IICRC.. going going gone?

[bensurdi]

I think their biggest issue is that there is no consumer education about what IICRC is or what it is beneficial to find a company that has credentials from them. Yelp , Angies, etc have more clout than IICRC does. If they wanted to provide REAL value to cleaners they would create an aggressive consumer awareness campaign using TV, Radio, Direct mail etc. They should also allow for cleaners to join in on the marketing campaigns in exchange for being a featured cleaner in a given area. They just aren't thinking like this which means they will continue their decent until nobody is interested.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yelp , Angies, etc have more clout than IICRC does. If they wanted to provide REAL value to cleaners they would create an aggressive consumer awareness campaign using TV, Radio, Direct mail etc.

TV Radio & Direct mail would be a pretty expensive campaign. You mention the review sites like Yelp and Angies list, that might be the better approach to try an make more of an impact with those sites and expand awareness by advertising with them. ???

 

[TomKing]

If the IICRC wants to start with helping educate Angies list they can start here in Indy.

I can get them a meeting.

The problem is angies list doesn't give a rip about what a good cleaner is. Home advisor is entering the market and running commercials like the old apple PC commercials. They are portraying AL as old and frumpy.

AL is interested in getting as many cleaners to buy into their new format and pay them a % of the invoice.

Don't Worry AL will be done in a few years. They have never been profitable. Their new Snap Fix is their Hail Mary.

They are trying to get the city of Indy to give them 16 million for a parking garage. They have lawsuits for charging members to much. The end is near.

I don't see them giving the IICRC much help.

The answer is partnering with the carpet mills better. Most flooring retail sales people could not tell you what the IICRC is to save their life.

Start with the influencers and a small group to educate. The costs will be less.

 

[T Monahan]

My recent experience with IICRC's office involved exploring how a new hire of mine can get his IICRC reinstated and paid current. He personally hit a wall in the process in the last few months. Last fall, the tech understood that he was told to get his appropriate CEC and send his payment in when that was acquired. He got his appropriate CEC at a local venue and followed it up by sending his check in for payment to the IICRC office for processing. After many weeks nothing seem to happen. Then recently, his check was sent back to him without reinstatement. Hence, I got involved by following up with the IICRC office this past week. I was told by the office staff that he now needed to write an email specifically "requesting reinstatement" including his name, address, where he would work and other contact information and thereafter wait for a reply by them before sending in money to get reinstated. It proved rather odd to me the hoops this man was requested to make when in fact they know full well about him already, with notes from last fall of his requests then, and noted on the directives they gave him then. This man holds over 10 certifications with over 10 years of paying fees/dues. It's a shame that in recent years his dues lapsed because he was between jobs. It was an economic situation. While on the phone with IICRC, I took the occasion to ask what IICRC is doing to promote IICRC in the consumers mind? I was told that firstly the logo gave a competitors edge in the market for us cleaners. They can legally be displayed on the trucks and elsewhere if one is a certified firm. I quickly asked more specifically, what money was being spent to increase the awareness in our market place so that the public, our potential customers, would have reason to search us out as having IICRC techs to do business with us. I was told techs are not searchable on their website, so no help there. The "big" deal was that carpet mills stipulate that warranty is void if cleaning is not done by an IICRC firm. In other words, mills mandate the consumer must use IICRC firms otherwise their warranty is void. I recalled the old Wendy's commercial. "Where's the beef?"

I'm curious about the group here on Mikey's Board: How often has a customer asked for your IICRC card to do warranty cleaning?

My registration number is #181

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It is an explicit violation of US anti trust laws to make such 3rd party stipulations to maintain a warranty. By extension it violates said laws to claim such a requirement to coerce payment for same.

 

[Mikey P]

Ive been asked 3 times.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Ive been ask 3 times.

How many times did you laugh?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Would be good to keep a lil' rug dr in the corner of the AT for just those emergency situations, complete with CRI Gold paperwork.

 

[Brian H]

I'm curious about the group here on Mikey's Board: How often has a customer asked for your IICRC card to do warranty cleaning?

We get asked a couple times a year.

The IICRC does not nor ever will have enough money to put together an ad campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of having an IICRC firm do their cleaning. Advertising and educating the consumer are just something they don't have the resources to pull off.

We spend better then 3/4 of a million dollars every year to sell ourselves in our market alone. Does the IICRC have that kind of money to devote to every market that it has members?

I am not saying that the IICRC doesn't have it's place as a training and certification organization. I think it's a great way for start up companies to get training and to give themselves the perceived legitimacy of being "certified". Don't expect them though to ever be relevant in consumer advertising, unless you want to start paying several thousand dollars a year in dues.

 

[Mikey P]

Did I hear that Vegas building set them back 3 million or was that wjat tjr graphic artist who came up with thy Clean Trust decal demanded?

 

[Shane Deubell]

You want the crew that cant upload a simple cleaning manual online to manage a $50 million national ad campaign?

 

[billyeadon]

Shane, If all you want is an IICRC Carpet manual here is a free one: http://www.jondon.com/media/pdf/manuals/CCT2013.pdf

 

[ruff]

Thank you Bill.

Interesting that Triexta, does not have the usual "Characteristic" and "Concerns" that accompany the other fibers.
Any idea why that was skipped?

There are some reports about issues with premature matting and abrasion.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Shane, If all you want is an IICRC Carpet manual here is a free one: http://www.jondon.com/media/pdf/manuals/CCT2013.pdf

Thanks but I need the upholstery one actually

Got that

 

[FredC]

You want the crew that cant upload a simple cleaning manual online to manage a $50 million national ad campaign?

https://store.thecleantrust.org/p-64-standards-electronic-iicrc-s300-1st-edition-pdf-format.aspx

but still ...no

 

[billyeadon]

Thanks but I need the upholstery one actually

Got that

Certainly
http://www.jondon.com/media/pdf/manuals/FabricCleaningFeb2011.pdf

 

[billyeadon]

Thank you Bill.

Interesting that Triexta, does not have the usual "Characteristic" and "Concerns" that accompany the other fibers.
Any idea why that was skipped?

There are some reports about issues with premature matting and abrasion.

Ofer,
I do agree with the concerns about the crushing. I also think the oily soil attraction is a concern especially seeing that Mohawk says we can clean with water. Not sure on the abrasion.

 

[Mikey P]

A message from your instructor When I started in the cleaning industry in 1975 things were a bit different than today. The IICRC (then IICUC) had just begun and probably had fewer than 100 registrants. Training was very hard to find. Carpet fibers were nylon, polyester and acrylic. Backings were made of jute and the hot colors were avocado, burnt orange, harvest gold, brown and blue. Most popular style was shag. Oh yes disco was king. The field of cleaning chemistry was in its early stages. In other words pH was king and browning due to those jute backings was an everyday occurrence. The solvents would dissolve most anything oily and rust removers could eat the bone marrow in your fingers as well as cloud glass. Wands easily weighed 20 pounds and guide handles had not been added yet which left technicians fatigued by lunchtime. Upholstery tools were the size of today’s stair tools and if it wasn’t a Herculon sofa you could guarantee browning and some shrinkage. If there was a mistake to be made I made it. Of course everything wasn’t bad; my 1975 Chevy van only cost 5800.00 and gas was 50 cents a gallon. This trip down memory lane is to show how the industry has changed for the better (maybe not the gas and van prices.) Today you have tremendous opportunities with improved training, equipment, chemicals and of course the technology of the internet, mobile phones and social media. I am here because I would love to help you attain your goals. Whether your goals are financial or the ability to spend your time as you wish, this industry can get you there. Dedication, hard work, attitude, and sincerity in providing a great service are required. These are all under your control. If you have any questions when you leave this class please contact me at billy@jondon.com or my cell *************. Thanks for being here, Bill Yeadon




wands had no assist handles at one point?

 

[Bjorn]

with the iicrc tangled in a web with the mills manufacturers clean trust SOA certified firm is to get the cleaners pay homage to the iicrc or you cant clean pretty simple join the union or else. Use only those chemicals machines and what not that have ties to the iicrc just follow the money

IICRC is non-profit well all the profits are on the inside hence the years of corruption what are they doing with a office in las vegas.

rug doctor is soa approved and their chemicals right?

 

[billyeadon]

A message from your instructor When I started in the cleaning industry in 1975 things were a bit different than today. The IICRC (then IICUC) had just begun and probably had fewer than 100 registrants. Training was very hard to find. Carpet fibers were nylon, polyester and acrylic. Backings were made of jute and the hot colors were avocado, burnt orange, harvest gold, brown and blue. Most popular style was shag. Oh yes disco was king. The field of cleaning chemistry was in its early stages. In other words pH was king and browning due to those jute backings was an everyday occurrence. The solvents would dissolve most anything oily and rust removers could eat the bone marrow in your fingers as well as cloud glass. Wands easily weighed 20 pounds and guide handles had not been added yet which left technicians fatigued by lunchtime. Upholstery tools were the size of today’s stair tools and if it wasn’t a Herculon sofa you could guarantee browning and some shrinkage. If there was a mistake to be made I made it. Of course everything wasn’t bad; my 1975 Chevy van only cost 5800.00 and gas was 50 cents a gallon. This trip down memory lane is to show how the industry has changed for the better (maybe not the gas and van prices.) Today you have tremendous opportunities with improved training, equipment, chemicals and of course the technology of the internet, mobile phones and social media. I am here because I would love to help you attain your goals. Whether your goals are financial or the ability to spend your time as you wish, this industry can get you there. Dedication, hard work, attitude, and sincerity in providing a great service are required. These are all under your control. If you have any questions when you leave this class please contact me at billy@jondon.com or my cell *************. Thanks for being here, Bill Yeadon




wands had no assist handles at one point?

Lee may remember those first Bane wands. They were weapons of mass destruction. I didn't get this Schwarzenegger physique using an evolution wand.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Yes, I had one of the original "Karpet Steem" cast versions.

One advantage, you didn't need to push down on it, and the Bane system discouraged picking it off the carpet. Took too long to build vacuum back up. I think I had 3 of them Justin sent to recycling. A small fortune in aluminum.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Certainly
http://www.jondon.com/media/pdf/manuals/FabricCleaningFeb2011.pdf

Thanks!

 

[Dave Rampage]

It is mind boggling the amount of business I have received because I'm Certified. Perticularily Master Cleaner. I have had two accounts that came from people in the industry looking for a Master Cleaner worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I still had to sell myself but that was their first criteria. I know it was luck but it paid off for me and can for you.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It is mind boggling the amount of business I have received because I'm Certified. Perticularily Master Cleaner. I have had two accounts that came from people in the industry looking for a Master Cleaner worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I still had to sell myself but that was their first criteria. I know it was luck but it paid off for me and can for you.

I hope you can use that headstart to be successful in your business in time.

 

[Mikey P]

I'm not above helping them spread good information..

http://mikeysboard.com/the-february...storation-inspection-is-now-available-online/

 

[Ivan Turner]

From Bill Yeadon - Lee may remember those first Bane wands. They were weapons of mass destruction. I didn't get this Schwarzenegger physique using an evolution wand.

In my case it was a continual lower back pain from pushing the Bane Wand. Besides the weight, the Bane Blue would rub off on my hands, which I certainly didn't enjoy. Oh, and I still remember the clumsy 8puound upholstery tool with the valve that was flawed.

 

[The Great Oz]

Blaming the IICRC for everything that happens is very popular, but often akin to raging about how buying license tabs didn't renew your insurance. Industry organizations rarely played well together in the past, let alone conspired, and no association controls any of the others. So before calling the new IICRC staff to rant about something that some other group did, ten years ago, realize that they won't have any idea what you're talking about.

You want the crew that cant upload a simple cleaning manual online to manage a $50 million national ad campaign?

The IICRC doesn't have any manuals to upload. The schools write and own their manuals. Sharing a manual they've spent the time to write (so all of the other schools could copy it) is something few schools besides JonDon would do. And no, I wouldn't want the IICRC to manage a $50mil ad campaign. Advertising in old-school media wouldn't be the best use of the money.

with the iicrc tangled in a web with the mills manufacturers clean trust SOA certified firm is to get the cleaners pay homage to the iicrc or you cant clean pretty simple join the union or else. Use only those chemicals machines and what not that have ties to the iicrc just follow the money
IICRC is non-profit well all the profits are on the inside hence the years of corruption what are they doing with a office in las vegas.
rug doctor is soa approved and their chemicals right?

Terj, this is kind of stuff that mixes up other people. IICRC writes standards and certifies instructors and schools, the CRI is the association that represents carpet and carpet-related mills. They have a working relationship but there no cross-connections in management. The Seal of Approval (SOA) program belongs to the CRI, and the IICRC has no say in how the program is run. The CRI is concerned about the credibility of a program that allowed a Rug Doctor equal footing with a truckmount. Thank the trade associations for fighting that fight for everyone.

The IICRC HQ was purchased at the bottom of the hardest hit real estate market in the country, so was actually a pretty astute move. It will allow the new management company to set up, and run, automated, computerized, and on-line services that people have wanted for years, and give both Institute and Association a base in the heart of the most popular conference city in the country.

The answer is partnering with the carpet mills better. Most flooring retail sales people could not tell you what the IICRC is to save their life.

The CRI has paid the IICRC to write the installation standards for the CRI, and the CRI is actually listening to carpet cleaners a little, a big step. Scott Warrington, John Downey (and Rico, if the meetings didn't always happen to be scheduled at siesta) and others are on a task force that is fixing the flaws in the SoA program, at the CRI's request.

The "big" deal was that carpet mills stipulate that warranty is void if cleaning is not done by an IICRC firm. In other words, mills mandate the consumer must use IICRC firms otherwise their warranty is void.

Bad information if that came from the IICRC office recently.

Several years ago the bigger mills attempted to make this a requirement, since they saw the root of customer complaints as being cleaning-related. This was after not getting a tremendous response from cleaners to become SoA certified. (Don't know why cleaners wouldn't sign on. It was cheap and easy. I still have some pencils.) They modified to "recommend" IICRC certification, as several Attorneys General pointed out that requiring is against the law. By the way, I think we were able to clarify that cleaning was the biggest complaint in the commercial carpet world, where the majority of the footage is maintained by in-house staff. On the residential side, bad cleaning doesn't even make the complaints top ten.

I share peeves about lost CECs, slow responses and general phone interaction. A real issue that needed to be addressed.

 

[Bjorn]

well the mill are making products that don't clean so well so blame the cleaners
it that dude tom hill still on the pay roll??

 

[Mikey P]

Ozzy, if anyone can raise the Titanic, it's you.


Now giddy the F up.



“Never take a mean advantage of anyone in any transaction, and never be hard upon people who are in your power.”


and don't waste time and precious resource being vindictive...

 

[Shane Deubell]

Blaming the IICRC for everything that happens is very popular, but often akin to raging about how buying license tabs didn't renew your insurance. Industry organizations rarely played well together in the past, let alone conspired, and no association controls any of the others. So before calling the new IICRC staff to rant about something that some other group did, ten years ago, realize that they won't have any idea what you're talking about.



The IICRC doesn't have any manuals to upload. The schools write and own their manuals. Sharing a manual they've spent the time to write (so all of the other schools could copy it) is something few schools besides JonDon would do. And no, I wouldn't want the IICRC to manage a $50mil ad campaign. Advertising in old-school media wouldn't be the best use of the money.

Terj, this is kind of stuff that mixes up other people. IICRC writes standards and certifies instructors and schools, the CRI is the association that represents carpet and carpet-related mills. They have a working relationship but there no cross-connections in management. The Seal of Approval (SOA) program belongs to the CRI, and the IICRC has no say in how the program is run. The CRI is concerned about the credibility of a program that allowed a Rug Doctor equal footing with a truckmount. Thank the trade associations for fighting that fight for everyone.

The IICRC HQ was purchased at the bottom of the hardest hit real estate market in the country, so was actually a pretty astute move. It will allow the new management company to set up, and run, automated, computerized, and on-line services that people have wanted for years, and give both Institute and Association a base in the heart of the most popular conference city in the country.

The CRI has paid the IICRC to write the installation standards for the CRI, and the CRI is actually listening to carpet cleaners a little, a big step. Scott Warrington, John Downey (and Rico, if the meetings didn't always happen to be scheduled at siesta) and others are on a task force that is fixing the flaws in the SoA program, at the CRI's request.

Bad information if that came from the IICRC office recently.

Several years ago the bigger mills attempted to make this a requirement, since they saw the root of customer complaints as being cleaning-related. This was after not getting a tremendous response from cleaners to become SoA certified. (Don't know why cleaners wouldn't sign on. It was cheap and easy. I still have some pencils.) They modified to "recommend" IICRC certification, as several Attorneys General pointed out that requiring is against the law. By the way, I think we were able to clarify that cleaning was the biggest complaint in the commercial carpet world, where the majority of the footage is maintained by in-house staff. On the residential side, bad cleaning doesn't even make the complaints top ten.

I share peeves about lost CECs, slow responses and general phone interaction. A real issue that needed to be addressed.

Just joking around.
Honestly dont know any of the inside baseball of this stuff, hell didnt even know you are associated until recently.

The content provided is good, no complaints here.

Wish we could receive it on demand, we are an add society now ya know.