Sorry when I offend

Russ Spence

Russ Spence

Commercial Pressure Wash Expert
I am going to apologize in advance for being a dick head on this one but I get so sick of looking at all these guys I see running around with there "softwash" rigs!

I mean really, lets see what the average guys overhead is in business that I see.

1 Delavan or worse a shurflo pump 125.00 bucks
200 feet or less of garden hose (cheap) 50 to 75 bucks
1 tote tank - usually free but 75 to 100 if you wish to pay
1 or 2 garden hose sprayers

Then if you are lucky they may have a business license and maybe they may buy insurance but I doubt it since it would be 5 times or more their original investment.

I am not talking about some of the guys here, most have decent equipment but there are people that read these boards that call themselves roof cleaners and softwashers that have absolutly no place in business what so ever.


I mean heck if I were going into lawn care as a profession I would sure want a better image for myself than a push mower and a can! I did that in the 3rd grade :cool:

The economy as it has been has brought the softwashers of the world out of the woodwork, everyone with a pickup now has a business with less than a 500 dollar investment.
 
Russ Spence said:
I am going to apologize in advance for being a dick head on this one but I get so sick of looking at all these guys I see running around with there "softwash" rigs!

I mean really, lets see what the average guys overhead is in business that I see.

1 Delavan or worse a shurflo pump 125.00 bucks
200 feet or less of garden hose (cheap) 50 to 75 bucks
1 tote tank - usually free but 75 to 100 if you wish to pay
1 or 2 garden hose sprayers

Then if you are lucky they may have a business license and maybe they may buy insurance but I doubt it since it would be 5 times or more their original investment.

I am not talking about some of the guys here, most have decent equipment but there are people that read these boards that call themselves roof cleaners and softwashers that have absolutly no place in business what so ever.


I mean heck if I were going into lawn care as a profession I would sure want a better image for myself than a push mower and a can! I did that in the 3rd grade :cool:

The economy as it has been has brought the softwashers of the world out of the woodwork, everyone with a pickup now has a business with less than a 500 dollar investment.
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I understand your thoughts. And I do not take offense.
I am a soft washer and a roof cleaner, my investment was lower than the pressure washing set up, but it is not all I carry.

I was a hood cleaner from the age of 13 when my dad taught me the "old school" way to clean hoods...scraper, bucket, plastic, ammonia, and what ever he could use to get the grease off. I cleaned with him for 10 years, all along I tried to talk him to death to get him to understand there is a better way..He passed away when I was 23. I reopened the company and ran it the right way. I increased the sales by 325% by buying a PC. Hot water unit, proper cleaners, tarping etc. and I cut cleaning time by 125%. I ran that company for 15 years covering 3 states until I sold it all to Ragans Steam cleaning out of Springfield Ill.

I know the expense tolls on ones company to see another scab by with minimal tools and eqpt. But one has to hope that these folks will contribute to the PW and Non-PW industry. Maybe they plan to upgrade and buy the big boy stuff!

Now I have guys in my area that have PW in the trunk of thier cars running around doing home for 29.95! This market (PW) in my area is worthless unless it is commercial. I was told I was under bid on a hotel by 600. Now these guys are hurting the commercial side in my area.
 
I dont do alot of residential so it really does not apply, I have just been taking notes in the last 6 months and I am seeing tons of this, to be honest most of them have odd tires on their trucks so I am sure they can afford insurance.


If I wanted to be a softwasher and thats what I was going to target, I would try to seperate myself from the blow and go Joe and I wold try to at least come off with a professional apprearance of some type. Lets face it if you cant afford to get the correct equipment and insurance plus license you dont have any business going into business.
 
I agree Russ, but also these BB's and all the RT's have brought them out too. We all give to much information and you end up shooting yourself in the foot. But I learned a lot from the BB's so who am I to complain.

This economy is bringing on way to much competition in most fields of washing. Its a PITA and many dont look for quality, they look for price, even when they get subpar work, they wont use the same guy, but then still look for low price the next time. oh well got to keep moving forward

Lets close all the BB's down, all the RT's, stop helping, I bet you we would have a lot less competition in say 5 years

I'm getting sick of managers saying sorry the HOA went with a lower price:smash::slap:

What can we do, oh well
 
WOW!!! And I thought I was the only one who was getting pissed off lately about all the lowballers etc... Just in the past 1 1/2 months I have lost over $5000.00 for being the higher price. Explain quality, customer service, the high measures we take to perform the jobs we do without causing damage, Licenced, fully insured (AND CURRENT) etc...And then we end up losing the job because Mr, I've bee doing this for 2 months and I can do it for waaaaay less steps in and customers only see what they can save. Don't get me wrong, there are people out there willing to pay and we do get them but it just makes me sick thinking about all the ones we lose.
 
Larry Millette said:
WOW!!! And I thought I was the only one who was getting pissed off lately about all the lowballers etc... Just in the past 1 1/2 months I have lost over $5000.00 for being the higher price. Explain quality, customer service, the high measures we take to perform the jobs we do without causing damage, Licenced, fully insured (AND CURRENT) etc...And then we end up losing the job because Mr, I've bee doing this for 2 months and I can do it for waaaaay less steps in and customers only see what they can save. Don't get me wrong, there are people out there willing to pay and we do get them but it just makes me sick thinking about all the ones we lose.
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Instead of Lowball Larry you can now be promoted to "CUEBALL" :wave:


I would have said 8 ball but thats been covered too many times by too many offenders!
 
Preach it, Brother Russ!
 
E-Bay and Craigslist are full of pressure washing equipment right now. There are some great deals to be had out there. I picked up another Silver Eagle Hot Water unit 5.5 GPM @ 4000 PSI for $1000. Sold the tank/trailer for $575. I'll put another $300 into the machine to get it up and running one of these days when I really need it at the last minute.
 
Tell us how you really feel. I agree whole heartedly how ever the ones that should be seeing this haven't got the --- to respond. Its like when I started my painting business 23yrs ago Id get painters that wanted to got into business for themselves so they did and gave themselves a $2.00 an hour raise.Unfortunately they do a lot of damage to those who are true professionals out there trying to establish customer relationships
 
This is true of most industries, it is just more in your face because it is what you know. I have to agree that the freedom of the information that is available out there is the leading cause hurting this industry.

Note: I use softwashing but own a boat load of expensive equipment.

When more jobs become available we will all be able to buy those pumps that were used once for $10. Hope that it is sooner and not later.
 
NJWashingGuy said:
This is true of most industries, it is just more in your face because it is what you know. I have to agree that the freedom of the information that is available out there is the leading cause hurting this industry.

Note: I use softwashing but own a boat load of expensive equipment.

When more jobs become available we will all be able to buy those pumps that were used once for $10. Hope that it is sooner and not later.
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I use it too but I have a ton more invested that 99.99999% of those guys I am talking about
 
I wish I had found BB and there were RT when I started in 1999. If I remember right, I found the Delco board in 2000. Now the boards are full of great information ( if people would use the search button).
I just had a customer laugh at my $810 estimate to clean the tile roof of their 4500 sf 1 1/2 story house. The other guy bid $390. On to the next estimate.
 
When we first started we bought a 3500.00 rig off craigslist and yes we were a lowballer. But we have since changed the way we do business because of these boards and the ppl on here.

I owe alot to ppl like Ron Musgraves, Tony Shelton, Russ Johnson, Danny Bates and Russ Spence. Some of these guys I have talked with, work with and some I have not. But I can honestly say they have helped me take my company to the next level.

I have posted on here recenlty about a devlan or surflo pump being used as a way to spray acid for two-stepping. The only reason I was asking is I dont do fleets and was asked to wash 7-10 tractor/trailers a month for a company that I am currently doing. I didnt wat to make the investment of upgrading til I had a few months of washing under my belt. Then upgrade once They have seen what we could do.

We are insured, licensed and take pride in what we do. I have also been beating out of a job with in the last month from someone on this board from lowballing a job. There was at total of 5 bids and 4 out of the 5 was close and the other well lets just say he left $7000.00 on the table.

These guys come in ask questions and fly off and underbid. Thats what makes me mad. We share so much info on these boards that we can and have shot ourselves in the foot.

Just keep your head up and focus on what is coming next. These lowballers can have that $29.95 house wash. That is the customer I didnt want anyways. They are the ones that know it show be $400.00 and knit pick it to death. All that for $29.95 isnt worth it for me. Show me the money and I will work my A** off for it.

That is my .02 worth,
Bryan
 
bhenson said:
When we first started we bought a 3500.00 rig off craigslist and yes we were a lowballer. But we have since changed the way we do business because of these boards and the ppl on here.

I owe alot to ppl like Ron Musgraves, Tony Shelton, Russ Johnson, Danny Bates and Russ Spence. Some of these guys I have talked with, work with and some I have not. But I can honestly say they have helped me take my company to the next level.

I have posted on here recenlty about a devlan or surflo pump being used as a way to spray acid for two-stepping. The only reason I was asking is I dont do fleets and was asked to wash 7-10 tractor/trailers a month for a company that I am currently doing. I didnt wat to make the investment of upgrading til I had a few months of washing under my belt. Then upgrade once They have seen what we could do.

We are insured, licensed and take pride in what we do. I have also been beating out of a job with in the last month from someone on this board from lowballing a job. There was at total of 5 bids and 4 out of the 5 was close and the other well lets just say he left $7000.00 on the table.

These guys come in ask questions and fly off and underbid. Thats what makes me mad. We share so much info on these boards that we can and have shot ourselves in the foot.

Just keep your head up and focus on what is coming next. These lowballers can have that $29.95 house wash. That is the customer I didnt want anyways. They are the ones that know it show be $400.00 and knit pick it to death. All that for $29.95 isnt worth it for me. Show me the money and I will work my A** off for it.

That is my .02 worth,
Bryan
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I responded on FWA but you can also just DS it and make life much easier
 
I ran into 1guy says he has been pressure washing for 14years. Showed me a picture of a tile roof he just cleaned. I ask what he was using on the roofs so he said ' I got me a knew tip called a rotary nozzle' wow 2days cleaning a 3000squ ft
roof.

2nd guy is a painter told me he just finshed cleaning a roof. Now you think this guy might have a clue. Pump sprayer with pool bleach 1/3 and mirac acid1/3. Now thats has to hurt the lungs eyes.
I feel sorry for the home owner thinking these man say they know what they are doing but dont have a clue, plus dont want to find out the right way.

I did tell the painter the right way of cleaning a roof. I knew he would get hurt using those 2chemciasl together. Then showed him some of the larger jobs we have done, but he didnt seem catch on.
 
Have I learned about pressure washing from these boards yes.......Have I learned how to run a pressure washing business from these boards.......absolutely!!!!
 
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