit of profit on alot of trucks .. just seems easier to manage less people and overhead

 

[Sticky]

Stanley Steemer's standard rooms size is 300 sq. ft. Their price is usually 3 rooms for 99 dollars and as low as 79 for 3 rooms recently. Thats like .10 cents a foot. If you are getting above .50 cents a foot for carpet cleaning, I might pack up my stuff and move where you are. No one in their right mind would be happy to pay .90 cents a foot for carpet cleaning. .30 cents a foot is amazing where I work.

I'm not expecting too many people to go with the .90sq ft...I want them to go with the second package .60sq ft....it doesn't matter what area you live in as much as the service and professionalism....

you said .30 cents a sq ft is amazing where you work....its not you could charge whatever you want but if you charge more you need to add value in the eyes of the customer...wouldn't you guys rather make more money doing less jobs by just taking your time and doing a few more things to WOW your customers....but most carpet cleaner's can't understand this and thats why most guys go with the "splash and dash" .10sqft way...

to each his own....I'm going to track this and when I get going in the next few wks I will keep you guys informed...I have no reason to lie but this is the way I'm going to try to go....

I haven't figures out my exact three prices yet but now your making me want to try and start 30/60/90...whats the worst that could happen everyone take the 30 cent package or the 60 cent package?.....

 

[Spurling]

I think everyone wishes they could charge more .. I think it is fear of losing a possible job because the price is too high ..we want to do everyone that calls our number ..so if were cheap enough, chances are good we will do them all ..

we worked the price up slowly .. the higher we got, the less people were willing to book .. in fact , we only have a 50% closing ratio (average) sometimes less .. it kills me to know how much work we turn away due to our high prices ..

this past year we made $4-5k more with one truck the whole year vs the last year with 2 full time trucks and a part time 3rd truck 5-6 wks of the summer

so the way I look at it is less hassle for more money .. and at $35 a room, we got alot of hassle including filthy hard to clean carpet .. seems like the more you charge, the better type of clients you get.. carpets arent so bad to begin with ..

so for anyone who has a 2nd truck possibly without lettering , you should try the high end approach .. if it doesnt work, fall back .. even you guys with 1 truck .. offer extra packages which would include more steps for more money .. if they dont want to upgrade .. you will atleast have what ever you were normally charging..

gas stations offer 3 prices .. McDonalds supersize my cleaning please

P.S. one of the first things to do is convince the potential client that all carpet cleaners are not alike ..we do not provide the same type of service .. just like the backyard mechanic who will fix your car with a hammer or would you prefer to go to the dealership for the full service experience.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Gosh, imagine how much money you'll be making when you have 30+ trucks at those prices.

I don't know if that comment was directed toward me or if that was suppose to be funny...maybe i just don't get it....

I thought the fact that I said "The above ignorant statement is just for fun." would indicate that I was joking. I get it, it all depends on your situation, and goals. I'd rather have 1000's of employee's than 10's, but that's me.

 

[Bill Soukoreff]

When we all talk about price per sq ft are we all taking about the same thing?

I mean wall-to-wall right? Or are some of you talking cleanable area?

Big difference.

 

[Ron Werner]

when it comes to price I get a bit torn
I recognize that when we do more, take more time to do the job etc, that we should be charging more. I'm charging .55/sf, and I'm not that busy but I do get enough work.

I pass on a lot of jobs where people would pay $200 for a house cleaning, but not the extra $200 for the way I clean it. But should I do a "$200 value job" when I know I can get it much cleaner, or do a "400 value job" for $200?

Then there is the philosophy that made millionaires of many, Serve the masses, live with the classes, serve the classes, live with the masses.
By having a service that the majority of people can afford, gives you more clientelle to choose from.
But then, that becomes a "price" shopper clientelle which are no more loyal than the next "special"

Unless you still offer something no one else offers.
Theres a guy in Indianapolis that charges $200 for the "whole" house. He means the WHOLE house, but traffic areas only, no moving furn. He doesn't usually prevac but will if needed, no extra. Pet spots-no extra, deodourizing- no extra. Just a $200 flat rate. 2 guys with portables takes them 1:15 from arrive to drive. And he's booked till past mid Jan.

 

[Spurling]

We charge cleanable sq ft .. almost all of our jobs we just do traffic areas in the bed rooms and all other areas everything movable with out damage is moved .. so were pretty close to getting wall to wall prices ..

it would be easier to just do wall to wall charge .. but in some cases it would be a rip off .. room pricing would be the easiest quickest quote ..

$45 - all bedrooms
$60 - din rm, den, office
$75 - liv rm, fam-rm
Great-rm, basement to be determined

or base on average sq ft ..

1000sf home $45 a room ... 2000sf $60 a room .. 3000sf $75 a room

 

[mojaveman]

Our packages are split between steam cleaning and using the low-moisture cimex machine. We do a lot more with the cimex because it cleans as fast as the tech can walk and typically costs about 50% less for everyone. Looks great. It just depends on the type of service they want.