Do They Remember You?

[Jim Pemberton]

I was talking to a friend of mine who knows little about the business side of my life. We got onto the subject of carpet cleaning, and she volunteered that she used to get her carpets cleaned four times a year because, as she said, "I'm a clean freak".

I asked her who had done her cleaning, and she couldn't remember. I asked how long this cleaner had provided her this service quarterly.

She said.....fifteen years.

Fifteen years? She had SIXTY cleanings done by this guy and she didn't remember him. She moved about four years ago, and in her new home she has tile & grout as well as laminate, with only area rugs for flooring textiles. We talked about cleaning those surfaces, but she couldn't recall this guy's name for me to check if he could do that for her in her current home.

Lest you think otherwise, this is an educated, clear thinking, professional woman. Her housekeeper had been keeping after the floors and vacuuming the rugs, and in the time that passed she lost her information on this guy.

I guess I'm just sharing this because we are often not as memorable as we wish we were.

I did ask if he stayed in touch via postcards, emails, anything like that. She said no, he was just this "strange but nice guy" who did good work, but since her carpet never got that dirty, she didn't really know if he was any better than anyone else.

Sorry for the long story, but consider it a cautionary tale. I surely have myself.

 

[GeneMiller]

I leave a magnet behind if I remember. I had a lady recently call and ask a bunch of questions. She was trying to locate her last cleaner because in her words he was phenomenal. Yes it was me. She said she had been looking for me for about 2 months. She remember my wife's ad on the back of the truck.

Gene

 

[hogjowl]

ServiceMonster Fill My Schedule

 

[Mikey P]

So somewhere she has his name written down I assume.

Probably labeled as "Carpet Cleaner"..



Obviously no spotter bottles, no magnets, no FMS cards.....and just a strange but unmemorable personality.

 

[hogjowl]

That describes 90% of the industry.

 

[Mikey P]

Yep



And you're being generous

 

[Jimmy L]

You see my customers do remember me.................all the women know me as the Brad Pitt look a like.

YEAH I SEE YOU BASTARDS MAKING FUN OF ME!
WELL FOOK YOU ALL!

IDIOTS!

 

[hogjowl]

Welcome back, KoKo.

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

Our strategy is to always try and ruin at least one upholstered piece with each customer, they always remember you, have your phone number and address in a handy place and more often than not they always refer you to their attorney and the process keeps going over and over.

Eventually you reach stardom status on Craigs list, Angie list and if all goes well you might even get an opportunity to clean carpets at the BBB and pick up some good commercial clients at your towns County Courthouse or County Jail.

Next you could pickup some good inside jobs for the prison system. They pay the best, a laid back working atmosphere with food....three hot's and a cot!

 

[mirf]

Jim,
I want the rest of the story. You can track down the cleaner of 20 years as a o/o and reunite them.
They can live happily ever after.

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

Jim,
I want the rest of the story. You can track down the cleaner of 20 years as a o/o and reunite them.
They can live happily ever after.

I just hope for Dear God that Jim doesn't find out it was Dave (his inside sales guy who has worked in the office for several years now!)

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I just hope for Dear God that Jim doesn't find out it was Dave (his inside sales guy who has worked in the office for several years now!)

Dave did run our cleaning company for 18 years before we shut it down, but she isn't in our market area. Otherwise, it would have crossed my mind, lol.

 

[ruff]

The real trick, Jim, is to have them remember the phone number.

Yet, for obvious reasons, not be able to identify individuals in a police lineup.

 

[Mikey P]

I can't imagine any customer ever forgetting Ofer.



Or Marty


or Jimmy

or Bawb

or Zee

or me

or Saiger

or Larry

or Tubad/Sosad

or Adam

or Gill

or Lee and his kid

or Rampage

or Willy

or any other of us boarder line aspergers freAks...

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I figured out who the guy is.

He's no longer in the industry, but has gone where most cleaners "retire to" when they can't sling a wand any longer:

He's in charge of cleaning and maintenance in a large school district in our area.

I've found her someone else.

 

[Mikey P]

He's no longer in the industry, but has gone where most cleaners "retire to" when they can't sling a wand any longer:

ouch,

are you willing to back that statement with any factual numbers?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I've not studied it that closely. I shouldn't have said most became directors of maintenance ; I will say many do.

Those that do are fortunate because they get to use their skills they learned in their businesses to get "a real job" with benefits, retirement, etc.

Yes there are "some" who sell their businesses and retire grandly, but he "90% Joe Lunchpails" as you sometimes call them, have to end up with a "real job" eventually

 

[steve_64]

I bet he never got one referal neither.

 

[tubad sosad]

i'm on the list, i'm on the list.....oh my oh my I made the list!!!!!!!! and what a wonderful day cause I made the list!!!

and even though marty and jimmy are #2 and #3 Ofer is the first one listed, what a glorious list. hahahaha

PS---you should put Art up there instead of me, he dresses better.

 

[ruff]

It ain't too bad and not so sad that you made the list.
Congratulations Mr. "Mama". Yea!

Mike gave this subject some serious thought and due diligence.

Art didn't make the list because of:

1. How well he dresses. It distracts the clients and give them the impression that we don't work (sweat) for our money. Causes severe price resistance. Not to mention severe distress when the UPS man, due to Art's spiffy dress code, always confuses him to be the owner and dismisses the real owner as the maid.
   
2. The fact that he also vacuums with two vacuums at the same time. This freak show mentality diminishes the public perception of our industry.

Had he not made these critical faux-pas, he'd have spiraled all the way up to the top.