Pricing: How do they do it!?
- Thread starter Kelly Brown
- Start date
Jacob Ward
Cleantalker Veteran
Hi kelly 
Little question. If I may.
And i had to ask myself this last year when I got going in another part of the country.
Why are you judging your work by what others charge ?
J
Little question. If I may.
And i had to ask myself this last year when I got going in another part of the country.
Why are you judging your work by what others charge ?
J
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #3
It’s not that I’m judging my work. I know we clean to a high standard. But, we’re not getting the work we should/ could get because we are always being under cut.
EOT cleans are not easy and we could be in a property for hours.
I just don’t understand how people are doing it for the price they are doing it and being successful.
we’ve been told we are the best in the area by one estate agents but we’re always being undercut on price
EOT cleans are not easy and we could be in a property for hours.
I just don’t understand how people are doing it for the price they are doing it and being successful.
we’ve been told we are the best in the area by one estate agents but we’re always being undercut on price
Peter McDougall
Cleantalk Member
I'd say your price is about right for everything, it's certainly about what I'd charge but I'd add vat on top.
There's always going to be somebody cheaper and willing to run themselves into the ground to do these things. The best thing to do is build relationships with landlords who appreciate the job being done right, same goes for letting and estate agents. Build your reputation and the work will follow.
There's always going to be somebody cheaper and willing to run themselves into the ground to do these things. The best thing to do is build relationships with landlords who appreciate the job being done right, same goes for letting and estate agents. Build your reputation and the work will follow.
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #5
Thank you so much for that. I'm trying desperately hard to make this a success but get very deflated every time we are undercut. We have had no work this week because of this but really don't want to drop our prices as it's bloody hard work (when done properly) x
Peter McDougall
Cleantalk Member
Something I've heard many, many times.. "it's just cleaning.." My eyes almost roll out of my head whenever I hear those words
Chris Birkett
Cleantalk Member
There's a firm round here that do...get this...8 hours cleaning, 2 people, £150.
£9.37 per hour to scrub and clean all day? Christ.
There's another one offering a free oven clean if you book 2 hours or more general cleaning.
There will ALWAYS be someone cheaper. There will be people cheaper than them above.
£9.37 per hour to scrub and clean all day? Christ.
There's another one offering a free oven clean if you book 2 hours or more general cleaning.
There will ALWAYS be someone cheaper. There will be people cheaper than them above.
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #8
That's crazy! Some places are so neglected. We offer an oven clean within our price as that what everyone seems to do and I can't even begin to tell you how bad the ovens are at time. I wouldn't cook the dogs dinner in them. 
oven cleans take up so much of our time. And don't even get me started on the like scale! 
So I'm guessing you all think I should stick to our prices?
oven cleans take up so much of our time. And don't even get me started on the like scale! So I'm guessing you all think I should stick to our prices?
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #9
@Peter McDougall. My bones say different! I'm like an old women most mornings trying to get out of my bed 
Colin Nash
Cleantalk Member
Change your strategy. Specialize in something else. Carpet cleaning, Jet washing, oven cleaning, window cleaning. General cleaning and EOT can be done by anyone despite the fact it's hard graft and results vary. That particular area of work is highly competitive.
Even the carpet cleaning trade has a load of have a go's. There was someone on here a while back considering upgrading from a Vax to a Rug Doctor as I recall. So we all get it. EOT just seems to be the worst. So don't take it personally.
A couple of years ago one of the lads was cleaning a ;lounge carpet in a rental property for an agent. A girl turned up to do the EOT. She also expected to clean the carpet. She had a bucket, rubber gloves, box of washing powder and a scrubbing brush.
You are doing the right thing. Don't let it get you down. Let it get you angry. That will motivate you to give it some hard sell.
Theres always cheaper. Even in the medical profession!
Even the carpet cleaning trade has a load of have a go's. There was someone on here a while back considering upgrading from a Vax to a Rug Doctor as I recall. So we all get it. EOT just seems to be the worst. So don't take it personally.
A couple of years ago one of the lads was cleaning a ;lounge carpet in a rental property for an agent. A girl turned up to do the EOT. She also expected to clean the carpet. She had a bucket, rubber gloves, box of washing powder and a scrubbing brush.
You are doing the right thing. Don't let it get you down. Let it get you angry. That will motivate you to give it some hard sell.
Theres always cheaper. Even in the medical profession!
Nathan Gale
Cleantalk Member
Funny you say Colin, over in Teesside we have the opposite. A lady that slags rug doctors off to high heaven and ‘never rated them’ but with her shiny vax she gets amazing results, and gets recommended all the time too
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks Collin. We started with EOT because it's what we know and was doing already. We want to do builder cleans but no idea how we get into that as again so many big companies to compete with.
We do ovens and a domestic carpet clean (with a hoover not with a bucket and scrubbing brush) we do tell them it is a domestic hoover and they seem fine with it.
The thing is we need funds to invest in equipment and training courses ie a professional carpet cleaner but even then I still don't see anyone wanting to pay for the work because there is like you said always someone cheaper. Grrrrr
We do ovens and a domestic carpet clean (with a hoover not with a bucket and scrubbing brush
) we do tell them it is a domestic hoover and they seem fine with it. The thing is we need funds to invest in equipment and training courses ie a professional carpet cleaner but even then I still don't see anyone wanting to pay for the work because there is like you said always someone cheaper. Grrrrr
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #13
No way! That's hystericalFunny you say Colin, over in Teesside we have the opposite. A lady that slags rug doctors off to high heaven and ‘never rated them’ but with her shiny vax she gets amazing results, and gets recommended all the time too
James Smith
Cleantalk Member
Kelly how long have you been trading
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #15
About 2 months
James Smith
Cleantalk Member
Early days
Do you just do EOT , if so then why not get into the domestic side of cleaning
To be honest most letting agents won't pay that sort of price , they would begrudge paying half of what your charging they want the best clean for the cheapest price
Move away from EOT and like i've said try domestic or small offices
Do you just do EOT , if so then why not get into the domestic side of cleaning
To be honest most letting agents won't pay that sort of price , they would begrudge paying half of what your charging they want the best clean for the cheapest price
Move away from EOT and like i've said try domestic or small offices
Kelly Brown
Cleantalk Member
- Thread starter
- #17
Thanks for the adviceI really appreciate it. We have spoke about doing office and things like flats by cleaning the halls and stairs etc.
Think we need to do some more research!
Gary Rendall
Cleantalk Member
We do EOT cleans.,we do the cleaning together and then I carpet clean. If they want the oven done I just sub it out.
We've just done a 3 bed house and carpet cleaned it.
We charge what we think is correct regardless of what others charge. Eot cleans if done properly is very hard work. Don't undercut yourselves.
We've just done a 3 bed house and carpet cleaned it.
We charge what we think is correct regardless of what others charge. Eot cleans if done properly is very hard work. Don't undercut yourselves.
Nathan Gale
Cleantalk Member
Kelly stay true to your pricing. I worked one day a week average when I first started, due to my prices I still paid for my business set up cost off in the first year.
now in my second year I do 2-3 days a week I more than doubled my takings. Earning a great wage while having loads of free time. If you undercut yourself you end up as a busy idiot.
Diversify into carpets, ovens etc. I have done 1 EOT in 3 years (due to my pricesand even then I argued with the landlord and had to force payment by persuading him very nicely
now in my second year I do 2-3 days a week I more than doubled my takings. Earning a great wage while having loads of free time. If you undercut yourself you end up as a busy idiot.
Diversify into carpets, ovens etc. I have done 1 EOT in 3 years (due to my pricesand even then I argued with the landlord and had to force payment by persuading him very nicely
Dave Atkins
Cleantalk Member
If you’re going to work for letting agents be prepared to work cheap in order to get a volume of work. 2 to £300 per day for a lone worker isn’t bad at all.
Who said the work had to be top notch, as long as it looks clean and tidy they’re happy. It shouldn’t be hard work if you’ve got the right equipment.
We know we can do a better job but you wouldn’t try selling a rolls Royce to a farmer instead of a Subaru.
Relate your work to the customers needs and you’ll get far more work.
Who said the work had to be top notch, as long as it looks clean and tidy they’re happy. It shouldn’t be hard work if you’ve got the right equipment.
We know we can do a better job but you wouldn’t try selling a rolls Royce to a farmer instead of a Subaru.
Relate your work to the customers needs and you’ll get far more work.