Bait & switch Trapppppppp

Ron Musgraves

Ron Musgraves

Exterior Restoration Specialist
Staff member
Bait & switch Trapppppppp


I don’t have time to run specials how ever if I did I would run them.

I gotta tell you I have seen my competition run the gambit. I agree that in a residential or commercial market this can be successful and like I said I wish I had time.


My problem with this is that often the customers don’t understand what hey are getting.

I have a competitor that sends flyers 75.00 pressure washing any restaurant. The real deal is that he is only doing a doorway. This is a very small area in front of the restaurant. I loose the account and the customer now thinks I’ve been robbing them for the last five years. Meanwhile the only guy robbing anybody is the guy doing a doorway for 75.00.

I think specials can be good ads to run if they are clear and the customer understands and knows the end results.

If someone agrees to only wash half the house and they understand that’s what they get and everyone is happy then ok.


Let’s face it many people in all areas market things in the same fashion. I’ve eaten prime rib two for one. I’ve had the carpet guy out and been up sold, I taken my car in on a hand wax for 29.95 and left after I spent 175.00…

I also taken my new truck back for free oil change specials and have been sold on other maintenance that was not free.


This is a marketing that’s not going away and we all need to understand it, one day you or your competitor may be using it and you need amo to defend yourself.

Special NOTE: some have in around about way said Ron’s not being upfront, I don’t think that’s it at all. It’s just a way America accepts playing the specials game. I think Ron tells the customer what they are getting and just tries to up sell them if he can.




http://www.powerwashnetwork.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5254&pagenumber=4
 
SPECIAL:

California special to Arizona customers,

Oasis Pressure Cleaning will match or beat any prices quoted by Por-Power Wash.

We don't assume any responsibility for work done or NOT done.

All billing guaranteed and collectiion done with help of Italian friends.

FINE PRINT READ:
this price offer does not include the cleaning of your concrete, just billing you for a better price, great deal and payment in cash up front.

Mileage: $1.00 per mile, if two or more locations .75 per mile starting from our International Headquarters based in Redlands,CA.
 
Last edited:
Oh Fine,
Ron, we have another one of these guys in town. I wish they would stay in California.

Scott
 
I feel it is very difficult to advertise any type of special. Our business has so, so many variables it is hard for our costomers to identify a 'good value'. Example, "entire house power wash - $175", who the heck knows what they are getting (are the gutters included, hot water, soap, are they going to kill my plants?). Also, their could be a potential customer who feels they would over pay if they used your service - they may have a smaller house or may clean thier home ever year.

I try to sell quality vs. a special price. I feel if someone calls or picks my service becasue of price - that is all that customer and that relationship is about.
 
ron p/tim

you cant sell your service unless you have someone to talk too.
How do you get the phone to ring?
 
ron p/ron m

al a carte is what i want to try.
With house washing, is it better to give 5 est and wash 1 for $300 in a day.
or have customers call you for the special and wash all 5 at the special price and try to up-sale the extras.
The extras could be the deck refinnishing,pool surround,play-set,fence,driveway,ect....
The special is not doing crappy work for less money. It is a garentee of getting at least the amount of money from the special.
Your mechanic will give you a FREE tire rotation with any 4 wheel break job.
DAAAAAA!!!! the tires were off to do the breaks anyway.
If you drive 30 min to the customer,spend 30 min selling the job,drive home 30 min,return to job with your rig[30 min] and return home 30 min.
You have 2 hrs invested in travel time alone.
Now i advertise a special with limits at a price and the customer calls. I know im going to save travel time and im going there to make money.
Not so with free est.
How meney times will go to an est. and they say they need to think about it,or talk to there spouse?
Sure sometimes you can swing by to do est. to save travel but not all the time.
Fleetwashers,flatworkers,hood cleaners,and commerical contracters dont need to even think about this kind of stuff. This kind of stuff is to get homeowners to call YOU. Not you hunting homeowners.
The 2 biggest questions of the new guy's.
Where do i find customer's and what do i charge?
Without this info in black and white we well allways have lowballers that come and go.
Why cant just ONE other BBS besides the broken down DELCO site post a PRICE QUOTE EXSAMPLE?
WE COULD MAKE IT BETTER. WE CAN POST A PIC.
WE CAN POST INFORMATION ABOUT WHY WE PRICE IT THE WAY WE DO. TYPES OF EQUIPMENT WE USE. TIMES IT TAKES TO WASH.
ALL THIS INFORMATION IS HERE ALLREADY. IT'S JUST NOT PACKAGED UP.
MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING!
MAYBE CODY WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE BBS?
MAYBE I TALK TOO MUCH?
 
Quality vs. Quantity has always been a big debate over the years and probably will continue to be.

The majority of homeowners that call me are shopping for price from the start. Most want a price over the phone. I tried for years to get $250 and up for a house wash based on quality and got a few but lost more. I even went as far as to ask why they chose the other guy and the reply was "he was cheaper, I just want my house washed, it doesnt have to be perfect". It's suprising how many homeowners have this attitude. At least in my area anyway.

Solution? I looked at how I was washing and how I could cut corners without sacrificing quality. Speed is the name of the game. "Time is money." My goal was $100 an hour which meant that I had to wash a house (2 story 3000 sq. ft.) in 1 1/2 hours to be competitive with the average price of $150. Small ranch houses go for as little as $75.

It can be done. Sell the ladders and extension wands. Invest that money in better chemicals instead of laundry detergents, buy an x-jet or similar nozzle, get a routine and stick with it.

I know I strayed from the subject, but as far as that goes, I don't advertise specials. Heck, I don't even advertise and haven't for the last four years. Word of mouth, Home center bulletin boards, community organizations, etc. All the free stuff is what my business was grown from. It pays to know people and you can usually charge what you want because you are the only one they call. But be fair and honest and you will be called again and told about to others.

I have to believe that all of these people selling equipment, are the ones who were going door to door trying to sell high priced quality. Sam Walton (Wal-mart) did'nt become a billionaire by selling designer clothing. Think about it.

my nickles worth,

Les
 

I feel if someone calls or picks my service becasue of price - that is all that customer and that relationship is about. [/B]
Click to expand...


Of course thats what it's about. It's not like I'm trying to sleep with his wife or date his daughter or be his best friend.

It's about me washing his house and getting paid the price I need to stay in business.

My typical sales pitch after I've said my hello's and measured the area:

Here's my price and here's what I will do. Do you have any questions? Call me when you are ready to schedule the job, but I can tell you now that it will be at least 2 weeks possibly more before I can get to you. Here's my card, it was nice talking to you. I need to go because I have several jobs lined up for the day.

Now heres what happens, They think, this guys very busy, he must be good. The price seems fair, besides other people are paying it. I better go ahead and get on the schedule now before he books up.

Why waste an hour trying to sell the job and be turned down. I know within the first 5 minutes if I will get it, usually its a matter of how bad I want it.

Tim, this was not directed at you personally, I just disagree with what you said.

Les
 
Les WELCOME BACK,

You stay away far to long between post for a guy who has a lot to offer.

I have a question for you, your quote below concerning advertising, is not that in a way considered advertising whether or not you pay for it?

Any form of advertising, be it a note on doors to sticking cards up on market bulletin boards to someone saying Les H. does great work and his prices are fair is advertising, right?

Glad you agree so would you not say you HAVE been advertising all these years then?

Heck, I don't even advertise and haven't for the last four years. Word of mouth, home center bulletin boards, community organizations, etc. All the free stuff is what my business was grown from.

Not looking for an argument, just feel that you missed it when you said you do not advertise at all.

Now how about showing up here more often?
 
Hey Les, Thanks for the input on my post. But I think I may have been misunderstood.

My point was that I try not to sell on price. To me and my experience in my market, when I have a customer cought up on price it is one of two things:
1) they want the very lowest price they can find and that is all that matters (I would rather not have this customer because they seem to be the most difficult to please with least reward).

2) they don't know what else to ask or how else to compare my service to my competition (this is customer I want - I educate them on my process and how I'm going to clean thier property, then tell them about price). You sell your price then your service, I sell my service then my price - different strokes for different folks.

I like how you let them know you have I bunch of work - that is great selling tool. I like to open my schedule book - it always has a million things written in it even if I'm not jammed up (I'm the type if it is written down I forget).

Les, don't take this the wrong way but you may be to cheap. If you are not advertising, you are crazy busy and you get more than 80% of the jobs you bid, that is a sure sign that you should increase your prices.

Thanks again, Tim

P.S. By the way just because I don't sell on price - that dosen't mean I'm a high priced service. In fact, I'm somewhere low to middle in my market.
 
Tim / Ron P

Hey Ron, Fair question - "How do I get my phone to ring?". As I sit hear staring at the computer I can't find the answer. Yet, another reason we need to ask that simple question -" how did you hear about us?". All I can tell you is that I have never sold on price in print.


My point in the post was that I don't advertise "special prices" in any of my advertisments. It makes me think of those guys that are going to come clean all the carpets in my house for $99. I have one area rug 8' by 10' in my house but what if I lived in a 10,000 sqr foot home, is it still 99 clams?
 
You guys ask how do you get your phone to ring, well I find good old fashioned going out and selling myself and my business to potential customers a great way of RING RING RING.

Advertising might work for certain types of accounts, meeting them in person, putting in a bid, follow ups for a few weeks weekly, then every other week then monthly helps too.

Now if you do only residential work it probably will not work well for you but on the industrial/commercial end that is the best way.

Sure word of mouth and ads in trade magazines might help too but good old fashioned selling works best.

Why do you think companies have salesmen?
 
Jon,

Thanks for the welcome back. You are right about the advertising. I guess what I should have said was I don't pay for advertising and I don't spend time passing out flyers or selling myself. Any advertising I do is done for me by others through recommendation. I will say that most of my work is new construction which is mostly contract work or repeat business, but none of the accounts that I have came by me advertising. They came from that old adage of " I know somebody who knows somebody, who knows somebody", if you know what I mean. The residential work comes from people seeing me in new subdivisions, guys at the paint store giving someone my name, friends and business assoc. telling someone about me, I have even had other contractors send me work. I don't believe in competition, I believe in working together so we all make money.



Tim,

Point taken. What I was trying to say is that I believe that in 99% of jobs , price is the deciding factor. That does'nt mean it is always the lowest price, just the fairest price. I think some people are actually scared away by prices that are too low. So I agree that some sales pitching is necessary, but too much sometimes can also scare people away. What's that old saying? Confusious said everything he needed to say in one sentence and was considered a wise man.

One thing I definately will not do is try to convince a customer to buy my services, either by talk, offering specials or lowering prices. It's more like, here is what I will do, here is the price, take it or leave it. I have yet to find a grocery store, power company, water dept. or IRS agent that will negotiate prices with me.

Les
 
Ron P. Quote.

Why can’t just ONE other BBS besides the broken down DELCO site post a PRICE QUOTE EXSAMPLE?
Click to expand...



Ron this BBS makes no one any money. We all donate the time we spend here learning. The other sites you’re talking about are businesses you choose to support when you go there. I started the site and it has cost me money & time and I’m not complaining about the time because I enjoy helping people. I gotta tell you when I hear the C word I get upset, this frame of mind doesn’t belong on this bbs.

I would like to offer you a solutions since you believe we should have and updated price list. Let’s do it. Why don’t you take the ball and run with it and we will help. Or complain to someone who makes thousands of dollars off your back. Remember Ron Mike and most the guys here are just like you. We are not distributors pestering you to buy our widgets or even care what you do.


You can take this offensive or you can help do something if you feel that it’s really important. My guess is it will be forgotten and never brought up again. See I have seen people complain about things in the past and nothing gets done. Example—PWNA, it’s a mess.. I’m not going to candy coat anything. I’m trying to make it better for you.


You may not even realize this but these BBS are better today only because of PWI. Yes I’m not going to hold that back either. Plain and simple they have changed for the better because they had too. The PWNA finally opened one because they seen that people needed and wanted a source that was on a level and fair playing field.

Your idea is a good one but maybe its time you did something,, help make it happen.
 
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