Why Are Your Prices Higher Than "The Other Guys"?

It's time we address the elephant in the room.

At Desired Cleaning, we understand that price is an important factor when choosing a cleaning service. You may have noticed that our prices are sometimes higher than those of our competitors, and we want to take a moment to explain why.

There is a problem in our industry that keeps progress from happening. The over-all consensus regarding cleaning is that it does not require tact or specific skills to clean therefore, anyone can do it. This is a harmful misconception that just isn't true. In fact, the screenshot below shows how many pages exist pertaining to the general search, "How to properly clean".

Yes, anyone can clean - just as, anyone can work on a car; however, even mechanics were regarded as simple "grease monkeys" before the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) came along. Now they're proudly labeled technicians and charge $150 just to open the hood.

The stigma surrounding cleaners will only change once companies (like ours) decide to align themselves with industry standardization from leading organizations such as the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA). The process of dignifying cleaning in this way requires business owners to answer the call to action and go against the grain despite a market saturated with insipid franchises and sole proprietors doing it for a quick buck. As a result, those in the market to patronize services must undoubtedly accept that with quality comes increased cost. Similarly, consider the value expected of a certified independent automotive garage versus Joe under the shady tree out back.

The prominent pain point of consumers in our market is, "good cleaners are hard to find." Good cleaners meaning:

1 . Cleaners who show up on time.

2. Cleaners who provide [predictable] quality results.

3. Cleaners with transparent fixed rates (no up charging).

While possessing all of these qualities, they also need to be what the consumer considers "reasonably priced", a.k.a. Cheap. This, 'price varies per consumer discretion' ideology, is what created the volatile market we have today. Disadvantaged individuals often start a cleaning business because the low overhead and high payout is attractive, but what they don't know is despite holding many contracts by undercharging, they are being exploited and over worked. This unfortunate situation describes most individuals in the industry (even those who bought into a franchise) because the lack of standardization.

So, your window cleaner charges less than $3.00 per pane. Do you think they have health insurance? Do you think they can hire someone and still afford to live if they are injured or get sick and can't do the work themselves? We cannot control ones decision to undercharge however, we can control whether we hire someone undercharging.

Our prices reflect our commitment to creating a business model that provides sustainable cleaning while affording competitive wages for quality employees trained per industry standard. This is our value proposition. Please consider this blog post next time you need to hire a skilled laborer to perform services for you.

And to our fellow cleaners who may be reading this: Know your worth. Charge what you're worth. If your prospect says you're too expensive then they are not your customer. Go where you are valued, always. Then turn around and help someone else get there.