Serious issue

max_rob

max_rob

New member
I don't mean to start a mess or anything, but I would like some advice. I have a big "industry" problem going on in my area. I operate a pressure washing company and I don't really specialize in a specific area of washing. This is due to there not being enough business in the area to support a specialized service, or at least not one that I have found yet. And the some of the competition for hood vent cleaning are a bunch of pri*ks. I am finding that they feel threatened so they are going out to customers saying that I am out of business and the such. I have talked to the other 3 business that specialze in hood vent cleaning and they have been around for 20 years. They tell me that this is the way it has been for the last 10 years. I feel mostly for them and the industry. I also have a problem because these two competetors also do not clean anything above the hood vent itself, basically they clean what you can see. This affords them the ability to price a $300 job at $150. As you can guess, it makes it hard on the good businesses around here. They end up getting the resturants business after there is a fire, and then the resturant goes back to the cheap guys once the big messes are cleaned up. Since the fire inspectors around here don't do thier jobs, it makes it possible for the bad companies to keep in business, even though one of them has went bankrupt 3 times now. Any suggestions would be really helpful.

Thanks,
Rob
 
Just expanding from another thread where I left a post. This is just my two cents. ALWAYS take the high road. I address these issues in the sale or when presenting a bid. Maybe something like this:
"While some other competitors may clean the hood that you see for a certain price. We clean your entire exhaust system from visual to the fan on the roof. There is no guess work in what we do you can feel secure from a safety point as well as a cosmetic look from inside, etc."
In other words it is how the sale is done without "badmouthing" a competitor. This makes you more professional and the people that still hire "the other guy" , oh well. You would rather work for the ones that hire you after a professional bid anyway.Good Luck!
 
Everett hit the nail on the head.We get more hood customers by educating them to the difference between a complete cleaning, and a rag-n-tag job.We sell our service on the knowledge we have , the equipment we use, and professionalism the customer can and will expect on every job. Just buy a good digital camera, do some cold calling on accounts the rag-n-tags are doing,ask management when they are doing the hood next, offer a FREE system inspection the day after they are there,go in take pictures of the complete system they just paid to have cleaned, and show them the potential fire hazzard they still have in that system.You can then bid the job accordingly, not to be lowballing the rag-n-tags because your 1 1/2 times more expensive for the professional service you offer, and 7 out of 10 of your bids will be excepted.
 
You'll never figure it out! We had a situation like that where a chain called us to look at their system, it had just been cleaned the previous night. The air conditioning contractor informed the manager that grease was seeping out around the curb top and running into a bucket. I showed up with ladder - manager right behind me on the ladder, opened the 2 fans still soaked in grease and scratched my name in the thick grease in both ducts.
Manager was shocked, went into kitchen, took out filters, grease everywhere. Trough had 1/2 inch deep. He called the district manager and they all got into a tizzy! Same story their other locales. The original hood company said they don't clean grease out of troughs, not their job! Came back next week, and reduced thickness of grease in duct & dumped grease from trough. No charge. The result: the manager who first called us got fired and the company that was "doing" the work at $120 less then us continues to this day. The BOTTOM LINE is where they operate and managers know they get transferred around so why worry - it's might not happen during their watch, what they can't see can't be helped.

On the other topic - your competitors, list them off to the potential customers and remind them that you heard they only hire ex-cons and you only use church members. That will plant the seed of doubt. Also, put your business in the YPs right around your competition.

Lastly, raise your price because your service is worth your time!
 
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That's it

I went and bought a digitzl camera today. I am going to customers again and taking them on a camera safari. I am excited to see what they say.
 
I agree with all of the previous thoughts. As said previously all you can do is educated your customers, there will always be people looking to save a buck no matter, and there will always be someone who is willing to half ### the job to save them that buck. I can't tell you the times I have cleaned up a huge neglected mess, call back for the reservice and be told we got someone cheaper. Man that burns me up, but I just bite my lip, remind them of the mess it was in when we cleaned and ask them to remember our number. Then when they call back because the other company went out of business, which they usually do, I then have a customer for life if I hold up my end.
Another thing that happens allot is you get a new manager who is unaware of the history and changes companies just because he can.
 
You know and I know education is the key. We use the cameras - but for our protection! I got on a kick once and did the pictures and the amazed reaction to the greasey system that should have been cleaner. Showed the managers and they usually replied, "So, how much cheaper can YOU do it for?" I went elsewhere.


Also, Keep in mind that these managers view us as stack cleaners and somewhat below them on the social order, so when you question a decision/policy made by them or their predecessors be prepared for the blank stares and the "brush-off." Just a reminder!
 
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We have been servicing a up scale Asian restaurant at a 30 day cycle with a cost of the multi hood system on a rotation basis, with a cost of close to $700. The time on the service is close to 7.5 hours for 3 people. The manager was talking with me the other day and he said a company proposed that they could do it for $250. We both laughed and I told him that the $250 was for the first and last time.

The good operation know what it takes to get the job done. The key is the service and how you respond to problems and issues.

David


Go Raiders:)
 
David,

Are you talking about a Japanese type steak house with the 24 hoods on a rotation basis once a month? Do you mean you do 12 one month, 12 the next? 3 man crew 7.5 hours? If you did 4 separate jobs with 3 hoods each - you'd make a whole lot more money. I would say, give it to the guy who'll do it $250, raise my price to $850.00 each time, and pocket the $600.00.
 
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The restaurant is Chinese-American with a mainline-backline and a side line-We service the main at 30 and the others on a rotation at 60 days. Like your idea, however this guy would just make a big problem for me at this place.

David:p
 
Every Chinese restaurant owner that I suggest a monthly cleaning to, just laugh at me, and come back with something like " it hasn't been cleaned in a year and I haven’t had a problem, why would I do it every month?"
I don't even bid them anymore, I use to say on the phone up front that it would be $1000 before I even look at it, and they would say that's ok come and look at it. Then I would get there, it would be horrible, I would give them a price, they would call me crazy and say I have guy who will do it for $250. I would just walk away thinking why did I waste my time.
 
Does anyone recognize a trend here. they are always saying that someone else will do it for $250????
 
I only do a few Vent-A-Hoods , about 1 per mo. I charged $180 on this one below took 50mins from start to finish and 2 miles from the house. So am I charging to little?
 

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Good Question

I am curious if it is. I clean the whole system, I do this because it's what I was taught to do. I am thinking however that if there are actually two different services to provide, then by all means, I am going to adjust pricing to reflect the cheaper cleaning.
 
The fact is that the cleaning is to remove the fire fuel from the entire system, the grease. That's why we clean the nasty things!
That picture shows a duct that from my angle looks black, could be reflection or grease. When you put your sticker on the hood - you are telling the world the whole system is cleaned to NFPA specifications. i.e. bare metal, unless otherwise noted on paperwork.
 
Jones ,

Yes i cleaned from top to bottom, the thing about is that it wasnt much worse before i started, they dont fry any food , they have it done every 6 months.

Mel
 
Mel
I think if you did these on a regular basis, and actually cleaned a dirty systems you may find that you need to charge more. I have done systems that take more time to set up than to clean, but they are few and far between. If that price is fair for you than it's a good price.
 
Bryan,

I have done a few chinese vent-a-hoods , i had to dip the grease out with a 1 gallon bucket , and who every said it earlery is right, $1,000 is about right .

Mel
 
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