Cleaning is not an easy business. You have to be willing to deal with the filthiest situations imaginable, and do it professionally and courteously.

I was talking to a Philadelphia-based contractor the other day and he was telling me about all the plumbers he sees trying to get into the drain cleaning business. “It’s an art,” he says. “It’s not simple. There’s a lot more to it.”

The people at O’Connor Plumbing in Germantown, Maryland, understand there’s more to it. Drain cleaning had never been an important part of the equation for the 66-year-old business, but that changed a few years ago. Ownership brought in a cleaning industry veteran and gave him the reins to build a top-flight drain division. He brought in skilled people and outfitted them with all the equipment they needed to do the job right. Three years later, that division accounts for a third of the company’s overall business.

The O’Connor family knew that building the drain cleaning side of their business was about the right people and the right equipment, not sales pitches or rock-bottom prices.

Which brings me to another point that Philly contractor made during our talk: Don’t sell yourself short. He mentioned a new guy in his area offering to clean any drain for $69.

Discounts and sale prices are all fine and dandy, but you need to make a profit. As much as you might enjoy helping your customers, you are not a charity. Giving away your services might gain you customers, but it won’t bring success. You’re in business to make money and support your family. If you only charge $69 to clean a drain, you’ll be counting on your technicians to sell additional services, and that’s a slippery slope. People don’t want to be sold things they don’t need, and if that’s the impression you leave, you won’t be called back. Now you’ve given away your cleaning services and failed to gain repeat business, so you’ve lost twice.

The cleaner I was talking to referenced a job he’d recently handled. The homeowner’s basement drain had backed up, so he went out and bought a cheap cable machine and tried to tackle the problem himself. That, of course, only led to more problems, including an injured back while the homeowner was carrying his new equipment down the basement stairs.

Finally, the professional was called in. His fee was well above the $69 price his competitor was charging and more than the homeowner had already invested to try to do it himself, but he was skilled, had the right equipment and got the job done quickly, without any additional mess. There’s a lot of value in that.

Norm Galligan understands that value, both for his customers and his business, Tri-County Power Rodding in Waterford, Michigan. The business, also profiled in this issue, was still cleaning catch basins with buckets and shovels when he stepped in as co-owner in the early ‘90s. Investing in new technology was one of the keys to Tri-County’s success. The other key has been focusing on smaller jobs that can be handled quickly and efficiently, allowing technicians to tackle more jobs – and bring in more profit – over the course of their day.

The two contractors featured this month have followed different paths, but they share common ground with good people and good equipment. Both are worth a premium, to you and your customers.

I hope their stories can yield a little insight that can help you make your own businesses better.
Enjoy this month’s issue.