What percentage of your business is from last minute callers?

[ruff]

I am usually, depending on season and other variables, booked a week in advance. (sometime longer).

Quite a few times per week, I get callers that want to do it today, or tomorrow. Maybe (if I'm good!) they'll stretch it for the day after tomorrow.

I don't get these jobs.

I'm not trying to discuss what kind of clients these usually are and if once they heard my prices they'll actually book. That would be a different thread.

Just curious to know what percentage of your business (you'd estimate) last minute callers to be?

 

[extremecleantn]

70% of the residential calls that I get want it done within a day or two.

 

[ruff]

Dale, that's interesting.
70% want it within a day or two, or 70% of booked jobs are to be done within a day or two?

 

[Out of Character - 0]

For us about 40-50% are completed within 2 days of calling to book. Most people want it within 1-3 days, often we steer them toward the following day. Probably less than 5 % book more than a week in advance. It is extremely rare for us to be booked solid more than 2 days in advance. We like to process jobs as soon as possible, it leaves room to do whatever comes in. In the past we've lost large jobs due to being unavailable that week. Our carpet techs also do concrete cleaning in warehouses, vct, commercial windows, and polishing jobs. We run 4 tm's and if we have to we'll come up with a 5th by completing t&g jobs with a diesel fired pressure washer and a portable with pumpout to a tank in the truck.

 

[ruff]

Wow. Very different here but than I'm an O/O

How many trucks or crews Jess?

 

[hogjowl]

This thread will inevitably morph into one totally unrecognizable from what you intended, but while it's still on track, let me say my guess is it's less than 5%, but I do no advertising. If I did, I'd get more of those calls.

 

[extremecleantn]

Dale, that's interesting.
70% want it within a day or two, or 70% of booked jobs are to be done within a day or two?

70% want it done within a day or two. Especially if it's not an existing customer. It's hard to get new customers (in my opinion) if you can't get to them with 2 maybe 3 days max (unless it's a good referral). There are lots of places here who advertise same day service on Adwords.

 

[Jim Martin]

This thread will inevitably morph into one totally unrecognizable from what you intended, but while it's still on track, let me say my guess is it's less than 5%.

less then 5%.................

 

[bob vawter]

i put "same day service" on all advertising.......
and if i couldn't steer them to a better day for ME.......
we'd do them......you can never make up for lost money!

my custys knew this...so im sayin' 40%

 

[extremecleantn]

less then 5%.................

*than

 

[Jim Martin]

..some of you guys are way to in touch with your feminine side.......

 

[Out of Character - 0]

We run 4 tm's and if we have to we'll come up with a 5th by completing t&g jobs with a diesel fired pressure washer and a portable with pumpout to a tank in the truck.

99% of the time we have 2 guys in a truck. 9 full time carpet/floor techs + some of our janitors end up on carpet trucks to fill busy schedules. Usually the janitors do commercial jobs with a regular carpet tech as the lead. We clean 24-7. Sunday is funny though, it's either a huge day or very slow

 

[ruff]

Sorry Jess, missed that in your original post. My ADD.
Sounds like an efficient set up and a different scale.

 

[Dmreed4311]

I do not know the percent but i get a couple a day who want same day service. Rarely can i do it so i have a couple local cleaners I refer them out to.

 

[FB7777]

During the busy season, I'd approximate 20~30%.

We try to push jobs out a few days to leave some room for same or next day squeeze jobs

I don't like losing jobs or customers for that matter

 

[Shane Deubell]

less then 5%.................

X2

 

[GCCLee]

Way to many, that's for sure.

 

[Brian H]

For us, the vast majority of our customers want the cleaning done on our next available date. We also average around 5 every day during our busy times that want same day service. Most of those are to clean up a spill or pet accident. We do charge a premium for same day service and always find a way to get the work done. With our capacity we can always get one more job done. If need be even I go out to do a same day service. I did one a few weeks ago late on a Saturday afternoon.

If we are booked more then 3 or 4 days in advance, I do notice that the cancellations increase. We will put on additional crews if we are consistently booked several days in advance.

 

[ruff]

I think it is harder for an established O/O to be able to accommodate the need for ASAP cleaning.
It ain't much of a business decision, I just can't do it.

Wonder if other O/O have the same experience: The most price resistance that I get (by a huge percentage) is from the people who want it done today or tomorrow. I don't know why it goes hand in hand, but in my business it does.

 

[bob vawter]

must be a Michigan thing huh Brian.....

 

[Out of Character - 0]

The most price resistance that I get (by a huge percentage) is from the people who want it done today or tomorrow. I don't know why it goes hand in hand, but in my business it does.

We can relate to that. We have a lower conversion rate, due to pricing (not that we are expensive) for customers seeking same day or tomorrow service. Like Brian said, most of our customers want our next available date, we keep ourselves available.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Depends what your long term goals are i guess, definitely need these customers if you want to grow to the next level.

Some people call it friction, have to make it as easy as possible for someone to do business with you. Any tiny roadblocks and consumers move on.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Very few, probably less than 1%. More in peak cleaning season but overall not a large number.

 

[mirf]

About 5 - 10 % of new clients want same or next day. Repeat clients want within 1 week.

 

[jcooper]

I think it is harder for an established O/O to be able to accommodate the need for ASAP cleaning.
It ain't much of a business decision, I just can't do it.

What he said!

Generally(if not the dead of winter) I should be some what busy at all times. Being by myself, same day service is tuff for me.

We don't get many calls asking for same day. Maybe 5%, if I had to guess.

 

[Beeks]

I would say about 25-35% want it done within the next day or two. But deff not the majority.

 

[Brian H]

The thing i see about being able to handle same day and/or next day requests is that it is a way to gain a long term customer. A large majority of our same day service customers are calling because of an issue with a pet. Lots of them are calling us because their "regular cleaner" couldn't get to them that day. Once we are in the door, then we have a good chance of being that customer's "regular cleaner".

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yep that's usually the cause. An emergency spill or their cleaner couldn't make it for some reason.

 

[Greg Cole]

10-15% of our completed (non-emergency )work is booked and completed same day ( depending on the seasonality).

 

[The Great Oz]

I'd echo Brian's thoughts on scheduling, which I think would carry over to anyone running multiple crews. The percentage of "emergency" calls isn't high, maybe 3%, but customers that feel they're in a bind are pretty grateful when we can work them in and the guys like being treated like a hero, so we leave that size gap in the schedule. I haven't found cost to be an issue with most same-day work, but I suppose discount customers might call because their discount cleaner didn't show.

Three days out is our magic number as well.