How is your pressure washing company different?

Benjamin said:
What makes my company different from most others out here is the work I do and don't do. I find anybody with a pickup can do residential and even a fleet and so competition is high and prices low. I have focused my advertising and built my trucks to tailor mostly towards cleaning equipment as you need more then just a pickup to do this. Why fight with our version of fleet wash and those that think you just need a pressure washer and a pickup to do our jobs? Also with heavy equipment the owners are not always after the best price, quality is a major factor and they don't jump ship fast. You either have to not answer your phone or really screw something up to lose heavy equipment jobs, its not easy. The two down sides are getting in is not easy, and employees are not cheap. With the amount of dirt and grease you move you end up wearing a lot and so if you plan on paying less then $20 an hour they won't stick around.
I have tried many different things, but I have found the money and loyalty is better in heavy equipment up here.
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Interesting, Benjamin.

So, could you say you are the ONLY company in Calgary that specializes in Heavy Equipment cleaning?
 
fromgreentoclean said:
I am different because of my equipment. I roll out of a 1986 Nissan truck and an electric Karcher pressure washer. I give my customers the best because they deserve the best. That's why I always roll up to a job looking like the true professionals we are. Call us Today and see for yourself why we are the best.
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Sorry, I don't know you.

Are you kidding?
 
The Cleaner said:
We have been around since 1993 and we also were one of the first Mobile Cleaning Contractors to take the show on the road. Many said logistically that it could'nt be done but we have made a great living at it in the past and now there are many more finding out that going on the road for your customers make you the go to guy. I dont travel much anymore because I choose not to, but if you stretch out your buisness you will find that if done RIGHT you can make big numbers every month.
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Also very interesting.

Is that different from all of your competitors?
 
Kevin Dubrosky said:
If someone said "What makes you the best?", how would you answer?
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We Always went above and beyond the scope of work, and always did the right thing even when no one was looking.
 
Kevin Dubrosky said:
Past tense? Are you out of the biz now?
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Were still doing it but at a much smaller scale, I still love the buisness but I also love my free time as much.
 
I have family up in Oakville Ontario, I used to go up there every year as a kid.
 
Am I the only company in Calgary that specializes in it, well I can't say that for certain. I don't know exactly what everybody else does all the time, so I can't say that with confidence.
I do know one other person that is focused on this part of the industry, but honestly there is so much work that we can easily have enough to keep us busy.

This part of the industry works best with owner/operators and quality is always better then quantity.

We have our Fleetwash company up here that does things like offers 2 months free on a 2 year contract. These guys typically stick to fleets and some big corporate exterior cleaning. Why fight with these guys and work for little when there is a part of the industry that actually appreciates quality and detail.
These guys stay away from residential as well for good reason, there is money to be made, but a lot less with more aggravation.

I am not slamming those that do residential, if anything I have great respect for what you have to go through. Its just not something I want to get into, and driving the big Freightliner Tandem to a residential job is not exactly cheap on fuel either for such a small job.

Pressure washing is kinda like auto repair. There are those that do everything and are ok at it, and those that specialize in certain types, brands, or continents of vehicles. These are the guys that most like to go to because their shops are setup and their knowledge is focused on your car and your problem. Many times these shops save you money because they spend less time looking for a problem and can typically fix the problem in good time as well.

I would much rather be great at a little, then just good or ok at a lot. Every different part of this business requires different tools and setups to be the most effective.
Surface cleaning requires high psi, surface cleaners, reclaim
Fleets require reclaim, chemicals, and weekly dependability
Parkades require lots of hose, water availability and or big water tanks, and maybe reclaim
Houses/Wood requires knowledge and dealing with home owners and a small truck that's good on fuel
Heavy equipment requires portable water, different chemicals, an eye for detail, keys for the equipment depending on size, and trust that you won't damage their $500k piece that needs to work the next day.

Bigger is not always better in this industry, you have to figure out what works for you and your target customer.

Just my 2.5 cents
 
Benjamin said:
Am I the only company in Calgary that specializes in it, well I can't say that for certain. I don't know exactly what everybody else does all the time, so I can't say that with confidence.
I do know one other person that is focused on this part of the industry, but honestly there is so much work that we can easily have enough to keep us busy.

This part of the industry works best with owner/operators and quality is always better then quantity.

We have our Fleetwash company up here that does things like offers 2 months free on a 2 year contract. These guys typically stick to fleets and some big corporate exterior cleaning. Why fight with these guys and work for little when there is a part of the industry that actually appreciates quality and detail.
These guys stay away from residential as well for good reason, there is money to be made, but a lot less with more aggravation.

I am not slamming those that do residential, if anything I have great respect for what you have to go through. Its just not something I want to get into, and driving the big Freightliner Tandem to a residential job is not exactly cheap on fuel either for such a small job.

Pressure washing is kinda like auto repair. There are those that do everything and are ok at it, and those that specialize in certain types, brands, or continents of vehicles. These are the guys that most like to go to because their shops are setup and their knowledge is focused on your car and your problem. Many times these shops save you money because they spend less time looking for a problem and can typically fix the problem in good time as well.

I would much rather be great at a little, then just good or ok at a lot. Every different part of this business requires different tools and setups to be the most effective.
Surface cleaning requires high psi, surface cleaners, reclaim
Fleets require reclaim, chemicals, and weekly dependability
Parkades require lots of hose, water availability and or big water tanks, and maybe reclaim
Houses/Wood requires knowledge and dealing with home owners and a small truck that's good on fuel
Heavy equipment requires portable water, different chemicals, an eye for detail, keys for the equipment depending on size, and trust that you won't damage their $500k piece that needs to work the next day.

Bigger is not always better in this industry, you have to figure out what works for you and your target customer.

Just my 2.5 cents
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Hmmm.

I actually like the idea of targeting a smaller, more profitable market segment, too.

If you can find a way to tell a unique story, you become far more interesting to your target market. It sounds like you're close. Maybe all it would take would be a little digging and then you can "own" some corners of the market there in Calgary.
 
Kevin Dubrosky said:
Hmmm.

I love your passion, DJ. I know it's authentic, too, having met you (and shared a meal with you) in Charleston at last year's NCE event.

You mention an "unsurpassed ownership mentality" as a differentiator. What do you mean by that?
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The culture of my organization creates a team that has an "ownership mentality." This means everyone is consumed in the company. Very seldom do my people leave at five and not think about the company. In an industry that is seen as anything but professional - we go above drug tested and friendly! As a result of having this type of company, we have a documented less than 2% call back rate!
 
Kevin Dubrosky said:
I completely understand.

So, at this point, is there anything different about your company, compared to your competitors?
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Just curious are u writing a book or trying to get as much info as possible? You seem to always have another question, no matter what the answer?
 
The Cleaner said:
Just curious are u writing a book or trying to get as much info as possible? You seem to always have another question, no matter what the answer?
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Nah, no new book is in the works at the moment.

I'm just insatiably curious.

I see patterns.

Most of us feel that as long as we have a great work ethic, go over and beyond, do the best job compared to our competition, and have a shiny new truck, that we'll be fine. Add a pretty website, some goofy tricks, and we're up and running.

While all that stuff is good (and we'll be able to build a profitable business on that kind of foundation), it's possible to do much, much better.

When we look for little marketing leverage points, and completely stand out in a more tangible way from our competition, we can turn around and charge considerably more than our competition, and our customers will still love us.

But we need genuine differentiation, not just generalized claims, that's the challenge.
 
DJ Carroll said:
The culture of my organization creates a team that has an "ownership mentality." This means everyone is consumed in the company. Very seldom do my people leave at five and not think about the company. In an industry that is seen as anything but professional - we go above drug tested and friendly! As a result of having this type of company, we have a documented less than 2% call back rate!
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This is really interesting, DJ.

Do you think that this would be a possible point of leverage in your marketing? This less than 2% call back rate? And the system you have in place that fosters it?
 
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