I know we try to steer away from exposing ourselves to "price" but I could use a little advice on residential pricing. I have lost several now where I MUST have been too high.

hard to be 4 X higher than the steamers and get the gig. But since I did get the first few, i thought I was close. I saw one of our member websites and figured out I was waaaaay over board.

I'd now like to go back to these clients and be honest; "Hey, i was still learning pricing...how about X much?".

For the first few months, I'd like to simply get the word out I provide excellent results and service.

1 How are you charging by the room Sq Ft just tossing out a number

2. what were you providing the prospect to justify the costs

3. What method were you going to use, people can be fussy about that.

4. you cannot win them all and lots of people are cheap, better to not do a job and loose a headache


We start at 33 cents a sq ft and it goes up from there depending on what they want for extras, and furniture moving or not.
the 30 cents is no moving anything. our process is the same for everything only the extras furniture moving are change.

I was, at first, trying the square foot thing. I bought and used a tape roller thing....but that was somewhat odd to use inside a bedroom. so, I decided to try the per room deal. I prefer this method but got confused when it came to measuring under furniture and around stuff. Perhaps if I have a good method here that might help

I was @ $45 first room $35 each additional. I would count a big room as two...(therein lie my problem most likely)

I was too high this way. Perhaps a combo of the two might be best. I am seriously open to suggestions.

Grant has a nice way of doing it but I did not want to just steal his numbers and ways. In fact, it was looking at his great website where I saw I might be way too high.

Sq. ft. pricing is the only way to go. Plus you need to see the each situation before committing a price anyway.

Bigger the home, the more you charge. It only makes sense! And I always tell the customer it is the only fair way to do it, and they ALWAYS agree...as for measuring around beds, just get the rollertape, measure the width of the pathway on the side of the bed (usually 3-4 feet), then run the roller around the pathway around the bed...I find that it is almost always 4' X 25', so that equals 100' per regular sized bedroom w/o moving furniture- of course the master is usually bigger...

Hope that helps -

Joe

those prices are VERY reasonable in my estimation...

you might need some "pricing confidence" is all.

if you give the impression to the prospect that you are sorry to have to charge them that much, you've already lost.

thanx --- Derek.

BTW, no matter how low you price a job: you will NOT get them every time.

Derek, what "prices" were you referring to?

For residential we use a strait line yellow laser tape - $20 at Menards, Lowe's etc. It calculates the SF for you. For traffic areas in rooms we charge 70% of the full room dimensions as the cleanable SF. Hope this helps

Darren

"I was @ $45 first room $35 each additional."

"I would count a big room as two...(therein lie my problem most likely)" - most room pricers do that from what i've read.

switch to sq.ft. i agree.

with a minimum of at LEAST $75 (if they only want a closet CC'ed : "fine maam, that is covered by our minimum charge of $75 - $120" [you pick the amount])

w/ a $45 minimum: half is going into your gas tank, other half to the gubment.

thanx --- Derek.

For the input. I will make the appropriate changes.

Charge by the sq ft with a Min price

Most splash and dash rub and run or bait and switchers use room pricing with the fine print stuff in there like extra large room is considered a double room they may even have a sq ft amount in there.

.26 SQ FT TO .34 SQ FT IS GOOD depending where you are in the country. Show the people QUALITY. Separate yourself from the scam cleaners that advertise $9.95 a room junk. If the average customer can't pay between .26 - .30 then they aren't worth cleaning for anyway. Everyone likes a deal once in awhile, but you have to make money too. The second time you clean for someone you can give them some kind of deal. Example: I have a customer (guy) who has a couple of rooms of commercial carpet in his house. Told him last year, I will give you FREE protector next time around but it will cost you. Within a couple of days I had a referral to clean for and now I owe him free protector. They like things like that.

Square foot, while measuring I tell the customer many cleaners charge for a full room regardless of stationary furniture I let them know I only charge for what I clean, post staining is extra, stairs $2.50-$3.00. That includes prevac, prescrub when needed, prespray, deodorizer, while trimming around the perimeter I wipe down the baseboard molding (women love that) alot of furniture to be moved is extra if its only a couple pieces no charge, after cleaning regardless of method I groom the carpet and block the furniture. While your pricing let them know what it includes many think just splash and dash. I also let them know I will be placing a mat at the door for my equipment, corner guards if running hoses, and when you initally go in put shoe covers in prior to inspecting and let them know they will be receiving them as well no chrarge,and my guarantee. Sell yourself as a value, be confident in pricing, sure you will not get all the jobs some people just want water thrown down and vac it up. I also offer a paper runner if they want it.

In the county we live in we have a newspaper thats 6 or 7 pages. There is on average 2 to 3 pages of forclosed homes. My point is that if i had to get .20 sq ft my family would go hungery. I put in a bid on 1 house that was liv rm dnrm 3 bedrms hall and 17 steps at 165.00. She had a large yellow van come in and do it for 103.00. I know i could have did her a better job, But she was not interested in that. I have 2 people with truckmounts that live within a mile of me and they said they clean homes that size everyday for 10 to 15 dollars less than that. Go with what the market in your area can handle. I always think like this i would rather go out and make 80 to 100 than sitting at home twideling my thumbs. As long as i can make a good living doing what i like its ok with me. Sure beats my last 8 to 5 job. I can go 40 miles south and charge the 25 to 30 sq ft just not locally. Have a great day all.