“Green Cleaning” – Help or Hindrance?

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greentech

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“Green Cleaning” – Help or Hindrance?

Do you think that being a “Green” cleaner is a help or a hindrance in finding new customers?

I have had people tell me, “We chose you because you are Green”.

But I wonder how many people don't call because they feel that green products are not as effective.

I am interested in your opinion, but what I really want to know is what you think your customers and the general public thinks.

Thanks, Ross
 

machinejjh

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"Green" is great for marketing, and for housewives peace-of-mind.

That withstanding, I haven't found one that cleans as good as non-green.
 
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machinejjh said:
"Green" is great for marketing, and for housewives peace-of-mind.

That withstanding, I haven't found one that cleans as good as non-green.

You should try Trashed Green.
 
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greentech said:
“Green Cleaning” – Help or Hindrance?

Do you think that being a “Green” cleaner is a help or a hindrance in finding new customers?

I have had people tell me, “We chose you because you are Green”.

But I wonder how many people don't call because they feel that green products are not as effective.

I am interested in your opinion, but what I really want to know is what you think your customers and the general public thinks.

Thanks, Ross

Probably the same amount that dont call you because you use HWE.
 

Ron Werner

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I'm asked often about whether my cleaners are green. Usually they ask "what chemicals do I use". I tell them I use chemistry thats as green as I can get without sacrificing the clean; its safe enough for me to use every day so it will be safe in your home.

I think I've lost maybe 6 jobs over 17yrs where someone wasn't "convinced".

The "green" marketing I think is better focused on the safety in the home more so than safety for the environment.
 

Charlie Lyman

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I think it depends on where you live. Only the hippies that live in the North End of Boise really care about that here. I try not to go up there, so if not using green chems keeps me away from them, so be it.
 

Dolly Llama

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the first things i think of are;

whacked out weirdos catering to other whacked out weirdos
or
just more of the same baloney slicers riding a marketing trend


..L.T.A.
 

Chris A

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Our younger moms love it, and we're really upfront with the capabilities (and shortcomings) of our Soap Free products. At the end of the day it was more for my health than our customers, but why not capitalize on it?
 

jwfoulk

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Ive had a new cleaner in my are start up that is advertising green cleaning. They actually call themselves Green Guys. They are using the Von Schrader method and run around in a little Scion. They are actually former customers of mine who decided they wanted a piece of what I had. I am wondering how much they are going to hurt me. I know they have taken a few customers.
 

Royal Man

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Green is just a USP.

You need a USP to seperate your company from the pack.

WHat is your USP?

If you don't have one. Get busy!!

The Green Guys example shows how effective they can be.
 
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Royal Man said:
Green is just a USP.

You need a USP to seperate your company from the pack.

WHat is your USP?

If you don't have one. Get busy!!

The Green Guys example shows how effective they can be.


Just curious what is your USP?
 

ruff

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Erskine Allin said:
the first things i think of are;

whacked out weirdos catering to other whacked out weirdos
or
just more of the same baloney slicers riding a marketing trend
..L.T.A.
Geez Larry,
Why be so specific?

Here I was (naively) under the impression that your response above, was your generic to any new product/technique/method/alternative chemistry.......dare I even say: phenomena de jour?
And then you get specific on me.

Just when I thought my world was safe, you pull me back in :p
 

Royal Man

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Wile E. Coyote said:
Royal Man":117xtsll]Green is just a USP. You need a USP to seperate your company from the pack. WHat is your USP? If you don't have one. Get busy!! The Green Guys example shows how effective they can be.[/quote] Just curious what is your USP?[/quote:117xtsll] See if you can spot my USP? [url="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=1&oq=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+ne&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS378US378&q=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+nebraska&gs_upl=0l0l9l204782lllllllllll0&aqi=g2 said:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... ll0&aqi=g2[/url]
With 70 cleaners here and 250K population you have to stand out!!
 

ruff

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Royal Man said:
Wile E. Coyote":2sus06n1][quote="Royal Man":2sus06n1]Green is just a USP. You need a USP to seperate your company from the pack. WHat is your USP? If you don't have one. Get busy!! The Green Guys example shows how effective they can be.[/quote] Just curious what is your USP?[/quote:2sus06n1] [b][color=#4000FF]See if you can spot my USP? [/color][/b] [url="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=1&oq=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+ne&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS378US378&q=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+nebraska&gs_upl=0l0l9l204782lllllllllll0&aqi=g2 said:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... ll0&aqi=g2[/url]
With 70 cleaners here and 250K population you have to stand out!![/quote:2sus06n1]

I'd very much like Fred to spot that for you, Dave.
Fred...........
 

Bee Busy

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it's a fad like global warming...advertising "green" will probably bring more headache custys, like the woman that busted my balls about what chemicals I clean with, then I saw her smokin a cigartte in her back yard during the job :roll: I've seen something like 5 companies pop up here that have green this or green that for their business name...going green is getting watered down and a major fraud in my opinion...just look at Solyndra :lol:
 

Dolly Llama

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jwfoulk said:
Ive had a new cleaner in my are start up that is advertising green cleaning. They actually call themselves Green Guys. They are using the Von Schrader method and run around in a little Scion. They are actually former customers of mine who decided they wanted a piece of what I had. I am wondering how much they are going to hurt me. I know they have taken a few customers.


actually, the Von Brainwashed dude could accurately claim to be greener than any greenbrier that runs a TM.
He's very low inviro impact .

Super fuel efficient vehicle compared to full size vans and box trucks

no fossil fuels burning (with accompanying emissions) in the drive all day every day
His whole carbon foot print pr job is whatever it took to generate 37 cents in electric

a MINUSCULE amount of water used compared to the TM grEEnbUrd .
Which also means a minimum amount that needs dumped and/or processed at municipal treatment facilities

I'm sure the mind manipulators in Von Brainwashville Wi have convinced him that their magic poo is green enough to bath your newborn in.
...just like all the other grEEnbOOm juice'rs claim


it's a trend
and as long as trends are trendy, they sell


..L.T.A.
 
S

sam miller

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Royal Man said:
Wile E. Coyote":hxrt3406][quote="Royal Man":hxrt3406]Green is just a USP. You need a USP to seperate your company from the pack. WHat is your USP? If you don't have one. Get busy!! The Green Guys example shows how effective they can be.[/quote] Just curious what is your USP?[/quote:hxrt3406] See if you can spot my USP? [url="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=1&oq=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+ne&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS378US378&q=carpet+cleaners+lincoln+nebraska&gs_upl=0l0l9l204782lllllllllll0&aqi=g2 said:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... ll0&aqi=g2[/url]
With 70 cleaners here and 250K population you have to stand out!![/quote:hxrt3406]

Most reviewed cleaner! Only reviewed cleaner pretty much! 34 reviews WOW good job
 

dgargan

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We promote green cleaning and use it as our USP. I cant say that it helps. We promote our business in plenty of areas that cater to the green crowd. They call saying they want only a company that is green , ask a bunch of questions about what we use and are happy until we give them the price. Then it's not as important. They book with some cheaper company. 90 % of our customers never ask about the green aspect. They are referred because of good service and dependability and they are willing to pay for that.
 

ruff

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Erskine Allin said:
...just like all the other grEEnbOOm juice'rs claim
it's a trend
and as long as trends are trendy, they sell
..L.T.A.

Isn't it what the Pope said about protestantism?

It's a trend all right.

It's been running here for twenty years now, and getting stronger.
But rest assured, it will all pass.

It's just that Larry has more patience than the rest of us. A lot more patience.
From here it actually looks like he's planning for at least a few life times :p

Larry................who could have imagined that deep in your heart you were a Buddhist? :shock: :p :p
 
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Another trend is the anti smoking movement... bathing use to be trendy...

Its also trendy to be anti trendy :shock:
 

Dolly Llama

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Ofer Kolton said:
Larry................who could have imagined that deep in your heart you were a Buddhist? :shock: :p :p

Buddhists are cool
...as long as they're not dousing themselves with gas and setting themselves on fire
like that monk during the 'Nam war :shock:


the grEEn thing is a trend ..I didn't say it was a "fad" .
It's also more of a big deal out there on the left coast ...where almost everydamnthing is "suspected to cause cancer in California"
Peeps in the North West seem to be frEEked out too

what's most interesting to me are how some folks can be convinced some CC'er is poisoning them, but that same person will grab the bleach when time to wash the whites as well as strong acid tub and bowl cleaners in the bathrm
and they wouldn't be without their jug of Simple grEEn when time to clean the vinyl cushions on the deck furniture
(or the chic that Busy Bee mentioned puffing on a ciggy :roll: )


people are mostly gullible and easily led.
Often too, perception trumps reality .

I'm not suggesting we should nuke every home with lye .
and we don't use a sledgehammer to swat flies , just that common sense doesn't seem to be all that common

what I see happening is the grEEn thing becoming like the "all natural" thing .
... pretty much meaningless cause it can mean almost anything



..L.T.A.
 

ruff

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Larry,
Here is what you said to Ron in another thread.
Erskine Allin said:
[quote="Ron Werner":bu8bzpvv]

Now define what should be done?
make the custy happy and want to call you back next time, of coarse !gotcha!
..L.T.A.[/quote:bu8bzpvv]

And you were absolutely right. You may not be a left coast intellectual but your nuggen does work :p

Larry,
If the client wants green. Freaking, give them green.
If it makes them feel better. Freaking, give them green.
If their carpet is so bad that a green product may not be strong enough, let them know. Most people will go with your recommendation and if not.........Freaking, give them green.

It is not your job to convince them of the error of their way (unless, of course you are "Bee Busy.")

Or in in your words: "make the custy happy and want to call you back next time, of coarse !gotcha!"

Phew..................did I make my freaking point?
 

Dolly Llama

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Ofer Kolton said:
Larry,
If the client wants green. Freaking, give them green.
If it makes them feel better. Freaking, give them green.
If their carpet is so bad that a green product may not be strong enough, let them know. Most people will go with your recommendation and if not.........Freaking, give them green.



Or in in your words: "make the custy happy and want to call you back next time, of coarse !gotcha!"
[/b]


I agree with ALL that, Ofer

hell, I'll do a halfassed job by swirling dirt in a slurry of encRap sCampoo if that's what they want



It is not your job to convince them of the error of their way

the only "error" that chaps my azz, are from those that use scare tactic marketing in an effort to hawk their particular brand of "green"

I'm certainly not suggesting that's any part of YOUR ethical and honest biz.
Just that you and I both know it goes on all the time .


BTW, where does one find "green" Scotchguard to apply?
How 'bout those SOLVENT protectants they use on fine fabrics??

you see Offer, it isn't that I have any trouble with green in and of it's self...I really don't.
and believe it or not, i probably lean more your way in regards to environment ..i'm cool with raising auto industry CAFE standards and those energy efficient little spiral light bulbs too.... :lol:

I do have a bit of problem with those that use scare tactics and tell someone we're killing their kids if i use Ultrapac in a responsible manner .
But those same scumbags will cheerfully spray mineral spirits all over Mrs Phiff's fabrics for a hunnert an fiddy bucks and not say a damn word


naw' mean?


..L.T.A.
 

ruff

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I agree, Larry.
And I never buy anything from somebody who uses scare tactics as a marketing tool.

Unless of course they are 'religious..'As for some reason they seem to get a free pass.

That, however, is a whole new subject.

P.S. Larry, I never thought this was an attack on my business.
But just in case it was, think twice, buddy. Ya know........... purgatory !gotcha!
 

Bee Busy

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If my business was named with "green" in it, I would be defensive about this subject. I feel GREEN has become so watered down, that the public won't buy into it eventually just like Chem Dry (fad) and naming your business A-1, AAA, AAAAAAAWESOME, etc. to be number one in the phone book (fad). If a person just starting out now in 2012 and puts green in their business name, they have an uphill battle when it comes to marketing, there's already enough carpet cleaners to compete with as is.
 

ruff

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Geez Bill.
Then, I guess, you might be defensive about Bees, or Busy.
How about bumble bees?

That is, Green bumble bees, not evil bumble bees.
But you knew that already.

Didn't you?
 

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