Tom King's new location..

[Shane Deubell]

The problem ofer is you are taking your high personal work ethic/standards and applying them to ALL owner operators. Being an O/O is not the factor, its YOU.

Most O/O treat this as a job without a boss and are worse then the techs. At least techs of a larger operation have a boss to supervise them.
Who is supervising all these owner operators running around?

Nobody, they just do whatever they feel like that day.
and when you point out what total slobs they look like... boy do they get mad!

 

[ruff]

There's truth in what you say Shane.
There are great O/O's and great multiple van companies. There are lousy O/O's and lousy .........We agree.
Hate to quote myself, but here is what I wrote:

Does being an O/O makes one necessarily "outstanding"?- NO. It is a higher standard and not every one is suited for it. Just as not every great O/O makes a great multiple van company owner. Different set of skills.

 

[TomKing]

There's truth in what you say Shane.
There are great O/O's and great multiple van companies. There are lousy O/O's and lousy .........We agree.
Hate to quote myself, but here is what I wrote:

Ofer I think Shane hit it on the head. There might be a few hundred O/O like your self in the country. The rest fit in another category.

Saw one this morning driving a truck down the road that looked like it would fall over because the suspension was messed up. Smoking away and looking like a slob.

I never feel personally attacked. Thanks for the banter.

 

[PrimaDonna]

anyone seen the Vaseline

Ouch...vaseline?

Get yourself some of the water based or silicone stuff.

Amazed that you are using all the "modern chemistry" in your business...but not for taking care of your "personal" business.

 

[Hoody]

From what I can tell, the point Tom was trying to make was that the O/O get caught up in the production side. They're always looking for and buying the next greatest tool. Whether or not said new tool can provide a noticeable difference for the CLIENT is what matters to the bottom line of things. Don't get me wrong, I love going to be knowing I provided the best cleaning and service possible too. Most get caught up on selling the results from the tool rather than the brand itself. There are some companies that do it well but in order to grow you have to create something that easily duplicated and do it really well and sell, sell, sell. You can take profits to buy new equipment, test it like crazy, and then development training and education internally to duplicate that.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have the best tool that provides the best cleaning. But there certainly needs to be a balance on obsessing about the production side and allowing that side of the business to hinder you from growth. Do something and do it really well consistently and then worry about the next best tool - it'll be a lot easier to incorporate that even with multiple trucks.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Ouch...vaseline?

Get yourself some of the water based or silicone stuff.

Amazed that you are using all the "modern chemistry" in your business...but not for taking care of your "personal" business.

 

[Nate The Great]

Ouch...vaseline?

Get yourself some of the water based or silicone stuff.

Amazed that you are using all the "modern chemistry" in your business...but not for taking care of your "personal" business.

@Desk Jockey played in the movie American Me.... Old habits are hard to change...

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[Art Kelley]

From what I can tell, the point Tom was trying to make was that the O/O get caught up in the production side. They're always looking for and buying the next greatest tool. Whether or not said new tool can provide a noticeable difference for the CLIENT is what matters to the bottom line of things. Don't get me wrong, I love going to be knowing I provided the best cleaning and service possible too. Most get caught up on selling the results from the tool rather than the brand itself. There are some companies that do it well but in order to grow you have to create something that easily duplicated and do it really well and sell, sell, sell. You can take profits to buy new equipment, test it like crazy, and then development training and education internally to duplicate that.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have the best tool that provides the best cleaning. But there certainly needs to be a balance on obsessing about the production side and allowing that side of the business to hinder you from growth. Do something and do it really well consistently and then worry about the next best tool - it'll be a lot easier to incorporate that even with multiple trucks.

Steven, if I was starting out, I would want both you and Tom King to direct my path. But for me, nothing matters but production. That's all I use for sales, marketing and referrals Every day I only focus on doing the best job possible, with the best technology available. My customers do my marketing because I take care of them.

 

[TomKing]

Steven, if I was starting out, I would want both you and Tom King to direct my path. But for me, nothing matters but production. That's all I use for sales, marketing and referrals Every day I only focus on doing the best job possible, with the best technology available. My customers do my marketing because I take care of them.

Thanks but how would all 3 off us fit in the front of the truck? I am a fat guy remember. LOL

 

[rick imby]

I started a retail bike business in the late 70s. I had no clue and there were no online boards to get help.

The advantage the carpet cleaning chains have always had and not always used was access to experienced marketing and technical issues.

Look at big company that bought all the Aerotec machines and locked zippers up for a couple of years.
Nobody without big equipment should have been able to compete with them if they managed their people well.
They have the equipment side down but unlike Hagopian they do not have a clue about the human side.
Yet guys with ETMs in the back of their pickups could easily compete.

Many big companies do not follow through with the training and picking of employees necessary to do even a "good enough" job. Excellence out of the question.

However the most of the lowly O/o's get all their information from the salesmen at Interlink or JonDon. Most get by mainly by showing up most of the time. I believe the Cleaner Tom spoke of with the broken suspension on his van is more the general rule of O/o than the "Excellence at a minimum" shown by the 2%.

Strategies for Success and these boards have done a ton to educate many cleaners how to do a "good enough" job.

Excellence is rare in all industries and sizes of companies, but can be found in large companies, parts of large companies (Like Meg said) and in O/o's.

He or she who thinks they have attained excellence just lost a couple of steps to those aspiring to be...

 

[Desk Jockey]

He or she who thinks they have attained excellence just lost a couple of steps to those aspiring to be...

Even if you think but don't speak it?

 

[Russ T.]

Is it me or have some profile pics been shuffled around a bit??

I look like Hoody, Tom King looks like me, Chavez looks like Tom.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I look like Hoody, Tom King looks like me, Chavez looks like Tom.

Whhhudt?

Splain it to me Lucy.

 

[Russ T.]

Look at the pic below your name, and mine...

Could it be my device?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Must be your device? I have a Bear head as an Avatar

Gotta get rid of those i phoney's.

 

[FredC]

Could it be my device?

edit: clearing cache will probably fix

 

[TomKing]

Is it me or have some profile pics been shuffled around a bit??

I look like Hoody, Tom King looks like me, Chavez looks like Tom.View attachment 5963

Well Chavez has always been trying to imitate me.

And as far as your truck its my new operation I am opening up on the West Side of Des Moines. Multi truck splash and dash. Give the people what they want low prices baby. LOL

 

[Desk Jockey]

Will Chavez has always been trying to imitate me.

Yep pretty much!

 

[Russ T.]

Will Chavez has always been trying to imitate me.

And as far as your truck its my new operation I am opening up on the West Side of Des Moines. Multi truck splash and dash. Give the people what they want low prices baby. LOL

Splash & Dash needs to be on the East side!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Hate to quote myself, but here is what I wrote:

I don't believe you!

I think you enjoyed that!

 

[ruff]

Just a little. Mostly so that I can hear my accent.

 

[Desk Jockey]

LOL

Quick wit...well maybe I'm just that slow. No you have a quick wit.

 

[Jeremy N]

This thread has really brought up a lot of really good, thought provoking points.

It really makes me think about where I want my business to go. I do mostly water damage and reconstruction. I'd say I'm a half-mass carpet cleaner. We have a few truckmounts and I do some carpet/tile cleaning. It is hard without enough carpet cleaning work to stay full time busy (obviously I could change that) but I damn-sure-don't wanta clean carpet everyday. I also, don't really have the passion or don't desire to be focused on making cleaning techs excellent. I know that I need some sort of drive to want to do it in order to provide good service to folks. Guys like Tom are passionate and pursuing excellence with that daily. I just don't know if I have the guts to do it.

The again, WD work is a roller coaster and we do OK with it. We even out the slow times with reconstruction, which can be stressful. My ideas is that it would be easier to even out the slow times with carpet cleaning instead of construction. Can I do it? I don't know. Listening to you guys doesn't really help me feel any more confident.

I just haven't tried that hard I suppose.

 

[Russ T.]

It has been a good thread.

Probably the most important thing is that we stick with our strengths and what really makes us excited.

I don't want to be married to my biz, as much as I really do love it. So I choose not to do restoration.

I know that's where the $$$ is, I maintained certification for years while working for someone else.

Now we get to choose. It's a good thing!

Carpet cleaning can offer some stability to a restoration biz. I bet Chavez would have a lot to say about that...

I like working during the day and serving residential clients. I want slow but steady growth without the stress of emergency work.

But that's me. It's really important to understand your strengths and maximize them...and market them!

We started to see some success when I stopped trying to be Stanley Steemer. I'm not knocking them but it's not me.

I am The Clean Machine!

 

[Jeremy N]

It has been a good thread.

Probably the most important thing is that we stick with our strengths and what really makes us excited.

I don't want to be married to my biz, as much as I really do love it. So I choose not to do restoration.

I know that's where the $$$ is, I maintained certification for years while working for someone else.

Now we get to choose. It's a good thing!

Carpet cleaning can offer some stability to a restoration biz. I bet Chavez would have a lot to say about that...

I like working during the day and serving residential clients. I want slow but steady growth without the stress of emergency work.

But that's me. It's really important to understand your strengths and maximize them...and market them!

We started to see some success when I stopped trying to be Stanley Steemer. I'm not knocking them but it's not me.

I am The Clean Machine!

Trust me, I just wanta be a dude with a truckmount many days.

Being married to your business in WD is a real thing. I hate it sometimes.

Sometimes I get really jealous of CC dudes and want to be like them.

 

[Russ T.]

I look around too sometimes and wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

I'm doing this for my family and I need to have time for them along the way. I don't want to look at Max (5) when he's ready to make a go of his own (hopefully a very long way away) and wonder why I didn't do what I had to, to be a better dad.

Those are the things that will bother me, long after I hang up the truck.

But that's me.

Plus I love cleaning so I got that in my favor!

 

[Russ T.]

Happening now!

Max won't let me take his pic now but he's bundled up next to me, waiting for Mel and EJ (14) to bring on the marshmallows!

 

[Jeremy N]

View attachment 5974

Happening now!

Max won't let me take his pic now but he's bundled up next to me, waiting for Mel and EJ (14) to bring on the marshmallows!

Good work, dad. Much respect!

 

[Jeremy N]

I've got 6

b 23 - works and lives on his own
b 20 - in the army
b 16 - high school
b 14
g 13
g 10

Gotta remember what is important.