Greasy Commercial Quote - Can I do it?

Remember when I told you I was done cleaning restaurants… lol

Now see, this is where the money is in commercial. 7 locations?

You get them on a weekly or biweekly, man, that’s what you want. I am cleaning sidewalks with just steam and they look immaculate. Once you get them under control, it is a breeze, a lot like mowing lawns.

I hope you get those accounts, even for a month at the end of the season or signed up for next spring.

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Thanks man. I’m curious about the steam. I’ll message you though so this thread doesn’t take off.

Thank you for the insight!

If the owner has let it get like this, he’s probably not going to spring for the $500. Which would be good for you. There’s a reason it looks like hell. If you want to do commercial, go after places that take pride in their business, not the crap looking ones. Only places that I’d eat at that look that bad are hole in the wall BBQ joints.

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Also thinking, it looks like there is a good amount of gum on sidewalks. Heat really is your friend there. Getting the grease but leaving the gum wouldnt look good.

It might be a good idea to pass unless you want the experience and view that as valuable education for future jobs.:moneybag::heavy_dollar_sign::money_with_wings::credit_card:

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Thank you for the advice. Maybe he’ll turn down my offer. Not sure if any of you guys have been to LA, but there are neighborhoods that are trashed and disgusting, and this was one of those places. The past few years, this neighborhood has turned hipster a bit with lots a popular bars and food places. But the streets and sidewalks and still disgusting like they were before when the area was a crap hole.

Anyway, it’s common here, especially as some neighborhoods go through gentrification.

Thanks! I agree, even if I don’t make much, it’s possible the experience could be worth it for me. I know it wouldn’t be for some of you other guys, but maybe for me.

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The exposure may land you other jobs on the strip, too.

Compelling demos sell, I remember someone saying…

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Good point. A half cleaned sidewalk there would shine like a diamond relative to the next door businesses. I’ll keep that point in mind!

Shazam. That’s good advice… not something I usually think of.

I agree with you. the only way to learn is jump in there and do it sometimes. The best thing about this job is for sure you’re not going to make it look worse no matter what you do.

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Hahaha. Yeah. Exactly. I guess I can’t make it worse lol.

So what do you guys do if you do get a job like this, you do it, it looks better but not “great” and after the customer is like “why isn’t it like new”?

Do you still charge them full price?? Does it reflect poorly on you if you don’t?

I guess it’s managing expectations. Advice?

Nailed it. Everything is going to look better and cleaner, but not new. Sometimes you’ve got stains you’re stuck with.

I’m a perfectionist and trying to get things perfect ate up a lot of time and energy and nothing ever turned out perfect.

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When you guys do dirty jobs, do you explain beforehand “I have a pressure wave, not a magic wand. It’ll clean up, but it won’t be new.” Or do you guys just clean it and let the results be as they are, no explaining or setting lower expectations up front?

You have 4 allies on these jobs.
Chemical.
Agitation.
Heat.
Time.

Chemical, yes.
Agitation. Brush and psi, yes.
Heat. No…?
Time. Some.

A regular maintenance falls under #4. Even for a month. You will be amazed what continues to come up after 4 cleanings, as oily dirt continues to wick to the surface. But the heat really helps draw it up.

See if you can sell them on a biweekly or monthly maintain at lower cost.

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Like @AquaTeamPowerWash said above. Underpromise, over deliver.

Set expectations. If you’re confident you can get 80% of the stains out, tell them 70%, but definitely bring it up.

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With places that bad will take a few cleanings to get most of it out. It’ll look a lot better, but it’s never going to be perfect. You hit it right when you said manage expectations. Just explain to him, because it’s gotten this bad, it’s going to take a more than one to get it really right. And as Jordie said, the only way to get it really better is some type of maintainence plan.

I always remember something Tim4 said when I first started reading these boards:

Perfection is the enemy of good enough

I am a perfectionist as well, every time I find myself wasting time going over and over something I think about that and get a good chuckle.
Joe

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mmmm BBQ