Interview with John Downey 6-27-07

John Watson

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Hoowdy dooty to yoody tooty John Downey..


How you all are??? Been awhile since we yaked at each other.

Heard yose finally become a Grandpa and still have younguns at home too! Someone said you finally figure out what was causing em, but It looks like you didn't tell the kids...Congrats I love being a Papa Have 2. Ones 15 going on 22 and the other is 11 Both girls. Both playing fast pitch base ball. Keeping our spare time tied up.

Glad your back amongst us. Do you think my early collection (From start till 2001) of CleanFax is worth any thing yet??? I have alot of the others, but, as I told you before. I just went down hill after you left....!!!!

Just wanted to say Hey..
 

-JB-

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I had a post a few weeks ago that asked who used the Perseptionist, I just wanted to update, we started using the service last Thursday, by Saturday morning with their help we booked nearly 2k worth of work in just 48 hours, JUST 3 JOBS! 1repeat, 2 new, Yeah, it works for me!

Is it perfect, no. But I have also got to say it's been a long time since I answered a call on Saturday morning, much less booked a $800+ job, and I didn't do it this Saturday either, THEY DID!

I can live with the imperfection$.

First the SD, now the Perfectionist, sorry Perceptioist, what will you Downey boys come up with for me next?

Some training/procedure manuals would be nice :roll:
 
G

Guest

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Mr. Downey,

Will the little giant water heater work with the SD?

Will it keep up with the high water flow?

Phil
 

John Downey

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To Tony: I've never been a truckmount user so I can't compare. I do use a helper (the plus side of having all these kids!), and I do not usually prevacuum for the reason noted as well as the Steamin Demon's ability to remove dry particulate soil.

JB: 1. In my experience the Steamin Demon is ideally suited for cleaning high-end homes.
2. Briefly, in a high-flow system the relationship of air and water is different. If given a choice a vacuum will suck air rather before it sucks water because air is a lighter fluid. With high-flow the wall of results in much better water extraction efficiency.
3. Become a Christian in the deep, full and true sense. (I'm still a work in progress, but aren't we all.)

Bob: I'm not sure the answer to your question, but I do know this: The best thing that could happen to the industry today would be for the emergence of one or more countervailing forces to the IICRC. The IICRC is in dire need of a check on its power. Of course it doesn't know that, but it's nonetheless true.
 

Mikey P

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Hi John

Sorry I am late.

Let me ask you how you would deal with advertisers who you knew either ran shady businesses, had a poor product or were liars at best?

Would you let them run a ad in Clean Fax and look the other way or would you tell them to take a hike?
 

Goldenboy

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When using the Deamon do you have water on board or do you hook up to the customers sinK?


Golden Boy
 

John Downey

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Phil: I'm not sure but I think they will. You need to find out how much a Little Giant can boost the temperature of a machine putting out 3-4 gpm.
 
G

Guest

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John,

Thanks, I will check.

I've been using the SD for a year now, and love it.

How about stairs.

I now use a 4" hand tool with internal sprayer. Not too good.

What tool do you use with it to do stairs? Do you have larger jets to make use of the high flow?

Thanks
 

John Downey

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Hi Mike: My policy was to run an ad unless I knew it contained false information. My policy was to also publish letters critical of advertisers that falsely represented their products or services.

We had one occasion that I recall where a competitor complained about the content of a competitor's ad and demanded I pull it. I declined but offered them space in the letters column to express their view. They quit advertising with us for about two years.
 

-JB-

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bjorn,

that's because you don't clean any high end restaurants. :lol:
 

Jim Pemberton

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I forgot about that ad issue, John.

John annoyed more suppliers, advertisers, "industry personaliites" than anyone I met, with the exception of Edgar York himself.

Those were fun days
 

John Downey

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Phil: I use a 4" external jet PMF tool with an .08 jet (it's what comes with the stair tool assembly). My helpers clean the stairs and do a good job so I am happy!

Oh, and by the way I prefer to hook up in a bathroom so the dirty water can go down the toilet. On a bad job it makes for a nice visual.
 

Jim Pemberton

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John has got just as much on me Odin, I'm afraid.

This guy gave me my first opportunity to write for a magazine.

Funny story: My father wrote for the "recognized leader", and when I told him I was going to write for Cleanfax, I got some "good natured" (?) abuse from him for writing for the "tabloid".

John's "no hold's barred" honest and sometimes confrontational editorial style was new to the industry.

It seems I have a tendency to hang out with troublemakers............
 
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Gary Berg said the pumpout impeller wouldn't take that kind of heat...


John thank you very much for your help hosting the first Summerfest. I wish we'd recorded your little pep-talk that kicked off the Roundtable discussion. You had a lot of great insights on our efforts.
 
G

Guest

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Won't take the heat?

Darn it! Heat is the only thing I'd like to tweek on the SD.

Some commercial accounts have NO HOT WATER!

Phil
 

John Downey

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Thank you, Lee.

Mike, I think this board has the potential to be a counter-weight or a watchdog. And the industry needs that right now. I'll need to spend more time here before I would dare to give advice on how to improve. I know you guys are looking at a lot of things right now....

On second thought, one piece of advice: Be bold. No guts, no glory!
 

Jim Pemberton

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10 Minute Warning Folks!

Unlike past guests, John works for a living.

11:00 will be John's sign offl time. He's promised to go back and answer all the questions he couldn't get to tonight.
 

Royal Man

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Can't hook up to the sink and then have a fire breathing heater inside the home.



Most high end homes have marble all around the sink and very expensive wood floors.

I know the ones in my area would be freaking when they saw those hoses in the sink and start warning their high end friends By E-mail.

How do you deal with this?
 

John Downey

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Phil, before you give up on heat call my brother, Mike. I know he is working on some stuff that includes both high pressure and high heat.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Thanks A LOT John!

It takes seven of us to keep Mike under control as it is!

Now he'll be insufferable..........

Seriously, this place reminds me of working with you in the early Cleanfax days
 

John Downey

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Dave: What you think you know about your customers' reaction is not consistent with my experience. Probably 80 percent of my work is in high-end homes.

It's all about communication.
 
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NEVER had a problem in my direct hookup years. Most high end places have laundry sinks as well. Trusty little coupler adapter took care of most situations discreetly.

Higher heat likely not needed in residential anyway.
 

-JB-

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John

What do you think of the new version pre-sprayer attachment on the classic?
Like it better than the old? How about the leaking issue when the sprayer tips over?
To me that seems like the weakest link on the system, any ideas?
 

John Downey

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I'm going to call it a night, folks. Thanks for your participation. As Jim mentioned, I will come back later to review and answer any posts I missed tonight.

John D.
 

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