what is the best way to market to restaurants

[juniorc82]

Im looking to create some busy work for my 2 helpers and generate some extra monthly income we can count on . Believe it or not restaurants are more profitable than janitorial so that's what I am looking for. I do a few right now. The only stipulation I have is that I want to be in there about once a month or no more than every 6 weeks to clean. If you wait much longer than that from my experience they get way to dirty and it becomes far too big of a hassle. I just kind of lucked my way in to the ones I have so Im not sure how to go about attracting new ones.

 

[TomKing]

Walk in the front door.
Ask if they currently have a service provider.

Offer to clean once free. If your better then ask that they hire your company

COLD CALL is the best way. Face to Face is the only way I have found to get new work.

Hit the streets.

We do a lot of restaurant's but I have to say working with most managers is a challenge just one step up from apartments in my opinion.

go for offices, dentists, churches better clients.

 

[steve_64]

all my restaurants and apartments came to me. they have to be able to find you when they are ready just like most work.

the good thing about them is they are steady work, weekly and monthly unlike offices which are bi annual or annual for the most part.

eat where you want to work and make sure your van is marked and park where they can see it.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Hit the streets...

Tom summed up in three words how to get the accounts. (And those same words explained why most carpet cleaners do so little regular contract commercial work!)

Jon, you have gotten lots of good advice above. I would add to virtually insist on having "open access" (you have your own key) to the restaurant.

Also on the bigger restaurant jobs some of my SFS members are going in with both a TM AND a Cimex with a 3 person crew. The main traffic lanes are hit with hot enzymes and HW extraction while the other two guys are clipping along with one moving tables and the other one keeping the Cimex buzzing along. Killer production rates!

Steve

PS Lots of cleaners don't like restaurants. But when I sold my business we were doing over 50 of them monthly and the cash flow was very "comforting"! Jon, I've got a neat Commercial Carpet Analysis form that will a) help you control the initial sales call plus b) price the job profitably and c) help get you the key. Write me at stoburen@StrategiesForSuccess.com and I'll email you a free copy.

 

[billyeadon]

Walk in the front door.
Ask if they currently have a service provider.

Offer to clean once free. If your better then ask that they hire your company

COLD CALL is the best way. Face to Face is the only way I have found to get new work.

Hit the streets.

We do a lot of restaurant's but I have to say working with most managers is a challenge just one step up from apartments in my opinion.

go for offices, dentists, churches better clients.

Someday I will convince Tom to bypass restaurants. He is too good a salesman to waste his time on the market that is the least loyal.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Don't ask me that's for sure....

After about 30 estimates and i didn't win even 1 job!
The prices were $80-$140 per service and we really want to stay $2-240 range min for commercial. Maybe someday will lower it but for today plenty of low hangin fruit out there.

Our current commercial database is in the 400 range and not 1 restaurant and maybe 5 apartments, tile only. Can definitely double that, big world out there. Sometimes we have to punch out of the cc bubble.

 

[steve_64]

im just a little guy struggling. but, i have been very lucky too.

i know im outta my league here but i do learn a lot between my antics.

thanks for putting up with me.

 

[handdi]

work late at night?
work for .10 a foot
Why?
some tell me where the profit is in doing these things.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

work late at night?
work for .10 a foot
Why?
some tell me where the profit is in doing these things.

Many early am(5-6) and profitable.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

 

[juniorc82]

work late at night?
work for .10 a foot
Why?
some tell me where the profit is in doing these things.

The profit comes once the floor ia kept inline and on schedule. ON all 3 of my restaurants we do monthly, 2 of which get done every other week, we average over $100 an hour on all of them. I have a bbq resty that gets done once a month takes an hour to an hour and 15 mins to do and they pay $150. This is why I said if im not in there on a routine I dint want it because they get too trashed. I love knowing my vans are out making money while Im in the recliner at night.Much more profitable cash flow work than janitorial and most of the vct I do

 

[dealtimeman]

Lee what is profitable to you 5- 6 percent?

 

[bob vawter]

when i first started out i had every Chinese restaurant witin a 25 mi radius
the very pits of hell........they'll dis-embowel you....
for a fi dollar bill.....................

 

[TomKing]

Randy
The profit is you have to get away from thinking square foot. You have to look at man hour production rates.

It is much easier and cheaper to build $1000 night for commercial than residential.

I will be talking about this at MF10 and how to sell it.

work late at night?
work for .10 a foot
Why?
some tell me where the profit is in doing these things.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Lee what is profitable to you 5- 6 percent?

My comment was that many of our restaurants are done at 5 or 6 AM.
like Tom and others noted profit is an hourly calculation.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tmdry]

Walk in the front door.
Ask if they currently have a service provider.

Offer to clean once free. If your better then ask that they hire your company

Tom,

Are you guys really cleaning once for free for all new commercial accounts (or just restaurants)?

I know the SFS manual says to offer the first time free cleaning, I'm just leary giving it all for free the first time and they not calling again and or wondering why would we do it for free (as in what's the catch), I know we are trying to get the account, but at the same time we cannot charge big bucks per sqft for restaurants.

I was more interested in knowing how to put a restaurant route together for 1-2 guys and still be profitable after labor, sales percentage (sales rep will be doing all cold calls) are paid.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[TomKing]

Yes we do not all ways but it is a sales tool.

Tom,

Are you guys really cleaning once for free for all new commercial accounts (or just restaurants)?

I know the SFS manual says to offer the first time free cleaning, I'm just leary giving it all for free the first time and they not calling again and or wondering why would we do it for free (as in what's the catch), I know we are trying to get the account, but at the same time we cannot charge big bucks per sqft for restaurants.

I was more interested in knowing how to put a restaurant route together for 1-2 guys and still be profitable after labor, sales percentage (sales rep will be doing all cold calls) are paid.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Wing It]

I clean many restaurants. All were picked up through cold calls and referrals. My proposal sheet lists a number of the nearby places we clean. This gives them a referral and the idea that we work well for other similar places. I think of it as a niche. Most hacks don't have the tools to compete and those that do don't want to fool with restaurants. My van makes me money while I sleep. Anyone/monkey can be trained to do a job that is repeated over and over. That being said, I pick and choose the restaurants I bid on based on many factors such as reputation, location, hours, ability to have a key, size, tile, upholstery, etc. I have found owners and managers to be loyal. The problem arises with the constant turnover of managers or the corporate new guy making changes.

 

[BLewis]

We clean over 30 per month, average at least $150 per hour with the most profitable job being $275 for 1 hour.
We only clean 2 med size or 1 big one per night and that's because I want to get to bed at a reasonable hour 1-3 am. 500-700 per night. During the summer makes for routine 1200-1500 dAys, in the winter sometimes the restaurant business might be all that we'll have. One quote that I love from Stevie T. is (and I'm not sure this is the actual quote) but we love going to the mailbox and getting checks everyday even if there's snow on the ground!
I quit marketing to resi after Christmas 4 years ago because it seemed like a waste of $. I Haven't done cold calls or post card marketing to restaurants in 3 years (mainly because "I" couldn't handle anymore. Have culled a few this pass 6 months (heeding some advice from Tom King) so my techs "and me" can look forward to the entire weekend off.

Although the wifey sends out 10 church brochures weekly I up that in the winter to 25-50 per week. This winter I will put together a commercial brochure and that will give us a commercial piece, a church commercial piece and an EDDM/reminder piece.

For those looking to get into restaurants just follow Stevie T's advice from SFS and KEEP at it and u will pick up some.
here are a few more things to try
#1 Treat Asst Mgrs like GOLD the good ones will grow up to be Gm's and most times at a different location! And you stand the best chance to pick that new location up.
#2 Per Stevie T. Require less and less of things they need to do to get ready for you. I added some value to all but one client by placing chairs back down in position so that the wait staff didn't have to mess with them in the morning
#3 Offer free Tile & grout cleaning (small areas rotated monthly) to get their monthly carpet cleaning business
#4 Find out if they are 12 or 13 month P&L cycle. 13 period cycle you automatically schedule every 4 weeks instead of once per month (this added income adds up!)
#5 Offer a free resi cleaning to GM's once per year (most will not take you up on it)
#6 Offer $100 cash to any manager or Tech that helps you to pick up a new monthly restaurant account
#7 offer free Demo's (10x10 sf areas) let them pick the area for demo. This will most always be the dirtiest area that will result in the biggest WOW factor. I to do not do entire store cleanings for free. I have done it in the past but has never resulted in a new account
#8 Buy the management team a Christmas gift that they can all enjoy while at work (booze is not a good ideal !lol)

Ok, enough of my secrets (ok, 2 more just to make it 10)

#9 Do a "couple" of entry matts at no charge
#10 Always let them know what other services you offer. We get regular upholstery and occasional Kitchen Tile & Grout cleaning jobs from this

 

[Jeremy N]

One thing that I struggle with is relaxing when guys are working at night. I constantly fear that guys are going to break something or not do a good job. I really struggle to not worry about things. I can't sleep well in that situation.

 

[tmdry]

One thing that I struggle with is relaxing when guys are working at night. I constantly fear that guys are going to break something or not do a good job. I really struggle to not worry about things. I can't sleep well in that situation.

What I've learned is to put the night guys that are more mechanically inclines on the night jobs and the ones w/ the sales experience on the day jobs.