What is your defination of "swamped"?

[Mikey P]

Over the years I've often wondered...


I was going to run a poll but there would have to be 50 choices..

So lets hear it, how many jobs per vehicle and how many days or weeks out?

 

[rwcarpet]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

Swamped for me is knowing I will be cleaning everyday for a few days and into the weekend. I tend to get alot of "last minute" calls for rentals, commercial work, and for emergency extraction (and the follow up cleaning). It seems to keep my schedule full. (Don't forget....I gotta have time to cash that GM pension check!)

I don't want a 7-7 schedule everyday, 6-7 days a week.

 

[rwcarpet]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

Well....just got a call to clean the Mayors office Saturday morning. See how things work out??

 

[Derek]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

booked 5-6 days a week, 2 weeks out is swamped for me.

 

[hogjowl]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

I am "swamped" only one time a year. It's always June and July. My commercial accounts have to have their quarterly cleaning done during those two months, I have three large schools that have to be cleaned then, and my residential cleaning is always somewhat busy then, as well. Then, to top it all off, the military starts moving out (and in) in our area and have to have their houses cleaned.

I can not properly handle the phone traffic (I manage to forget calls, fail to write them down, get mixed up on appointments a bit) during this time. I clean 8 to ten hours a day ... and I mean CLEANING TIME, not riding around in my van time! For the past two or three years (I guess I am just too darn old for this stuff now) I have gotten sick (flu) during this period and have had to stay on the wand, throwing up and having fever, to keep from getting behind. Not a fun way to live and work.

However, it only lasts for about 45 days, and then I am back to 2 to 4 jobs a day, 4 or 5 days a week. With an occasional Saturday commercial job to do.

I'm not complaining ... I have allowed my business to grow into whatever it naturally evolved into. I have never done any advertising, unless you count the SM reminder cards I started doing the past couple of years.

One day, when I grow up, I may hire Joe, Howard, Lisa and Ellen to make me a big boy. Until then, I'll continue to throw up on peoples lawns during June and July.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

Any time we have all tech’s out and there is no one else here but office personnel. It doesn’t happen that often but a few times a month I’m hoping we don’t get an emergency call because I know we can’t immediately respond.

 

[John Olson]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

If you have time to be on Mikeys you are defintely NOT swamped

 

[Desk Jockey]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

 

[Dolly Llama]

we don't regularly work weekends
So swamped to "me" is when we can't keep up and have to work Saturdays or add one or two of the cash pay labors I use occasionally


.l.T.A.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Re: What is your defination of "swampedl"?

Any time we have all tech’s out and there is no one else here but office personnel. It doesn’t happen that often but a few times a month I’m hoping we don’t get an emergency call because I know we can’t immediately respond.

I feel your pain, Richard. I mean YOU might actually have to neglect your MB posting duties and go push a wand... naaah, let 'em wait till a tech comes back in!

Steve

PS Overall I find most cleaners overbook and run too close to the edge personnel wise. Then when that very profitable same day and next day work comes in they can't respond. (Or they over work and burn out their techs.) And yes, I loved being able to play "hooky" and go jump in a spare truck to bang out an urgent job.

 

[Desk Jockey]

And yes, I loved being able to play "hooky" and go jump in a spare truck to bang out an urgent job.

They don't want me onsite, they say I just get in the way. I'm good with seeing pictures. :mrgreen:

 

[mcatt]

For me it would be booked solid 1 week out every week for my 1 and only van. I am basically solo so that would be perfect actually. 2 weeks out would be swamped for me but great!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Nice website Mike. Good looking family too! 8)

 

[Chris A]

Used to be when I was working by meself, booked out 2 weeks with no room for anybody, thats when those last minute jobs come pouring in and have to be done. Now with an assistant and a second van we never get more than we can handle, we split up about 20 days last year

 

[Ken Snow]

Re: What is your defination of "swamped"?

Maybe get another couple assistants and split up 250-300 days a year chris?

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[Shane Deubell]

About a $150k a year net. With good reserves set aside on top.

 

[Chris A]

Re: What is your defination of

Maybe get another couple assistants and split up 250-300 days a year chris?

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Is it really that easy?

 

[Ken Snow]

Re: What is your defination of "swamped"?

Lol- nah but if you start lookin and add 1 it will give you and Steph motivation to get more bus.

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[Art Kelley]

I'm booked out solid for two weeks now with very little wiggle room. That for me is swamped because every day people call and want me there ASAP and when I book them way out there they want me to call if there is a cancellation. That's just the way it goes. I'm glad that Ken operates such a bang up business that I can confidentially refer any custys who absolutely need work done tomorrow to Hagopian and know they will do a good professional job.

 

[Able 1]

For me swamped is 6-8 jobs a day for as long as it lasts... Booked out weeks means nothing to me because it always fills in. Working on getting a helper for my lead guy, and repeat.. I really don't advertise much and know I could load two vans no problem.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

For me swamped is 6-8 jobs a day for as long as it lasts... Booked out weeks means nothing to me because it always fills in. Working on getting a helper for my lead guy, and repeat.. I really don't advertise much and know I could load two vans no problem.

How can you clean 6-8 jobs in a day? I'm convinced that if I start at 9 and end at 5 ish the max I can do is three and that is with a helper. Maybe 4 if some are small. The weird thing is I used to bang out 6 a day by myself with a porty working solo back in the day. Now I do less work, better work, and make more.

 

[Dolly Llama]

How can you clean 6-8 jobs in a day?


I used to bang out 6 a day by myself with a porty working solo back in the day. .

Ivebeensold :| Iseeru

..L.T.A.

 

[Mikey P]

boy dose it flow thick around here when it comes to story telling time.

 

[Able 1]

For me swamped is 6-8 jobs a day for as long as it lasts... Booked out weeks means nothing to me because it always fills in. Working on getting a helper for my lead guy, and repeat.. I really don't advertise much and know I could load two vans no problem.

How can you clean 6-8 jobs in a day? I'm convinced that if I start at 9 and end at 5 ish the max I can do is three and that is with a helper. Maybe 4 if some are small. The weird thing is I used to bang out 6 a day by myself with a porty working solo back in the day. Now I do less work, better work, and make more.

Well, I clean clean(high end) rentals on the same property... Last week I cleaned 7 jobs with 37 miles on the van, I like to keep things close.. They pre-vac and have trained most of my custies to(though I still do if I need to). Me and my helper are sooo on the same page at every moment of the cleaning it just takes no time. Imagine to have you as a clone, that's who I work with... From $80 to $100 by myself is now $150-$200 with a helper HMMMMM yeah,it might pay to have help! AND lmfao you guy's didn't say a thing about 24 2BR apts in a day... We do also MOVE EVERYTHING.. WTF does it take you guys soo long?

 

[miksar]

For me, for the last 2 years by Fri I'm booked solid for the next week, at least 3 jobs per day, so for me this is normal. For the last 4-5 months, I've been booked for the next 2 weeks and I feel swamped. I guess it's because it's hard to fit in last minute jobs and I end up fitting them in somewhere and sometimes stresses me out. There is a huge winter visitor presence in this area and they are just about gone home now for the summer. Thank goodness!!

 

[Able 1]

Here's how one of my jobs went today: She wanted all the BR furniture moved except beds though we did that in one room(lil extra thing I call "repeat") ,and I popped in and out of the BR as my guy moved stuff around. As I was finishing the last BR(didn't say a thing) he grabbed the live line from the TM to sprayed the 3 other areas.. It's really is all about EFFICIENCY and we moved everything... I think alot of you guys make it more complicated then it is.. So 3BR, hall, LR, office, and stairs 1.25 hours.. hey Marty, blow me

 

[The Great Oz]

Being surprised by a big enough jump in business that we have to hire quickly and feel pressure to get the new techs up and running fast. We know we lose some jobs if we book out farther than three days and I never want to lose jobs. Booked out five days is swamped.

We're hiring.

 

[Mikey P]

Some interesting perceptions and takes on what busy can mean to different people.


I like Miksar's answer booked solid the next week by week's end all year long, two weeks out is time for another truck though

 

[Art Kelley]

boy dose it flow thick around here when it comes to story telling time.

Who do you think is lying?

 

[Mikey P]

Just you.