Can you price to High?

I might post this in another thread later but I need to add a little upbeat note.....
Last night my wife abruptly handed me the phone after a disagreement with her boss about her dropping her health insurance and pay issues and told me to tell her boss the she was quitting.....I have been waiting for that phone call for a while now.
I enjoyed that conversation.!!!!
The good side of this is she has been working cleaning homes for upper end clients, we are now going to market cleaning interior of homes as well as exterior of homes using my customer base as a starting point.
I have been looking for a way to contract my residential customers and its looks like I had something all along and didn't even realize it.
It happened about the same time I gave the guy a good deal, kinda makes ya wonder!
Hopefully this one will turn out some positive feedback!!!!!!
 
Al Patterson said:
I might post this in another thread latter but I need to add a little upbeat note.....
Last night my wife abruptly handed me the phone after a disagreement with her boss about her dropping her health insurance and pay issues and told me to tell her boss the she was quitting.....I have been waiting for that phone call for a while now.
I enjoyed that conversation.!!!!
The good side of this is she has been working cleaning homes for upper end clients, we are now going to market cleaning interior of homes as well as exterior of homes using my customer base as a starting point.
I have been looking for a way to contract my residential customers and its looks like I had something all along and didn't even realize it.
It happened about the same time I gave the guy a good deal, kinda makes ya wonder!
Hopefully this one will turn out some positive feedback!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Idea!!!! that reclaim equpment has a great use in residential. A couple compnays here in phx clean the residential garbage cans.

They leave flyers the week before tell folks to leave can and check out front of home and they come by and clean the cans. You need reclaim equipment to do this.. Good little business..
 
Scrappy said:
I remember ya Al!

No disrespect at all i just have a diff. out look . . . thats what makes business so great one can do one thing the others can do something else ...

I love a good argument get the blood rushing . . . which may be a bad thing for some of you older guys :)




j/k
Click to expand...

none at all taken....
for the record Ron ...appreciate the kind words but only my nieces and nephews are allowed to call me ''MR. AL'' :)
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Dj, i know ya alittle. I also know that you would call your father dude. My Son called me dude once, Just once...

Just trying to help you out Dj, not offend you. I met Mr. Al and hes a nice Gent.


I know and understand you being a young guy like my kids you sometimes think this is all new and its ok. The other day someone was using the word of the Jerky Boys. I thought it was kinda funny.

I know you dont call customers that, I hope.
Click to expand...

Which word of the Jerky Boys was that Ron? Sizzle Chest? :D
 
WELL HERE WE GO AGAIN!!
I got a call today on another local small ranch, took the time to drive and look at it, Gave her a price of 175.00, she told me she had 2 other est. I ask who and how much...one was 150.00 and the other was 160.00.
One of them was from my competitor that lives in my area that a lot of you know (Hi, if you read this this is how it went down). Both was quoted over the phone.
I informed her mine included movie tickets and if she wanted to waive the tickets, I would do it for 150.00 since I was out there, but If I had to come back, it would be 175.00.
She then asked about using her water and I informed her that we legally could but she could not (drought), but she was worried about in increase in her bill, I asked her if others quotes supplied water, she did not know so she called and they said only if requested at a fee of 75.00 extra.
I explained the higher cost was not for cost of water but 4.75 gal fuel bill.
Bottom line is she had 3 est. from 3 reputable companies that had biggest display ads in yellowpages and only few dollars separating them
Like I said earlier, once I am in front of a customer, usually its only a price issue that works for both of us.
At the end she said she would refer me to anyone that needed any PW.
By the way I did not talk negative about my competition, I assured her that He could do just as good job as me!!
 
Al,
Some of these folks down south can be a hard sale and most want to make sure they get more than their money's worth. I gave a gentleman a price of 200.00 today to clean a 2000 sq ft stucco house......... I'll probably never hear from him. Thank goodness they aren't all that difficult.

Ronnie
 
ToolePressureWash said:
Al,
Some of these folks down south can be a hard sale and most want to make sure they get more than their money's worth. I gave a gentleman a price of 200.00 today to clean a 2000 sq ft stucco house......... I'll probably never hear from him. Thank goodness they aren't all that difficult.

Ronnie
Click to expand...

That is too funny! I had a lady call today who was a referal. 2 story stucco and wants her drive and walks done. I told her $200.00 because she is a relative of the referals. Pretty cheap right? She still complained! Thought it was gonna be $150.00. I told her no can do. After 10min explaining to her why she finally said fine when can you do it. If it were not a referal it would have been at least $300.00. I just don't want to lose the other 2 over it. Your right Ronnie, people down here can be a tough sell. Sometimes we got to be a little tougher. I'm not gonna have someone call and tell me what they are gonna pay. It doesn't work that way!
 
ToolePressureWash said:
Al,
Some of these folks down south can be a hard sale and most want to make sure they get more than their money's worth. I gave a gentleman a price of 200.00 today to clean a 2000 sq ft stucco house......... I'll probably never hear from him. Thank goodness they aren't all that difficult.

Ronnie
Click to expand...
I was born and raised in Wauchula, Fla.
If I had to move back there and had to make a living pressure washing, I would make more money using my pressure washer to power wash "&^%$" off the rear end of the cattle down there! ;)
 
Al Patterson said:
WELL HERE WE GO AGAIN!!
I got a call today on another local small ranch, took the time to drive and look at it, Gave her a price of 175.00, she told me she had 2 other est. I ask who and how much...one was 150.00 and the other was 160.00.
One of them was from my competitor that lives in my area that a lot of you know (Hi, if you read this this is how it went down). Both was quoted over the phone.
I informed her mine included movie tickets and if she wanted to waive the tickets, I would do it for 150.00 since I was out there, but If I had to come back, it would be 175.00.
She then asked about using her water and I informed her that we legally could but she could not (drought), but she was worried about in increase in her bill, I asked her if others quotes supplied water, she did not know so she called and they said only if requested at a fee of 75.00 extra.
I explained the higher cost was not for cost of water but 4.75 gal fuel bill.
Bottom line is she had 3 est. from 3 reputable companies that had biggest display ads in yellowpages and only few dollars separating them
Like I said earlier, once I am in front of a customer, usually its only a price issue that works for both of us.
At the end she said she would refer me to anyone that needed any PW.
By the way I did not talk negative about my competition, I assured her that He could do just as good job as me!!
Click to expand...

Bottom line is that you are reaching the wrong kind of customers with your ad in Yellowpages. I spend very little in the phonebook. Try more direct marketing to the right kind of customers. (The kind that value thier time enough not to run around getting 3 estimates) Often you will find that you aren't even bidding against anyone else.

The free movie thing is a good gimmick but you aren't getting it in front of the right folks. People that will pay $$$ for good dependable service.
 
FCPWLLC said:
Bottom line is that you are reaching the wrong kind of customers with your ad in Yellowpages. I spend very little in the phonebook. Try more direct marketing to the right kind of customers. (The kind that value their time enough not to run around getting 3 estimates) Often you will find that you aren't even bidding against anyone else.

The free movie thing is a good gimmick but you aren't getting it in front of the right folks. People that will pay $$$ for good dependable service.
Click to expand...

To be more specific, this was Yellowbook call which I have been in every year since 99' (the display ad I use is what I use for my sig. here)and I always ask how they found me, most of my call come from yellow book or yp,yb online.
I do use yellow pages, but I have not used them consistently because of their increasing pricing.
I use all methods to reach customers and clean all types of home, big and small, as well as direct mail postcards (which you should have). When I clean a home I then try and get the postal route and then If I choose, I can farm the whole neighborhood easily.
I would appreciate other mean of marketing, if you have some I don't use,
I personally think for me, being in front of customer, works best for me.
My movie tickets is not a gimmick, for me, its giving them appreciation for giving me a job.
I have noticed the thread on trying to win free stuff, I know you guys can afford the small prize and already have a supply stashed. To me it shows everyone wants something for free even though you can afford it!
 
David O'Connell Jr said:
I like what Al does. If it works for him and he's happy, then thats what matters. :)
Click to expand...



/Agree

Was recently aproached by a large co from the east coast that has so much work they wanted me for sub work.

Went out and measured a townhome project for them spent 50$ in gas and lost 3hrs of my time I could have been with my son. To make a long story short my price was around 4k and they went with a company that bid 2100.

They sent me on a residential job. I was the highest by 200 and the homeowner told them he wanted me when they wanted they other guy hehe.

The contact person for this company told me in our last phone conversation my prices were sky high but my service and my customer service was top notch. Said they will use me for the high end stuff wooo hoo. :/

You win some you lose some.
 
Michael,
I have had time to reflect on some of the things mentioned.
I would not put ones who require or request a 3 est. in a category that might not be profitable to you.
Most professionals thinks it makes good business since to get more than one est. and some of the biggest jobs I've landed especially commercial, required a 3 bid min.
In any business you have to be competively price to stay business.
When they become my customer, then they don't receive other bids.

As far as advertising in yellowbook, you usually get out what you put in as in any marketing method.
It is impossible for someone to tell me it don't work unless they know my advertising budget and my cash results.
This works for me and my philosophy of running my business, everyone has the privilege of tweaking their business to meet their own personality. That's what make each of us different, its not a bad thing!!
 
Would you ever give a job to your competitor?
This happens a couple weeks ago....got a call that morning for a est.
I made it over there about 7 that night to give the est
They informed me they found someone to do it in a couple days,
I asked who....they told me, it just so happened I ran across this competitor a couple weeks earlier, seemed like a nice guy, he started washing cars and got into house cleaning, but still details
a lot of cars.
The home owners felt somewhat bad for not giving me a chance to bid and asked me if I wanted to bid and said "you might beat his price"
I told them that I did not need to know his price, that I was not going to bid,
But the one condition is the they would tell the other contractor that I came a passed on it and assured them that he would do a good job and if he didn't they could call me back.
They ended up telling me what he charged, I could have easily under bid him and done that job that evening.
I try to make an effort to gain/give respect from/to my competiors, customers and awww heck, you guys ain't no differant!!
 
I have no problem passing on a job, especially if I know the other company does good work.
 
pressurepros said:
Every housewash under $450 and deck under $700. There is too much high end work in my area to chase the stuff that frankly is a waste of time.
Click to expand...
Ken
I appreciate your opinions, but I was curious, I have never been in your area, but I am assuming your are talking about in the very upper class.
your min of 450, is that for larger homes and you don't mess with cracker box homes? Again just picking yer brain...how long does it take to wash the larger homes.
One of the reasons I don't like to wash the x- large homes is, I like to clean the gutters for my customers, I just don't like to clean a home and still have dirty gutters and have posted for help on this matter but I have not mastered a good way to clean 2 to 4 stories gutters efficiently, easy and quick, and the best solution was "Big Ash" said I could borrow his Mexican if I needed him but he is in Alabama and I'm in Ga. :)
 
Ken, I'm Sorry, disregard my last post...I went back and reread your previous post, so I understand better your business philosophy.

One thing that may be different here in Ga is the drought conditions, a lot of the pw companies around here had to go back to a reg paycheck, the one that stick it out and try to turn a negative into a positive, they are the ones to survive.
I am very fortunate and blessed I still have a good business under the circumstances
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top