Would this flyer work in your neighborhood?

[deckrock]

This is what a flyer read that I found in my newspaper box last night...
Don't you love it???

From: ***, Inc. Quality Cleaners of America

Spring Cleaning Offer: Entire House Cleaning

1) All carpeted areas steam cleaned & scotchguarded
2) All upholstery steam cleaned & scotchguarded
3) All tiled areas pre-sprayed, steam cleaned and resealed
4) Exterior siding, walkways AND decks pressure washed
5) All interior and exterior windows washed

Citrus based cleaner, best equipment money can buy, fully insured, 6000 PSI high temp pressure washer

THE PRICE IS.... $375.00 !!!! (American money) Yep, that's three hundred and seventy five dollars FOR EVERYTHING.

We called him.... He has a crew of 4 people, the entire job will take 4 hours and he'll wash and seal the deck the same day with his 6000 PSI high temp pressure washer. Oh.... and he's got a 1 1/2 hour drive EACH way (he may run a little late).

:burn:

 

[TexasWash]

haha

Is he cleaning playhouses? That is ridiculous. If what you say is true then im willing to bet he just priced himself out of business, not to mention i bet he is lacking insurance.

 

[Mark]

Is the company name PSI ?

 

[deckrock]

The guy is from Wisconsin. When we talked to him, he said he had a major account with a hotel chain and lost the gig.

 

[PressureForce]

Just to offer a flat price on any one of these services is tricky... Can you imagine HOW many different combinations of scenarios this cat runs into? I would be very surprised if you could do many that your price actually came out anywhere near accurate.

Secondly - marketing 101 - it's a bit diverse. While I can respect that it's all just cleaning.... Pressure washing and upholstery cleaning are seldom considered in the same thought. I know none of it is rocket science, but upholstery cleaning and pressure washing are about as related as cooking and gardening. To us and to consumers.

I don't care what your business is - if you want to build a brand you must niche. Sending out flyers that says you'lle clean anything that's dirty is headed in the complete opposite direction of that philosophy.

Just my O.

 

[deckrock]

If he cooks and cleans up after the kids, he's gonna get a call from me!

$375. for all those listed... it's amazing and crazy. A deck alone is usually more than that!

 

[5 Star Johnny]

"Spray & Pay" at its finest!

This actually sounds like my brother-in-law! Is the company name SCS by any chance? I would really like to know.

Unfortunately, this type of flyer will work to some degree in ANY neighborhood. In the residential segment, our primary focus is deck restoration/preservation and siding cleaning. Fortunately, we do not have a high saturation of competitors in our geographic market, but still enough to create pricing problems. When we do have to combat these low cost pricing freaks, we have to sell on differentiation. Even with that, less informed and uneducated homeowners will STILL choose the "splash & dasher" based soley on pricing. I just say, make sure you check out their references & insurance, and call me if you decide to choose a more reputable company.

$375 might be reasonable for the carpet & upholstery. Beyond that, I'd hate to see what the rest of the work will look like. Maybe there's an upcharge somewhere for the outside work. I agree with PressureForce - way too diverse marketing. Seems to me this guy can't decide what he's good at, if anything! Don't know if I'd be comfortable with these people inside my house, let alone outside.

 

[deckrock]

I dont want to write his name, but the initials of the company is PCS and the guy has a area code of 608.... his initials (of his name) is S.O.

Relation???

 

[5 Star Johnny]

Thanks deckrock. No - that's not him, but it's definitely his marketing style. Anyway - with that amount of work offered at a single home, it would take him 8 - 10 hrs with 8 people! 608 is the Madison (SW wisc.) area.

Actually, I like these kinda' guys. If the homeowner is that stupid to believe they'll get all that work done for the low, low price of just "$29.95", they deserve what they get. Then it's not so hard to sell them on quality work at a higher price when they decide to hire a real contractor. It also keeps those guys busy enough to stay outta' the way for quality clients.

Yes, I still think low-ballers suck and don't belong in ANY business. But the fact is they're there, nothin' you can do about it, and don't let it dictate how you market your own company! I keep a close eye on my competition, but I don't waste my time looking over my shoulder every day to see if they're still behind me. I just keep leading!