Paying Techs / Assistants
Printed From: Carpet Cleaning Forum
Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Carpet Cleaners Hangout
Forum Description: General discussion on anything related to carpet cleaning
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1161
Printed Date: 24/February/2025 at 1:23pm
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Topic: Paying Techs / Assistants
Posted By: Jodi
Subject: Paying Techs / Assistants
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 3:20pm
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I am new to the carpet cleaning industry and just getting
started. I can't seem to find a lot of information as to how
staff get paid. Personally, from experience in other cleaning fields, I prefer to pay a percentage of each job but I would like to ask for opinions on the subject. What works and why? |
Replies:
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 4:37pm
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Truthfully nothing works...lol but it all depends on who's equipment it is.... employee GTA average 13% on booked 18% upsell(starter) for an experienced tech 18%book 24%upsell sub GTA average 35%-45%.... some maybe better at 45% cross the board
precentage without time restrictions work best...
I think you can get CC'ers on hourly you can pay a novice 7 bucks an hour but it works it's way right up to 25 bucks for a seasoned cleaner hope that helps ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:07pm
Jodi: We pay 25% for the tech. + hourly for anything other than just cleaning. But I am not from the GTA. ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:32pm
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Doug: You mean that you don't have people that will work for just food up there like the GTA has? ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:36pm
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SGK: I am the only one that has to work for food. ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Jodi
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:37pm
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Thanks for the input! I am not from the GTA either ... more west
in Calgary but I imagine that we Canuks have a few things in common...
eh? So, how do you both weigh in on the sub vs. employee? Specifically, since I do own all the equipment, do you have any suggestions? thanks, Jodi |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:42pm
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Jodi: A person is not considered a sub if you supply the equipment. Laws may very from provience to provience so the definition as to what revenue canada considers may be different out west but I doubt it. To be leagal a sub must register a WSIB that they are self employed or you could very be left on the hook if they do not consider you employee a sub. I have been threw this. Laws changed regarding subs many years ago. ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Jodi
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 5:45pm
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TRUE! Don't want to be on the hook for that. So, hourly or comission then? What works for you (since I can't just pay in food)... |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 6:48pm
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percentages is the best way to go..... but if you go hourly you have to set time restrictions... or the labour might out weigh the job ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 6:56pm
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another down fall regarding hourly is no incentive?? ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 7:16pm
yes some people don't feel good if they aint upstealing for extra percentages ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: Steaminpile
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 7:40pm
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when I started out I was being paid percentage
started at 20% and went up to 29% within a year.
@ 13% they'd better be charging .50 sq.ft. otherwise you're making less than minimum wage IMO.
second CC job I had I started at $12 pr.hr. and made about the same $$$ with less hours I'm looking at hiring someone and I'm thinking I'll just pay them $14 pr.hr. to start or 25% which ever they prefer tough to find a good RELIABLE tech I mean,why would any right minded decent person wanna be a carpet cleaner
------------- A.K.A. Andy |
Posted By: Zero KELVIN
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:03pm
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Most cleaners dont have enough work in the winter to keep techs full time Big talkers about how much they do in the summer but when winter comes the techs get fired quit or layed off. they start with new techs in spring. Before you hire make sure you have more than enough work to even keep a tech part time and think about full time much latter
Zero Kelvin |
Posted By: Jodi
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:04pm
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You make a good point... there is a big difference in those percentages... Please clarify for me if this is solo or in a team of 2 how pay should work. Do you pay your tech a % then pay a helper a % too? Is this why it is 13% (because it is times 2 people?) Or do you pay a tech a higher % (20-29%) and have them pay thier own helper? Also, what do you think is better solo or team of 2?  |
Posted By: Zero KELVIN
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:34pm
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why dont you go out and start doing the work YOURSELF and then see what YOU would liked to be paid to do said work.
check out Ken Harris I am sure he would love to show you him multi truck cleaning business he is the highest priced cleaner in Canada I am sure he would love to show you the ropes and his shop.
Zero Kelvin |
Posted By: Steaminpile
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:45pm
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Zero is right,it's tough keeping someone working in the winter.........I always got laid off for a couple months. although this year I could of kept a tech working and sat at home
hmmmmm.........that doesn't sound all that bad ------------- A.K.A. Andy |
Posted By: Jodi
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:51pm
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Different strokes for different folks Kelvin. Some of us clean the carpets and others start / buy businesses to run and grow to make a living. I am sure both approaches are admirable and both can be profitable when managed well. |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 8:57pm
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They go on Unemployment insurance... and you dish them some owrk under the table... Kel ...yes the winter gets slow of everyone owners and players ...money is tight for everyone..... thats why you push it and buget for slow season during the summer... your lease payment should be 9 months of the year jan feb march no payments... working out of your home instead of having an office & shop... farm the area rugs out.... there are a lot of things you can do to stay a live with employees.. I have it set up that if I don't do one jobe for those 3 months I will survive ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: Suction
Date Posted: 02/March/2005 at 10:24pm
| how much work could you have? don't be lazy do it yourself! |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 03/March/2005 at 5:26pm
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Jodi: Being a 1 man operatioin is fine if you never have to give estimartes, do paperwork answer the phone just clean. Now the real world. I was a 1 man operation for many years. when I was busy I was busy. But when I was real busy cleaning carpets I didn't always get to some estimates etc. than you get slow because youd didn't keepup with the estimates. You don't have the problem if you are a sub. Maybe you only need a part time employee, who knows. If you want to keep people busy in the winter you have to deversify into other things like restoration, janitorial anything to keep people busy. No one likes to lose a good employee. Only you can determine you specific needs. As far as wages keep one thing in mind. If the person can make the same amoung sitting on their a** at the gas bar, they are not going to work for you. Different areas pay different wages, just like different areas charge different amounts for cleaning anything. You know your area better than me. You will get what you pay for. ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Adwa
Date Posted: 03/March/2005 at 9:46pm
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I guess you said it all here Doug, what more could Jodi possibly ask. ------------- The Following Statements do not Necessarily Reflect the Views of this Forum Network http://www.kleenkuip.com - http://www.kleenkuip.com |
Posted By: Jodi
Date Posted: 03/March/2005 at 10:45pm
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I really appreciate all the input. I deffinately agree with you
Doug that pay with no incentive = no work out of your employees. As it stands, cleaning the carpets myself is not an optinon because I already employ 30 staff in my existing Maid Service business (this is a full time job for me and 3 managers). The master plan is to leverage my existing residential clients into trusting our brand name for their carpet cleaning needs while using the same overheads to run the business. Because we have a great brand already we will have some business from the get go and with propper marketing can probably limp through the slow season and try to grow a strong business like everybody else Like Steamer said, you make your money 9 months of the year... Maid Service is not very different that way. The trick for us is that I recognize this can be a very techical industry for a newbie with challenges about retaining and paying staff... especially good staff that need to be compensated to retain them properly. This is especially true when I will need to rely on some of this person's experience and expertise that I do not have myself in terms of providing the product. Sure I can learn to talk up the customer, make the sale, etc. but the quality is provided by the person who does the work. Of course, I do educate myself and have taken the first IICRC certification to get started and am trynig to get involved in your forum and do some reading along with other networking efforts to learn the ropes as effectively as possible. It's just that to do a budget and not go bankrupt you need to get a handle on labour costs... probably the hardest piece to nail down. How else can you figure out what to charge? So, that being said I want to sincerely thank everybody that has taken the time to provide input on this post. You have all been really helpful and forthcomming. I look forward to chatting with you more and am open to any other advice you have for a beginner.  |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 03/March/2005 at 10:50pm
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Jodi: You need to talk to PadMan in a bad way. His op system can be easily handled by your existing staff. Don't be shy he is a great guy and will do a much better job of explaing this great system. Don't wait too long. ------------- Just My opinion |