Have you worked for Boss Ultra Clean service network?

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I just got a call from a company called Ultra Clean service network. They wanted to know if I would do work for them in my area and they have a job for me tomorrow. The person I talked to asked me about my procedures and seemed to be very knowledgeable about carpet cleaning. So It seemed kind of legit to me. I gave them my E-mail address and they e-mailed me a work order.
Billing goes through Boss Ultra, they take a big cut but they also charge much more than I would for the job so that part would be OK. I was told I'd receive a check within 2 weeks, that's fine too.
So my question is: Has anybody here heard of them or done work for them?
This could be a scam or also another nice business connection. I don't know at this point.
I could take a chance and do one job and see what happens, but I like coming here for advice, so what do you guys think?

 

[JS41035]

I hate these companies. They are the mafia of the cleaning world. Take a percentage of your hard work. They don't do any of the work. They don't take any of the liability. Yet they profit from you
There is Zero loyalty with these companies. The quality control is done by the customers they charge. If you need to try it out fine. Go for it. But remember your hard work , and quality job that you do will be a reference for them.
I understand why facilities managers would want to simplify with one cleaning contractor. But by the time everyone takes a cut the customer ends up with a lot less than they paid for.

 

[Cleanworks]

I did a job in port moody canada this summer. They wanted to pay me 50 percent. I negotiated 60 percent. I got the check 3 months later and it was just 50 percent. They called me last month and I just said no. On the bright side, I got a nice referral job from someone who saw my truck on the jobsite. They are using you like a subcontractor. If you like that kind of work, they do pay and their prices are high to begin with so there is room to make a little money

 

[gimmeagig]

I did a little research and found some really bad reviews for Boss Ultra and not a single good one. I didn't want to hang up the customer for the job they (supposedly) had me scheduled for, which was tomorrow between 3 an 5PM. So I called Boss Ultra to let them know that I did not want to do any work for them. But before I was even able to say anything, the same woman who was really friendly to me this morning, told me in a rude way that the job had already been filled. I still was able to tell her that based on all the negative reviews I had already decided not do work for them.
But now I'm thinking, because they wasted my time I could just drive over to the address they gave me on the work order ( It's close to my house but no phone number was given) and see if they would like so save some money and hire me instead.
The work order was for 419.95. That's for a job that I would probably do for around 250.-.
Then I could see if that job actually existed in the first place . I am not hurting for work but I would want this job just to send a message. Who needs these scammers?
What do you guys think, should I do that or should I just let it go and hang up next time someone is trying to reel me in on a scam?
What would you do?

 

[Cleanworks]

Go for it, don't tell them your not boss ultra, just say you're the carpet cleaner. I stole a job from coit by accident this way once. I was driving down a busy st. looking for the right hundred block so I could turn up 1 block to the job site but got distracted and stopped at the address on the busy st. I knocked on the door, introduced myself as the carpet cleaner and the lady showed me what to do. As I was finishing the job, my real customer called me to see where I was and I realized I was in the wrong house. However, the lady was expecting a carpet cleaner, so I just wrote her an invoice and she gave me a check. As I was pulling away to go to my real job, a coit truck pulled in behind me. I bet he was surprised.

 

[JS41035]

The work order was for 419.95. That's for a job that I would probably do for around 250.-.

What would you do?

Raise my prices and start talking to the right people.