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Barry M

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Posts posted by Barry M


  1. Well let's see.......what I don't like is the weather. I can't stand being backed up on deck work. Then when it dries out all the decks are ready at once and people start complaining even though you've explained it to them before hand.

    But I voted for dealing with plants around the deck. This is something I've really started paying attention to and I'll up my sq ft price if there are PITA plants everywhere. I love it when the bushes are so overgrown that they are bursting between the spindles and growing ON the deck, NOT! Or when overgrown trees and shrubs are draped all over the railings and you can't even see the handrails.

    I hate it so much that I found a better way!

    I washed a partially elevated deck (5 ft above ground level) today with a jungle of overgrown bushes around it. I grabbed my 6' wand that I use for fleet washing and was able to stand outside all the bushes instead of in them. I stayed half way dry and was able to see better and manipulate the wand in, around, behind, and above all the bushes without fighting them. It was way better than using my usual 3 footer, getting all soaked, and getting tangled up.


  2. I agree with Mudduck. It isn't raising the bar it's actually lowering it. Basically Jeff is using the "brushing" pitch as a marketing gimmick to land jobs. It is his way of selling value, only problem with that is it is also hindering his profits.

    I also agree with the fact that now the customer thinks brushing is a necessity. But it is the next guys job to re-educate if he wants the work. It's dog eat dog and that is fair but it does suck when someone mis-educates or misinforms a customer.

    I have a competitor here that advertises "specializing in hot water washing" and his pitch is HIS hot water is better and he applies wet wax with it so it's more effective. Every time I follow after this guy on a bid I get asked "do you use hot water." So I have to educate them that the end result with cold water and the proper chems is the same. That hot water can warp the siding and can be detrimental to plants. I even had a brochure made up that educates them about it in case he does his estimate after me. It's just a marketing gimmick and again the customer only cares about the end result period!


  3. Jeff, I do have a brush out when the customer chooses my more detailed package which includes gutter scrubbing. But believe me, I charge for it. Our minimum house wash starts at $329 even for a small ranch. Most houses take me 1-1.5 hours with gutter scrubbing.

    Public perception is I know what I'm doing and obviously I'm good at it. We have a guarantee that "it's the most detailed exterior cleaning ever or it's FREE!" So when I'm in and out in less than 2 hours and they are happy to pay then that is the perception I want. I've never had anyone say "hey you didn't work hard enough!" It's the end result they are paying for. It's the experience of doing business with me and how I was in and out so they could get on with their lives WITH a clean home.

    Again Jeff, I doubt your houses are any cleaner than mine. Sure I scrub spots if necessary like water streaks under windows or marks on the metal around windows if they need it and like I said the gutters if they choose that package. But once a house is clean it's clean.

    I understand your point that you aren't debating methods, but rather perception. What would your perception be of a contractor push mowing a huge yard? My perception would be he is new, unestablished, and even unprofessional, NOT that he is a hard worker or doing a better job. I want the company that has a couple of guy's on big fast riders with sharp blades to get in and out with the same results (fresh cut grass). Or in this case a nice clean house.

    This is why I was reluctant to debate this, you don't get it and you won't get it. That's fine I really don't care. I mean no disrespect Jeff. I just know a thing or two about washing houses, public perception, customer loyalty, efficiency, and profits. But never mind me, I'll go away now and I wish you luck in your business I hope you remain successful.

    Enjoy your holiday weekend!


  4. Anything posted on a public forum IS debatable, sorry. If you don't want debate then don't post. It's what makes the forums so valuable or at least it used to.

    Jeff, I was going to let this go because I don't have the time anymore to argue with guys who don't listen anyway. But I couldn't disagree more with your statement, "brushing will get you more work." Having your caveman methods and your own opinion is cool, but don't make bold untrue statements like this on a public forum, please.

    Larry makes an excellent point with the lawn mowing example. I hope that makes sense to you. Working harder is not good business practice and it won't bring you more work. Just being out there working brings you more work. Just being in business year after year brings you more business. Giving a good end result to your customers will bring you more work. It doesn't matter HOW you do it, and IMO your methods are holding you back.

    How could you even handle more work if your methods are so slow. You are working harder than you need to. Put one of your houses next to one of mine and they are both dramatic and excellent results. A house can only get so clean. Some days we've done 3 house washes and maybe even a roof or driveway thrown in there. All excellent results and extremely pleased clients.

    Think about this; you are at one location all day working your ass off and a curious neighbor comes over and asks for an estimate or business card. The homeowner may also be happy with the end results and may refer you, great.

    Now I'm at 3 different locations because I use efficient methods (right chemicals, big GPM unit, efficient rig set up, and so on). I hand out 3 times as many business cards, get 3 times the referrals, and gain 3 new loyal customers. That is priceless my friend, do that every day and your business would grow at a much faster rate, guaranteed.

    It isn't rocket science, ever heard the expression work smarter not harder. That doesn't mean you're lazy or cutting corners, it means you have streamlined your methods and your business and putting more profit in your pocket. The ONLY measure of success IS profits, that's it.

    So I rebuttal your statement about brushing bringing more work with; educate yourself, invest in the right equipment, become more efficient, sell value, charge a premium, and deliver the results. That will bring you at least 3 times the work that you are experiencing now.

    Just my opinion of course, oh and my EXPERIENCE!


  5. Ron,

    What Ken is saying is that you are getting all worked up over nothing. That long tailed keyword you put into the search engine, "deck restoration company's 10 years old", has been searched zero times in the past year until now.

    Here's another one for you Ron. Search "$99 house wash services". I see a couple of guys on the first page that are reputable business' and message board members. They are surrounded by a bunch of hacks. But again it means nothing because that term has also been searched zero times in the last year, so who cares!


  6. Using the search function do some research on house washing and house mix recipes, there is tons of information here.

    There is no magical solution that you can pick up at the local hardware, not one that's going to work anyway. Most professionals make their own recipe but the base of most recipes is Sodium Hypochlorite. SH is the only chem that will kill mold, mildew, and algae. Some type of soap is also used which cleans the dirt and grime. Some will also use additives like rinse aid, wet wax, and a foamer for cling.

    JFYI you should also fill out your signature, it is a forum rule.

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