SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!!!!!

[greenclean]

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE COMPETITION IS LOWERING THEIR PRICES!!!

THEY KEEP GOING DOWN, AND DOWN, AND DOWN....

DON'T THEY KNOW THIS IS THE SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!

I KEEP A VERY GOOD EYE ON MY COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICING...EVERY MONTH THEY KEEP LOWERING THEIR PRICES...HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?....HOW LONG UNTIL THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? THIS SEEMS TO BE A TREND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN....THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS, PLANS TO HANDLE SUCH PRICE WARS, ADJUSTMENTS AND THE LIKE. ARE YOU SEEING THIS IN YOUR AREA?

:idea:

 

[Mikey P]

panic mode has set in, price shopper based businesses that rely on coupon clippers are doomed.

 

[Askal]

Good point Mike. Something else to consider is the seasonal aspect. Carpet cleaners here will charge .40 for an empty house in the summer and .10 in the winter. I can always tell when others are slow because I get less empties.
Al

 

[XTREME1]

I am price point and business is booming. I think alot of people look through coupons because they were burnt by someone else and want to try someone different. My customers have proven loyal and their invoices have gone up over the years

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I just cleaned for a customer that had a flyer for $99 whole house and $19.95 for a sofa and $9.95 for a chair. :shock: From what I have learned he uses the Rug Doctor that you can buy at walmart for $500.

 

[XTREME1]

I get $45 first room and $25 each addtl $55 sofa and have an apex and everest

 

[Mike Draper]

I haven't shopped anyone in 2.5 years. I don't care what they are.

 

[Doug Cox]

I have never found the need to shop another cleaner.

 

[GeneMiller]

never checked anybody's prices although my customers occasionally do it for me.

Gene

 

[Ron Lippold]

my job adv has doubled in the last month due to tha fact that I am getting the most out of what im being given

 

[Steve in Omaha]

Greenclean,

Just how do you know what your comp. is charging?

Slammed here in the conservative Midwest. Have not lowered prices for the vast majority, there are a few I have never charged full boat...and never will.

 

[Steve in Omaha]

I just cleaned for a customer that had a flyer for $99 whole house and $19.95 for a sofa and $9.95 for a chair. :shock: From what I have learned he uses the Rug Doctor that you can buy at walmart for $500.

So, what's ya saying is you were priced in the "sweet spot"... somewhere between $99 and Rug Dr.?

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I just cleaned for a customer that had a flyer for $99 whole house and $19.95 for a sofa and $9.95 for a chair. :shock: From what I have learned he uses the Rug Doctor that you can buy at walmart for $500.

So, what's ya saying is you were priced in the "sweet spot"... somewhere between $99 and Rug Dr.?

I was actually, it was $300 even. She is an older retired lady that lives down the street, I went back the next day to remove all the blocks and tabs, got to talking to her and she is passionate about embroidery, shes good too. So I hired her to do a bunch of embroidery for me and since its such a passion for her she is charging me next to nothing if I supply the items. Giving her 100 quality plush hand towels next week to work on, the towels are giveaways, just like the spotter bottle.

 

[Mike Draper]

You cant have your name and Hilton's embroidered on the same towels, it just wont work.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

You cant have your name and Hilton's embroidered on the same towels, it just wont work.

Whoa not that high quality, we are talking about high quality Super 8 motel.

 

[Dolly Llama]

wasn't there a dude here not long ago that said raising his prices increased the amount of work he was doing?

That's not the first time I've heard that either

makes me wonder if his prices were TOO low to start with and no one (the "good" custys anyway) didn't trust him and figured he'd do a crappy job or be a bait 'n switcher hi-pressure schmuck


..L.T.A.

 

[klewis4]

If someone mentions our price is too high (which is rare), we offer them traffic areas for roughly 30 percent less per room. Usually isn't low enough for true price shoppers though.

After raising our prices this year about 15% (I took over my Dad's business), we did lose a few customers. However, the new customers we have been attracting have more than made up for that. In addition, the price seems to "weed out" unproductive leads. I publish my prices on the web and also in print. They are pretty reasonable (based on what most clients say).

 

[R W]

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE COMPETITION IS LOWERING THEIR PRICES!!!

THEY KEEP GOING DOWN, AND DOWN, AND DOWN....

DON'T THEY KNOW THIS IS THE SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!

I KEEP A VERY GOOD EYE ON MY COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICING...EVERY MONTH THEY KEEP LOWERING THEIR PRICES...HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?....HOW LONG UNTIL THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? THIS SEEMS TO BE A TREND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN....THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS, PLANS TO HANDLE SUCH PRICE WARS, ADJUSTMENTS AND THE LIKE. ARE YOU SEEING THIS IN YOUR AREA?

:idea:

You know, Steve.....keep an eye on the competitors. If they have equipment that you would use or purchase, just wait them out till they go out of business and have to sell. Then jump on them.......make them an offerfor their equipment that they can't refuse!

Survival of the fittest....

 

[hogjowl]

Was this whole thread copied and pasted from ICS?

 

[greenclean]

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE COMPETITION IS LOWERING THEIR PRICES!!!

THEY KEEP GOING DOWN, AND DOWN, AND DOWN....

DON'T THEY KNOW THIS IS THE SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!

I KEEP A VERY GOOD EYE ON MY COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICING...EVERY MONTH THEY KEEP LOWERING THEIR PRICES...HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?....HOW LONG UNTIL THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? THIS SEEMS TO BE A TREND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN....THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS, PLANS TO HANDLE SUCH PRICE WARS, ADJUSTMENTS AND THE LIKE. ARE YOU SEEING THIS IN YOUR AREA?

:idea:

You know, Steve.....keep an eye on the competitors. If they have equipment that you would use or purchase, just wait them out till they go out of business and have to sell. Then jump on them.......make them an offerfor their equipment that they can't refuse!

Survival of the fittest....

I read your other thread on this....saavy!!!!

 

[Mike Draper]

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE COMPETITION IS LOWERING THEIR PRICES!!!

THEY KEEP GOING DOWN, AND DOWN, AND DOWN....

DON'T THEY KNOW THIS IS THE SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!

I KEEP A VERY GOOD EYE ON MY COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICING...EVERY MONTH THEY KEEP LOWERING THEIR PRICES...HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?....HOW LONG UNTIL THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? THIS SEEMS TO BE A TREND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN....THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS, PLANS TO HANDLE SUCH PRICE WARS, ADJUSTMENTS AND THE LIKE. ARE YOU SEEING THIS IN YOUR AREA?

:idea:

You know, Steve.....keep an eye on the competitors. If they have equipment that you would use or purchase, just wait them out till they go out of business and have to sell. Then jump on them.......make them an offerfor their equipment that they can't refuse!

Survival of the fittest....

Generally, BDCC's will prolly owe the bank more than their rig is worth. I would think.

 

[R W]

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE COMPETITION IS LOWERING THEIR PRICES!!!

THEY KEEP GOING DOWN, AND DOWN, AND DOWN....

DON'T THEY KNOW THIS IS THE SLOW SPIRAL DOWN!

I KEEP A VERY GOOD EYE ON MY COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICING...EVERY MONTH THEY KEEP LOWERING THEIR PRICES...HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?....HOW LONG UNTIL THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? THIS SEEMS TO BE A TREND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN....THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS, PLANS TO HANDLE SUCH PRICE WARS, ADJUSTMENTS AND THE LIKE. ARE YOU SEEING THIS IN YOUR AREA?

:idea:

You know, Steve.....keep an eye on the competitors. If they have equipment that you would use or purchase, just wait them out till they go out of business and have to sell. Then jump on them.......make them an offerfor their equipment that they can't refuse!

Survival of the fittest....

I read your other thread on this....saavy!!!!

Steve...Steve...Steve. I'm just saying that if the shoe was on the other foot, and you were going under, there would be some BDCC at your doorstep making you an offer to take your equipment off your hands. It's a tough time to start any business. In my area, where the unemployment is in the mid teens percentage wise, there are suddenly alot of new roofers and siders out there, undercutting each others price. Same in the carpet cleaning business.....each week it seems, they drop their price by a few bucks. It's a good time for price shoppers.

And for Marty.......I haven't been on ICS for ......years.

 

[randy]

I have discounted like crazy 2008-2009 just to keep plugging along, basically 10-30% off our regular prices depending on the job. Now Guys with heavy debt loads are in emotional overwhelm and getting stupid. There is a guy here with a used Vortex cleaning for $18 a room. Furniture cleaning has just evaporated for us. Even the folks in 1-2 million dollar neighborhoods are putting it off.

This winter will in my opinion be the third and last winter of this recession, things are starting to perk but slowly. It will also be a very long cold winter and the the knock out punch for a bunch of cleaners that are barely still in business, especially where it gets really snowy. Get a job this winter and clean part time till spring if you need to, just get through the off season. Anyone making fun of a cleaner working a job to stay a float this winter with all that BDCC bullshit is a total degenerate ass. This winter you will see a bunch of distributors and smaller manufacturers close up. Many had to have a fantastic 4Th quarter and they aren't.

The silver lining is if you make it through the winter there will be a 3-4 year run with NOT as much competition. The day of a newbie leaving his job at Stanley Steamer and buying a $60,000 rig with almost nothing down are gone, for awhile anyway. Many of the start ups you see with be Porty guys and so you will just need to sell "truck mounted cleaning" by setting yourself apart from them. It's go to be an interesting winter & early spring.

Best wishes to all, I hope to be in full hibernation by January 10Th.

 

[Chris A]

I have discounted like crazy 2008-2009 just to keep plugging along, basically 10-30% off our regular prices depending on the job. Now Guys with heavy debt loads are in emotional overwhelm and getting stupid. There is a guy here with a used Vortex cleaning for $18 a room. Furniture cleaning has just evaporated for us. Even the folks in 1-2 million dollar neighborhoods are putting it off.

This winter will in my opinion be the third and last winter of this recession, things are starting to perk but slowly. It will also be a very long cold winter and the the knock out punch for a bunch of cleaners that are barely still in business, especially where it gets really snowy. Get a job this winter and clean part time till spring if you need to, just get through the off season. Anyone making fun of a cleaner working a job to stay a float this winter with all that BDCC bullshit is a total degenerate ass. This winter you will see a bunch of distributors and smaller manufacturers close up. Many had to have a fantastic 4Th quarter and they aren't.

The silver lining is if you make it through the winter there will be a 3-4 year run with NOT as much competition. The day of a newbie leaving his job at Stanley Steamer and buying a $60,000 rig with almost nothing down are gone, for awhile anyway. Many of the start ups you see with be Porty guys and so you will just need to sell "truck mounted cleaning" by setting yourself apart from them. It's go to be an interesting winter & early spring.

Best wishes to all, I hope to be in full hibernation by January 10Th.

Great Post.

 

[Steve in Omaha]

This winter will in my opinion be the third and last winter of this recession,

Then we will be heading into a Depression. Fasten your seat belts.

 

[bob vawter]

yep...by spring i'll has my two BRAND NEW $8000.00 Genies....



ready!

 

[ascrubabove]

I just raised prices across the board, but we always have a special running.