Two 40 lane bowling centers

[Mirnes]

Hello everybody.

I am preparing a bid for two bowling centers with 40 lanes each. This will be 3rd shift and 7 x a week. From my personal experience I think it would take around 3 man hours per visit to clean one center (6hours for both).

They are also interested in carpet shampooing/stain removal. Is this same as carpet extraction? I've done carpet extraction with the self contained extractor and if it's the same I will charge this extra $0.25 per sq foot. If not I will sub it out.

Also, the will need high speed buff twice a week. They provide all chemicals.

This is what I'm figuring:

3 hours x $20 pmh = $60 per visit
$60 pv x 7x a week = $420 per week
$420 pw x 52 weeks = $21,840 per year
$21,840 / 12 months = $1820 per month for one center.

$1820 x 2 = $3640 per month for both centers.

What do you guys think of this price? Too high/low?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[logan5127]

I use to sweep mop and buff a 24 lane bowling alley. Using a propane buffer, it took 1 1/2 hours. I did this alley about 2 years. I charged $90 a visit. Floor maintenace should be higher than regular cleaning such as dusting and vacuuming.
Using an electric would take much longer. The alley I did had all hard flooring. There is a lot of powder, grit and dirt that gets on these type floors. Even after sweeping very good and changing the water at least 5 times there is still a lot of dust that gets in the air from buffer. This dust is attracted to all the scoring screens as if they were magnets. That is why the alley I did , decided not to buff floors any longer. One way around that would be to use a slower speed buffer but that takes longer and cost more money to the client. Consider also that a lot of bowling alleys have chairs and tables that are bolted down. They can be hard to work around. If you are required to mop the approach/ wooden part; then that requires special type of cleaning. I would ask that the price not be locked in. Tell them to let you do it for one month and than evaluate what it takes. If you have figured to many hours you will charge less. If not enough it may go up a little. Let them know that this can also give them an out if your not doing a good enough job for them. Be sure that you do a great job. Don't cut corners during this one month trial or even after that period.

As for the carpet. Sometimes clients for lack of knowing calls carpet cleaning, "carpet shampooing". They may not know the difference in extraction or shampooing. Ask them. If they do require shampooing then that is very easy. Shampooing is cheaper than carpet extaction. Usually around .12 a foot.You can use your electric floor scrubber 175 rpm. You spray on shampoo in small area. Then you put a carpet bonnet on your pad holder and lightly scrub that section. Some people just dip the bonnet in a bucket that has a hot water and shampoo mix in it and then wring out the bonnet and put in on pad holder. You could also use a carpet brush on your machine instead of the pad holder. Either way is very simple. For stain removal you should get a small two gallon extractor and just spot clean them. A lot of spots get on carpets at bowling alleys. From drink spills, traffic flow, dirty shoes,food from snack bars, birthday parties, kids running wild and so on.

[Mirnes]

Wow, lot of information.

Thank you Dan, you're the man! lol

So, what do you actually think about my price? Is it somewhere in ballpark where it should be for 3 man hours for regular clean and buff twice a week? I included buffing in this price.

I would be using the electric floor machine 175rpm. I guess it would take a little longer to buff floors but it would also save time for removing dust caused by propane burnisher.

When you speak of mopping the approach/wooden part needing special type of cleaning, what is considered special type of cleaning? What's all involved.

I appologize for all the questions.

This would be my first account and I really want to get it. Been working for a franchise for about 4 years and this year decided to start my own cleaning company.

Thank you for all your help.

[logan5127]

I do not know the specs on this job . What are you calling Cleaning? It that bathrooms, snack bar, windows, vacuuming, dusting , ect ..... How big is the areas being vacuumed and how big is the area being swept mopped and buffed?
I would never do buff with a 175 rpm machine. It will take lots of hours to get results . You would probably have to spray buff as well which I never do. I would at least get a 1000 rpm or higher electric buffer. You can even get them with a vacuum built into the buffer. That would be the ideal buffer to use.
As for the Approach. It is special type of floor. I know at the alley we go to , they use a special cleaner to remove any marks. They then use a designated mop with a light neutral cleaner added. They only use a damp mop. And then they buff that area with a 175 rpm machine and a dry carpet bonnet on pad holder. The approach area effects every bowler. Anything on surface can effect how the special shoes slide . If a bowlers shoes stick any they can get injured. There is heavy oil on the lanes and is put on there before leagues and tournaments. Sometimes when a bowlers shoes stick they may step out onto the lane. The oil is then tracked back onto the approach. I believe I would leave the approach for them to clean . You don't want a bunch of >:(bowlers looking for you.
I think your price is good per hour ,for cleaning, just don't know how many hours it will take. Once you purchase a high speed buffer, you have to consider the cost of pads and the wear of equipment in your price. You want to charge enough to help pay for the equipment as well as you making good money for a specialty job. I assume they don't have one and probably do not know how to use one. If you are taking on the role of a professional then you should be paid well. I would charge separate price per buffing .
The idea thing for you to do , is to not stop there. If you buy a buffer , then go out and get some little stores, gas stations ect....
Using the propane buffer , we get around $1 a minute to do maintenance in these type businesses. If it takes 45 minutes to mop and buff , then we charge $45. However that is using a propane buffer which you can run circles with around an electric buffer.

[Mirnes]

OK, Dan I already said You're the man! It rhymes!

I did a walk through on only one building so this is just for one center. They said I would be cleaning the other one too if I got hired. The other center is a little farther but same layout so I guess price for the other one would be a little more, couple cents an hour.

Here's the specs:

7 nights a week
4 smaller baths (shouldn't take more than 1h 10mins)
Vacuum all carpet (around 1.5 hours)
Wipe all tables where approach area is ( maybe 15-20 mins)
Mop the tile floor in front of approach area and kitchen floor (30 mins)
Misc (15 mins)

They don't want me to touch anything else besides 2 entrances which I counted as misc.

So I'd say 3.5 man hours for really detailed clean to keep them happy. They are really dissatisfied with their current crew. Tiles are really bad and need S&W really bad. I said I would take care of them and make them happy

Now here comes the hard part.

How the heck do clean around tables and chairs that are bolted down. How do you buff around that area? Any alternative? Maybe tell them I will do my best around tables and chairs?

How much would you charge for buffing around these tables per visit if it takes lets say 2.5 hours per visit with electric 1500rpm buffer, twice a week?

[logan5127]

LOL!!! ;D Well , the best you can do is buff up to the tables and chairs that are bolted down. Be careful not to hit them to hard with buffer. With an electric , you can probably get under them a little better than a propane can. When you are mopping , be sure to keep your water clean. As it dries underneath the chairs , if it is dirty , it will leave a dull residue of dust. On the price of 2 1/2 hours on doing the floors , I am not sure as I use propane . It would probably take me around an hour 15 mins. and that would be about $70. That would be on a skinny pit area. There are several different size pit area and several different layouts of tables and chairs. I am only guessing as I have not saw either of these two alleys. The bad thing is that you will have to work harder and longer to make that same $60 so therefore I would charge a little more than that to make up some of the difference. Try to feel them out a little. If you know what they are willing to pay for then it will help with your price decision.
If you think it is a hassle to buff around the tables and chairs that are bolted down; Wait till you have to strip and wax it.