Interview with Jeff Cross 11/15/2007

[Jim Pemberton]

Mikey, shhhhh.......Terje is currently in negotiation with a well known Pennsylvanian to get a supply of coal for the upcoming season.......

 

[Jeff Cross]

Do you receive any of Terry "Odin" Brevik's inappropriate holiday gifts? If so, does it annoy you?

Terry sends me good stuff, not sure what you mean by inappropriate... oh wait, maybe I do.

 

[Jeff Cross]

I purchased a good portable and encapsulation machine for that.

Please name names. I am curious what a man with your connections would "buy"..

Don't put me into a position here, Mikey... but I'll send you pictures.

 

[Mikey P]

You missed one of my questions.

 

[Jeff Cross]

what about it jeff

You seem to support something that is so corrupt from the get go?

T

Define "support" Terry...

 

[The Preacher]

is Evan or other ICS folks subscribers to CF mag???

 

[Jeff Cross]

You missed one of my questions.

Which question?

 

[Mikey P]

The IICRC is continuing to expand into more inspection and hard surface categories. Do you think they are losing their focus and forgetting their "base"?

 

[Jeff Cross]

why do you support something that is just so wrong and illegal from the get go?

could it be your instructor and afraid to voice what you really feel.

or could it be retribution from the Dixie mafia AKA Bishop and suspects.


T

Terry, if you didn't ski so much, you might see in Cleanfax that we print both sides of the issue...

 

[The Preacher]

and my first one???

 

[Mikey P]

I purchased a good portable and encapsulation machine for that.

Please name names. I am curious what a man with your connections would "buy"..

 

[Driguy]

Jeff maybe its just my limited knowledge of the publications out there. But i love to read. I have searched the shelves of my local Barnes and noble, and the library. I cannot find 1 thing other then trade magazines, that is geared towards the carpet cleaning business. I want books on how to run a cleaning business, how to start a cleaning business, how to clean in a cleaning business ( more then just an iicrc manual). I have read the Emyth books, and the Gitomer books, and browsed through other things on just how to run A business, or Sell Anything type things. I'm looking for something specifically for our industry

Is there anything like that out in publication beyond a trade magazine? If not I think i just gave away a great idea.

 

[Jeff Cross]

The IICRC is continuing to expand into more inspection and hard surface categories. Do you think they are losing their focus and forgetting their "base"?

Good question.. maybe... but perhaps the focus is anything related to cleaning and restoration. How many of you (Mike, you included) do more than carpet cleaning now? I know when I was in business, it was carpet and furniture ONLY. Hard floors? Forget it. It was beneath us. No pun intended.

 

[Jeff Cross]

is Evan or other ICS folks subscribers to CF mag???

Absolutely, and we receive their publications, too.

 

[Doug D]

[quote="Mikey P":2mfjkctz]

I purchased a good portable and encapsulation machine for that.

Please name names. I am curious what a man with your connections would "buy"..

Don't put me into a position here, Mikey... but I'll send you pictures.[/quote:2mfjkctz]

 

[The Preacher]

could you please start posting jokes again. you had some of the best (and all clean if i remember) back in the day!!!

were in play off season now and a good joke before kick off is very valuable!!!

 

[Driguy]

carpet cleaning for dummies book

you will find it at barns an noble and the cri web site


T

I have the carpet cleaning for dummies book. and its like 30 pages big and pocket sized.

a White magic rep gave it to me i think?

I want something on the caliber of a 400 page personal experience based book on how to run a service based business in cleaning and restoration

 

[diamond brian]

Hi Jeff, I've never met you, but I like your articles and believe you're a good guy. Since you're on the HOT Seat, however, would you stop side-stepping T's question (please)?

 

[Jeff Cross]

Jeff maybe its just my limited knowledge of the publications out there. But i love to read. I have searched the shelves of my local Barnes and noble, and the library. I cannot find 1 thing other then trade magazines, that is geared towards the carpet cleaning business. I want books on how to run a cleaning business, how to start a cleaning business, how to clean in a cleaning business ( more then just an iicrc manual). I have read the Emyth books, and the Gitomer books, and browsed through other things on just how to run A business, or Sell Anything type things. I'm looking for something specifically for our industry

Is there anything like that out in publication beyond a trade magazine? If not I think i just gave away a great idea.

You hit on a problem... this is a very small industry. So you'll find trade publications with the info that might help, and you'll find other publications that can work for you. After all, we are a service industry. By the way, I had to hire a plumber recently - what a joke. Service has gone downhill fast.

 

[Mikey P]

When ever I think of you I always see that picture of you in the back of that fully stocked Butler.
Did you in fact use a Butler and their chemicals?

Have you seen or felt what Green Glides and done to improve the performance of the Butler?

And if you were to go back into CCing would it be with another Butler?

 

[The Preacher]

was it Chris Conner???

 

[Jeff Cross]

Hi Jeff, I've never met you, but I like your articles and believe you're a good guy. Since you're on the HOT Seat, however, would you stop side-stepping T's question (please)?

Terry's questions is why do I support what he feels is evil, right? I don't support things that are bad for the industry... so I don't know exactly what he is asking. Anyone that attends my classes knows my stand on cleaning.

 

[The Preacher]

if you answer Butler YOU WILL BE CALLED A HACK!!!

just say AT/V (in that order) if yore smart!!!

 

[Jeff Cross]

When ever I think of you I always see that picture of you in the back of that fully stocked Butler.
Did you in fact use a Butler and their chemicals?

Have you seen or felt what Green Glides and done to improve the performance of the Butler?

And if you were to go back into CCing would it be with another Butler?

The Butler unit is owned by a friend of mine, and former employee. I used it a few times with him, and used Butlers with others from time to time.

Yes, I've used Green Glides with a lot of machines.

 

[Mikey P]

What one thing would you ADD to the IICRC carpet cleaning exam that isn't on there, and should be?

 

[Driguy]

I think there is such a need for the type of business we all do. As the cost of replacing things goes through the roof. maintenance and cleaning will have a stronger foothold in the world of business.

You can go to trade schools to learn about Plumbing, Carpentry, Electrical, and HVAC.

I read in an article i believe CF published that Purdue university is developing a restoration management program over the next 10 years. Even though that is a long way off, i felt inspired by the notion of the business i am passionate about being recognized as a PROFESSIONAL life style. And not just a job, or a small time thing that people get into cause they cant do anything else.

if that makes sense.

I have read a years worth of CF, and ICS. If you put them all together you'd have a pretty awesome HOW TO book if you ask me.

Here is an Idea. take all of the trade business/technical articles from a year. Bind them together, Minus the advertisement fluff, and sell them to me.

I'D BUY!

 

[Jeff Cross]

could you please start posting jokes again. you had some of the best (and all clean if i remember) back in the day!!!

were in play off season now and a good joke before kick off is very valuable!!!

Danny, maybe I will...

A successful rancher died and left everything to his devoted wife. She was determined to keep the ranch, but knew very little about ranching, so she placed an ad in the newspaper for a ranch hand.

Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk.

She thought long and hard about it, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk.

He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching. For weeks the two of them worked hard and the ranch was doing very well.

Then one day, the rancher's widow said "You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels."

The hired hand readily agreed and went into town on Saturday night.

He returned around 2:30 a.m., and upon entering the room, he found the rancher's widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him.

She quietly called him over to her.

"Unbutton my blouse and take it off," she said.
Trembling, he did as she directed.

"Now take off my boots." He did as she asked, ever so slowly.

"Now take off my socks." He removed each gently and placed them neatly by her boots.

"Now take off my skirt." He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the fire light.

"Now take off my bra." Again, with trembling hands did as he was told and dropped it to the floor.

Then she looked at him and said, "If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you're fired!"

 

[Jeff Cross]

What one thing would you ADD to the IICRC carpet cleaning exam that isn't on there, and should be?

Maybe real-life testing. In the IICRC CRT class, you have to repair 10 carpet samples (bleached samples) as part of the exam. It's much more than just a written test. But that means more time. Not easy in today' world. Jim knows about this... maybe he can comment.

 

[diamond brian]

Thanks Jeff. But, your side-step is better than your moon-walk.

 

[Mikey P]

You should have bought Nordic Porty then he would have left you alone for good.