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Guy B wrote:

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Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:

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Guy B wrote:

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Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:

 

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People in those developments still have those $90.00 & $150.00 rates in mind as what roof cleaning costs.
Chuck"

 

 

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Then it should only take a few minutes to "Educate" them on why these are not feasible or correct numbers. If they don't understand after that, well they're just....Stupid.

Lowballers sell price because they can't sell anything else. We as Professionals sell quality work & guaranteed results backed by a "Real Company" not "Bubba's Roof Blasting Service" where the only insurance they have is "Car Insurance". If a Customer doesn't understand that, I don't want them...period.

We won't "Win Them All" but I refuse to get hung up on lowballers like some do, I won't lower myself to their level.

They may hurt guys in Fla., they don't hurt or worry me. Our Company provides (And Sells) a higher quality of service that our Customers demand and receive. They're smart enough to know what happens when you trust your "Largest Investment" to these "Fly By Night" people.

If you read this post correctly, I just gave you all the tools to repell a Lowballer. It works for me.

 

 

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I don't disagree with you at all.
Florida is different.
Most of these communities are 90% over 65 years old and more. They have shuffleboard, tennis and poolside get togethers and most of them know each other. That is to our advantage, when they hire us and recommend us to their friends at these outings.
On the other hand, if one says "I just got a price from Chuck Bergman to clean my roof and it's $450.00" Then a couple of others say, we just had ours done by "Joe's squirt n' Go Roof Cleaning" and his price was $150.00
Now you have a topic for conversation going and the end result is that these old people, THINKING they are being frugal, look for a price closer to $150.00 and there are so many roof cleaners in my area, there's always someone ready to work a couple of hours for $150.00 Many of the fireman on off days and school teachers during break make extra money doing these cheapo jobs-which further feeds the feeling that the $150 price range is right.
I am not suggesting I join the hackers! My price is my price and I explain in detail the reasons why I don't work at the $150 rate and why the non professionals can.
I always have plenty of work. I am not going to run my butt off at $150 a roof for anybody!

 

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 7th of March 2011 08:26:21 PM

 

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Absolutely, which was my point (Fla. Being A Different Animal). Retired folks fixed income or living off stock market will tend to "Price Shop" but if you Educate them on the extra value of using your Company over "The Other Guys" most (Not All) will change their minds on price. Thing is not to make price the issue.

Chuck, I'm like you, My Price is My Price...Period. And I always Stick To It. I can be broke at Home.

 

 

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Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:

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Guy B wrote:

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Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:

 

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People in those developments still have those $90.00 & $150.00 rates in mind as what roof cleaning costs.
Chuck"

 

 

---

Then it should only take a few minutes to "Educate" them on why these are not feasible or correct numbers. If they don't understand after that, well they're just....Stupid.

Lowballers sell price because they can't sell anything else. We as Professionals sell quality work & guaranteed results backed by a "Real Company" not "Bubba's Roof Blasting Service" where the only insurance they have is "Car Insurance". If a Customer doesn't understand that, I don't want them...period.

We won't "Win Them All" but I refuse to get hung up on lowballers like some do, I won't lower myself to their level.

They may hurt guys in Fla., they don't hurt or worry me. Our Company provides (And Sells) a higher quality of service that our Customers demand and receive. They're smart enough to know what happens when you trust your "Largest Investment" to these "Fly By Night" people.

If you read this post correctly, I just gave you all the tools to repell a Lowballer. It works for me.

 

 

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I don't disagree with you at all.
Florida is different.
Most of these communities are 90% over 65 years old and more. They have shuffleboard, tennis and poolside get togethers and most of them know each other. That is to our advantage, when they hire us and recommend us to their friends at these outings.
On the other hand, if one says "I just got a price from Chuck Bergman to clean my roof and it's $450.00" Then a couple of others say, we just had ours done by "Joe's squirt n' Go Roof Cleaning" and his price was $150.00
Now you have a topic for conversation going and the end result is that these old people, THINKING they are being frugal, look for a price closer to $150.00 and there are so many roof cleaners in my area, there's always someone ready to work a couple of hours for $150.00 Many of the fireman on off days and school teachers during break make extra money doing these cheapo jobs-which further feeds the feeling that the $150 price range is right.
I am not suggesting I join the hackers! My price is my price and I explain in detail the reasons why I don't work at the $150 rate and why the non professionals can.
I always have plenty of work. I am not going to run my butt off at $150 a roof for anybody!

 

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 7th of March 2011 08:26:21 PM

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 AAAHHHH The teachers & Firemen!! Don't get me started! Unions. It's OK for them to freelance any way that benefits them but don't you dare cross into their territory. Always cryin broke but they all seem to have nice cars,homes & take plenty of time off. It always bugs me that someones salary I pay makes alot more than me and works alot less.

JHWorth wrote:

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Brandon wrote:

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I swear, I try not to pay them much mind but this guy just gets under my skin.  His pitch.......$30 gutter cleaning!  I've seen lowballers but this guy takes the cake.  I couldn't get my yardwork done that cheap, and this A hole is getting on roofs for $30.  I actually sent him an email and told him he should be ashamed of himself, and he had the nerve to respond and tell me I ought to "rethink my business strategy"???!!!  What is his strategy?  Operate in the red with zero profit?  I can't stand guys like this.  It's people like that, that mess this industry up.  Just like the estimate I did earlier this week, a 3 story monster, about 4500 sq ft, and the lady balked at my estimate of $140 to clean her gutters.  It's close to a 2 hour, 2 man job.  She is used to paying $50....and wonders why that guy won't do it anymore.  People kill me.  Don't act like you live in a small 1,500 sq ft ranch and expect to pay the same prices those homeowners would!!!!  So when this A hole goes out of business within a year or 2, all of his customers are going to get sticker shock at whatever poor soul comes along to bid.

Sorry, had to vent.

PS - I am not a newbie, I just created a new account under my new business name.  I am formerly Clancy'sGutterCleaning

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 You know I have a customer in Winter Park who is a Neurologist and his wife is a Pediatrician, I wonder if they get paid good?? I did an initial cleaning of this guys gutters for 243.50 and told him if he wants me to do it on a regular 3 month contract it would be 100 per visit. He calls me a year and a half later and wants it done again, gutters (PACKED) to the max, so I charged him 243.50 again. Left the bill with his house keeper and went to my next stop, finished that job and checked voicemails. It is the brain surgeon crying about his bill sort of irate and whining why his bill is that much since I said it would be 100 the next time I clean them, that was if it was done every 3 months. He lives in Oaktreetopia and has a tile roof luckily wide gutters. I don't understand the millionaire mentality but if he thinks I was going to give him a break on the bill he was dead wrong, he paid me and then I guess he tried to find another gutter cleaner as he did and that guy broke so many tiles he called me back and agreed to do it every 3 months. You just have to let people learn the hard way that cheaper is never better.

Listen, I have had my share of these goof balls in Orlando charging 39.95 for roof cleanings and exterior cleanings. $20.00 for driveways but in the end I live in a 5k sqft home with a pool and 3 car garage and have a $45,000 bass boat a Tahoe and Sierra  go offshore fishing wife is a stay at home mom no inheritance and travel regularly and that guy has a 84 van and lives with his mom and his trailer consists of 2 wheels, some material that looks to hoses with electrical tape all over them and 1200 pounds of rust and the guy is in his 50s and looks like a fat male version of the crypt keeper. Like his ad says 39.95 No Gimmicks since 1961 and his prices have not changed since then I assume.

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 LOL so so true & funny too..  +1 on this post.

Kim R

Brandon wrote:

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Scott, I'm with you on that. This is all this guy does though....cleans gutters. He's not upselling anything, other than $20 extra to remove all of your gutter guards, clean underneath them, and put them back on. LOL

Oh Lord, I just discovered his facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Gutter-Cleaning/162121120494029


As far as me being a lowballer, I exaggerated the size of that house a little. It's just over 3,000 square feet...but the landscape drops off in the back and the gutters are not reachable with a 32 foot ladder on over half of the back, where the deck stops. And it's more like an hour and a half job. Am I still a lowballer?

Fixed Link

-- Edited because the original posters link was too long and wasn't working. It stretched the forum.


-- Edited by Matthew on Monday 7th of March 2011 04:54:15 PM

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 That guys FB page I looked at, he looks like a dweeb! 30 for 1 story and 40 for 2 and 3. I charge 1.50 per linear foot for 1 story 2.25 for 2 and 3.00 for 3 story and more for higher up but usually any higher they never get stuff in it anyway. If they don't want to pay my prices then call someone else gutter cleaning is nasty work sometimes and I am not a blow it all over the yard guy.