CJones

Sounds interesting! I owned a packing and shipping store for awhile and developed a very successful annual campaign I titled “Quarters for Kids” – and which we donated a quarter for every package shipped in December and donated to a children’s shelter in our town. It was fun! How about “Heaven’s Best Care and Share” program?

I’ll be there! Good customer service is always the key to survival. People want somebody they feel they can trust to actually show up, return phone calls, do great work, be professional, and to show a personal, caring attitude. After all that, they won’t care if you are higher in price than the other guys!! And they WILL call you back! Repeat business!

I mostly notice these lines in newer construction homes with forced ac/heat and light colored carpeting. Newer homes are being built tighter all the time for energy conservation – but the air is ‘forced’ around the inside. I’ve also seen these lines around the skirts of sofas/chairs as mentioned above, but usually where doors are kept closed a lot of the time – like bedrooms at night. Most people seem to understand what it is when it is explained and not too worried if it doesn’t all come out. Part of the ‘lower the expectation’ on the front end of the deal – and then they are pleased when most of it is gone!!

I include protector in all my prices – not optional. I sell as “package” – we do it all – concept. My minimum is $89.95. I start 3 areas at $159.95 and basically add $40 for each additional area. I very rarely add additional costs for spots, etc. as I feel it all balances out for the most part, and I automatically cater to upper end due to higher pricing so it’s usually not that bad! For commercial, I bid by the sq ft at .35 per ft as a starting point unless the job is unusally large (and not trashed), then I will bid as low as .30 (including protector). I usually charge 99.95 for stairs as they are time consuming and require a lot of product if done thoroughly. My standard couch price is 129.95 and I add 10-15$ per ft depending on style of couch/cushions for over the reg. size. Usually do chairs at around 49.95-59.95 depending on style/size. All include protector. Sell 32oz spotters for 14.95. I always tell callers that I won’t be the cheapest – followed by an explanation why. I also tell them to ask anyone else they speak to about vacumming, spot treatment, water-soluble vs detergent cleaners, protector, grooming, and drying time. Usually that makes the point. I have helped many customers “recover” from Steamatic and Chem-Dry. They can not believe the difference!

So a common price seems to be around 25 bucks per room, no vacuuming, just spray and buff. I’m assuming no protector? Also, if you are bidding hallways, banquet rooms etc. are you including vacuum, spot removal, or protector?

Man, how in the heck can you vacuum and buff down a hotel room in 10 minutes? I need to get faster – drink caffeine?

Now this type of guarantee would be interesting – and very possible to offer. As an example, I recently cleaned for a repeat customer and a week later the gentleman called me very distressed. He had dropped an entire plate of spagetti on his newly cleaned carpet and his wife was distressed! (they are both about 80 yrs old) He didn’t know what to do but stated he was willing to pay whatever necessary to clean it up! After I calmed him down I agreed to come over at the ened of the day and help them. Of course, as with every job I use protector so I wasn’t too worried. I cleaned up the spots in about 15 minutes and they had their checkbook ready – and I gladly told them “no thank you”! I have done this more than once. Another recent example involved a vacant house I had just cleaned for a client’s mother’s house who had just passed away. The water line from the fridge began to leak two days after my cleaning and causeed a problem all the way into a family room. I went back and cleaned the area again and accepted no pay. As I explained to my clients in these cases, they just spent a lot of money having their carpets cleaned – and I wanted them to be able to enjoy it for longer than just a few days!!! The word of mouth “good will” created from these circumstances greatly outweighs any time lost in my opinion. I only wish I could receive service like this myself – which is exactly what we all need to consider when we help our customers! A 48 hour guarantee is a great idea!

I actually try to error in the opposite direction and give my customers a reality check – depending on what the stain was caused by, and how deep it penetrated the surface, etc., there is no one on the planet that can guarantee it will not return with time, humidity, etc. However, with the application of our stain protector, I can tell them we can prevent further spills, etc. from becoming a future problem. So far, everyone seems to understand this and appreciates the honesty.