Fast Food Chains

[Mirage Cleaners]

Are fast food chains frugal or is it me??

I started doing flat work for a fast food chain recently and have discovered they are really cheap. With hot water and an expensive degreaser I sucessfully removed tons of gum and oil stains at a low hourly rate. Average price of each location was only $150-$250 with the understanding that I would maintain it 2x per month at the same low hourly rate (verbal agreement).

After the first washing I was told their budget was tight and cut it to 1x a month. After the second washing they tell me they can't afford the luxury of power washing until the spring because business is slowing down for the winter. Don't people eat burgers and fries all year round ???

I feel I was taken advantage of just to clean up the places after years of neglect. Since I did such a GOOD job the first time it's holding up pretty long.

I think I hurt myself by doing such a good job, but then again if I didn't they would have complained . . . damned if you do and damned if you don't !

For those who service fast food chains, how frequently do they ask for your services? Do you charge per hour or flat rate? Am I getting the runaround or is this normal?

I know I did a damn good job at a reasonable price, but I get the feeling they think I'm overpriced now that the dirty work is aleady done.

 

[Walter]

fast food

You may have gotten screwed. I do 7 taco bells every 3 months and hardly every talk to anyone. I gave them a great price in the begining and just kept it there since they were fairly clean when I returned every 3 months. A new DM has just taken over and already has given me the "this one is clean we will wait" crap. So he is going to pay because I added that location to the price of the others. In general Fast Food is downright cheap. They can be, most people would jump over a foot of crap to get thier fix. Have you ever heard someone say this place is dirty.

 

[ron]

my 2 cents

My opinion- you should have a one time price[1st time that is] and a maint price for 2 times a month
if at any time they let 60 days pass between washings it goes to the one time price.
also give a % discount if paid in 10 days. Build that into the price.
Never discount a job with the prom. of future work, unless they want to sign a contract.
Thats what you want to be a CONTRACT CLEANER you get to know what you have to do,when to do it,and what you'll make.
That manager knows that every time he calls a new wash person he will get 110% out of them for a cheap price by weaving FUTURE EARNINGS as bait. You did'nt do wrong, you just an education and were still paid for it.
Never met a person that did'nt say" if this comes out really good ive got a friend, yadda yadda yaddda"
charge a fair price, do a good job, and move on
what more can you do?
i have every person i do work for sign a contract,stating my liabilities,responsabilties,price,and any prev. defects that im not liable for. There is also a place for any VERBAL AGREEMENTS that they all must sign. It prob. wont hold up in court but it dose give you a leg to stand on. good luck

 

[whouser]

Ron said it right... I charge them regular first time price if there is no contract.. And even if there is I still don't charge the regular rate for a first time cleaning. I do about 5-6 on a monthly basis and several more on a quarterly. I even have a couple (smart ones) who want me to hit it every two weeks. Do not do any work for someone on a maybe... They always bait you with other work which they can rarely deliver and when they do you are going to have to give that guy the same price. I charge for the type of service I will provide. Any fast food place that waits over 3 months is going to need a heavy cleaning and will surely have lots of gum. Over 75% of my business is under CONTRACT. I have guys out here that will come in and clean for around .01 a sq ft. I tell them that they should send their employee out with the garden hose for 30 minutes and they will have better results. I do a demo for those guys the next morning after they have had the property "cleaned" by those lowballers and I do a 5 x 5 or 10 x 10 area right smack dab in the front of their business. That is usually the last time I hear about price. You work your but off in this line of work DON'T WORK FOR FREE!

Good Luck with them.

PS. Make sure you sell them on the dupster area... Nasty but lucrative

 

[Mirage Cleaners]

Thanks for all the advice, but I'm wondering what's the best formula for charging a fair price for the 1st cleaning and then maintenance.

Do you actually measure the entire area for square footage?

I feel most comfortable charging by the hour, because when dealing with pesky gum it's hard to tell how long I'll be there and don't want to sell myself short. Then again, the hourly rate probably scares them because they think I'm walking away with x amount of dollars and they don't realize all the overhead involved in running a LEGITIMATE business.

 

[ron]

my 2 cents

i know what it costs for me to run my biz., i also know what i want to make per hour. Then add 1 hour for a buffer and dont forget travel,set-up,chem,and time of day or night. Then guesstamate the job time then tell them your price.
A part timer SHOULD have the same exp. as a full timer but the full timer can spread out his costs and be cheaper then you so to get the same work you must work cheaper then you want too[sometimes]. These exp. are the same for both full time or part time. biz. ins.-truck ins.-advertising--equip-maint-chem-accountant-billing[time/materials]-phone-ECT...
Every day your equipment just sits there it cost you money.
If you know your set costs per year divide by 365 you know what it costs you per day just to have that rig in your driveway.
A full timer spreads these costs per day over a 40-50 hour week
part timers have to do the same over a 40-50 hour month.
That is why some full timers get so damn mad at part times that under bid them, they dont see this and think "man in my reg. job i only make $15 per hour but when i wash i get $50! NO YOU DONT!
Look at the job at hand and get your price per hour! If you cant get your price walk away and try the next guy. Dont work for free.

 

[Clean Windows]

Cheapskates

Hello, I am new to this site so go easy on me! Fast food chains are cheap. I have been in the window cleaning buisness for a total of 10yrs. 7 yrs with a friend, as an employee, doing mostly commercial work. I started on my own 3 yrs ago window washing only. So far so good. I started pressure washing because I got so many requests from mostly homeowners and restaurants. I am located in Central Jersey and there are numerous contractors who "pressure wash" but so far I have done well. Of course the learning curve has been rough but the more I do the more I have learned.
<p> Fast food chains are cheap. Management is underpaid and depend on bonuses at certain intervals based on costs and profits. Usually per quarter and sometimes based on projected sales. I clean windows on six Applebee's, two Arby's, and a few others. First, management changes constantly. Second, they "nickel and dime" just about everything. I have been getting some flatwork regualarly from some of the Applebee's but Arby's, no way. they balked and said I was "gouging" them for concrete cleaning. They bought a Home depot special and their sidewalks are still dirty. Get contracts! It really is the only way to guarentee. They will lie to you with no hesitation. However Applebee's treats me like gold. They all do not give me the flatwork but I tell them all once a month free dinner for me the wife and my two kids. Sounds stupid, but I go out to eat dinner and lunch all the time and never pay except a tip. NICE PERK!

 

[Doug Rucker]

Frugal in 2001 and Frugal 14 years later.