The greenest greenhorn I hope I'll ever see.....

[Kellie Hiler]

Had a guy who has never even picked up a wand before come in. He quit college and took out a $60,000 loan from Rotovac and bought a whole Rotovac package along with a Chief II.
Day one of the install he sat at my desk and asked me how to run a carpet cleaning biz.
And how to clean carpet....and tile....and upholstery....
Final day of install....Ray and I spent 3 hours teaching him how to run his new TM and I then spent another 3 hours teaching him how to clean carpet in our classroom.

I will never ever forget the look on his face when he started pushing that wand. He looked like he wanted to cry! He struggled badly to get a pattern down much less fighting the wand. I told him everything I could possibly tell him about pre-inspection, possible issues, spot removal, you name it.

I fear for this man and his family....he didn't even know about liability insurance! It is like as if I had just opened up a roofing biz...I know absolutely nothing about roofing and would have no business being up on someone's roof. He truly has no business cleaning someone's carpet. I told him to please please please take the classes we offer and he looked at me defiantly....

He bought the biggest set up we have! I can say with a certainty that he drove 12 hours home and cried his eyes out the whole way... He was afraid to leave TCS when we were all done...I felt so bad for this guy! And his wife and kids
He hasn't even started advertising or anything yet!
Someone told him this would be easy!

I don't know whether to respect him for jumping in head first with no knowledge or research or cry for him for jumping in head first with no knowledge or research! He will definitely go down in history as the greenest greenhorn I've ever seen...
He definitely gave me a run for my money on how to provide great customer service and prove myself to Mike! The good news is...I came out of the experience with a gold star.

Will was on vacation all last week and I was on my own...I spent a day writing up descriptions for our Maxx line of products as we are getting the online ordering website up and running soon!
Pretty cool week all in all...learning so much about the "retail" aspects and I must say...I am enjoying it!

 

[BIG WOOD]

WOW!. I bet that was an adrenaline rush for you to watch all that happen with the Greenhorn fella. I'm sure he'll call you several days from now with questions.

Did you invite him to this forum for when he has questions? What about advertising? What did you tell him on how to get his business started in marketing?

 

[Desk Jockey]

He truly has no business cleaning someone's carpet.

Sad, but there are plenty of them out there.

 

[hogjowl]

Sad, but there are plenty of them out there.

Yes, but we all survived somehow.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

I didn't jump $60k into it but I bought a Rotovac start up portable package. I knew nothing. I had only watched a friend clean a house once.
I went for it. Then the economy crashed. I worked two jobs. I made it somehow.
Today marks 10 years that I got my first call. A property manager called me with four houses to do. I still have that account.
My biggest concern for this guy would be the investment he has into it. But if he is determined, he will find a way.
Get him on this board.

 

[Blue Monarch]

First wand I ever used was the one that came with my shiny new boxxer.

 

[Mikey P]

Great post Kellie.

If you do decide to bring him here I can hide this thread

 

[FredC]

Great post Kellie.

If you do decide to bring him here I can hide this thread

remind me to adjust your permissions

 

[Cleanworks]

Bad thing is, he's $60,000 in the hole. Good thing is, he's got all brand new stuff. He shouldn't have to worry about break downs, except for the ones he causes and if he doesn't make it, somebody might pick up nice some equipment cheap.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

I did tell him to join the forum....he wrote it down in his notebook so hopefully he will do it.
I'm sure I will be hearing from him soon and I will remind him.
As for advertising, I told him to get a web page up, Facebook page, Direct mailers for his target areas, start knocking on doors, and get an ad campaign going to boost his Google rankings. Get some flyers printed out and go after Real estate gents, property managers, and commercial accounts.
He tried to make it sound like he was going to go for high end homes but something tells me he's going for apartments because he kept asking me how to approach them.
I really do hope he can do it, but he looked so green and lacking in confidence there is no telling...

 

[Mikey P]

So...


Why did he chose carpet cleaning?

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Start with cleaning your own carpet and furniture then family and friends. Property Managers and Apartment Managers and the off brand Motels... Get a few jobs under the belt then start fine tuning. Must have good credit for a 60,000 dollar loan so maybe his wife has a job too? I believe Jon Don gives a free 2 day 16 hour class on how to be successful in the Carpet Cleaning Business with a truck mount purchase. Maybe that should be standard procedure with other Companies selling packages as well. Wish him the best!

 

[Zee]

Not directed towards Kellie or TCS...

But..

Sometimes the most honest and stand up-ish business move to help someone, is denying their business and or try hard to talk them out of it.

We all had that customer before, that could be sold on anything whether they needed it or not. We all could sell protector where we know the carpet isn't friendly to protector... And the customer doesn't know that and would be happly paying the extra 100- 150 bucks.

I'm just thinking that maybe this bloke needed more help by talking him out of jumping $60grand in.

 

[dealtimeman]

Zee it sounds like by the time he got to tcs all finance had been done through Rotovac, so not much Kellie could do.

 

[FredC]

So...


Why did he chose carpet cleaning?

Cause if you clean 5 houses per day at $70 per house that $350 a day ....$91K a year....which puts you in the top 10%

duh....

 

[Zee]

I know Michael... That's why I said it wasn't directed at Kellie. And of course without being there to witness what and how everything went down, we can't say she and TCS wasn't trying to talk him out of it.
Understandably so. TCS was able to sell one of their truckmounts in the deal.

 

[dealtimeman]

So are you saying the Rotovac guys are the bad guys?

 

[FredC]

I'm just thinking that maybe this bloke needed more help by talking him out of jumping $60grand in.

or maybe that is exactly what he needed to be successful?

Bills can be a great motivator..............

 

[Zee]

So are you saying the Rotovac guys are the bad guys?

No. Everyone is trying to make a sale.
Ultimately it's the customer that makes the decision. So if he is over 18 and could apply for a loan...he is the bad guy for himself.

 

[Zee]

or maybe that is exactly what he needed to be successful?

Bills can be a great motivator..............

Yup, and those of us that made similar mistakes before -can attest to that.

 

[JS41035]

Bills can be a great motivator..............

True dat

 

[Mikey P]

if he qualified for a 60K loan, I'm pretty sure he could have got into an easier vocation than something that makes him cry.


Did he mention having his carpet cleaned recently and the O/O was bragging about how great CC is?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Had a guy who has never even picked up a wand before come in. He quit college and took out a $60,000 loan from Rotovac and bought a whole Rotovac package along with a Chief II.
Day one of the install he sat at my desk and asked me how to run a carpet cleaning biz.
And how to clean carpet....and tile....and upholstery....
Final day of install....Ray and I spent 3 hours teaching him how to run his new TM and I then spent another 3 hours teaching him how to clean carpet in our classroom.

I will never ever forget the look on his face when he started pushing that wand. He looked like he wanted to cry! He struggled badly to get a pattern down much less fighting the wand. I told him everything I could possibly tell him about pre-inspection, possible issues, spot removal, you name it.

I fear for this man and his family....he didn't even know about liability insurance! It is like as if I had just opened up a roofing biz...I know absolutely nothing about roofing and would have no business being up on someone's roof. He truly has no business cleaning someone's carpet. I told him to please please please take the classes we offer and he looked at me defiantly....

He bought the biggest set up we have! I can say with a certainty that he drove 12 hours home and cried his eyes out the whole way... He was afraid to leave TCS when we were all done...I felt so bad for this guy! And his wife and kids
He hasn't even started advertising or anything yet!
Someone told him this would be easy!

I don't know whether to respect him for jumping in head first with no knowledge or research or cry for him for jumping in head first with no knowledge or research! He will definitely go down in history as the greenest greenhorn I've ever seen...
He definitely gave me a run for my money on how to provide great customer service and prove myself to Mike! The good news is...I came out of the experience with a gold star.

Will was on vacation all last week and I was on my own...I spent a day writing up descriptions for our Maxx line of products as we are getting the online ordering website up and running soon!
Pretty cool week all in all...learning so much about the "retail" aspects and I must say...I am enjoying it!

I've seen this story played out more than a few times over the years. I don't know enough about the circumstances that lead him to make such an investment with what seems like little idea of what was involved, but the fact is that he is now in a business that can be a very good one if:

1. He makes sensible decisions on how to market himself, and understands that no matter how much he spent up front, he will need to put a lot of work and effort back into the business before it comes back to him.

2. He listens more than he talks. If he will listen to the good people who own and manage your business (including you!), and will actively participate in this forum, he can at least get a lot of good ideas before he wastes money that he likely no longer has to waste.

3. If he is willing to work VERY hard. I don't know a lazy guy or gal who made it in this industry.

I wish him well, and have a feeling he already has a "guardian angel" looking after him

 

[Desk Jockey]

So how much is Lockhart going to buy the package for? $20-30K?

 

[dealtimeman]

I'll generously give him 12.5 by the time he gives up.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Dog!

 

[mirf]

When he calls back maybe suggest he take SFS course.

 

[Old Coastie]

I seem to be the only one captivated by the sheer guts of this guy. To me, $60,000 is unreachable but on a scale, it is exactly what I did. All in or get out.

Must be the stubborn old Coastie gene, "you have to go out but you don't have to come back!"

 

[Desk Jockey]

Stephen you have the determination to see it through. I question if that guy does. If he does, then he just had a panic attack.

 

[hogjowl]

He WAS talking to Kellie, by the way.