Would you charge more for this?

[tmiklethun]

I did a condo today for a Realtor who sends me a lot of LITTLE jobs. My average overall ticket is 246.00, my average with this realtor is about $80.00. She sent me on a job in a condo community today. It had two bedrooms of carpet, lightly soiled. I ran a bonnet cleaning on it, ( 6th floor with an inside hallway) no way to do HWE. This job would normally take me about 45 minutes, but with the layout of this condo it took me almost an hour and a half.

Would you add an extra fee for the additional set up and tear down time or just take the loss of time?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Charge what you need to charge.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Barry-QDCC]

I think it's too late to charge more for this one unless you have previously had a conversation with your realtor friend about situations like this. And if you haven't had that conversation I wouldn't do a single other job for her until you do have that conversation.

Why are you messing around with $80 jobs when your average is $246? Is your schedule not full?

At the very, very least I'd have a higher minimum job rate.

 

[tmiklethun]

Barry,

I am not fully booked, but that is not the reason. They are good realtors that do send me some good homes. Unfortunately, I have to do the crap work to keep getting the better jobs. Still trying to evaluate if i am getting enough good jobs to justify all the little jobs they send me.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

I'd still raise my minimum. But when I say have a higher mimimum - for a 6th floor job I'd have an even higher mimimum. I can't help but believe that any reasonable person would not understand why you would charge more for a situation like that. On the other hand if she is sending you 9 out of 10 good ones then maybe you can meet in the middle.

What do you normally make an hour cleaning carpets, not counting drive time?

 

[tmiklethun]

I'd still raise my minimum. But when I say have a higher mimimum for a 6th floor job I'd have an even higher mimimum. I can't help but believe that any reasonable person would understand why you would charge more for a situation like that. On the other hand if she is sending you 9 out of 10 good ones then maybe you can meet in the middle.

What do you normally make an hour cleaning carpets, not counting drive time?

I normally make between $100 - $125 an hour to clean carpet, a little more for tile cleaning.

Right now it is more like 6 of the little ones for every decent job. Not sure if it is worth it yet, but I have only been working with them for a couple months.

 

[ruff]

A friendly, honest conversation has never hurt anyone.
If they do not understand that with that price you're not making (or hardly) any profit, at least you'll know where you're at and re-evaluate.
It could also be that they never thought about it, after all it is not their business.

All my good realtor clients understand and want me to make a decent profit. The others are just free loaders and I have no wish to work for them.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes and like Ofer said explain why. The cleaning is the same regardless of ground level or 6th floor but you have to charge a setup fee to cover the extra time involved getting to the carpet.

We always charge an above ground level fee and get few complaints. Those that do not understand, can call someone that doesn't understand their cost of doing business.

 

[GCCLee]

Were fighting a deal now where the only way in to a community was to price match.

Them fookers before weren't even cleaning!

Some neighbors have come out and asked why it takes me so long. At first i was like wtf am I slow? Then they started telling me , the last company only spent like 15-20 min tops.

Had another cleaning company come in and fill out an app this am at BNI.
I marched up to the Prez, throwed down his llittle tri-fold flyer and said "what in the hell"

Nothing about what we are doing is easy!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Chris it sounds like you're delivering a higher level of service than they were used to getting.
Once they see the value in what you deliver, I'd begin to increase the rate you're charging them.

 

[Blue Monarch]

Another carpet cleaning company filled out an app in your BNI chapter? How is that even allowed by your leadership team?

 

[GCCLee]

Another carpet cleaning company filled out an app in your BNI chapter? How is that even allowed by your leadership team?

This company says they dont do carpet, but do vct, i dont do vct so.....

I made note and so did another guy.

They wont much like me bouncing around the room hollering : )

 

[TomKing]

Create up charges for high floors in condos.
We also have a up charge for moving to a portable.
No one ever balks at it.

Being new I have done that a few times.

Set better expectations next time and you will be fine.

Great job on developing repeat referral sources. That is the ticket to a full schedule.