Charging for estimates?

[-JB-]

Charging for estimates?

Commercial/residential, anyone?

 

[Charlie Lyman]

no way, I needed some work done on my travel trailer and one guy wanted $50 for an estimate. I gladly went elsewhere. I think our customers will do likewise.

 

[Derek]

not i.

maybe if i was So busy that i didn't really need extra work.

or maybe if i wanted to cut the the low-payers and bring in the "cream of the crop" clients.

thanx --- Derek.

 

[hogjowl]

Well , of course not. Think about that question for a second or two. Would YOU pay for an estimate if ... say ... a plumber, or air conditioner repairman said you had to before he would come out?

However, if you want to hear people tell you they DO charge for estimates, then go ask this same question over on ICS.

 

[Jack May]

I aviod inspections like the plague if I can but sometimes some things require it regardless. Commercial, repairs to carpet or leather and a few other things. If I do an inspection and then need to reschedule for the work, I'll add an additional $25 to the price if I can not as a separate line item but just in the cost of doing the job.

I don't list the individual items so that's easy.

I doesn't make you money but it covers a few of the basic costs of fuel and payroll.

For all the insurance work, I charge them an inspection fee that covers up to the first 1/2 hour to walk through the job, do the paper work etc.

Horse for courses but taht's what I do.

John

 

[steve frasier]

has a company do a water damage estimate, they billed me $125 for 1.0 hour

 

[harryhides]

Well , of course not. Think about that question for a second or two. Would YOU pay for an estimate if ... say ... a plumber, or air conditioner repairman said you had to before he would come out?

Yes, please DO THINK about it for a moment. Of course there are situations where it makes sense to charge for an estimate but only a stoopie couldn't think of any.

 

[Blue Monarch]

More harm than good IMO.

 

[Guest]

Nope.. NEVER saw a reason.. to charge for an estimate.
I'd go elsewhere quick.

Same for service calls.. unless there is a minimum to meet.. and the ser. call falls under that..

but to charge 50 or more like 75.00.. and then charge on top of that..
might as well pass out a condom prior to screwing the customer.

When they have an alternative.. can you say 'expendable'.??
and I'm talking about cleaning.
Not being called out at 10pm.. for WDR work.

 

[Becker]

No,

But I really try and sell it over the phone with out coming out.

I give about 5 in home bids over a busy month. Sometimes more or less.

In fact I have 2 in home bids tomorrow. Along with 3 jobs.

 

[harryhides]

So you'd drive 40, 75 100 miles away to do a "free" estimate ??
Is there no limit for you guys ?

What if the customer is not that far away but wasn't home the last time or two that you went to do an estimate for them?

 

[Blue Monarch]

100 miles? Ma'am, you can pack sand.

 

[Becker]

I won't do it.

I'll try to sell them on the phone, the try to set a estimate/clean.

Meaning if they are happy with the bid I clean at the same time.

I don't make money behind the wheel.

 

[XTREME1]

I have to drive over hell and creation this weekend just to do my free quote on 10 stores, it is part of business.
If I went to a place a couple of times and they weren't there I would have them give me as much detail over the phone and estimate it that way. Explain that is an extimate based on their info.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Never for carpet cleaning, but we do for Fire damage work, we will credit the invoice if we do the job. 8)

 

[hogjowl]

Who said anything about driving 100 miles, Harold?

You gotta stop making things up.

 

[Kevin Hamer]

Never charge for cleaning estimates, but charge for going out to write a statement to the insurance company for homeowner when carpet is not savable from water damage.

 

[Guest]

I won't drive over about 10 miles for a quote unless its a big job. Most of my work is residential and I will drive for quotes for cleaning/sealing tile and grout. But for the $150 carpet job, no way.

Most of my work is in a small radius, so quotes are no big deal. If I get in to give a quote, I will almost always get the job, so for me I don't mind.

 

[406]

lost leader?

 

[-JB-]

Well , of course not. Think about that question for a second or two. Would YOU pay for an estimate

No, but I wouldn't want "me" as a client. Think about that for a second to two. How many of us actually serve our own "class" if you will, not many I suspect from all that I've read, the majority of us serve "up". Then again on the other hand, YES, I have no problem paying for a quote from a company or person/company that is well respected as the true professional of their trade, offering a service I'm certain I will choose regardless of price after all isn't their time worth anything, mine is. If I show them respect of their time it seems fair to say, there going to act in kind towards my time as well, right?

maybe if i was So busy that i didn't really need extra work

Remember, Rule No. 1, it's business is not about work, it's about money.

I'll add an additional $25 to the price if I can not as a separate line item but just in the cost of doing the job. I doesn't make you money but it covers a few of the basic costs of fuel and payroll.
Great way to do it!

we will credit the invoice if we do the job.
That's the way to do it right there! You eliminate price shoppers and keep the ones that are serious, you both win. Spend more time with the clients that really need/deserve it.

I give about 5 in home bids over a busy month. Sometimes more or less.

How's your booking ratio, Phone quote vs. in home?
Personally mine sucks! "I'm a CC not a salesman!" sound familiar? I have a secretary to do the phones, (for free phone quotes) that is the ONLY reason I hired her, any other bookwork, or organizing she does is gravy! She's very personable, and caring. Her phone booking ratio is about 3x higher than mine, and our clients love dealing with her!

I have to drive over hell and creation this weekend just to do my free quote on 10 stores, it is part of business.

With all do respect, it's part of your business, because you choose to let it be and, that's a fine way to do it too, but there are as many other ways to do it as there are, method's and machines, wouldn't you agree?

What typically has more perceived value, something that's given away, or something you have to pay for?

 

[Tony Neville]

We would not charge for an estimate. We do try and do most over the phone but if we have to look at we schedule it when we are in the area.

Tony

I do like the idea of charging then crediting the invoice.

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

I give no estimates for residential. It's a $75 min for me to drive to a residential job. Just like all plumbers and other service men charge. You call to have your appliance fixed, they charge a min to come out and then when their done you'll get the whole bill. I value our clients and my time.

I will give a quote on larger commercial jobs or for clients we've never worked for.

 

[hogjowl]

Are you aware of any large, multi-truck, large revenue generating carpet cleaning business' who advocate charging for in-home estimates? Does Howard Partridge? Does Ken Snow?

I don't want to be rude, but I suspect this is just another example of marginal (at best) cleaning business' advocating unusual (and potentially harmful) business practices based on real, or imagined, experience gained by doing very small business volume.

The day I see successful carpet cleaning business' using this technique will be the day I question common sense enough to actually THINK about doing this.

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

Roto, why would you drive all over to measure 10 stores. Measure one, quote, clean and if they like your work do the other 9 for the same rate. Some will be more soiled than others but it will even out on a job that size unless you under bid the first one.


Ok Marty, you drive 10 miles to look at a room to be cleaned. You arive, look at pee stains, give estimate Of $130. Lady says too much! So now you have invested time and money into her quote so you try to save the job. Well mam we can just clean the carpet with a deo for $65. She would like it done next friday. So you return next friday and clean for $65. How much money did you clear? NONE you went in the hole. I'm sorry but I value my time and spend it working for $$ not estimates. Call Sears, a big franchise, ask them how much to fix your fridge. They will tell you $85 to send out a tech. He will fix the fridge and give you the bill.

I'm sorry for all those that go out to bid small jobs and then go back to clean. You call me and ask how much I charge I say, We charge by the sqft, I have 3 different cleaning levels and the cheapest one starts out at $0.25 per sqft. Many don't like me not giving an exact price over the phone and that's ok. There is 200 cleaners in the phbk that will clean it for a rm price. By the way, I stay very busy for a small company. 7,000 sqft Saturday morning for Dept of Corrections and 7 jobs next week for over 3k on the books. Not a single estimate for any of them! And I'm not cheap! My work all comes from a referal.

 

[Dolly Llama]

It's rare we give on site estimates to res prospects.
Most can be handled over the phone with the right questions.
(same with empty apts or houses)

Com is a different situation.
There's so many variables in set up, what exactly they want, type and condition of carpet, etc , we choose to give on site estimates 98% of the time.

To answer the question,
We don't charge for estimates
Don't expect we will anytime soon either

..L.T.A.

 

[hogjowl]

Harley:

Unless you are claiming to charge for cleaning estimates, then you have no beef with me. I am not advocating in-home estimates for residential cleaning (even though I mostly do that).

I am just calling into question the actual business success/volume/actual cleaning done by those who claim to charge for cleaning estimates.

 

[XTREME1]

I have to drive over hell and creation this weekend just to do my free quote on 10 stores, it is part of business.

With all do respect, it's part of your business, because you choose to let it be and, that's a fine way to do it too, but there are as many other ways to do it as there are, method's and machines, wouldn't you agree?


I was the only person who was willing to drive to each individual store and measure and meet the managers, I had a contract sent over today asking for all my insurance bonding etc a final agreement and I had not measured yet, I promised I would have the bid done by Monday 5pm faxed over, no one else could do that or explain to this gentleman what he was going to do. I read and signed the agreement based on the price per sq Ft I stated and looked closer and they gave me all 27 stores. I called and told them about the misprint and they said I got them all just get the bid in for the ones agreed upon by monday 5pm and we will schedule. So about $50,000-$75,000 a year for going out and measuring. So I hope i get the bid in by Monday at 5pm, it is going to kill me to drive around sunday in a 150 mile loop

 

[-JB-]

Seriously-

Your proving it-
"DIRT IS GOOD!"

Two questions,

1- You hiring?

2- How's the wife doing?

 

[-JB-]

However, if you want to hear people tell you they DO charge for estimates, then go ask this same question over on ICS.

On the ICS board they will tell you they charge for estimates? They don't?

Are you aware of any large, multi-truck, large revenue generating carpet cleaning business' who advocate charging for in-home estimates? Does Howard Partridge? Does Ken Snow?

No, however that statement seems to assume all owners want to be a large, multi-truck, large revenue generating cc business doesn't it?

I am just calling into question the actual business success/volume/actual cleaning done by those who claim to charge for cleaning estimates.

Again the inference that there arent any "sucessfull" cc comapanys out there who charge for estimates, could this be true, or should we send this one to Mythbusters?

 

[hogjowl]

I don't know, John. I think I know, but heck, I could be wrong. However, IF there are any truly successful carpet cleaning owners who charge for residential cleaning estimates, I've never met them. And, I've met a bunch of cleaners over the years.

I will say this, a great deal of the outrageous advice/information I see printed on these boards almost ALWAYS turns out to being given by cleaners who aren't what they portray themselves to be.

I remember years ago there being a cleaner from Oregon who used to post on ICS all the time. He built an internet image of himself of being one who charged outrageously high prices, and professed to having cleaning standards that would have thrilled Aunt Bee on the Andy Griffin show. I was talking to him over the phone one day and he told me about a part time job he had driving a lemo for a Lemo service agency. Now, there certainly isn't anything wrong with working for a living, and carpet cleaners who have part time jobs, or even full time jobs and cleaning carpets part time, should not be ashamed of themselves. It's all good. However, for a part-time cleaner to give advice on business building, that is contrary to the proven practices of those cleaners who actually RUN full time, successful operations, is unforgivable. I'm not saying he was lying about his cleaning practices. I'm just saying that it's easy to do things an unusual way when you are only cleaning a handful of jobs every month.

So, in closing, if you ever actually meet a cleaner who gets away with charging for residential (or even commercial) estimates, let me know. But don't just believe it simply because he says it.