October 30, 2016 by Neal Zott
IS THERE A UNIVERSAL RATE ALL CLEANING SERVICES USE?
No, price is determined by a number of factors. The size and layout of a home is the main input. Using a base rate multiplied by the square footage of a home is a fairly easy way to generate an estimate. Multiple floors, or lots of furniture may also come into play. Anything that could take more time will in turn cost more money.
Other services simplify this process by using flat rate prices determined by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms a home has. They can do this because they’ve cleaned many homes, and have a good sense of the time required to complete the average 3 bedroom 2 bathroom. Some homes are slightly larger and take a bit more time, while others are slightly smaller. These differences average themselves out over time.
By offering flat rate prices, consumers know exactly what they’ll pay without the need of scheduling a walk thru and estimate.
Whether a rate multiple, or flat rate, both styles use the same analysis to generate price. A service must figure out exactly what it needs to make per hour in order to maintain profitability. Some businesses have less overhead and are able to pass these savings to consumers. One service might pay it’s techs double what another service pays. The higher paying service will in turn have higher prices. But higher paid workers are likely to be better quality. Price does not necessarily reflect Value, but Value absolutely determines Price.
WHAT TYPE OF ADDITIONAL ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE?
Many cleaning services will offer services in addition to their base cleaning. These are usually for items that aren’t required on a scheduled basis. Here’s a few common add-on’s:
Interior Windows: Oftentimes interior windows are not bundles into base cleaning prices. The reason for this is windows don’t need to be cleaned as consistently as other parts of your home. Window cleaning services recommend 2 full window cleaning services per year both inside and out, and another 2 cleaning of just your exterior windows.
Inside Refrigerator: Refrigerators tend to need a thorough scrubbing every now and then. When you first move into a new place, it’s always a good idea to start fresh by taking all of the shelving and scrubbing all sides of the refrigerator. This maintains a fresh clean environment for produce and other perishable items.
Inside Oven: Similar to your refrigerator, your oven needs a thorough cleaning every once in awhile. It’s amazing the amount of buildup that occurs in ovens over time. This build up burns and gets seared into the metal racks and takes quite a bit of effort to remove.
Laundry: Laundry is an easy task, but time consuming. This is a great add-on because it can be done while the rest of your home is being cleaned. It’s a good way to bundle multiple chores that need to be done around the home.
Pricing for these are determined the same way a base cleaning price is determined. Add-ons that require more time, will cost more money.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THOSE PRICES ARE REASONABLE?
Here’s a simple example to help:
Below are a list of 3 Cleaning Companies. Of the three, which one do you think is reasonably priced.
1 Bedroom 1 Bathroom:
- XYZ Cleaning: $85
- ABC Cleaning: $115
- LMN Cleaning: $140
Now, Using the information below, choose which service seems reasonably priced.
1 Bedroom 1 Bathroom:
- XYC Cleaning: $85 – Found in a yellow pages. Wrong phone number when you call.
- ABC Cleaning: $115 – Rated 5 Stars from 35 different people on Yelp and Angie’s List. Interacts openly with clients on Facebook and Twitter.
- LMN Cleaning: $140 – Found on a huge billboard you see on your daily drive to work. Everyone has heard their ads, but you don’t know anyone who’s actually used the service.
The point here is, price is just a small component of the value a service will provide you. The best service will never be able to charge the lowest prices. It’s simply not possible. If they hire only top rated talent for both back office and front line technician positions to ensure you are treated with care and respect. Invest in their people to train them properly to perform their duties at a high level. Maintain a strong brand presence online responding to any customer inquiry at all hours of the day, they simply cannot offer cut rate prices.