Initial Clean vs. One Time Clean

[kimmierue]

Ok, so I'm sure most of us have this problem:

A customer takes a look at the "prices" page of our website and figures out that if they act like they are going to want us to come back for a maintenance clean, it will be cheaper for the first time!

My Initial Cleanings are generally cheaper than my One-Time Cleanings. I've been screwed on this point several times and I am growing tired of it. I think I might snap if one more person tries it! LOL

Is there a better way to work it? Has anyone else come up with a solution?

Some people say that they would like an Initial Cleaning but until they see my work they do not want to commit to a regular schedule. I can understand this, but is that acceptable? I know some of you require contracts in here and that wouldn't ever come up, but one of my things is no contracts. Hmm....

Is this something I just have to take as part of the business and just hope for honest people?

I cleaned this travel agency. I gave them a price for an Initial Cleaning because they said they were interested in regular cleanings. I cleaned that place for 2 days, 9 hours total and got paid $217. As I was going out the door, the owner said "We'll call you if we ever need you again." I think my blood actually boiled. I would have charged them at least $300 if I have known that. I hope they get chicken pox!

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

Kim
What you need to do is price your initial cleaning or one time cleaning as if it is the only time you are cleaning. I have had people do this to me in the past. They think if they tell you they are going to use you on a regular basis, you will cut the price on the initial. I don't cut the initial cleaning price any longer since there are so many people that try this.
Patti

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

Its all part of the learning process when starting a business. When I first started 8 years ago, I didn't have any help whatsoever. So I learned everything the hard way. I wish I would have had a place like this to come and ask questions when I first started. It would have been a lot easier.
Patti

[logan5127]

I agree Patti, I have seen people do this often on commercial contracts. They promise you lots of work just to get you to do one job cheap.

[Renovare]

Kim,

I had the carrot-and-stick game attempted on me as well. My particular case was a bit different, I was baited with a residential cleaning -- and oh, we'd like to have you bid on the office as well.

I checked out the office. Not too bad but when they stipulated "from 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Thursdays" that was the deal breaker. In no way shape or form was I going to be attempting to clean a working office, open floor plan, 10 employees, while they're trying to do business.

I think the contact was taken-aback when instead of receiving a Proposal, she received a "Thank you for the opportunity to offer janitorial and maintenance services for your location. After careful consideration I am compelled to decline as I do not feel the relationship would be mutually beneficial. Wishing you all the best. John Dawid/Owner/Renovare blah blah blah"

I did not elaborate, but the deal breakers for me were:

Strike One: Office will be populated. So, I'm supposed to clean, do high dusting, clean hardwood floors -- all while people are in the office moving about. My insurance agent would hold off having a stroke long enough to sign a "policy cancelled" letter. No thanks.

Strike Two:. I was the 3rd Janitorial service they had in for proposal. The other two were hired then canned. The contact honked on about how they didn't clean this and that. Of course not, they did not want to disrupt business flow. That was not skimping, that was being courteous.

Strike Three: The contact's business partner was a big ole seahag with a snotty attitude. As a janitorial service, I use brooms for cleaning purposes, while she uses them for transportation. And she had no sense of fashion.

YERRRRROUT!!!!!!!

Early in the game, I was discussing price/discount issues in business with my landlady. She gave me some advice which I think is pretty sage: Charge First, Discount later. In other words, full price on first contact. x-percent off next cleaning if you like the work yada yada. You win either way. If they're playing you, you pocket full fee up front and never hear from them again. If they like you and wish to continue (or playing you out) you get an opportunity at a second fee. If they don't continue, you're not too cash out, and can move on to serious customers. If they do continue, which they might be more inclined to do after getting to know you a bit more on cleaning #2, you've got a contract.

Cheers,

John

[Linda]

kimmierue said:

I hope they get chicken pox!

lol, now that is funny lol ;D

Linda

[Linda]

I use the same price for one time thoroughs and initials. I guess I look at them the same. My price is based on sq. ft. with a minimum so I guess if someone who lived in a home of say 2000 sq. ft. and they wanted a one time then the price would be around $180.00 same with a initial $180.00 or in that area. Depends on the home and what it looks like or consists of.
Is everyones check list different for an initial and a one time thorough??

Linda

[kimmierue]

Yeah, I did an estimate for someone this afternoon and right before we got down to talking about price, the woman busted out with how many referrals she would probably be getting me since EVERYONE in her neighborhood is looking for a cleaning person. Gag me with a spoon. I upped it $5 because of that conversation and still walked away with the job. LOL

Ok, so I should be charging about the same for Initials and for One-Time. Hmm....I wonder if I should drop some of the information on my website about Initial Pricing and just estimate it along with the regularly scheduled price.

"The first time we clean your home it is going to cost $135 due to extra work and time, after that it will be $85 bi-weekly." This type of wording?

Oh, and I've been thinking about that travel agency. I think I'm going to send an email saying that I am ready to schedule their maintenance cleaning and to please give me a call. *giggles* I wonder what would be the best way to word it.

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

Kim your right. Thats another trick people try to pull on you. "I can get you lots of people in my neighborhood too" I forgot about that one.
Patti

[Renovare]

Yeah, I did an estimate for someone this afternoon and right before we got down to talking about price, the woman busted out with how many referrals she would probably be getting me since EVERYONE in her neighborhood is looking for a cleaning person.

Kim! You must have been at my Aunt's! We shoulda met in person! Sounds just like my Aunt, and her neighborhood! (Just kidding, of course!)

Of course EVERYONE is looking for a cleaning person -- until it comes time for price quotation.

As far as dangling the "promise" of turning out the entire neighborhood to riot in the streets and torch automobiles until their demand for you to be installed as their preferred contractor for cleaning is met, my policy is as follows:

First, I smile (It's easy -- because mentally I'm thinking up caustic retorts to the feeble attempt to invoke a rash decision on my part by playing the greed card.)

John says: "Any referral is most appreciated. To express our appreciation, Renovare has a generous referrral bonus program."

(Stress the word "generous." One or more of the following will occur. The contact will shift forward slightly on the chair in order to focus on what you are saying. An eyebrow may arch.)

"Yes, you can earn up to $50.00 dollars from each customer you refer to us!"

(At this point, maintain eye contact....you'll begin to see "$" signs forming in the pupils. They will lick their lips, indicating they are salivating. )

"When your referred customer signs on with us, we will pay you $20.00 on the first cleaning, $30.00 on the second cleaning. You may chose the cash payout, or you may choose to "bank" these with Renovare as discounts to be applied to additional services offered by Renovare, such as Complete Carpet Care."

(Two key points: Do not say "Iniital Cleaning!" Say "First!" The second key point: the last sentence could be replaced with excerpts from Chairman Mao's Little Red Book, The Excorcism Rites of the Roman Catholic Church - Nihlstat Imprimatur, or lyrics from gansta rap. It doesn't matter, mentally they went out shopping with $50.00)

(This does two things - 1. Protects your Initial Clean margin. 2. Encourages repeat service.

Oh, ok, four things....turns the greed card 180 degrees and installs a marketing agent )



If I may touch upon another of your posts, I'd encourage you to remove all pricing information from your website. ¹ Mr. Dan Johnson of Enviro-Stat told me early in the game not to quote price until you've seen the prospective site with your very own eyes. I'm thinking that by proffering price information on your website, expectations may be set in your customers mind. If you are compelled to deviate upwards after visual inspection, explanations will be expected -- and may give rise to feelings of offense or embarrasment regarding homemaking skils, or a suspicion of "bait and switch."¹

Mind you, I'm still new and learning -- so I only offer this as food for thought. It may not apply to your region, targeted market, or the subtle ways business is done in your area, or your preferred method of doing business.

But this I feel I can say with some authority: My hat is off to those of you who specialize in Residential Cleaning. Initially, I envisioned a mix of residertial/commercial for Renovare, with the lion's share being residential.

When I negotiate commercial I think it's a bit easier. It's a "business" relationship. The chances are my prospect is spending other peoples money. I am an adjunct to their business, a part of overhead they want to toss across the desk and get out of their hair.

Residential is up close and personal. That prospect is often the "prior cleaning service" and one must be delicate with language and details. People have a certain pride in their home, usually their most dear asset. To be in another's home is to be in their personal space.

Commercial locations generally have far less an array of materials than a residence and far less diversity in, shall we say "suprises." Leave a residential site after a biweekly, satisfied the kitchen and bathroom linoleum and chrome is spotless -- come back two weeks later and discover their brother-in-law, who's a construction worker, installed marble flooring, brass fixtures and a shower stall in textured glass. Or the kids Science Fair project erupted into an alternate life form in the rec room.

I'll be honest....Renovare's Business Plan has a big penciled red balloon around "Residential" with the caption "Ditch?" I'll revisit that each quarter -- right now, I'm not turning anything down. But Residential is a lot of work, physically, chemically -- and psychologically.

With wishes of success and prosperity...


John


¹ 3/12/06 Edited by Renovare: Added strikeouts - see Reply #14

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

I have to disagree about not putting your rates on your website. I have been in the residential cleaning business for 8 years and the customers have told me many times that they chose my company because of all the information I provide on my website. You need to give at least a base rate in order for people to decide if they want to call you or not. If people can't get at least a ball park figure to go by they will leave your site and go somewhere else. I have always posted my base rates on my website and I get 90% of my new clients from my website.
Patti

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

I am only talking about residential cleaning rates. For commercial cleaning, of course that is different.
Patti

[Linda]

Patti I have to agree. A lady in human resources got so excited when she saw I had rates on my website. She really liked that idea Now I am hoping she will call me when things are not so chaotic at her home

Linda

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

I know when I am searching for something online and I go to a site and they have a link for their rates and when I click on it and it says "call for rates" I just click off and go somewhere else because I figure their rates are so high they won't list them.
Patti

[Renovare]

Hmmmm.......

I'm glad I put that little "Mind you, I'm still new and learning -- so I only offer this as food for thought... disclaimer in Reply #9. You all make good points in support of posting pricing on the website. I can see where it would help level the playing field for the prospect. By offering those numbers, it gives the customer something tangible to work with. Whereas I caution the impact of price deviation, you all are coming from the angle of eliminating "sticker-shock."

That makes sense. I stand pleasantly corrected, good call! Thank you for the insight! :-D

Cheers!

John