My wife and I have owned and operated a residential and commercial cleaning business for the last 5 years. When we were first starting out we were offering way too much for way too little. After a few months a client pulled us a side and told us that if we didn't raise our rates she would consider (with much regret) letting us go. We took her advice and the clients that respected us as business owners stuck around through our rate change and were happy to see us grow. Others dropped us, some of which asked us to return at the new rates.
Fast forward to this year (2020), everyone has experienced a jolt in the job/service market. We're getting a few inquiries here and there, but nothing like pre-2020. Before I was turning down business literally 3-5 times a day. We took on a partner last year who is putting the pressure on us to lower prices for new clients. That being said, the last job we were contacted about was a 6,000 SQFT residential property (5B 6 BA) looking for a deep cleaning. We quoted them like any other property of that size, totaling around $1,000+/-. We've always charged around $30-$40 per man hour for this type of cleaning. The owners assistant contacted us back stating that the last company they hired had charged around $650 and did a terrible job. She added that we were probably worth that price, but it's a lot of money to swallow and take a chance on another cleaning company that they may/may not be pleased with. However, said she would be in contact in the next month if she could get her boss on board with that price.
I'm looking for some feedback on current pricing right now. What is everyone charging, what's working and what's not for you? If I need to adjust, I'm willing to do so but would appreciate feedback regarding my price points. We're beginning to butt heads with our partner which isn't productive, so I'm looking to come to happy medium (if anything) with them. I know these are confusing times for everyone, but I'm doing my best to be fair for what I think our time is worth and at the same time remain competitive without backtracking 4 years.
Fast forward to this year (2020), everyone has experienced a jolt in the job/service market. We're getting a few inquiries here and there, but nothing like pre-2020. Before I was turning down business literally 3-5 times a day. We took on a partner last year who is putting the pressure on us to lower prices for new clients. That being said, the last job we were contacted about was a 6,000 SQFT residential property (5B 6 BA) looking for a deep cleaning. We quoted them like any other property of that size, totaling around $1,000+/-. We've always charged around $30-$40 per man hour for this type of cleaning. The owners assistant contacted us back stating that the last company they hired had charged around $650 and did a terrible job. She added that we were probably worth that price, but it's a lot of money to swallow and take a chance on another cleaning company that they may/may not be pleased with. However, said she would be in contact in the next month if she could get her boss on board with that price.
I'm looking for some feedback on current pricing right now. What is everyone charging, what's working and what's not for you? If I need to adjust, I'm willing to do so but would appreciate feedback regarding my price points. We're beginning to butt heads with our partner which isn't productive, so I'm looking to come to happy medium (if anything) with them. I know these are confusing times for everyone, but I'm doing my best to be fair for what I think our time is worth and at the same time remain competitive without backtracking 4 years.