Pricing too high??

[Ron Werner]

Measured up a vacant 4 room and hall
At 55cents/sf came to just over $500 with taxes
Just seemed a little high so I took 15% off and she was really happy, I still made $400 for 2.5hrs work.

Is there anyone else out there that feels that pricing seems to be getting too high?
Seems like every industry out there is jacking up the price to where hardly anyone can afford things. Guess it started with housing.

 

[Able 1]

2.5 hours for 4 rooms and a hall, dude! Oh yeah ,forget it, I saw that stair vid you could easly spend that much time.

Keith

 

[Ron Werner]

 

[Ernie G]

I know what you mean sometimes I price a job and it sounds a little
high. I think its usually when the carpet is'nt very soiled or the set up is extra easy, or the people are extra nice that I feel that way. But, then there are those jobs like the one I had on friday-lv.rm.,din.rm.,hall and a set of stairs empty, off white and filthy-I charged .65 and it was'nt enough.

 

[Brian R]

Everyone (my customers) starts off with the same price but the cleaner the carpet, I will come down a bit in price. This way I am not "charging more" for heavy soil....Or so it seems.
If the customer uses me alot or refers me alot then they get a better price.
It's the time is money thing all over again.

Hell it's sunday and I am groggy. I just read this post and it didn't make sense to me either.

 

[Chris A]

how many jobs you doin a day lately t.Brev?

 

[Ron Werner]

Yes, sometimes I do only clean one job a day. But its done as best I can.
There's guys in town that can get through 5-10 jobs in day, Yeah! Sure! If they're air wanding.
You cannot "clean" at that speed, just pretend to clean.


And I've had those same jobs where 65 cents just wasn't enough.

 

[Ron Werner]

I'm all ears as to how I can be more efficient, just as long as I am not sacrificing quality. Any idiot can skip steps and move faster. Isn't that what we refer to as a "hack".
How can I get the carpets as clean as I've been getting them with more efficiency??

 

[gasaxe]

I wonder if your customers appreciate you camping out at their house for the day just to clean the rugs

i wonder if your customers appreciate the hot electrical smell comin from their meter...

 

[Ron Werner]

as a matter of fact, they don't mind.
They see me working and see the result.
Vacuum doesn't draw that much power.

I'd like a machine like the Whittaker or Procaps, but the Sebo is so much easier to work. I don't know that using either machine would really speed things up because of its weight and manoeuvrability and can't really use it on stairs, so I'd need another machine for that. Tradeoffs.

 

[Mikey P]

Don't listen to him Ron, we can't all be trust fund babies.

 

[gasaxe]

as a matter of fact, they don't mind.
They see me working and see the result.
Vacuum doesn't draw that much power.

I'd like a machine like the Whittaker or Procaps, but the Sebo is so much easier to work. I don't know that using either machine would really speed things up because of its weight and manoeuvrability and can't really use it on stairs, so I'd need another machine for that. Tradeoffs.

my reply wasnt directed to you sir. I think you do excellent work!!

I was speaking toward the electric tm and the vac boosters with all the cords running out the front door that mr "odin" uses

 

[Guest]

I have adopted the room price here in Pensacola; but prices here are really bad; I however I do by the sqft in restaurants due to nasty syndrom; I generally charge nasty's $0.65 sqft. even here. No matter if I am running cords or generator.

 

[Harry Myers]

No such thing as pricing to high. Maybe with todays market. I did not read 1 post . The market today has Skyrocketed . Competive pricing in a market that is overpriced it self . I can' t answer that question .

 

[B&BGaryC]

I work more at werners speed most days, and charge like cowley and get told I'm overpriced. If that's not a business model for disaster I don't know what is.

I used to be more careful in homes. I would always slip the shoe covers on and off as I was entering and exiting, not only be careful with the hoses, but made sure it looked like I was being careful... I think people got the impression that I was just a lazy fat guy.

Once I picked up the pace a little bit, skipped on a few of the anal retentive niceties, shaved 30 minutes to an hour and a half off of each job, the customers started seeming more pleased. Now I only put shoe covers on when going into an area that has already been cleaned. I don't spend so much time making sure the hose is laid in an organized fashion. If it's piled up behind me I leave it as long as it's not breaking anything etc. etc. I noticed that customers were impatient and did not want to listen to care instructions after I was done because the expected me to be done a while ago. When I picked up the pace they were much more receptive to talking after the job. Gives me time to tell them about the referral incentive program.

It's late, lemmeknow if any of that made sense.

 

[Chris A]

I hate golf...