Anyone out there who has used Bridgepoint/ PROCHEM chemicals that found an alternative to their chemicals?
Their chemicals our way to high, and I have to think there is an alternative to chemicals out there? I just don't know where to go?
Cleaning agent … PowerPoint
Pre spray… Flex/ citruSolv
The cost to buy a chemical is quite different from the cost to use it, and here's what that means:
Flex with Citrus costs an average of $40-$42 per 6.5# jug (and is less expensive when bought in bulk, like the 40# tub). Recommended use is 2-4 ounces per gallon. This breaks down to anything from 26 to 52 premade RTU gallons, at an average cost of $1.11 (max cost 1.61, min .61 depending on size of container purchased).
Power Point costs an average of $29 per gallon; recommended use is one quart to five gallons of water. Hence, 20 gallons of detergent at a cost of $1.45 per gallon.
Thus your total chemical cost per cleaning job is between $2.06 and $3.06 per gallon.
Two to three dollars.
How is that "too expensive"?
A few other examples:
Matrix Grand Slam: $1.09 per gallon use
Saiger's Sauce: .70 to $1.38 pgu
TMF RSF Spiked
(assuming 2-4 ounce per use, since I do not have instructions): .88 to $1.77 pgu
In other words, virtually ALL professional carpet chemicals fall into a pretty similar cost-per-use field, regardless of brand or origin. As cost to buy goes up, dilution typically goes down (the chemical is more concentrated or more effective) so things even out on the working end of the wand.
But let's go
really cheap, shall we? Let's go to Wal Mart and get some Purple Power for $4.87 a gallon. Use about 16-32 ounces per gallon (and this is conservative, since it's up to 96% water) and you're looking at a per-use cost of about $1.21. You haven't saved anything.
So the next question (and perhaps this question is actually MORE important) is,
how long does it take you to achieve a satisfactory result with your chemicals?
Are you having to re-do areas, dwell in tough areas longer, or go back and re-visit a customer after a complaint if you go with a "cheaper to buy" chemical?
Are you using more water, more gas, more time to get the job done? If so, how much is that water and gas and time worth? More, perhaps, than you saved by going cheaper on the chem side.
Are your customers complaining about resoiling, sticky residue, long drying times? How valuable is a customer complaint to your business?
I understand the aggravation of spending money. I shop Wal Mart all the time. But sometimes it's easy to get hung up on immediate expense... and lose sight of overall value and profitability.
I cannot speak to any customer service issues between you and your local distributor. I can say most distributors that I know are small, and as such they take CS very seriously. No one in this industry, whether manufacturer, distributor, chemist, cleaner, or inspector, got into it to "get rich quick".
BP and Prochem/Legend don't make
(insert dramatic movie voice here) HUGE ENORMOUS EVIL BLOODSUCKING PROFITS ON THE BACKS OF THE POOR FOOLS WHO BUY THEIR PRODUCT. They spend millions of dollars every year in salaries, R&D, improvements, marketing, and sponsoring events to help build the cleaning community. They are working joes just like the rest of us.
And yes, those costs get factored into how much you pay for your chemical.
How much should your customer pay you per hour to clean?
Do you factor in your costs of doing business when you quote them?
Do they get angry at you and say "you make too much profit, I know it doesn't cost you that much to clean my carpet!".
If they did, how would it make you feel?
I promise, I'm not trying to discredit your complaint. But I am asking that you take a step back and re-evaluate what, exactly, you're unhappy about.
If it's a service issue, that's certainly a fair grievance and you've every right to be mad.
But taking it to the level of "Bridgepoint/Prochem sucks because they make too much money on their stuff, I want to pay less" is essentially taking the NUMBER ONE complaint you guys have about
your customers and assigning it to the companies who work to support YOU.
