Kind of shady - Cleaning Talk - Professional Cleaning and Restoration Forum

leetcleaning · 12-30-2009, 12:29 PM

I had a company call me up asking for an estimate for an office. They gave out some figures about what the space was like, and I gave them a quote. Well, when I showed up, the space was twice as large and even had twice as many offices. Yet, they still want a price around the previous quote. Should I attempt to work out a deal, or do you think they are too far from reality? Has anyone else had experiences like this?

Douglas Hicks · 12-31-2009, 09:39 AM

Sounds like you already know the answer. they lied once, they will lie again.

imadam · 01-01-2010, 08:23 PM

keep an open mind, they may just be inexperienced with this. i honestly could not tell you how big 1200 square meters is, and would have to see the property. give an accurate price and hope for the best. if you feel like they want it cheap then try and offer a cheap service, if you get it do best you can in price range (and a bit more imo) and if it doesn't work out nothing lost.

leetcleaning · 01-03-2010, 10:24 PM

I suppose that their focus is on cutting costs. Perhaps it would be best to keep an open mind like you said. Although I cannot offer the complete service that I usually offer for offices at that price range, I can probably come up with a checklist that gets what they need done and keeps the office relatively clean. I imagine they are just trying to meet their obligations to tenants.

Coloradocarpetcleaner · 01-14-2010, 07:50 PM

We tend to think that things are larger than they are but a lot of people have no concept of size. I would simply tell them that your sq. ft. price is $ and how many sq ft they have. Tell them how much of the office they can do for what they want to spend and that they could skip a few areas to keep the price down. Most people are ok if you give them options.

UltraBrite · 04-13-2011, 06:11 PM

If there is one thing I've learned over the years about customers, its that they MINIMIZE the description of what they want done, almost always. That's why, when I give an ESTIMATE over the phone, I am clear that its an ESTIMATE (ball park figure) and that there may be variables involved that I can't see while setting behind a desk. In some cases, after I say that, they come clean about what exactly they want done. It is what it is folks. Everyone out here is trying to save a buck I guess.

SwissClean · 04-21-2011, 12:00 PM

I would not work with such clients . The area mistake is one thing , but I am sure they could count their desks , so this was made with a purpose . Not the client I would take .

OneTime · 04-22-2011, 02:09 AM

Perfect reason why I do my very best to NEVER give out a quote over the phone. I think we underestimate our clients and they have a good idea of what the size of their homes are.

sprintcar93 · 04-22-2011, 02:22 PM

I agree. Anyone who answers the phone for me is instructed to never give out a price. If someone MUST have a price over the phone, call someone else.

I really don't care to hear what they say about size anyway because it means nothing to me.... I go and look at the property and give a price. Now me personally, I realize you are talking about commercial and we do residential but, we have 2 plans for them to choose from. If they take one of the plans, GREAT! If not.... as my ol' friend Rhonda says.... NEXT>>>>>>

april1979 · 05-01-2011, 11:28 AM

I think people like to get a "ballpark" figure over the phone. They don't wan't someone who charges way more than they can or want to pay to come over. I think that you just have to make sure they understand that your estimate is in no way an actual quote. Sometimes people lower in the company have to call around and get estimates before they get the go ahead to have the contractors come out to the site - it's just part of the process. I try to maintain effective communication at all levels of my interaction process with the client. The better you can explain your pricing procedures, the greater chance you will have of convincing them that your pricing is the best thought out, the most accurate, the most fair, and the best value. I am always prepared to explain why I price things the way I do. Plus, I always have two figures written down - the lowest I would feel good about taking, and the highest figure I think I could get. Knowing the boundaries helps me negotiate better. Knowing with a certainty what my lowest number is helps me to walk if I need to.

Gig Harbor Window Cleaning & Janitorial

sprintcar93 · 05-01-2011, 02:02 PM

With commercial I can see this more than in residential. In residential it is YOUR job as a business owner to get in to that house and make them want your service.

In commercial if you aren't talking to the hnic then they might not have much 'pull' so to speak and can't go over their budget. But I still don't give out prices and even if I was working with commercial budgets I'd still want to go to the property and give a bid. I'd look at it this way... I spend the time to go give them a bid and get to know them a little. Now you have a great contact and someone you can stay in contact with no matter what other building they might move to. I call it time well spent if you work it right and will probably pay off in some way down the road.

greencleaning · 05-03-2011, 10:02 PM

Try to bid the price out of the space , you should price it on how large the area....

imadam · 05-04-2011, 07:57 AM

sometimes with commercial it's worth going in with whatyou're happy with. if you'd be happy walking away with £100 for an extra nights work then go in with that even if it's really worth £180