One step rental emulsifier.

What has worked for you. I know this is a not Normal for most of us. I have some rentals that never accept our carpet cleaning estimates. It always freaks them out. I hate knowing that we clean the house but don't get the carpet. So, I'm wondering if that just want a lick and a prayer at a lower cost. (Quality doesn't matter). Maybe they just want some wand marks and an invoice.

If so, then we could one step, at a lower price.

Suggestions, advice, experience, all would be appreciated. Thanks boys.

Maybe try ProChem's XL-333, or what I like better is Liquid Slurry.
Set chem meter to 2-3 gal a min, and when you walk in hold up the wand off carpet and give it a lil pre-spraying, then give it a good extraction cleaning....may not be the best job, but certainly much better.

Of course, you can clean with stronger "rinse chems", but then you leave more residue.

Personally, I've always walked away from the cheap-asses, telling them I only do the "best job", rather than the "cheap job".
But That may not be the best thing to do.   

If you are going to just use an emulsifier, why not just use mad hot water, plain? Wouldn't that be better than leaving a reside behind that will attract soils?

Davey Cracker wrote:Maybe try ProChem's XL-333, or what I like better is Liquid Slurry.
Set chem meter to 2-3 gal a min, and when you walk in hold up the wand off carpet and give it a lil pre-spraying, then give it a good extraction cleaning....may not be the best job, but certainly much better.  

Of course, you can clean with stronger "rinse chems", but then you leave more residue.

Personally, I've always walked away from the cheap-asses, telling them I only do the "best job", rather than the "cheap job".
But That may not be the best thing to do.   

I would never take this in our residential market. We just need to develop our rentals system. No doubt the rental PM are cheap. So, if I'm losing the rest of the invoice to companies that do it this way, then why shouldn't I open the door to clean for the PM that focus that way. I do have some PM that want to works. Maybe that's what we should do is have an option.

Freemind1 wrote:If you are going to just use an emulsifier, why not just use mad hot water, plain? Wouldn't that be better than leaving a reside behind that will attract soils?

That's not really a true and accurate statement. I've used and tested a lot, never found that to be true. The true part of that statement would be operator error, which would include, poor mixing, diluting, equipment operation, wild purple power crazy chems.

What are you charging pet square foot on empty properties? if you don't mind me asking.

.20

It is true that most PM's are cheap, but it is the cheap cleaners that reinforce that attitude. As long as there are cleaners willing to lower their standards, there will always be cheap PM's.

The previous cleaner that was under contract for my recent additions did exactly what you are considering...Super hot water and a emulsifier. The guy would "clean" a 2 bedroom apartment in less than 20 minutes and collect his $50. In my view, they both lost.

I cleaned one apartment while the other guy was out of town and now I have the contracts. I give them the real, honest clean and they came up in price and gave me the master keys.

I wouldn't even consider lowering your standard...no gain in it.

I agree some, wouldn't the compromise be best at highlighting our quality cleaning, while giving them the choice to make the cheap decision?

I may just have this conversation at the next PM meeting I speak at. It's a good thought.

Like I tell my property managers, I spent almost 20 years living in apartments across the country. In every case, I based my decision on where to live on location and the cleanliness of the apartment.

The surest way to have long-term vacant apartments is to have dirty carpets. It is those vacant periods that hurt them the most, not the costs of cleaning those carpets the right way. Pay me more and get fully rented buildings...seems very logical to me.

Thats what we are charging and im considered expensive in my market. I will drop down to .15 on a real basic service. Pre spray and clean only, in and out in at 1500 to 2000 an hour. But after a while you establish a trust with them. They tell me to basically charge them what it takes to get it done right and the next set of renters are not complaining. I never get any trouble with .20 or even .25 if the place need the "works". They dont care. Its not their money, it's deposit money. They just want the person who is gonna get it to look the best and get it rerented with no issues from the new tenants.

You will get some push back on price if the place is f'ed up. They probably don't have any money left on the deposit. Thats when you gotta have those times you work with them on price. Make everybody happy if you can.

BTW I'm only talking about rental homes and offices. Fk apartments.

Maybe the best thing is to get more feed back on why they are turning their nose at my est. Some PM use us in this particular office and some don't.

My profile pic is a great example of the works. Yuk. Only thing we didn't do there was rotary extraction. The smell of rotting foot skin. Couldn't talk them into replacing it tho, but I wasn't doing it for cheap either. They trusted me and paid good money. Thats the kind of property manager you want.

milspec6 wrote:It is true that most PM's are cheap, but it is the cheap cleaners that reinforce that attitude.  As long as there are cleaners willing to lower their standards, there will always be cheap PM's.

The previous cleaner that was under contract for my recent additions did exactly what you are considering...Super hot water and a emulsifier.  The guy would "clean" a 2 bedroom apartment in less than 20 minutes and collect his $50.  In my view, they both lost.

I cleaned one apartment while the other guy was out of town and now I have the contracts.  I give them the real, honest clean and they came up in price and gave me the master keys.

I wouldn't even consider lowering your standard...no gain in it.

Man, well said Brotha!!@!

I know our markets are different, but even at .20 a s.f. I think you guys are low, and as Milspec said I wouldn't even consider going any lower.

Don't become "one of them" cheap ass cleaners, just ho'in yourself out to get a job. Be better than the cheap asses, and stick to your guns, selling your quality work. If they don't want to pay for a job done right, move on to the next one that will.

I like the way this thread has turned!   

"Rotting foot skin"  

Give your cleaning crew an Orbot and some pads and have then go to town. They can fold it in half and put it in there trunk. Now you have 15.00/hour carpet cleaner and a dam good one too.

We all have a full service price I wouldn't drop price to much, If they pre vac and You don't use fans for fast dry, Pre spray with cobbs power maxx rinse with slurry.

say You get $30.00 per room maybe drop to $25.00 other then that let it go. and they have to pay fast.

80% of my work is for PM. New ones, I ask "are you looking for a low or competitive price"? If yes, I tell them I'm not the guy for you. Or if they ask if I can meet/beat the other estimate(doubt they have 'other' est). I flat out say NO. If they won't let you add on for heavy soiling, pet, gum or other....hit the road jack call another CC.
For lightly soiled..liquid slurry is the game. I will have a small pump up with some TLC to hit some of the spots.
+ getting $25-30 per room. In a large metro area the PMs play a different game.
* getting some of Joes new S/O! Ordered this afternoon, ups tracking email received before 5.   

Sam, are you Bill's son, of Miller's carpet care? Or no? Just wondering, because I worked for him as a tech an a Ass. Manager at the Carson office. lo0l

how do you guys like dry slurry? I liked it about 3years ago but stopped using it because it leaves carpet stiff and starchy being its a high pH rinse. Also opens the door to a brown out leaving carpet at a high pH.

Matrix all fiber rinse is my choice now, leaves carpet soft and fluffy.

Hey I'm all about getting top dollar, but I'm not cheap in my market. We got guys around doing work at less than .10. Fuken $75 whole house BS. I lost a big contract to a company who quoted .05 per square on a 65,000 facility. I wanted .20. I know I guy here who was getting .30 and had 5 trucks busy. He is now down to one and having a hard time keeping it busy. He is down to .25 and still struggling. He blames the internet, cheap TMs, and janitorial company's picking up vlm. Flooding the market with hacks. Who knows for sure what is causing his woes.

Personally I am very comfy at .20 or even .15. I have a 25% total cost of doing business and with my assistant we can clean at 1500 an hour no problem. 1000 if its messed up. Do the math. Why should I complain about that? The cost of living is pretty low here. I can get a mansion for the cost of a two bedroom shanty in California.

I hear ya fuzz,    commercial around here in Seattle is a joke.    They might call you once knowing you can bring the big guns...

once its clean theres no way they will pay TM cleaning rates,   bring on the porty guy that crawled out from underneath a bridge and somehow got his porty back from the pawn shop. oh ya and hes willing to work 6hrs in the middle of the night for 100 bucks cause hes up anyway smoking meth

Haha, yea WTH if you're all cracked out on meth, you may as well make a $100 for 6 hrs while ur at it right.

Couldn't be a more perfect time to use the 'homeless/toothless crackhead Emoi'.......   

Don't go cheap and don't low your quality job. There is nothing to win for you if you don't feel comfortable with that situation. I have been there before working so hard all day in those cheap apartments for very low returns, not any more. There is always something better around, just be persistent.

Davey Cracker wrote:Sam, are you Bill's son, of Miller's carpet care?  Or no?  Just wondering, because I worked for him as a tech an a Ass. Manager at the Carson office. lo0l

Ah you figured it out. Not too tough huh. they practically owned CA CC for half a century.