Why did'nt they call the last Co. back?

[Mikey P]

you are smart knowing what your customer wants and expects of you..while i am doing my walk through with the first time customers i am asking about any past cleanings that they have had..the next question is why are you not still using them (make sure i dont make the same mistake that they did)..i would have to say that 60% of the time part of the answer is
"they were in and out" and "i dont feel like i got the value for the money i spent"..
like i said, different markets.

- Dave Gorilla Back Gil

When I ask that question the answer is..

 

[Mikey P]

pick your top 3 answers

 

[bob vawter]

Mikey you forgot:

I HAD to call you....
you're the only ones that'll
come to this part of town......

 

[Art Kelley]

"The other two companies I called didn't return my calls."

"The last company I called never showed up and didn't call me."

I find it's not too hard to be a dominant player in this business when your competition acts like they don't give a damn. Like Woody Allen said, 80 percent of success is just showing up.

 

[bob vawter]

hey Art.......you busy???

 

[Brian R]

Couldn't remember = no follow up from company

Creepy tech= bad image

Bad workmanship= speaks for itself.

 

[diamond brian]

Brian, do your wife and custy have the same hair dresser?

 

[Art Kelley]

hey Art.......you busy???

I'm busier than Nancy Pelosi's spin doctors.

 

[Brian R]

Brian, do your wife and custy have the same hair dresser?

That was/is a style that some women had/have around here.
Mine just changed hers...cute

 

[bob vawter]

ya i'm busier than a two-peckered billy goat, mysef!

 

[rhyde]

I've gotten a few "the cleaner creeped me out calls in the last few weeks"

two of them where from vancouver .... devil dog is back in town!

 

[Mike Draper]

They told me that they weren't impressed with the other companies Piece of shit vortex! When the tech showed up all he talked about was his equipment and how powerful it was, how it had the biggest pump and the most CFM's at the end of a 100' stretch of hose and how it had more heat than any truck in the world, and finally he told me that it cost $100,000.00. Then the customer told me that none of those things matter to them, and it was more annoying than anything.

 

[rhyde]

i'm sure they where pulled in by your 99.00 whole house specal

 

[Mike Draper]

i'm sure they where pulled in by your 99.00 whole house specal

more like.....$6.99 a room special.....includes scotch guard.

 

[rhyde]

I figured that but being in Utah I was thinking a Mormon compound with 20- 30 rooms

 

[steve frasier]

the last couple of comments from new customers that came form the web site were

the last guy isn't in business anymore

and one says that I though I was getting a good deal when he cleaned the whole house for $175, this was for 1600 sq ft and a couch and chair, it took us slightly over 2 hours to pile lift, dual wand and airpath dry it.
Yes Waldo, she vacuumed it with her dyson. No reason to insult her but the pile lifting did.

the machine doesn't make the man, I don't brag about my truck to customers but they do notice it over a cargo van and when the carpet is dry to the touch in minutes from a few airpaths they know why

 

[gasaxe]

" i get tired of those other companies calling and sending "specials" in the mail all the time. You must be busy/good bcause your not always soliciting business"

 

[Mike Draper]

I figured that but being in Utah I was thinking a Mormon compound with 20- 30 rooms

Haven't come across any of those yet, but it would be nice....I might end up cleaning 30 different homes if I do a good job

 

[Mike Draper]

I'm just kidding about the Vortex, I'll buy an Aerotech someday as well. However, I won't change my marketing to brag about it though.

 

[Ron Werner]

most often they don't remember who the last cleaner was

after that, its bad performance, spots returned (get a lot from Chemdry that way)

and I do get custies that hear I prevac and they've never seen anyone do that.

 

[FloorPizza]

From a customer's point of view, I can say that I'll never use Chemdry again. When I bought my house, it had been a model home for the builder for three years. They didn't bother using any sort of plastic carpet protection. The carpet was dirty and well worn. They paid Chemdry to come clean it. They were over a week late, so we had to move in with dirty carpet. They finally showed up, didn't move any furniture, and were out in less than an hour. My house is 3800 sf, with about 2800 of it carpeted. After they left, I pulled out my Hoover upright home extraction cleaner, and proceeded to extract the blackest, nastiest stuff I'd ever seen. Chemdry's system is totally worthless; it was beaten badly by a Hoover home upright. Chemdry is a huuuuuge joke, but the owner is making some serious bank. I'd call and complain, but the impression I got is that they could care less. They are actually one of the reasons I've been considering doing my own CC business; even *I* could do a better job than them.

 

[GeneMiller]

Mikey,

I think a better question would of been ,Why do you think they will call you back? But I'll play along.
The most common response I get is the spots returned after a week. A close 2nd would be the carpets took to long to dry followed by I can't remember who cleaned them.

Gene

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

Mine lately have been "the last guy has throat cancer" the other guy died from it.
Neither smoked or drank. Must of been something in the Bane chemicals?
Creepy! Most of the time its poor workmanship or forgot who did it.

 

[tim]

My number one has to be unimpressive cleaning. Most are promised the world and given a mediocre clean. Second is spots return. I'm not sure what CD and SS do that causes resoil or wickback but I hope they keep it up! Cant remember has to be number 3. Most have used every large franchise in the phonebook and cant remember who was last, seems to point back to number 1. Took forever to dry is usually a complaint made about local hacks, they usually cant remember their name. Sad that just following a few simple steps can make you tops in your industry

 

[Mikey P]

I need to add a choice for Robison.


They tried to call me but Kevin answered.

 

[tmdry]

They told me that they weren't impressed with the other companies Piece of shit vortex! When the tech showed up all he talked about was his equipment and how powerful it was, how it had the biggest pump and the most CFM's at the end of a 100' stretch of hose and how it had more heat than any truck in the world, and finally he told me that it cost $100,000.00. Then the customer told me that none of those things matter to them, and it was more annoying than anything.

LOL

 

[Jim Pemberton]

In "my life outside of cleaning and restoration" I have the opportunity to meet and have fairly in depth discussions with people in the income level that hires carpet cleaners.

Even at that income level, most have never hired a professional carpet cleaner. They either let the maid do it with a "consumer carpet cleaning machine" or they do it themselves (yes even people with "money" do that).

Its not that they can't afford it; its that they don't want a stranger in their home.

Of those who have hired professional carpet cleaners, most of them forget who did it when I ask, although they usually know all about the carpet tech's personal life. The tech just spent too much time talking about his kids or his dog and not his bosses company.

Those that remembered the cleaner usually remembered a bad job. Those people know exactly what they paid ("I PAID GOOD MONEY...........) then they list off the days of drying, rapid resoiling, damaged furniture, stinky chems, etc.

A very, very, very small percentage have a good relationship with a carpet cleaner that they have come back on a regular basis.

People have no reason to remember you if that's all they get. Their experience with us is rarely an emotional experience, or at least rarely a good one.

Give them a refrigerator magnet, a calendar, a thank you card, send them a post card or newsletter, but do something to be remembered. Otherwise, if they pay you and they get clean carpet as a result of paying you, you're "even". You will not be remembered if you are "even".

 

[Hoody]

Jim's post is why I'll debate branding/brand recognition all day long with Devildog.

 

[Jimmy L]

The last guy shampooed my carpets for 4 years before he steam cleaned them.

I'll never call him again.

I'm sure he went thru my underwear drawer too.

:shock:

 

[Brian R]

In "my life outside of cleaning and restoration" I have the opportunity to meet and have fairly in depth discussions with people in the income level that hires carpet cleaners.

Even at that income level, most have never hired a professional carpet cleaner. They either let the maid do it with a "consumer carpet cleaning machine" or they do it themselves (yes even people with "money" do that).

Its not that they can't afford it; its that they don't want a stranger in their home.

Of those who have hired professional carpet cleaners, most of them forget who did it when I ask, although they usually know all about the carpet tech's personal life. The tech just spent too much time talking about his kids or his dog and not his bosses company.

Those that remembered the cleaner usually remembered a bad job. Those people know exactly what they paid ("I PAID GOOD MONEY...........) then they list off the days of drying, rapid resoiling, damaged furniture, stinky chems, etc.

A very, very, very small percentage have a good relationship with a carpet cleaner that they have come back on a regular basis.

People have no reason to remember you if that's all they get. Their experience with us is rarely an emotional experience, or at least rarely a good one.

Give them a refrigerator magnet, a calendar, a thank you card, send them a post card or newsletter, but do something to be remembered. Otherwise, if they pay you and they get clean carpet as a result of paying you, you're "even". You will not be remembered if you are "even".

Magnets have been my best friend since I started carpet cleaning companies.
Now that my custy's get reminders and thank yous going back 2 years I am getting even more repeat customers.

Like any relationship, if the custy just doesn't like you then they probably won't have you back no matter how good of a job you did or even if you leave a magnet

Image

I always got referrals and repeats because of being likeable AND because I did a great job.
the magnets and all that just helped them to remember a phone number and a name.

Most people can't remember those two things 2 seconds after someone gives it to them, let alone 6 months to a year later.

Example: "I'm single again, that super hot chick at the party 6 months ago said she would screw me 6 ways till sunday whenever I wanted. WHAT THE HELL WAS HER NUMBER!?!?"

Get the idea?