$0.35 per sqft too much?

Nomad74

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Yeah, it's 3am and I can't sleep. I just jumped out of bed, went outside in my underwear to look in my van to make sure I didn't leave my stair tool at my last job. Whew, it was in there.

I can't stop thinking about getting yelled at on the phone by a potential customer yesterday. We are in full swing busy season here. Everyone is swamped with work and the phone just keeps ringing. Yesterday I got a call from a woman that was referred to me by another local cleaner. She absolutely needed it done on Monday and could not find anyone with an opening. I told her I could do it but it would need to be scheduled for 5pm. I told her it would be $.35 and my minimum is $150. She agreed and we booked the appointment.

About 5 minutes later my cell rings again. I answered to her yelling at me that she has 1,200 sqft of carpet and there must be some sort of mistake if it was going to cost $420. I calmly explained she was correct with her math which threw her into even more of a frenzy. She said she had the carpets professionally cleaned 6 months ago for $180. I recommended that she call the last cleaner and get the $180 deal. She replied, "He's no longer in business." She canceled her appointment and decided to keep calling around.

Good grief!
 

Jim Pemberton

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People who are in a hurry to solve their problems and in the course of it make it your problem are not good long term customers. Anyone who raises their voice because of a real loss of self control (or worse yet a feigned one) is also not someone you would ever want as a customer.

I do think you didn't mean to be funny by commending her understanding of math...but she probably took it as some level of sarcasm. Anyone who is "offended" by your price wouldn't let real or preceived sarcasm go by unnoticed.

Your story reminds me of a woman I almost got involved with:

We had agreed on a first date, and an important matter came up with work and I called to reschedule. She flew into a rage that went from yelling on the phone and hanging up on me to several days of abusive emails.

I called myself very fortunate to have cancelled that date, and only could imagine what a relationship with her would have been like.

So it is with Ms. Panic and Abuse over a carpet cleaning price.
 

Nomad74

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People who are in a hurry to solve their problems and in the course of it make it your problem are not good long term customers. Anyone who raises their voice because of a real loss of self control (or worse yet a feigned one) is also not someone you would ever want as a customer.

I do think you didn't mean to be funny by commending her understanding of math...but she probably took it as some level of sarcasm. Anyone who is "offended" by your price wouldn't let real or preceived sarcasm go by unnoticed.

Your story reminds me of a woman I almost got involved with:

We had agreed on a first date, and an important matter came up with work and I called to reschedule. She flew into a rage that went from yelling on the phone and hanging up on me to several days of abusive emails.

I called myself very fortunate to have cancelled that date, and only could imagine what a relationship with her would have been like.

So it is with Ms. Panic and Abuse over a carpet cleaning price.
Jim, you hit the nail on the head. I forgot to mention she made a big deal out of me not having a lot of yelp reviews. I told her I don't do yelp because they telemarket to me constantly. I suggested she look at my 40 google reviews and youtube channel. When she made a big deal about the yelp thing I had a feeling she was not for me.
 
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Cleanworks

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Jim, you hit the nail on the head. I forgot to mention she made a big deal out of me not having a lot of yelp reviews. I told her I don't do yelp because they telemarket to me constantly. I suggested she look at my 40 google reviews and youtube channel. When she made a big deal about the yelp thing I had a feeling she was not for me.
When customers yelp about the price, it's time to cut them loose
 
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Noble Carpet Cleaners
Seldom I get a customer that has actually measured square footage with a tape measure. And yelling is one thing, real frustration is another. Sorry you got yelled at, i can't recall getting yelled at. Is .35 to high? Not for a 100 sq/ft bedroom, neither is .40 for that matter. Sailing by square footage requires explaining because the vast majority of consumers are charged by the room/area. I did it for years, had several "slow down" speeches about open square footage that's why I need to measure. Slow down and I'll either swing by or you can measure yourself. She ain't got no 1,200 square of open carpet. And in the unlikely event she does and it's moderate+ soiled then fine, go in at .35 and hold your head up. If she's not lying and someone cleaned 1,200 sq of actual then it's obvious they were low balling; 7 cents?
 

Jim Pemberton

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Yeah, it's 3am and I can't sleep. I just jumped out of bed, went outside in my underwear to look in my van to make sure I didn't leave my stair tool at my last job. Whew, it was in there.

I can't stop thinking about getting yelled at on the phone by a potential customer yesterday. We are in full swing busy season here. Everyone is swamped with work and the phone just keeps ringing. Yesterday I got a call from a woman that was referred to me by another local cleaner. She absolutely needed it done on Monday and could not find anyone with an opening. I told her I could do it but it would need to be scheduled for 5pm. I told her it would be $.35 and my minimum is $150. She agreed and we booked the appointment.

About 5 minutes later my cell rings again. I answered to her yelling at me that she has 1,200 sqft of carpet and there must be some sort of mistake if it was going to cost $420. I calmly explained she was correct with her math which threw her into even more of a frenzy. She said she had the carpets professionally cleaned 6 months ago for $180. I recommended that she call the last cleaner and get the $180 deal. She replied, "He's no longer in business." She canceled her appointment and decided to keep calling around.

Good grief!


I can't help but notice a number of posts about customers and potential customers who need serious mental health treatment, a support pet, and probably a pump that would allow them to constantly mainline a variety of mood leveling pharmaceuticals.

I think we all get them, but I was wondering if this is a consistent customer profile for your business, or if its just that you find entertainment in the sharing.

(I surely find it in the reading...)
 
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Bob lain

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Yeah, it's 3am and I can't sleep. I just jumped out of bed, went outside in my underwear to look in my van to make sure I didn't leave my stair tool at my last job. Whew, it was in there.

I can't stop thinking about getting yelled at on the phone by a potential customer yesterday. We are in full swing busy season here. Everyone is swamped with work and the phone just keeps ringing. Yesterday I got a call from a woman that was referred to me by another local cleaner. She absolutely needed it done on Monday and could not find anyone with an opening. I told her I could do it but it would need to be scheduled for 5pm. I told her it would be $.35 and my minimum is $150. She agreed and we booked the appointment.

About 5 minutes later my cell rings again. I answered to her yelling at me that she has 1,200 sqft of carpet and there must be some sort of mistake if it was going to cost $420. I calmly explained she was correct with her math which threw her into even more of a frenzy. She said she had the carpets professionally cleaned 6 months ago for $180. I recommended that she call the last cleaner and get the $180 deal. She replied, "He's no longer in business." She canceled her appointment and decided to keep calling around.

Good grief!
She most likely didn't have 1200 sgft of carpet .it was probably 600
 

Cleanworks

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You can't please everybody. When I give some customers the price, they say that's very reasonable. Others flip out and think I'm gouging them. I had one the other day with 4 bedrooms, hall, stairs, living room, dining, room, family room. I quoted $350-400 and I'm thinking that's a little low. She's thinking I'm off my rocker so I told her to call around.
 

Nomad74

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She most likely didn't have 1200 sgft of carpet .it was probably 600
Well that's what I said to her. She was insistent it was 1200. What can you do.

Bob, I should tell you about the lady on Winsome Way I did an estimate for. I was bidding against you and Sundance. It was a reminder to me why I don't do estimates for price shoppers. I'll tell you about it sometime when I have time.
 
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Desk Jockey

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Rico Suave
Yeah, it's 3am and I can't sleep. I just jumped out of bed, went outside in my underwear to look in my van to make sure I didn't leave my stair tool at my last job. Whew, it was in there.

I can't stop thinking about getting yelled at on the phone by a potential customer yesterday. We are in full swing busy season here. Everyone is swamped with work and the phone just keeps ringing. Yesterday I got a call from a woman that was referred to me by another local cleaner. She absolutely needed it done on Monday and could not find anyone with an opening. I told her I could do it but it would need to be scheduled for 5pm. I told her it would be $.35 and my minimum is $150. She agreed and we booked the appointment.

About 5 minutes later my cell rings again. I answered to her yelling at me that she has 1,200 sqft of carpet and there must be some sort of mistake if it was going to cost $420. I calmly explained she was correct with her math which threw her into even more of a frenzy. She said she had the carpets professionally cleaned 6 months ago for $180. I recommended that she call the last cleaner and get the $180 deal. She replied, "He's no longer in business." She canceled her appointment and decided to keep calling around.

Good grief!
She did you a favor. Think if she had she waited to calculate after you had finished cleaning.
 
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Bob lain

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Bob
I try and tell people just because your house is 1800 sgft doesn’t mean you 1800 sgft of carpet . If the general area’s that are carpet Lr,Dr,H,3Br and the baths kitchen laundry room and entryway is tile you most likely have between 7-9 hundred sgft of carpet not including closets which we don’t charge for anyway. So a good price is 250-350 depending on conditions
 

Mikey P

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I try and tell people just because your house is 1800 sgft doesn’t mean you 1800 sgft of carpet . If the general area’s that are carpet Lr,Dr,H,3Br and the baths kitchen laundry room and entryway is tile you most likely have between 7-9 hundred sgft of carpet not including closets which we don’t charge for anyway. So a good price is 250-350 depending on conditions


When are you bringing the RZR over?
 
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JohnHawkP

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Nov 20, 2006
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Melbourne
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John Paton
Yeah, it's 3am and I can't sleep. I just jumped out of bed, went outside in my underwear to look in my van to make sure I didn't leave my stair tool at my last job. Whew, it was in there.

I can't stop thinking about getting yelled at on the phone by a potential customer yesterday. We are in full swing busy season here. Everyone is swamped with work and the phone just keeps ringing. Yesterday I got a call from a woman that was referred to me by another local cleaner. She absolutely needed it done on Monday and could not find anyone with an opening. I told her I could do it but it would need to be scheduled for 5pm. I told her it would be $.35 and my minimum is $150. She agreed and we booked the appointment.

About 5 minutes later my cell rings again. I answered to her yelling at me that she has 1,200 sqft of carpet and there must be some sort of mistake if it was going to cost $420. I calmly explained she was correct with her math which threw her into even more of a frenzy. She said she had the carpets professionally cleaned 6 months ago for $180. I recommended that she call the last cleaner and get the $180 deal. She replied, "He's no longer in business." She canceled her appointment and decided to keep calling around.

Good grief!


From an Oz point of view.

US $1.00 = AUD $1.37
10.7 Square feet = 1 Square Metre

Therefore US $0.35 Per Square foot
= AUD $5.13 per Square Metre

I don't know anyone in Australia who charges that and gets it.

The going rate here ranges from AUD $2 per Square Metre to AUD $4 per Square Metre.

Or in American from $0.14 per Square Foot to $0.28 per Square Foot.

I charge the equivalent of $0.21 per Square Foot and I can average $120 per hour with that rate.

If you top operators can get over AUD $5 per Square Metre then that is fabulous money in Oz.

Nomad

When you were being shouted at, did you notice an Australian accent?


:icon_cool:
 
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