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Sq Ft pricing

I'm having problems explaining /sq ft pricing when I get the initial call from the customer. ALL cleaners here in OK give room prices but my ad push is in areas ranging from 1500-5000 ft homes so I don't want to do that. I'm trying to give phone est. based on 40% of entire home footage saying that assumes little furniture moving but feel I'm losing some customers who say they'll get back but don't. I do try to continue working these by calling them back & mail. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

With the exception of commercial jobs I never quote based on sq ft. Too many variables, how dirty is the carpet? Layout of the home, amount of furniture to be moved, type of carpet (I charge more for berber)as well as who the customer is (elderly folks and nice people who clearly have little money get a discount)lots of other factors. When you get a call and they ask about pricing explain that you cannot give a quote over the phone but give them a frame of referance like an average sized room is around $40.00 a little more for a larger room a little less for smaller room. State that your prices tend to be in the average to above average range and that the "satisfaction is gauranteed or they set the price"(credit Mark D for this line)the key thing is that you close the deal and make an appointment. If they are price shopping then f-ck them they will complain and will not be repeat customers anyway. Bottom line do not be the cheapest price if you do get a job at a low price and they call you again you have already set a low price president. You are offering a uniqe boutique sevice not available everywhere. Like the Lorial commercial says "Your worth it"

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I dont do sq ft pricing. Dont like it, does not work for me in this area.
Do what you feel you need to do, if yo are loosing customers then you are doing something wrong. Its great to say I charge .30 a sq ft but are you getting the job? You have to eat. Just because Mark charges by the ft does not mean you have to. Mark is also in a higher money making area then I am or you might be. If your in cheap vill like I am, customers will call 30 phone numbers until they get the price they want. Is it a fair deal, no its not, I need to lower the price if I want to eat.
I can push great service, natural cleaning and more. But guess what, if I cant give them a price over the phone they hang up. So do I loose the job or make $60 for two rooms. I would rather do 60 for two rooms and do maybe 3 houses a day =180.00 per day at 5 days a week for 900.00 a week.
Thats what works for me. You got to find out what works for you.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

Thanks for your input guys. It helps. I have found trying to price by sq ft I usually come out real close to the 'big guy' advertised prices anyway, maybe very slightly higher, so I think I will go to per room average spiel on the phone. My problem is on the phone. Once I get to meet them I'm pretty good at making the right impression and getting the job.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I'm struggling with the same issues. I was trying to change to sq foot pricing and was finding people didn't seem to get it when explaining on the phone. They seemed to assume that since their house is 1500 sf that they would be paying for that, when really you take out the non-carpeted areas, beds, etc. so it's less than they think... At any rate after a few people hung up on me I switched back.

I recently raised my prices from "really really low" to "low" and have found a couple of shoppers kept looking, but others are finding the pricing reasonable and are scheduling, several have even given me sizable tips when they see what a good job I do and how "hard" I work--it's actually the Challenger, but what the heck. My prices are now slightly higher than a couple of low-ball companies in the area, but lower than all the large franchises by far. I try to sell them that I guarantee my work. The trick is to figure out how to get enough jobs to keep busy and pay the bills. The first priority is simply to make enough $$ to make this worth while. I'm just taking it one step at a time, and doing what I can. I'm having lots of fun though....

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I started pricing by the room and operated that way for years. A few years ago I switched to sq ft pricing. It was hard at first because of my by the room mentality. Once I started explaining to the customer that this was the fairest pricing method, for them and for me, that they pay only for what is cleaned, I have met little resistance. I often ask "Do you like paying the same price for the walkway in your small bedroom as you do for the living room? I would never go back.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I agree that it's fair, and I might try it again someday. I guess it just comes down to whether you are able to put the customer in a comfort zone with it. It's more of a failing on my part to communicate the pro's of that pricing to the customer than a failure of that pricing system.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I've priced by the sq. ft. right from the start, 15 years ago. Occasionally I have to explain to a customer how it works, either on the phone on on the job site. I have never found it to be an obstacle to doing business. I think there might be a perception on the part of the public that the better quality services use sq. ft. pricing, while the mass of c.c.ers (all those steam guys) price by the room, so as to be able to sound cheap. Appearing to be cheap is NOT your optimum marketing strategy.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

i would guess just as many splash-N-dash'ers price by the room as VLM'ers do.

sq.ft. pricing here.

depends on what you need to make a GOOD prfit as to what you should charge....too many variables that only you know.

thanx --- Derek

Re: Sq Ft pricing

How true Derek.

What works for me might not work for you or some one else.

I am happy with by the room pricing and so are my customers.

I live in a very price driven area and they would rather pay Sears the two room for 35.00 special then to get me for a few $ more.

My own mother in law and sis in law would rather use their hoover steam vac. Can you belive it?
And it shows.



Joe M

Re: Sq Ft pricing

Niche marketing means shooting for the customers who are willing to pay more for better service. They ARE out there. Too many c.c.ers throw up their hands early-on, and run with the "I'm the cheapest" side of the industry. There are Mercedes buyers out there. Not everyone drives a 10 year old Dodge Omni.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

Gees, Mark now your making fun of my 10 year old Dodge Omni.

By the way, who told you thats what I drive?

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I have spies & informants throughout Challenger Nation.

Re: Sq Ft pricing

I publish square foot pricing as a range on my web site. I also publish flat rate pricing for upholstery, stairs, etc. But for the most part what I actually 'quote' to the customer is job pricing. And that is usually based on a combo of factors such as estimated room sizes, age of carpet, anticipated condition, presence of pets, spots, how frequently the carpet is cleaned, etc. I usually have not seen the carpet when I make my quote, and I depend on the customers best guess etimate of those factors.

Of course I tell the customer that I may have to make an adjustment on arrival but that I will generally hold the quoted phone price unless there are exceptional deviations in soil condition or room areas. I rarely take out my tape measure and I rarely have to adjust a price, but there are some instances where the spotting is so excessive that I DO. In those cases I explain that I will pre treat all spots and clean as normal, but that if they want me to spend additional time treating individual spots then we can do that on an hourly basis. No one has objected.

As a point of reference my prices are typically based on $.30/sq foot, carpeted area of room whether empty or full. I move small items (couch, love seat, coffee table). Otherwise I clean around it unless the customer empties the room in advance.

I always do extra for the customer. I may tell them the fee for excessive spotting is $x per hour, but if it's only going to take me an additional 30-45 mins I rarely charge anyway. Often I get a tip, or a customer asking if I want more. I don't decline tips, but I never ask for more if it has not been agreed upon in advance.