Paphos People

Pool cleaner, Peyia

My neighbour is looking for a ‘local’ pool cleaner from Peyia or Coral Bay area.
8 x 4 pool
To be cleaned twice a week in summer (July – Sept) and once a week in the other months
I know she has been to the 3 ‘large’ companies in the area but thought into ‘3 figures a month' was a little expensive.
It’s a long term contract and her landlord will be paying directly


Any suggestions appreciated

_________________
Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Why so low level/skills job is so expensive ? 30 min visit, ok 1 hour perhaps, should cost you e50+ ?!
Constructor workforce getting same money for full day job, what consist more knowledge and experience !

Let's anaylze it, shall we Sergio. If a pool cleaner comes twice a week and spends 20 mins onsite each time, that's 40 mins a week. But he can't just magic himself from one customer to the next at the speed of light; he has to drive there. Averaging out over many customers, you might reckon on 20 minutes driving per customer visit. So now we're up to 80 minutes a week. And then some customers like to chat and...in the interests of PR you have to humour them, so you lose a little more time. Now, pool cleaners usually supply chemicals. Eight visits a month...the chemicals add up, even when bought at wholesale prices, though many pool cleaners buy from retail outlets.

Then there's a question of a vehicle to buy and run. And service. And buy new tyres for. And insure. Road Tax...that too. Repairs? Musn't forget those.

Ah, then there's Social Insurance to pay. Not sure how much that is currently, but it might be €200-€300 a month. Then there's all the other bills which come with running a business: mobile, accountant, unexpecteds...and so on. And no, you're right, we haven't even considered sick pay or holiday pay.

All in all, I would imagine that most pool cleaners don't earn much more than €7-€8 an hour, which is hardly bounteous riches for a self-employed person. Pool owners are fortunate that so many people are prepared to undertake this task for so modest a return.

I'm not saying that there aren't people who won't clean a pool for less; just that it's not reasonable to expect them to.

Absolutely correct.
Here in Zygi the average price for pool cleaning (as per the OP's criteria) is about €150 pcm.
Amos.

Then let me get back to the market - demand and supply define the hourly rating;
all that points are solely rely to the business;
the customer who are pay the price define the rate, regardless how you'll count it.


As to counting … well, I'm not buying words - only financial documents. Signed and stamped. Like Immigration office asking me.
Then we will continue _count_ the wage.

Also, my personal experience to estimate expenses on Cyprus came to a simple rule: first [verbal] bill coming with double price. So, I'm learned.

And last - the pool cleaning is so pretty straight and simple job does not prevail on constructors or repairman of home appliances, etc.

Try talking to Rob on 96223771. He lives in Peyia and does a great job looking after my pool (and my garden).

MAD - Dave sent you a PM.

Sergio, I really hope for Dave's neighbour's sake that she achieves a more affordable price. More importantly, that she finds someone reliable and who is very good at his job. With the names put forward by others I am sure she will.

Over the 45 years I have been in business I have learned a number of wise sayings. Two that I like are:

1) The profit you make in business is determined not by the business you take on, but by the business you turn down.

And...

2) Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.

Whilst we as a company are aware of the prices charged by our "competitors", we certainly do not allow our prices to be governed by what others choose to sell for. In many cases that would be utter madness